View Full Version : Lack of respect
Over the past few months I have borrowed my partners learner bike (YBR 125) every now and again, and I've probably done 200 miles or so on it. And you know what, the way learner riders are treated by other motorist is appalling. I've probably seen more sh!te driving and acts of aggression in those 200 miles than I have in the 30,000 miles I've done since I started learning to ride on my own learner bike.
On TWO separate occasions I have been in a holding road position on a main road, and I've had a car squeeze between the bike and the kerb, with barely a fag papers width between either, just because I was sticking to the limit! I have NEVER had that happen to me on my 'Alp, or even on my varadero 125 when I had it. I have had several cars at side roads waiting to pull out sit there for ages then pull out at the last second, only to stop dead in front of me when they realise they cant make it after all, then give me a look as if to say its my fault ... " hell, it's only a learner motorcyclist they dont matter do they " :mad:
And to cap it all of today i was on a flowing back roads on my way home, and when I moved over to the left side of the road to take the long a sweeping right hander, he took it upon himself to push me into the gutter on a blind corner, with half his car on the opposite side of the road, and go round at the exact same speed at me!
I worry enough about her out there as it is, and when bikes with L plates get treated this badly, its only making me feel worse.... :(
Wigan Chris
07-10-08, 02:45 PM
i couldnt agree more.
i only switched from a 125 vara to an AT at christmas, and the difference in drivers attitude is massive.
id have to say tho, im not sure how much of it is down to just the L plates, and how much of it is down to sheer road presence from a bigger bike.
i rode my vara 125 with and without L plates (i know, naughty naughty), and didnt notice a big difference, but the switch upto the AT has been a huge change, i think once you take up that much more room, with a bit more height it helps out... even to the point where the 125 vara faired better than some scooters and cg125's
Based on what I've seen over the years, there's a general lack of respect for learners full stop!
It seems that, car drivers, especially seem to forget that they had to learn to drive once upon a time. Well some of them did - some of them, I'm not so sure.
Looking on the positive side, it does instil a certain healthy paranoia - as well as developing eyes in the back of your head. :D
Mervinh
07-10-08, 03:52 PM
I have seen this when teaching my daughter to drive, idiot follows us through a village attempting to overtake when it is impossible. clear of the village overtakes then immediately brakes and stops to turn right nearly causing an accident, plenty of twats out there, one this morning came up behind 3 cars travelling at 40 mph spaced out sensibly, (2 jags following a passat) started to overtake could see i had room to get past jags before oncoming car and the **** in the first jag starts to accelerate as soon as i get beside him meaning i had to get into the gap rathe faster than i would have liked too
Merv
Snaphappy
07-10-08, 04:19 PM
lack of respect allround, tarmac terrorists and kn*bs I pity anyone that has the misfortune to share the road with them.
I sometimes wonder if its a bullying revenge thing, you know the total school idiot the was allways picked on now needs to show that he is better or faster than others but then there were not enough idiots in schools to make up for the idiots on the road
Stay paranoid and keep an eye out for them, they are ALL out to get us:cyclops:
Have this problem when I commute on my CG.... and I tore my L-plates up many years ago :) I suspect I get fewer problems on the TA since the b*gg*rs have less opportunity to catch me up :)
Imho, it's a general decline in civilized behaviour across the board... and I put it down to either arrogance or ignorance. Trouble is it makes me ride in ways I find uncomfortable and with more aggression - not a big problem for me ( apart from needing occasional self anger management ), but would be if you're trying to hone your skills to pass your test.
I am paranoid - when colleagues have followed me they ask why I'm always looking over my shoulder - I always expect the cagers nearest me to make some kind of attempt at homicide at some point. I have found one thing though - wearing an open-face helmet means they get to see the grizzled, bearded, face of one pi**ed-off motorcyclist at which point they usually cause me less trouble.
Whatever happened to "duty of care..." or whatever it's called...
Keith.
micksylver
07-10-08, 07:13 PM
Have seen it in action recently. Sheperded an old feller on a scooter by not letting anyone pass me after 3 cars in front passed him by cutting him into the kerb. Mind you it was his own fault - too slow, 30 in a .... 30 zone What was he thinking?
Recycler
07-10-08, 07:18 PM
....... and when I moved over to the left side of the road to take the long a sweeping right hander, he took it upon himself to push me into the gutter on a blind corner, with half his car on the opposite side of the road, and go round at the exact same speed at me!
That's the downside of proper positioning......... virtually nobody else on the road gets it. I (not trying to tell you how to ride by the way) would stay a bit further out when closely followed, or Mr Cock behind will use both his brain cells to calculate you are letting him through.
Cagers!
