Bikers 6th sense

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

Why is it that you can tell when someone is about to do something really stupid on the road?

Because they're driving a car

Originally Posted by lylej

So who amoungst us are collectors of wing mirrors because when this happens to me it winds me up something stupid. . .

I've only removed wing mirrors once or twice (in 25k miles that's not bad going I reckon).

Almost removed the wing mirror from the car on the AR, but just before I did I realised that it would reflect negatively on the group, so just gave him a few choice words instead.

Better to give than receive, more satisfaction, I think.

I can usually put it down to good (even if it's subconsious) observation. Sometimes though, I get sixth sense warnings of things around bends and the like. One time I slowed right down to go round a bend I'd normally take 20mph quicker. No reason, I just had a 'bad feeling' about it. Sure enough, there's a horse messing about in the middle of the road, luckily I stopped with loads of space to spare. Things like that, where I can't work out why I knew to slow down/be extra cautious are quite odd.

"Removing" wing mirrors is disgraceful and cowardly. The last thing the bike world needs is a few pumped up high-and-mighty revenge-takers making everyone else look like ****s.

[G]

Its the 6th sense that freaks me out a huge amount.

I only 2 weekend ago was having a long ride out and going at a reasonable pace, something told me to take it easy for abit, low and behold around the next high hedged corner a tractor had just pulled out slowly with a trailer attached that would have minced me and the bike.

Now had I not be told to slow down in my mind that would have been it, and its times like that, that make you realise just how easily it could all end in tears.

[jambo]

Originally Posted by lylej

So who amoungst us are collectors of wing mirrors because when this happens to me it winds me up something stupid. . . and i am always tempted to destroy the mirrors on the offending car.
but something does tell you to STOP . . you just gotta watch your self folks,
car drivers with no bike exp are 100 % dangerous, and most of them dont realise it

Sweeping statements like this don't really help now do they? Statistically almost everyone that rides a bike drives a car. We all make mistakes. There are some truly useless people out there, quite a few of them drive cars, but of the number of cars i pass on a given day almost all of them don't try to kill me.

Some people get annoyed every day because people cut them up and it's all the car driver's fault. Whenever I have a close call I ask myself if, honestly, I handled that as well as possible? Bearing in mind I do a minimum of 110 miles a week in London, I pass a lot of cars. If you're planning and observation are good you can do this for weeks without having a close call while keeping up a good pace.

Analysing yourself adds to experience, which helps reduce the number of near misses you have. This adds to your "6th Sense".

Originally Posted by sinbad

"Removing" wing mirrors is disgraceful and cowardly. The last thing the bike world needs is a few pumped up high-and-mighty revenge-takers making everyone else look like ****s.

I tend to agree. Never done it myself (Though I have mentioned loudly to a car driver that if they don't bother using them someone less restrained than me will relieve them of it)

[G]

The thing is with this removing wing mirror malarky, surely they just get your plate and report you?

I have never done it nor considered doing it, but when filtering until i started pulling my mirrors right in, I did get close a few times.

Always wondered what would happen, I suppose your instinct would be to check your car rather than getting a bikes plate number.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

Because they're driving a car

Touché...

[northwind]

I reckon it's partly that we get these feelings all the time, and they hardly ever come to anything, but you immediately forget about all those times and just remember the one time it helps It is weird though, you sometimes feel that absolute certainty that someone's about to do something stupid. Sometimes your subconsious knows better than you do...

Originally Posted by jambo

Whenever I have a close call I ask myself if, honestly, I handled that as well as possible?

I'm with you Jambo 100%...coming round an right hander, the other day and I see this white thing coming towards me on my side of the road. It was the trailer bar for the number plates/light cluster that was swinging behind the car held on by the power cable. I now look out for crap falling off trailers and added this to my list of obs.