shao
13-10-06, 12:49 PM
I was coming through town today, just come off the dual carriageway, filtering in convoy with a Kawasaki er-5 I'd been with for a while down a reasonably busy single-carriageway road. A bus on my side had stopped at a bus stop, and cars queuing behind it had blocked a road on my left, so cars coming towards me trying to turn right into it couldnt, and a queue was forming both ways.
Me and the kwak behind filtered up to a few cars behind the bus and pulled back in to not obstruct the road (like you tend to while filtering, sort of between 2 cars, tucked in waiting for a gap to start filtering again). After a minute or 2, the car blocking the turning starts to realise that he's causing a queue, so goes into reverse and starts backing up, to try and make room. This causes the car behind him to do the same. At this point we arrive at Mrs Dizzy, the car just in front of me, slightly to the left. Who promptly goes into reverse and backs into the front of me bike.
Im staring at her face in the wingmirror, somewhat taken aback that someone could reverse without looking behind them, on a busy road, in a queue. Anyway, she hit the front wheel and bent the fender round a bit, but no permanent damage, she stopped when it started crunching, it sounded a lot worse than it turned out. I put the bike on the side stand and went and gave the driver an earful, then pulled round the corner as we were blocking the road. The woman pulled over, and the guy on the kwak turned round and pulled over near me, and pulled out a pen and paper and gave me his name/address and number so i could contact him if i needed a witness. Turns out there was no damage i could find, but i got the driver's details just in case, thanked the biker and went on my way.
Anyway, i felt compelled to share this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, i've always been aware that drivers dont make much use of the wing mirrors, but hadnt had such a blatent demonstration of the extent of the problem. Secondly, if id got on the horn, it probably wouldnt have happened. Im not quite sure why i didnt, except i honestly didnt think she could possibly back into me like that. I reckon headlights on full-beam rather than dipped might have done the job, but its not really suitable in town. Thirdly thanks to the kwak rider who seemed to have things to be doing who turned round and came back to give me his details. Cant see why he'd read this here, but hey, he deserves the mention :)
Me and the kwak behind filtered up to a few cars behind the bus and pulled back in to not obstruct the road (like you tend to while filtering, sort of between 2 cars, tucked in waiting for a gap to start filtering again). After a minute or 2, the car blocking the turning starts to realise that he's causing a queue, so goes into reverse and starts backing up, to try and make room. This causes the car behind him to do the same. At this point we arrive at Mrs Dizzy, the car just in front of me, slightly to the left. Who promptly goes into reverse and backs into the front of me bike.
Im staring at her face in the wingmirror, somewhat taken aback that someone could reverse without looking behind them, on a busy road, in a queue. Anyway, she hit the front wheel and bent the fender round a bit, but no permanent damage, she stopped when it started crunching, it sounded a lot worse than it turned out. I put the bike on the side stand and went and gave the driver an earful, then pulled round the corner as we were blocking the road. The woman pulled over, and the guy on the kwak turned round and pulled over near me, and pulled out a pen and paper and gave me his name/address and number so i could contact him if i needed a witness. Turns out there was no damage i could find, but i got the driver's details just in case, thanked the biker and went on my way.
Anyway, i felt compelled to share this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, i've always been aware that drivers dont make much use of the wing mirrors, but hadnt had such a blatent demonstration of the extent of the problem. Secondly, if id got on the horn, it probably wouldnt have happened. Im not quite sure why i didnt, except i honestly didnt think she could possibly back into me like that. I reckon headlights on full-beam rather than dipped might have done the job, but its not really suitable in town. Thirdly thanks to the kwak rider who seemed to have things to be doing who turned round and came back to give me his details. Cant see why he'd read this here, but hey, he deserves the mention :)