Polite Drivers

[St Landrew]

This might come as a bit of a shock to the cynical and jaded, but yesterday, as I was returning on my bike from the West Country, I came across some of the most polite and generous drivers in all of my riding days. Yes, I ride with my headlight on, so people know I'm there and yes, the headlight is a particularly bright one. But it still left me feeling slightly astonished how drivers readily moved over once they saw me. At one point, around the Dorchester bypass, I took my left hand off the bar and just thumbed up about two dozen cars or so as I passed them. One even jovially tooted back. What's the world coming to..?

[bridge too far]

I ALWAYS pull over for bikes - but then I'm a pretty darned perfect driver

 

O:)

Edited 3 October, 2009 by bridge too far

[hamster]

SL, I am surprised that this has not been mentioned previously. Driving in the west country is one of the few remaning experiences one can have behind the wheel of a car, it must be twice as pleasurable on a bike.

 

Every year we take two holiday down there (St Ives is a lovely place to stay too) and as soon as you pass Dorchetser the other road users seem so much more relexed.

 

Thus morning I was in a rush to get back from picking up my Grandkids in Gillingham. They have some roadworks where 2 lanes merge into 1 near Bluebell Hill (Haunted - FACT) and I have never seen so much fist-waving and ****** signs, I was really shocked, women too )

 

What, I wonder would be readers favourite drives?

 

Mine is driving between Wareham and St Ives, no one avearages over a ton down that neck of the woods I can tell you! FACT

[Post-it note]

I never pull over for bikes. If they need room they can wait until there is no oncoming traffic then overtake.

 

You sir are a ****.

 

I regularly get a thumbs up from bikers for moving over. Its normally happens in slow moving traffic so its not dangerous to move a couple of foot closer to the kerb.

 

Shane, why do you feel the need to hug the white line when theres normally plenty of room for a bike to pass a car in traffic?

[Baj]

You sir are a ****.

 

I regularly get a thumbs up from bikers for moving over. Its normally happens in slow moving traffic so its not dangerous to move a couple of foot closer to the kerb.

 

Shane, why do you feel the need to hug the white line when theres normally plenty of room for a bike to pass a car in traffic?

 

I think you answered that with your first sentence.

[Baj]

I like the ****s who rev their car engine at lights like they can beat you... I never bother racing, instead, I know how the conversation went with the little chavvy ****s mates later

"beat a bike of the lights earlier!"

"really? then the bike was trying."

[Johnny Bognor]

I ALWAYS pull over for bikes - but then I'm a pretty darned perfect driver

 

O:)

 

I would have thought you would be keeping as far to the left as possible at all times. Could never see you drifting over to the middle.

:-)

[Post-it note]

If im stuck in traffic so are you

 

 

I hope you crash and die.

[bridge too far]

I would have thought you would be keeping as far to the left as possible at all times. Could never see you drifting over to the middle.

:-)

 

Using your criterion, does this mean you hog the white line?

 

(Clever comment by you BTW )

[O_RLY]

It depends what mood I'm in.

 

Sometimes I do, then they don't say thanks and I get annoyed and don't bother for a while.

[Patrick Bateman]

I normally move slightly to allow them to pass if the traffic is heavy and slower than the speed limit.

 

However, why should I move over if I'm doing the speed limit? Seems a bit silly really.

[Hatch]

Depends on the bikers attitude.

If I see him in my mirrors, charging up the outside, taking stupid risks then I make no effort to move out of his way. If I can see a biker carefully negotiating his way past the traffic then I will move over for him ( or her)

[St Landrew]

It depends what mood I'm in.

 

Sometimes I do, then they don't say thanks and I get annoyed and don't bother for a while.

 

It's impossible to say thanks to everybody. I try to give everyone who makes an effort, to give way, a thumbs up, a wave, or leg wiggle, but sometimes I'm just too busy negotiating the traffic. Sadly, none of us is perfect.

 

Be assured that, whether or not the biker has waved thanks back, your effort has been appreciated. Unless of course, the biker's a bloody idiot, and you can usually spot them by the marks on your vehicle.

 

As to Hatch's comment about charging up the outside, taking stupid risks... well, what might seem ultra risky to you, might be easily accomplished from the biker's perspective. Do remember that the power-to-weight ratio of your average motorbike is something the vast majority of other road users can only dream about. Even pretty ordinary bikes can have supercar acceleration and amazing stopping power, and the average sports bike will outperform 99.9% of other traffic on the road. So while I appreciate exactly what you mean, perhaps you might look twice the next time you see a biker in a traffic queue. He/she may be performing a perfectly sound maneuver, which at first glance, looks dangerous.

 

Some good comments from people. I didn't realise you were all so nice. Shane, you ought to pull over for a biker every now and again, and feel the new rush of being a nice person, just once in a while.

[Son of Bob]

Unfortunately there are a reasonably high percentage of bikers who drive like daft ****s. Therefore the good bikers will be tarred with the same brush.

[Smirking_Saint]

I always move so that bikes can get passed me, especially on the motorway. Mainly because i f*cking hate bikers and can't stand them being behind me, it takes my attention off of the road. For that reason, i allow them to overtake as soon as possible.

[saint_stevo]

i dont move for cars so why should i move for an impatient biker?

[badgerx16]

Unfortunately there are a reasonably high percentage of bikers who drive like daft ****s. Therefore the good bikers will be tarred with the same brush.

Agreed.

 

Somebody should point out to them that I leave a gap between my car and the one in front because it is my 'thinking' plus 'braking' distance, not a parking spot for a Kawasaki. Or are they under the impression that as there is now a bike in the gap, suddenly my reflexes and brakes have been upgraded 100% ?

 

Sorry, St L, there are some bikers who almost deserve to have accidents. No wonder A&E doctors refer to them as 'Donors'.

[hamster]

I once chucked an apple core out of my window whilst driving down the outside lane of the avenue, no oncomimg traffic.

When I slowed down at the Hill lane roundabout a lad on a motorbike tapped on my window, when I wound it down, he very politely asked me to check for bikes next time. He was so polite that I felt really bad.

 

I always make a way for bikes.

[Rattlehead]

All bikers (and cyclists) in London are c*nts. FACT.

[saint_stevo]

Why should i drive closer to the curb so some motorbike rider can overtake me?

[oxfordshire_saint]

Bikers are just like people in general, some are perfectly decent people, some are twunts.

 

I try to give them the benefit of the doubt as although riding a motorbike isn't my cup of team, my dad has owned bikes for the last 30 years and I know he treats the roads and the cars on them with the necessary respect.

 

If you want to see some nutty motorbike riders, head for the autobahns. Whilst out there I saw a motorbike speeding up behind a car who must've been doing waaay over a ton themselves, the car wouldn't move over so the biker squeezed through the gap between the car and the central reservation. I actually winced as they went through!

[Redbul]

If im stuck in traffic so are you

 

I think I'm right in saying that if you deliberately block a motor cyclist/cyclist from travelling down a road where they clearly have room to ride through, this is in fact breaking the law. DSM? Not exactly DSM's sphere of legal expertise I know....

 

That aside, it's just c***ish thing to do anyway.