Imho, it's a general decline in civilized behaviour across the board... +1 on that
datsun fan
07-10-08, 09:06 PM
I know that drivers with two brain cells are more dangerous than those with one, as the those with two brain cells have a good chance that those two cells may collide with each other and be damaged - leaving none!!
winxp-master
08-10-08, 07:35 AM
You are spot on Raven.
When i had my Vara125 i would pull up at lights on a two lane road and as i had l-plates on all the traffic would back up in the other lane and no one would sit behind me presumebly thinking i would be slow off the mark being a learner, i loved it coz as soon as the light hit amber i was off like the clappers and i'd look in my mirror and see all the idiots filing back into my lane lmao.
The best one though (and this probably best describes the way you are treated as a silly young kid on l-plates) is when i pulled into some shops and had a bit of a do with an idiot driver cutting right in front of me and i could see he was ready to have a go so i pulled next to him and took me helmet and jacket off and his face was a picture when he seen i was no in fact the spotty skinny 17 year old he was expecting to intimidate and the response was *in a very sheepish voice* "oh sorry m8, i didn't see you there" lmao, fekkin prick!
Wigan Chris
08-10-08, 09:21 AM
You are spot on Raven.
The best one though (and this probably best describes the way you are treated as a silly young kid on l-plates) is when i pulled into some shops and had a bit of a do with an idiot driver cutting right in front of me and i could see he was ready to have a go so i pulled next to him and took me helmet and jacket off and his face was a picture when he seen i was no in fact the spotty skinny 17 year old he was expecting to intimidate and the response was *in a very sheepish voice* "oh sorry m8, i didn't see you there" lmao, fekkin prick!
lmao good one :thumbright:
I have an nes 125 scooter (stop laughing!) for tootleing about on and kid you not its scary people just treat you like your dirt. Last week alone over ten times I were nearly flattened.
Big fat builders to great big buses there all having pop shots! And the soft mummies in 4 wheel drives doing the school run in wrexham is just suicide on two wheels:confused:
Although one good thing is I use all the back lanes on it now until I cant find a new big bike:king: I think they must think your young and soft until you get off and threaten em:rolleyes: not that thats a good thing:blah5:
Wigan Chris
08-10-08, 10:51 AM
:angry4:anyone else been in the following scenario...
__________________________________________________ _____
you get cut up by some asshat in a car/van/bus/4x4....
you give them the fiinger / beep them / shout something....
they resort to offering you out in the nearest layby / carpark etc....
__________________________________________________ _____
why would people resort to that.. the mind boggles.... and more importantly, why does it turn out that the asshat that thinks hes a hard man in a van suddenly sh1ts himself when he realises hes dealing with a pissed off adult in armour and big boots rather than the spotty teen (no offense to spotty teens) that he was hoping to corner in a carpark. annoys the hell out of me it really does :angry4:
Snaphappy
08-10-08, 05:31 PM
Yes that's exactly what happened to my Dad a couple of years ago, He would have been 68 then in Tescos carpark, busy Saturday afternoon and a Teenage Twenty something in a GTI cut him up, so my Dad gives him the finger. Spotty youth is straight out of the car shouting at my Dad and takes a pop at him through the window.
Big mistake my Dads an ex wrestler, not World of Sport Saturday afternoon at 4, Just Champion League amateur, ho hum short work and a round of applause from all the witnesses :toothy4::toothy4::toothy4:
Yes that's exactly what happened to my Dad a couple of years ago, He would have been 68 then in Tescos carpark, busy Saturday afternoon and a Teenage Twenty something in a GTI cut him up, so my Dad gives him the finger. Spotty youth is straight out of the car shouting at my Dad and takes a pop at him through the window.
Big mistake my Dads an ex wrestler, not World of Sport Saturday afternoon at 4, Just Champion League amateur, ho hum short work and a round of applause from all the witnesses :toothy4::toothy4::toothy4:
Nice! :cool: :cool: :cool:
Big mistake my Dads an ex wrestler, not World of Sport Saturday afternoon at 4, Just Champion League amateur, ho hum short work and a round of applause from all the witnesses :toothy4::toothy4::toothy4:
pure class:sign5:
barftone
09-10-08, 09:58 AM
My Dads bigger than your dad! :D
Recycler
09-10-08, 11:31 AM
Big mistake my Dads an ex wrestler, not World of Sport Saturday afternoon at 4, :toothy4::toothy4::toothy4:
Remember Kendo Nagasaki??!!!!
He was my favourite.
Remember Kendo Nagasaki??!!!!
He was my favourite.
Now that's going back a LONG way!! :D
Glad to see it's not just me that finds it a huge problem, I was beginning to think I was riding like a complete knob all the time or something (not a word Whealie :D).
It still winds me up because when on the 'Alp, I still come across the usual idiots, but I never get the feeling that people are trying to intentionally take my life like I do when on an L plated bike.
