Safety at night time
 

Following on from this post I just read by MYC

Safety wise, how secure do you feel at night when stopping at traffic lights or secluded dark places on your bike, and perhaps compared to a car?

Re: Safety at night time
 

I've locked the car doors in the past, but as for teh bike I oddly feel safer - most "on edge" ive been is leaving it in gear when stopping to be ready to move off if I felt threatened, but that in fairness was in an area of Hudds where there had been a few bike jackings.

Re: Safety at night time
 

I got told that if you were riding in a town/busy place late on then chain your keys to your bike kind of like the chain to stop your wallet/keys falling out of your pocket and that way they can't make a grab for your keys when you stop at lights, junctions etc.

Re: Safety at night time
 

I aren't too bothered at night, not that I ride much in the dark anymore.

The only time I am is when I'm nearer home(cause theres no way round the bad bit), or in a place I know to be a bit notoriously rough away from this town! Couple of times I've ridden home from Squires through some pretty crappy areas, and I've wanted to make the lights change quicker!


Compared to the car though, I actually feel safer on the bike!

Re: Safety at night time
 

Yeah you feel safer on the bike when you know you can get away but I'm sorry, it's not safer than a car where you can lock the doors. If someone wanted to push the bike over, jump on the back whatever they could. Might be fine if you're a bloke but sometimes as a lass it can feel vulnerable. I don't often feel like that, but last night made me take stock and I won't be traveling through those areas at that time of day again.

I know someone who had a few drunks descend upon her while stopped at lights outside a pub. One of them proceeded to get on the back of the bike and she was unable to do much until he got off - not wanting to injure anyone. Short of launching into a sudden wheelie and slipping them off the back what are you supposed to do in that situation?

Re: Safety at night time
 

Do precisely that, feck orf quick sharpish.

Thats the reason I feel safer on the bike. It might not be safer cause you can't lock doors, but thats my preference, nobody elses. I've never felt safe in a car though, so maybe I'm just weird!

Don't blame you for not going through those areas at that time, I wouldn't want to entertain it either. What were you doing over there anyway?
I've gone through town at 2am after a half shift before now, drunks and zombies all over the place, but they're usually all drunk and waving, rather than trying to knock you off.....although I have had the thought of running over them just for fun :lol:

Re: Safety at night time
 

This set of lights in Durham right outside a busy pub can be a reet pita (and they take ages to change) for drunks going brum brum and trying to get on your bike, bleedy pi$$heads

Re: Safety at night time
 

I ring over near Ripon at the moment. Been trying out different routes back, motorway is the next option.

Re: Safety at night time
 

Well I figured it might be :) I'd (personally) go with the motorway because I like them, but they'er a bit weird at night, and when they don't have lights are reeeeeaaally spooky at first. I'd have spooky over frickin rough and frightening though ;)

Re: Safety at night time
 

I personally find unlit country roads extremely eerie at night and it makes me uncomfortable at junctions. I feel particularly vulnerable on my bike when compared to in my car in a biiiiiig way. On a bike you're there for people to be able to attack you personally without having to get through any barrier first.
I can completely understand people being worried riding through town at night, especially smaller females, as even as a male who's friends with most of the people around town who are out and drunk and likely to be an annoyance, I still feel uncomfortable compared to in a car.