10 days later(ish).....

Well, been riding the sv for almost two weeks now- gotta say i'm loving every minute of it-any excuse to go for a ride-'yeah i'll go and get some milk/ the lottery'.
Or even 'just popping out to halfords'(gone for two hours! )just popping out to get some fuel' ( a quick blast up the motorway!)
Even look forwards to going to work (mostly)
Have had a few 'moments' though....
A fag butt straight in the face (luckily visor was down)
And a bloody taxi cut me up on a mini roundabout by literally going straight over it- god only knows how i didn't hit it- he went for a gap that just wasn't there-
So.....at the next traffic light decided to tell him the error of his ways, turns out he was polish.... and didn't give a ****- I tried every profanity that i know to 'entice' him out of the car-even the two passengers told he was wrong- but to no avail, Ended up poking him in the forehead a few times-even that didn't work.
Don't think i've ever been so scared/angry, got to work shaking-couldn't even roll a ciggy!
Does this sort of thing happen to you guys/gals very often?
do you still boil up or get used to it? how do you make them see the error's of their ways?

[Kenzie]

Hasn't happened to me much, but happens to my wife a lot. She seems to have developed a sixth sense for these things happening so manages to avoid. She has had a couple of off's where a car has flashed someone out of a side road and they haven't looked the other way first. You get used to the knobby cage drivers after a while. Bike riders make better car drivers in my opinion because they pay more attention to what is going on around them.

happens to me almost every day and like kenzies wife, i have developed a 6th sense, and i know the most likely junctions/lane merges and islands where i would get cut up and just get myself ready for the emergency stop, i have a few choice words lined up in my brain or even get ready to just whack the throttle open and get myself out that situation.

it sounds horrible as you shouldnt have to, but you will eventually get used to it. get yourself a loud nice can then you can just rev it up a bit and people "usually" look around to see what all the racket is

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by cossiebri

do you still boil up or get used to it? how do you make them see the error's of their ways?

You get used to it. I know you shouldnt have to but I found I did. Also as my riding got better and I got more experienced the number of times I got cut up etc etc reduced as I was able to spot the hazard developing before It actually became a hazard if that makes sense.

IMHO you need to let it go. Theres no point arguing with drivers they very rarely admit the error of their ways and getting into a fist fight or worse if you pick on the wrong person isnt going to do anybody any good at all. Remember two wrongs dont make a right.

Shrug it off. Laugh it off, or just ignore it. I know from experience this isnt always as easy to do as it is to write. Also riding angry after a confrontation such as that because you are wound up about it, also I found made me ride like a tit I wasnt concentrating and then I made more mistakes / put myself at more risk.

Its not our job to make these drivers see the errors of their ways, thats a job for the police. So make a mental note of the registration and report it. If it was a taxi they all have to be licensed by the local authority / council so it should have a taxi rego plate on the back of it. Take a note of that and then complain to the relevant authority.

I have learnt to understand that not everyone is a god driver, or cares and it's not worth wasting your breath. Life is too short and do you care about them? If I'd made a mistake (no one is prefect) and you pulled up next to me and poked me in the head I'd get out of my car and knock your block off. You never know if they' re black belt, our off duty copper, or ufc champion. You've got a horn, and that is sufficient.

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

You get used to it. I know you shouldnt have to but I found I did. Also as my riding got better and I got more experienced the number of times I got cut up etc etc reduced as I was able to spot the hazard developing before It actually became a hazard if that makes sense.

IMHO you need to let it go. Theres no point arguing with drivers they very rarely admit the error of their ways and getting into a fist fight or worse if you pick on the wrong person isnt going to do anybody any good at all. Remember two wrongs dont make a right.

Shrug it off. Laugh it off, or just ignore it. . .

Couldn't agree more - there's no point getting stressed and if it really kicks off, they've got a car to hit you with and you only have a bike.

Originally Posted by Kenzie

Hasn't happened to me much, but happens to my wife a lot. She seems to have developed a sixth sense for these things happening so manages to avoid. She has had a couple of off's where a car has flashed someone out of a side road and they haven't looked the other way first. You get used to the knobby cage drivers after a while. Bike riders make better car drivers in my opinion because they pay more attention to what is going on around them.

I considered myself a pretty aware driver but my driving has definitely improved since I've been riding. Shoulder checks I know I do more carefully now than I used to.

Originally Posted by cossiebri

So.....at the next traffic light decided to tell him the error of his ways, turns out he was polish.... and didn't give a ****- I tried every profanity that i know to 'entice' him out of the car-even the two passengers told he was wrong- but to no avail, Ended up poking him in the forehead a few times-even that didn't work.

not smart buddy, you'll need to learn to accept that these idiots are everywhere and will try and kill you as you are invisible to them-you might be unlucky enough to entice the local physco out his car some day and things could turn bad.
just see anyone who is not a biker as a threat-i got eyeballed the other day by a girl at a roundabout but she still pulled out on me and cut me off, i was wearing full hi-vis police uniform but it made zero difference
h.

And also, get some professional training. That will help you really cut down on the number of times you get cut off and scared/angry. For some professional guidance, try the local BikeSAFE. You could also try reading the Proficient Motorcycling series (you can PM me if you want the book). It makes a BIG difference.

In any case, you should expect everyone to not notice you. Always. Just don't get angry and remember how dull their life in the car is

IMO, we as bikers should expect people to cut us up, pull out on us, not see us etc especially in busy urban environments.

Getting into road rage incidents is only gonna end two ways, getting a good kicking or you giving a good kicking and getting sent down for it.
An old school friend of mine got sent down for a bit for punching a guy once in a road rage thingy.

I get wound up sometimes and wish I didn't cos as fizz said riding while angry is gonna end badly, certainly affects my riding for the worse I know that.

Far too often...

I now ride pretending I'm wearing an invisibility cloak on these days...
I expect them to not see me and pull out...
I expect them to not be polite and not pull over when they're hogging the 3rd lane on the motorway for no reason...
I expect them to knock me off on roundabouts...
I expect them to do U-turns on me...

And in return, for those that are magic and do see me and do nice things like pull out of the way when I'm 'making progress', I give them a little wave...