Did I do a bad thing? (long)

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by minky

The wife with child on board abused by a biker who sat in her blind spot and refused to pass her (personally I would have knocked him off!).

Bit extereme isnt it????, i'd wave him by or ignore him or give him the finger....but to actualy knock a rider off. Only if he had a gun in his hand would i consider such a drastic reaction. I'm hoping you were just a bit angry when you wrote this.

Originally Posted by minky

What makes you more important than him?

Equally what makes a cager sending a txt with plenty of rome to move out the way and showing little redard for other road users the more imprtant one here?
IMO he's in the wrong here. For simply not having the courtesy to be aware of the continual flow of motorbikes past his car in the flow of traffic. Bear in mind we are talking about congested city centre where the average driver will watch anything up to 60 or 70 bikes pass him during a 1- 1.5hr commute into town.
I'm not exagerating here either. Before i got back on a bike last year, while doing my lessons etc i had to commute in that awaful cage and it was a virtual bike showroom that would float thru the traffic every morning. I counted how many on many days as that was how many people i was jealous of before the day had even started.
Gave me a bit more drive to pass first time tho and even helped me to choose what lid i was gonna get. I didnt really have to go shopping...just pay extra attention to the ones i liked the look of.

Originally Posted by minky

What qualifies you to be filtering in such a manner? Do you ride an emergency vehicle?

This is normal filtering and encountering a car so close to the white line...or even over it that they are blocking the natural channel that white lines create between cars.

Originally Posted by minky

Lets face it you were in the wrong, you were not in full control of your vehicle and the authorities would see that as driving without due care and attention worthy of 6 points and a hefty fine.

Sorry who's in the wrong here? Not the guy who has his car in D and foot on the brake as he cralws....looking downn into his lap to send a txt....and with a car positioned contrary to all the traffic about him that is leaving sufficent gaps by normal lane use.....and who wont, even for the sake of not getting his precious car scratched by the evil bike, move into space he has available to him?
or the bike that is stationary and a rider with his bike in neutral using any free hand to simply fold back a mirror. As dextrous a move as adjusting your own mirrors when stationary really

Originally Posted by minky

In short, come on people stop taking the pi$$ and show some courtesy to your fellow road users. If you want to change the attitude of other road users start showing some respect for them.

like the courtesy this guy showed by moving out the way of someone who is entitled to pas him by. Or by showing courtesy for the ones who move over even tho there is room....just cos they want us to know they are decent. They all get a nod from me.

I think the main point you make here is there is just not enough courtesy on the roads today. Someone does something that annoys someone else but instead of correcting their wrong they get aggresive and look to win a battle of wills. Thats just how i see it too. But i'll always blame the one who did the wrong thing first and not the guy who had to take fair action to resolve it.

Hope you dont take this as flaming, but i dont think someone who doesnt commute in a major city is really in a position to make such an argument as yours. Maybe where you regularly ride isnt as congested and this isnt really an issue you are familiar with so it seem like extereme behaviour to you.
To those of us who face this....u-turning taxis..... mums in 4x4 dropping kids off and thinking its ok to leave the back door open into the road whlie they walk jonny in..... that have pedestrians with headphones and hoodies on walk out into stationary traffic not even considering a bike comming thru (ask Mr Toad about that one) have enough to deal with without an inconsiderate git not moving out the way when he can and should

Well if someone wants to pull out in my path from a side road and cause me to either crash or take extreme avoiding action, and then to pass them to find that they are on the phone and not only made the manoeuvre whilst not paying attention, but doing it one handed at the same time, then I think taking their wing mirror off as I pass by, they got away lightly.

My Blood was begining to boil then i remembered the imortal words of George Orwell:

I count find a tee shirt with 4 wheels bad 2 wheel good, but i'm sure you get the drift






Did i mention that the majority of car drivers are Ass****s



Again this refers to road users rather than animals

Originally Posted by minky

Some people are considerate but the majority aren't. It's hard to resist the urge to act on the red mist but I do feel better everytime I don't.

I disagree with that. I think the majority are courteous and move over - certainly today it has been. I think its a hardcore minority, ok it may be a big minority of say 30% of drivers, but I still think its a minority that drive like ****s. Its just we always remember those ones but we dont remember how many cars we passed that didnt do that...

Originally Posted by minky

I've acted on it before and it didn't make me feel big or hard, seeing a grown man cry while I'm trying to smash his window just didn't leave me feeling a better person. If I didn't have the wife on at the time I might have flipped him the bird and driven off but hey I'm very protective over any of my family

just out of interest at the time, while you were protecting your wife from the driver, who was protecting her from watching you do this?

If that was me Id have been more upset by the fact your anger made you blind to the fact that youre more vulnerable on the bike and if he'd snapped what was to say he didnt knock you both off?

Did you even consider that when you were doing it? That your actions could of endangered you and her more than if you'd have just shook your head, imagined squirting brake fluid down the car, smiled, relaxed and moved on. Bet the rest of the day was spent working off that stress.

Wouldve said the other way round was better. Wife on back, flip the bird and go. On your own then have a go if you cant resist the mist.

Originally Posted by minky

You know the old saying, it takes more courage to walk away, just wish I could always stand by that philosophy

Its damn fecking hard. Riding in London has acquainted me to the fact its a constant factor. So I either die younger by having a heart attack from the stress or I dont let it get to me anymore. I imagine squirting brake fluid down the side of the car. Puts a smile on my face because I could do it but Im better than that. These things help.

Originally Posted by minky

Nope I don't, I use the public transport infrastructure you guys have in place. I have seen the carnage caused and driven round london, that was bad enough for me

are you American btw? The clue being to automatically assume that someone not passing was to possibly cause your Mrs harm or distress. Oh and the "you guys".

