Death Wish Motorcyclists

[bluenose1940]

Why oh why do so many motorcyclists seem to have an in-built death wish.

The main road between Exmouth and Exeter, the A376, has for many many years, been the subject of discussion regarding upgrading. It is totally inadequate for the volume of traffic that uses it on a daily basis. This morning, travelling back from Exeter, I had a motorcyclist on my tail, I had been watching him in my rear view mirrors, overtaking the vehicles behind me, by dodging those vehicles going in the opposite direction. As we approached a set of traffice lights he edged ever closer to my vehicle and was obviously preparing himself for what turned out to be a most idiotic manoeuvre. I was in a line of traffic with an enormous artic about 5 cars in front of me, with quite a number of cars in front of him. There was an almighty roar and this motorcyclist went past me and everything else in sight, he/she was lying flat on the fuel tank, presumably to minimise wind resistance! I kid you not, but he really must have been doing well in excess of 100mph in completing this move. I really don't mind if it is his choice to wrap himself around a tree or suchlike but, unfortunately they often manage to take some unsuspecting innocent person with them.

A couple of weeks ago I was driving in a line of traffic on a B road between Exmouth and East Budleigh. Once again a motorcyclist was behind me, having already overtaken others, and I was watching him in my mirrors. As we were driving along, this motorcyclist was weaving from side to side behind me, but not in upright mode, he was leaning over as far as possible in each direction with his knees virtually touching the tarmac. The movement reminded me of the F1 drivers on the lap before the start of a race, where they too go from side to side to get the tyres warmed up. As we approached a right turn off the road, with bollards and lighting, this idiot does no more than decide to overtake the 7 or 8 cars in the line, ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BOLLARDS.

There is a telegraph pole on the A376, where there is constantly a bunch of flowers at its base. A good guess could probably be made as to why.

When you see a motorcycle being ridden well, it is a pleasure to see. Unfortunately these instances are far too rare. I can remember seeing a motorcyclist on my way to work everyday in the eighties. The bike was being ridden very well indeed. It was a very big bike but, the rider was very small. There was an occasion when I saw the rider get off the bike and remove their helmet. To my absolute amazement the rider was a mere strip of a lass, but she certainly knew how to handle that bike!

[Deadloak]

... and of course it is the motorist that is the bad road user!

David

[dave1]

I used to be a motorcyclist but never rode like an idiot. I think that even hardened motorcyclists (several on here) would have to admit that there are an ever increasing number of idiots riding them. Another issue is overtaking and cutting in front too quickly and the all too prevalent passing on the inside............which is illegal but seems acceptable for "motorcyclists".

[rayaans]

Yup, see it all the time.

Weaving in and out of traffic, doing wheelies etc etc

Worst experience I had was in my previous RX300. I was in London on the way back to my friends house in Hackney from Wembley when the works for the Olympics were taking place. It was about 7pm, visibility wasn't great and it was total gridlock. I was first at a traffic light and took off when it went green. The road was clear so I was probably doing slightly higher than the speed limit when a motorcylist tried undertaking me and went *POW* on my left mirror - clipped it pretty hard and lost balance.

He was going so fast that he kept going whilst he was falling, straight into the path of my RX! Luckily Id slowed down after hearing the thud on my mirror but Im sure I would have flattened him if he'd just fell without clipping me.

On a side note - the RX300 won - minor paint damage to the mirror but still worked! :). Got to say the Lexus mirrors are solid! A truck clipped me in my RX450h a while back whilst on the M1 in the super narrow third lane. The only "damage" was transfer of rubber from the trucks side covers to the RX's plastic indicator lens - came off easily with some tar remover :D

[Spacewagon52]

Undertaking on motorways is now becoming quite common - you need eyes in the back of your head and check carefully before you switch lanes left or right..

Lack of road traffic police makes it easy to get away with. Years ago there were public information notices on the TV - to "REMIND" drivers of the laws of the road - they should bring them back IMHO.

