Stopping to 'have a go'

[Maha]

My middle name is Moses.

I thought he passed water at the red sea??

[vifferman]

It turned out the car was full of outraged Polynesian gentlemen wearing red and black.

That's a completely different kettle of pish - those guys deliberately look for or cause aggro. It's a waste of time doing anything more than taking a fdeep breath, counting to 10, and trying to put it out of your mind. However (but!) for the motorists that DO care about their driving, or who like to think they have "above average" driving skills (which should be about 90% of motorists, right?), calmly and politely pointing out to them they need to take more care with indicating / changing lanes / looking twice at intersections or whatever if they wish to avoid a new piece of abstract motorcycle art adorning their beloved shitbox may just result in a very slight but welcome improvement in the Motorcycle vs. Other Vehicle statistics. It might conceivably even mean that one day, somewhere, a biker isn't killed, maimed, or even just pissed off by a near miss.

[Dealer]

how many of us can take the moral highground and say we haven't cut in front of someone? I know i can't, yet it still pisses me off when it happens to me. Better to just let it go, least it escalates into something bigger.
Express your dissatisfaction by all means, but do you really have to damage someone elses property to make a point?
Problem is, most drivers get tunnel vision after cutting people off, and avoid looking at your gestures too.

[Tubbsy]

It might conceivably even mean that one day, somewhere, a biker isn't killed, maimed, or even just pissed off by a near miss.

This is the whole point of starting this thread. What happened to me happened, no changing it. But to have some kind of cause and effect from it where we can maybe stop another biker from becoming a statistic would be good.

[Oscar]

how many of us can take the moral highground and say we haven't cut in front of someone? I know i can't, yet it still pisses me off when it happens to me. Better to just let it go, least it escalates into something bigger.
Express your dissatisfaction by all means, but do you really have to damage someone elses property to make a point?
Problem is, most drivers get tunnel vision after cutting people off, and avoid looking at your gestures too.

I'll put my hand up.
I failed to give way to a motorcyclist in my car a coupla months go and he had to take avoiding action. I was mortified - I missed him by inches...

[duckonin]

We all have horns, toot toot, have found over the years, if you use it two things can happen passive "sorry " reaction or total aggression, all in the way u use it, but at least others have the situation bought to their attention so in the case of a confrontation of a sorts you would at least have witnesses...

[Ecclesnz]

'An eye for an eye makes the world blind'

Gotta be a better way to hedumacate motorists than kicking their doors in???

There is, I drive a cage and ride a bike. I can honestly say that if I made a mistake and some numtpy decided the best way to bring it to my attention was to kick my door in or key my car I would probably get _really_ pissed. We're not talking shout and rant and rave, we're talking make a new hyosung speedbump in the road type pissed.

With all that goes on in traffic unfortunately it can be very easy to miss something like a motorbike, especially if they are doing anything slightly out of the ordinary or blocked by another vehicle. Unfortunately the bext thing to do on a bike is act as if no one else can see you. It is likely to save you grief. If someone pulls out and had not seen you, give them a gesture, toot your horn, shout at them whatever. Realise they are human too. They might not have realised from front on how quickly you were going, or how close you were.

If on the other hand you know that the person did see you and decided to be a c*nt, get their plate details, call the cops. Send them a nasty card with a photo of a couple of kids telling them that they nearly made those kids orphans by their behaviour (the driver would have no way of knowing they were not actually their kids). Make them think about their actions and the possible consequences of them.

If you resort to wanton destruction one day you are likely to meet someone like me. I will do all I can to help people. I always try to believe the best in others however there are some things that will make me snap. If you attack my vehicle I have every right to believe you will attack me as well and I will defend myself accordingly. Yes your gear will help save you in a fist fight, not so much so if I park on your bike.