Did it never occur to you or to her that they may not want to pass, may be a learner, may be new to riding in the city or a whole myriad of reasons that are considerably more likely than that?

and carnage? wtf are you on about? Its a BIG city. Statistically there are going to be more accidents. Fact of life. Deal with it. Thats not carnage.
Now train crashes otoh...

Personally I think its made me a better rider riding in London. Ive found Ive been way better at hazard perception and anticipation than my mates who live in the North.

And you cant seem to see that DRIVING in London is completely different to RIDING in London with their own set of stresses and dangers.

Remember mate.... Some days your the pigeon, other days your the statue.

Originally Posted by lynw

just out of interest at the time, while you were protecting your wife from the driver, who was protecting her from watching you do this?

If that was me Id have been more upset by the fact your anger made you blind to the fact that youre more vulnerable on the bike and if he'd snapped what was to say he didnt knock you both off?

Oh she was, as I said I snapped and am not proud of it. It's hard to walk away everytime and I'm ashamed by the times I haven't.

Originally Posted by lynw

Did you even consider that when you were doing it? That your actions could of endangered you and her more than if you'd have just shook your head, imagined squirting brake fluid down the car, smiled, relaxed and moved on. Bet the rest of the day was spent working off that stress.

Wouldve said the other way round was better. Wife on back, flip the bird and go. On your own then have a go if you cant resist the mist.

It's not always that easy though is it, I suppose it depends on the level of the incident. It simply enrages me the attitude of some people these days.

Originally Posted by lynw

are you American btw? The clue being to automatically assume that someone not passing was to possibly cause your Mrs harm or distress. Oh and the "you guys".

Nah I'm not American I took her description of his behaviour to indicate his intentions. We don't live in the city and have plenty of open roads, they travelled 2 sections of dual carriageway and he still refused to pass, prefering instead to invite her to pull over flipping her the bird and beeping etc.

Horses for courses, I guess you guys would have just pulled over, I mean you're all in sympathy of a guy forcing his way past a vehicle by whatever means necassary when a gap just wasn't there so I'm fighting a losing battle.

Originally Posted by lynw

Remember mate.... Some days your the pigeon, other days your the statue.

I guess today I'm the statue then eh

Yikes! Seems I've stirred up quite a hornet's nest eh?

Just for the record:

I was in full control of my bike - stationary when I first moved the mirror, literally pushed my bike (in neutral) past his mirror and then carefully and thoughtfully moved it back.

There was never any intention on my part to cause any damage - and none was caused.

This is not something I have ever done before or will ever do again (I hope).

I am not some impatient, spotty, inexperienced 'yoof'. I have been riding bikes for many years, use it every day, covering c. 12k miles a year and commute through London every day (rain or shine - even snow!).

As I explained in my initial post - I DO NOT FEEL JUSTIFIED in what I did. I feel bad about it even now - days later. As I said, I am a "do as you would be done by" chap and I most certainly would not want anyone touching my car or bike for ANY reason.

But that's not the point.

The point is this:

He was poorly positioned in a very congested part of a major London thoroughfare - there was no need for him to leave room for anyone on his inside (as has been suggested) at this part of this particular road. His poor positioning was purely his own doing. For all I know he was probably texting while the traffic was moving and had simply not paid proper attention to where he was going.

He knew I was there and, despite having room to pull forward slightly and let me through, simply chose to ignore me. A disrespectful act (IMHO) in itself.

He was texting someone on his mobile and paying little or no attention to what was going on around him - totally illegal and dangerous.

Given these circumstanmces, I'm afraid I just 'saw red'. When you've dodged as many idiots as I have had to - just trying to get to work in one piece - who are not paying attention or drive too aggressively in inappropriate conditions, you DO tend to perhaps have a different perspective.

minky - all opinions are welcome here. I'm amazed you can put up with public transport every day, despite everything I'd take my chances on the bike every time. Do consider this though ... I have seen car drivers drinking coffee, shaving, putting on makeup, reading maps on the steering wheel IN THE FAST LANE of the M4 - you name it!

And bizarrely, just days before this incident and in virtually the same spot (whilst waiting patiently in the traffic because another numpty was blocking my path) I witnessed a black cab driver, in his stationery vehicle, LITERALLY NODDING OFF AT THE WHEEL - he even had a fare in the back!

So, whilst I do not condone my actions, please understand the circumstances in which they occured.

Ride safe (and calm).

[Biker Biggles]

Well after all that I bet you feel thoroughly chastised.If you are into that sort of thing
Anyway time to move on and not take it all too seriously methinks?

Originally Posted by howardr

Yikes! Seems I've stirred up quite a hornet's nest eh?

not quite , jabba is still calm, he is always calm

Originally Posted by minky

Oh and despite you asking me to leave this forum for having a different opinion to yours I'm staying. If we were all of the same opinion it would be a sad sad world.

I wouldn't ask (or tell) anyone to leave this forum, that's not my job.... I was implying that as you were suggesting that you would blatantly knock a motorcyclist of his machine perhaps motorcycling is not for you... You don't seem to have a high regard for it.

.

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by howardr

And bizarrely, just days before this incident and in virtually the same spot (whilst waiting patiently in the traffic because another numpty was blocking my path) I witnessed a black cab driver, in his stationery vehicle, LITERALLY NODDING OFF AT THE WHEEL - he even had a fare in the back!

I witnessed the same thing on Regent st on the way in to soho one night.

The couple in the back could not see he had a nemspaper on the steering wheel and that while he was looking at that he was nodding off.
I really felt like tapping on the window and asking them if they feel they should pay for the privelage of being driven by someone in that state.

He may not get involved in a high speed accident on regent stret but he may well squash someone who is crossing between the stationary traffic.