[milleplod]

Yep, lots of idiots out there, on bikes and in cars, and the chances of them being caught are about zero. You have to think that these days the only enforcement the authorities rate as important is the automated sort.....which, generally speaking, doesn't catch 'bad' driving. (Another pet hate of mine is inept, incompetent and downright dangerous elderly drivers who need taking off the roads....also brainless, selfish idiots who use their phones whilst driving....... but they're rants for another time!).

In some ways, we reap what we sow - many moons ago, the Daily Wail ran an extended campaign against the use of police officers in a roads policing capacity. Their catchphrase was something along the lines of 'shouldn't they be doing proper police work?'....presumably 'catching rapists and muggers', rather than dealing with the sort of antics posted above. The campaign by the Wail, whilst not by any means the prime mover in the disbanding of 'road traffic' departments countrywide, helped cement the idea in the public's mind that automated enforcement was preferable to bobbies swanning around in big cars 'doing nothing'. That's where the rot set in. I spent the bulk of my service on road traffic (or 'roads policing' as it became), a lot of it in unmarked vehicles and on unmarked bikes, catching idiots and prosecuting them, and also advising motorists as to their behaviour and driving standards, something no machine can do. I couldn't have conceived of a time when our roads wouldn't be policed by people....but here we are, calling for the return of the 'good old traffic bobby'. Who'd have thought it?!

Pete

[Bluesman]

Motor cyclists or organ donors as I call them. A member of our family was killed about 3 years ago, they estimate his speed when the tree jumped out in front of him at around 90mph. 25 years old, what a waste. His mother is a shadow of her former self and I doubt she will ever recover from the loss of her son. As for his organs most of them were to badly smashed up to be any good.

They will never learn. Mike.

[milleplod]

Sorry to hear of your family's loss Mike, a terrible thing to have happened, made more so because, like so many road deaths, it could have been avoided.

Its very easy to stereotype particular groups of people, based on the actions of a few from within that group. I have a low opinion of cyclists, solicitors and Audi drivers (amongst others). That's part of the human condition, I think - its how we are, we disagree. But then I step back and realise just how irrational I'm being in my dislike of a group that I actually know so few of.

Pete

[rayaans]

Was just wondering if any of you had seen this - looking at the speedo its about 80mph.

That impact though........

And the car - what was left of it anyway.....

[Spacewagon52]

That video was very powerful and I admire his parents for allowing them to use it.

[Bluesman]

They just will not ride defensively. Well done his parents for allowing the video for public use.

Mike

[milleplod]

They just will not ride defensively. Well done his parents for allowing the video for public use.

Mike

That's another huge generalisation Mike. An awful lot of motorcyclists ride safely.

Pete

[Bluesman]

They just will not ride defensively. Well done his parents for allowing the video for public use.

Mike

That's another huge generalisation Mike. An awful lot of motorcyclists ride safely.

Pete

Pete Its what I see and if you think its "another huge generalisation" I don't apologise, its what I experience. Mike.

[milleplod]

You must be unlucky then Mike, if the only motorcyclists you ever see are the idiots.

Or is it simply a case of not noticing the ones riding properly? Have you really never seen a motorcycle being ridden sensibly, by a rider who falls outside of your 'they' generalisation?!

Pete

[Bluesman]

You must be unlucky then Mike, if the only motorcyclists you ever see are the idiots.

Or is it simply a case of not noticing the ones riding properly? Have you really never seen a motorcycle being ridden sensibly, by a rider who falls outside of your 'they' generalisation?!

Pete

You will just have to live with the fact that that's what I think, know and believe just like cyclists who never take any notice of the rules of the road, pavements, signs or traffic signals. Mike.

[milleplod]

Fortunately Mike, I don't 'have to live' with anyone else's misconceived notions! :winky:

When I was serving, I saw many things that could easily have turned me into a serial stereotyper. I soon realised though that that would be a surefire route to bigotry.

I'll try asking again, then I'll leave you to your viewpoint. Have you ever seen a motorcycle ridden responsibly?

