A40 Menace

[Big Bad Al]

I had a right one this morning. For shame, another biker. I ride an 8 mile stretch of the A40 from Hillingdon to Hangar Lane and have done so for the past 15 years, 11 of them on my SVs and now on a SFV650 or Gladius if you prefer (great bike BTW!). So the traffic is very slow moving most days and my route is a main route into Town. I let all bikes past me. I see couriers, scooters coming up and I look for a gap and move in, let everyone past and then move out and carry on till the next faster vehicle comes along. Most of these guys and girls wait behind me a small distance so I can see them, if they feel I haven't seen them, they may blip / rev their engine. fair enough. I will move over when there is a gap. So this guy this morning is closing up on me. The traffic is almost at a standstill and I have no gap. I "look" in my mirrors, so this guy knows I have seen him and hopefully he knows I will move as soon as I can do so safely. It's just not good enough for him. He sits up on my rear wheel so I can't see him. He revs, revs again and again. I can't move so just carry on waiting for a gap. A car cuts lanes and as I am travelling nice and sedately I stop until they get across in the traffic. After this car has moved I pull into a gap and let this guy through who barely lets me get out of the way before racing past shaking his head at me. BMW, full high viz jacket camera on the side of his white helmet. Look out for him - give him a wide berth. I have his reg but have refrained from posting it. I'd love it if someone knows a biker of this description riding in on the A40 and can get him to let me know just what he though I was doing wrong. Post his webcam footage and talk me what I did wrong. What a plank.

[atassiedevil]

Get this all the time on the run into London Bridge down the A20/A2.
People far too close, crowding you and then squeezing past giving you no room. No wonder so many of them get smeared all over the road, they seem to forget you've not just got to leave yourself room for error, you have to leave everyone else room for error too.
You're not alone. Did he have his lights on main beam too?

[Big Bad Al]

Ah yep man in a hurry I guess...

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[shiftin_gear98]

I had the opposite yesterday, I am currently using the cage to get to work.
I drive down the A10 towards London now, and was confronted by what words can only describe as a ****.


Riding his BMW old police style bike, dresses high vis, high vis helmet. Ok no issues with safety.
However having you bike stickered up with blue reflective tape along with POLITE in a blue reflective band across the back of his hi vis jacket is one step too far.
Not to mention riding in the fast lane at 60mph clogging everything up and showing no signs of moving over.
A fellow biker came up behind him waited for him to pull over, got fed up undercut him whilst giving an appropriate hand gesture. Made me smile.


It looks like there are a lot of muppets in various shapes and forms. Unfortunately the government just ruled against euthanasia.
Glad the muppet you encountered didn't cause you harm.

[Big Bad Al]

POLITE! That's priceless!

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[NTECUK]

POLITE! That's priceless!

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Glad to hear im not the only person who has encounters with the I wanna be a policeman brigade.

[shiftin_gear98]

I was so tempted to run him over, all in the name of civil duty...

[Biker Biggles]

Something in the dim and distant remnants of what used to be my brain reckons "polite" printed on something that resembles a police vehicle is illegal.Perhaps one of our plummers can advise?

[Balky001]

No, this has been around for a few years. They even 'allowed' people to start wearing them in 2013 but people were before then (without the bike safe bit)

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2013/june/jun1413-polite/

Sounds like a very particular type of rider you had behind you BBA, a 'one is better than thou complex'.

[johnnyrod]

The world is alas plagued with nobs. This is the worst sort - the ones that are nobs but think they're not. All you can do when someone is hassling you is ignore the hassle and put in front of you the space that should be behind you, and let them get on with it. They won't think any better of you for all the tea in China anyway.

[NTECUK]

:winner:
Good philosophy

[Big Bad Al]

Yep - I know your totally right.

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[johnnyrod]

Holy crap I think NTEC agreed with me!