Rant - Car windscreen washers.

So - picture the scene - gloriously sunny day here in Norn Iron so I get me glad rags on, get the helmet down, give it a loverly polish and get me visor gleeming and head out. Out for 2 minutes and i have to come back in and take the lining out of my jacket cause its so warm.

Get 2 miles from the house feeling wonderful. Bike feels good, I feel good.

Gets within 15feet of the car in front slowing down for a junction - AND THE FECKER DECIDES RIGHT THEN TO WASH HIS WINDSCREEN!!! ONLY PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE JETS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T SET RIGHT AND SQUIRTS RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF THE CAR BANG SQUARE ON IN THE MIDDLE OF MY VISOR!!!!!

Sorry for appearing to shout but why can't these tossers set them right so that us poor bikers don't get hit with that sort of thing. It may seem a silly insignificant thing but that really peed me off this morning.

Only thing that made up for it was chucking an empty fag packet I had in my pocket through his sun roof as i passed.

[Gazza77]

Try driving a soft top as well (I have an MX5). I can guarantee people will see you behind with the roof down and do that on purpose, especially at traffic lights.

Originally Posted by bignev

So - picture the scene - gloriously sunny day here in Norn Iron so I get me glad rags on, get the helmet down, give it a loverly polish and get me visor gleeming and head out. Out for 2 minutes and i have to come back in and take the lining out of my jacket cause its so warm.

Get 2 miles from the house feeling wonderful. Bike feels good, I feel good.

Gets within 15feet of the car in front slowing down for a junction - AND THE FECKER DECIDES RIGHT THEN TO WASH HIS WINDSCREEN!!! ONLY PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE JETS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T SET RIGHT AND SQUIRTS RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF THE CAR BANG SQUARE ON IN THE MIDDLE OF MY VISOR!!!!!

Sorry for appearing to shout but why can't these tossers set them right so that us poor bikers don't get hit with that sort of thing. It may seem a silly insignificant thing but that really peed me off this morning.

Only thing that made up for it was chucking an empty fag packet I had in my pocket through his sun roof as i passed.

Perhaps it wasn't his car? Perhaps it was a hire car, or a loan car, or his mum's/dad's/wife's/son's.

Perhaps it's the first time he'd used his washers since he bought it. Perhaps it'd been to the dealership yesterday to have its washer system replaced and they hadn't adjusted it correctly.

He's probably, and quite rightly, p1ssed off at you for throwing your litter in the car, and has now tarred all bikers with the same brush.

It's not always as clear cut as one might perceive.

Originally Posted by Gazza77

Try driving a soft top as well (I have an MX5). I can guarantee people will see you behind with the roof down and do that on purpose, especially at traffic lights.

Happened to me this morning in the MX5 that

would you rather he drove with a dirty windscreen and didnt see you????

Personally, I like it. Helps clean the bugs off the visor.

And hmmmmmm, that apple smell.

Well personally if I was in the car I would tend to look behind me before doing it and if there was a bike there I would tend to hang off till he passed me.

Maybe it's just me then.

I'll get me coat.

[Sir Trev]

There is no optimal setting for washer jets. If you set them to hit the middle of the windscreen whilst stopped they will hardly reach the glass at all when doing 70. That's why most are set slightly high and some of it can easily sail over the top. Of course if it all flies over onto the vehicle behind it's set very wrong but I bet most people don't realise you can easily alter the angle yourself, leave it to the next service, then forget to mention it when they drop the thing off!!

IMO they do it deliberately and if it isnt deliberate then there should be an ad campaign or if learning, they should be taught in their lessons to avoid doing when a bike is behind - its downright dangerous, they should wait until the bike has passed (it usually happens on dual carriageways and motorways when you are behind them and waiting to pass )

*gets down off soapbox*

Hey bignev, I'm with you. It's maddening when people do this. Thoughtless and arrogant.