**Please note I would never suggest violence as a solution to almost anything. Unfortunately as seen in recent nes events somepeople will do serious damage after small trigger events. If I or my vehicle is attacked I do not know the idiot doing it is planning to stop after a little damage and will react accordingly. This is the main flaw in the "key their car" or "kick in their door" plans. In doing this _you_ are the attacker, they just made a mistake. Be fully prepared for the consequences these actions may bring.

[Squid]

Morning all.

Got cut off and had to brake fairly sharply this morning to avoid road-kill time. Silly be-otch pulled straight in front of me to cross my lane to get to the service station. Thing is, there was easily a km of clear road behind me.

Luckily I pre-judged the awesome stupidy about to happen so was ready for it. First instinct was to pull in to the petrol station next to her and ask her if she got hers drivers licence out of a farken wheet bix packet.....but I didn't cos it would entail stopping.

Just wondering.....for those of you that HAVE stopped to tell an idiot motorist off, how does it normally play out? I mean, it doesn't change anything that happened, dunno if they'd learn from it (maybe they might), and I'd imagine you'd be left with a pretty awkward pause at the end of it before riding away.

Cant say I've ever stopped to tell a cage driver off. Air horns work a treat at expressing displeasure!
I put em on my little VT250, only had enough room to install one of the trumpets under the fairings though so it was a little louder then intended... Took a while to get used to them, used to make me jump every time I tooted till I got used of it.

[oldrider]

Getting old has it's compensations, when it comes to taking "remedial" action you are not in the same physical ball park any more!

The remedy is, if your brain still works, use it and use it wisely, there may not be much of that left either!

If we (motorcyclists) want to be respected then we have to first earn that respect by our own behaviour!

Motorcyclists are not generally respected (or noticed) by other road users because it is believed that we are both, dangerous and unnecessary!

This attitude is propagated by those in Authority, emulated by other motorists and supported by the general public at large!

Unfortunately their attitude is "substantiated" and "supported" by the behaviour of "some" of us motorcyclists!

Yes, sometimes I too, am guilty of contributing to this!

Who do non-motorcyclists and the general public remember most?

The minority of us idiots of course, it justifies their negative attitudes! (that motorcyclists are unnecessary, expensive, temporary New Zealanders)

Those in authority raise our costs wherever they can (ACC etc) to the enthusiastic and loud applause of the rest of the general public!

The silly part is, "we" encourage them, by our own behaviour!

If motorcyclists want to be held in respect by the rest of the nation, we have to earn it!

When they respect us they might see us, maybe even give way to us because of our obvious (according to them) vulnerability!

[short-circuit]

Getting old has it's compensations, when it comes to taking "remedial" action you are not in the same physical ball park any more!

The remedy is, if your brain still works, use it and use it wisely, there may not be much of that left either!

If we (motorcyclists) want to be respected then we have to first earn that respect by our own behaviour!

Motorcyclists are not generally respected (or noticed) by other road users because it is believed that we are both, dangerous and unnecessary!

This attitude is propagated by those in Authority, emulated by other motorists and supported by the general public at large!

Unfortunately their attitude is "substantiated" and "supported" by the behaviour of "some" of us motorcyclists!

Yes, sometimes I too, am guilty of contributing to this!

Who do non-motorcyclists and the general public remember most?

The minority of us idiots of course, it justifies their negative attitudes! (that motorcyclists are unnecessary, expensive, temporary New Zealanders)

Those in authority raise our costs wherever they can (ACC etc) to the enthusiastic and loud applause of the rest of the general public!

The silly part is, "we" encourage them, by our own behaviour!

If motorcyclists want to be held in respect by the rest of the nation, we have to earn it!

When they respect us they might see us, maybe even give way to us because of our obvious (according to them) vulnerability!

that's way too sensible to take seriously

[CookMySock]

The sad thing is some n00b on KB will read some of these 'coin-the-dumb-bastards-car' (as opposed to DangerousBastards) threads and now think coining is (a) effective at solving the 'problem' and (b) ALL motorcyclists use this form of driver 'education'....

Thats not a sad thing, thats an awesome thing.