Pete

[Bluesman]

Fortunately Mike, I don't 'have to live' with anyone else's misconceived notions! :winky:

When I was serving, I saw many things that could easily have turned me into a serial stereotyper. I soon realised though that that would be a surefire route to bigotry.

I'll try asking again, then I'll leave you to your viewpoint. Have you ever seen a motorcycle ridden responsibly?

Pete

On the odd rare occasion and then its was a Police bike. Mike.

[milleplod]

I give up! :D

Pete

[Bluesman]

I give up! :D

Pete

Its all right Pete I can live with your starry eyed view of motorcyclists its the way of the world. Mike.

[milleplod]

Well, bear in mind I used to hunt out the idiot riders for a living, on an unmarked bike, I'd say that 80 to 90% of those I saw were anything but idiots. Unskilled, some of them, for sure....and inexperienced, a lot of them. And this was in the Peak District, including Matlock Bath, a Mecca for bikers from all over the country. But I don't accept that 'they', as you call them, were all idiots.

I don't think I ever had a 'starry eyed view' of bikers, or car drivers for that matter - I wiped up too many bodies (and knocked on too many doors to deliver the bad news) to think that everyone's an angel, believe me.

So, Mike, I can only assume that you choose to ignore the fact that some motorcyclists (excluding bobbies of course!) are just the same as you and me and lots of other folk - they ride carefully, perhaps occasionally break the rules (as every one of us does) and generally go unnoticed. :winky:

Pete

[bluenose1940]

I forgot to mention a couple of points in my original post.

The first rider, overtaking dangerously, managed to get back onto the correct side of the road more or less at the point where the telegraph pole has the flowers at its base. This sort of manoeuvre has possibly happened in this particular area before.

The second rider was displaying L plates!!!!

Some motorists can and often do, demonstrate very poor technique on the road. My cousin was a plod, he worked on the horses and then the cars, he then went on the bikes, he was retired from the force following an horrendous accident involving just such a motorist.

[Bluesman]

Well, bear in mind I used to hunt out the idiot riders for a living, on an unmarked bike, I'd say that 80 to 90% of those I saw were anything but idiots. Unskilled, some of them, for sure....and inexperienced, a lot of them. And this was in the Peak District, including Matlock Bath, a Mecca for bikers from all over the country. But I don't accept that 'they', as you call them, were all idiots.

I don't think I ever had a 'starry eyed view' of bikers, or car drivers for that matter - I wiped up too many bodies (and knocked on too many doors to deliver the bad news) to think that everyone's an angel, believe me.

So, Mike, I can only assume that you choose to ignore the fact that some motorcyclists (excluding bobbies of course!) are just the same as you and me and lots of other folk - they ride carefully, perhaps occasionally break the rules (as every one of us does) and generally go unnoticed. :winky:

Pete

Pete I can only repeat what I have already said. Mike.

[milleplod]

Yep, keep those blinkers on Mike! :D

Pete

[Bluesman]

Yep, keep those blinkers on Mike! :D

Pete

And you Pete. Safe riding & driving. Mike.

[Dim Tim]

Not wishing to become embroiled in any disagreement, no matter how amicable, these are my thoughts for what they are worth.

Like all walks of life, there are good motorcyclists and there is the loony types too.

We live not too far from the M3 at a point where there are several roads favoured by motorcyclists and on bright clear peaceful Sunday mornings it is like living close to a F1 racetrack. These Jap bikes reach screaming high RPM and we can hear motorcyclists wind the revs up and change gear to wind it up again. I wonder what speed is achieved when the engine is screaming in 4th or 5th gear. I wonder what the RPM is too. Scary!

I have a friend who rides a large BMW, seems like a sensible rider.

The effect on the family and others involved when a motorcycke crashes is obviously grave (pardon the pun) and I extend my sympathies to those involved.

The only upside, callous as it may be, is the opportunity to donate organs.

Sorry, was that too much ?