We aren't trying to solve anyones' problem, scumdog. We are just blowing smoke on some bs biker internet forum. I highly doubt some newb is going to take this sort of bs talk as "real life", and seriously, if anyone wants to smash someones car mirror or window (or doesn't) I doubt anything that you, I, or anyone else says is going to change it.

All that is happening here, is blowing off steam by a few individuals rolling around ideas, and others that disagree with them taking issue and talking down at them.. yeah thats you by the way, so really there is nothing you can "do" to fix the problem, so all you are going to get is wound up about it, so why bother?

The fact is that some of the old codgers here are passing on the benefit of their experiences, whereas some of the idjuts here are posting their fetid Rambo fantasies.

Sure, but it's not nice to call people idiots. That just adds to the level of insult and injury, and we were all mates before someone started that, and if we weren't mates, then why post? Unless insult and injury is the whole point..

When I was about 18 and full of piss and wind, I was out riding with two buddies [..] some wanker carved up Dave and got the fingers from him [...] It turned out the car was full of outraged Polynesian gentlemen wearing red and black. So here I was

Yeah thats the dark side of it, and to be fair, that is a concern of mine also. It's pretty tough to win such a fight, unless you can go cross-country, or find some other method to get plenty of air between you and them.

Steve

[Katman]

Getting old has it's compensations, when it comes to taking "remedial" action you are not in the same physical ball park any more!

The remedy is, if your brain still works, use it and use it wisely, there may not be much of that left either!

If we (motorcyclists) want to be respected then we have to first earn that respect by our own behaviour!

Motorcyclists are not generally respected (or noticed) by other road users because it is believed that we are both, dangerous and unnecessary!

This attitude is propagated by those in Authority, emulated by other motorists and supported by the general public at large!

Unfortunately their attitude is "substantiated" and "supported" by the behaviour of "some" of us motorcyclists!

Yes, sometimes I too, am guilty of contributing to this!

Who do non-motorcyclists and the general public remember most?

The minority of us idiots of course, it justifies their negative attitudes! (that motorcyclists are unnecessary, expensive, temporary New Zealanders)

Those in authority raise our costs wherever they can (ACC etc) to the enthusiastic and loud applause of the rest of the general public!

The silly part is, "we" encourage them, by our own behaviour!

If motorcyclists want to be held in respect by the rest of the nation, we have to earn it!

When they respect us they might see us, maybe even give way to us because of our obvious (according to them) vulnerability!

If there was room to make this post my new signature, I would.

[Big Dave]

I fully expect a number of drivers and/or riders to do something stupid every time I put the key in the ignition. So I prepare, focus and mindset accordingly.

Thus when it does inevitably happen that some knob jockey changes lanes/pulls out/fucks up near me I'm ready for it - and instead of getting angry and need to 'have a go' I actually smile inwardly and think 'that took longer/less time than usual' and continue to enjoy the day/ride/life and don't let some dick in a car ruin it.

[Oakie]

I ride expecting people to do dumb shit and try to kill me. When it happens therefore it is no surprise so I don't get too emotionally wound up in it. If I have the opportunity though I will give them a cheery 'wave' just to express "I am a tad miffed at your foolishness".

[CookMySock]

If I or my vehicle is attacked I do not know the idiot doing it is planning to stop after a little damage and will react accordingly.

LOL WHUT?

I can honestly say that if I made a mistake and some numtpy decided the best way to bring it to my attention was to kick my door in or key my car I would probably get _really_ pissed. We're not talking shout and rant and rave, we're talking make a new hyosung speedbump in the road type pissed. [...] Yes your gear will help save you in a fist fight, not so much so if I park on your bike.

Right, so perhaps you are saying if I coined your car that means next I am going to rape your animals and steal your wife? so now you are going to kill me?

It's one thing to get pissed off and mark someones paint, but what you have suggested is a completely new level of violence, and that puts you in a very special category.

Steve