The best one though (and this probably best describes the way you are treated as a silly young kid on l-plates) is when i pulled into some shops and had a bit of a do with an idiot driver cutting right in front of me and i could see he was ready to have a go so i pulled next to him and took me helmet and jacket off and his face was a picture when he seen i was no in fact the spotty skinny 17 year old he was expecting to intimidate and the response was *in a very sheepish voice* "oh sorry m8, i didn't see you there" lmao, fekkin prick!
I had something similar when I had my Vara (on L Plates), a guy took exception to me pulling up next to him at the front of the traffic lights and then me subsequently pulling away faster than his wittle beemer did. He then tailgated me all the way into the petrol station, pulled up right behind me, shouting alot of expletives and some ******** about queing like the rest of 'em. Soon shut up when I took my helmet off and threw my jacket on the floor, and he was faced with a 5'11" bloke with long hair, tattoos and built like a brick sh!t house. Dunno why, I don't look that scary :rolleyes: Do I :confused: :confused: :confused:
That's the downside of proper positioning......... virtually nobody else on the road gets it. I (not trying to tell you how to ride by the way) would stay a bit further out when closely followed, or Mr Cock behind will use both his brain cells to calculate you are letting him through.
Cagers!
I'm a big enough man to accept advice when it's given to me :thumbup:
hondaxrnut
09-10-08, 05:41 PM
hi all, i am new to this forum, but not new to this problem, i am a driving instructor, (car) and i get idiots all day every day, cars and bikes.
as soon as i take the L plates off they change attitude.
i have had more collisions and near misses since doing this job, 7 years than in the previous 20 of driving-riding, i could tell you stories that would make your toes curl.
there is no respect anywhere, road, pavement, shops, interweb, we are getting a very angry, and insular, (im alllright jack) society.
as an experiment, put some L plates on your car and drive at the speed limit, and see what happens.
Ian1970
09-10-08, 06:42 PM
In my experience, people see the L plates as a challenge. "I'm not sitting behind a learner" they think, and ignore everything else to get past you!
winxp-master
09-10-08, 07:06 PM
I had something similar when I had my Vara (on L Plates), a guy took exception to me pulling up next to him at the front of the traffic lights and then me subsequently pulling away faster than his wittle beemer did. He then tailgated me all the way into the petrol station, pulled up right behind me, shouting alot of expletives and some ******** about queing like the rest of 'em. Soon shut up when I took my helmet off and threw my jacket on the floor, and he was faced with a 5'11" bloke with long hair, tattoos and built like a brick sh!t house. Dunno why, I don't look that scary :rolleyes: Do I :confused: :confused: :confused:
haha quality... they shat themselves don't they? haha
as an experiment, put some L plates on your car and drive at the speed limit, and see what happens.
I might try that with me bike actually, just to see if i get a different reaction, i'm guessing i will :D
shel750
09-10-08, 07:34 PM
''Big mistake my Dads an ex wrestler, not World of Sport Saturday afternoon at 4, Just Champion League amateur, ho hum short work and a round of applause from all the witnesses''
:D HA HA HA :thumbup:
:angry4:anyone else been in the following scenario...
__________________________________________________ _____
you get cut up by some asshat in a car/van/bus/4x4....
you give them the fiinger / beep them / shout something....
they resort to offering you out in the nearest layby / carpark etc....
__________________________________________________ _____
why would people resort to that.. the mind boggles.... and more importantly, why does it turn out that the asshat that thinks hes a hard man in a van suddenly sh1ts himself when he realises hes dealing with a pissed off adult in armour and big boots rather than the spotty teen (no offense to spotty teens) that he was hoping to corner in a carpark. annoys the hell out of me it really does :angry4:
they tend to **** themselves when i stand up off the bike :D:D:D the change in their facial expressions is priceless isnt it:D:D
I have that affect on people to Chad, I just smile and let them blow up :D:D
Rubberchicken
17-10-08, 11:49 PM
I've seen some of that sudden politeness as well for some reason. ;-)
And then there's the guy who nearly ran under my bike, he got mad when I managed to stop juu-ust in time, started yelling and grabbed me by the jacket across the handlebars. Not the best move for a scrawny little 5'something against a guy in full winter gear and about a foot taller. A softly spoken "are you going to let go or do you want to know what my helmet tastes like?" seemed to do the trick. :D
Though I'm not sure what I would've done had he called me on it. But then, he wouldn't have. Looked a bit too rattled for a measured response, and I didn't even use the stebel on him. ;-)
YEN_POWELL
18-10-08, 09:32 AM
I've been out a few times this last few years on 125s (SR125 and now YBR125)with L plates on after working on them or just to keep the battery charged up.
I've actually quite enjoyed myself and had no bother so far, I think other vehicles can tell if you are confident or not by road positioning/ forcefullness etc and are less likely to take liberties. However, I still can't stop myself doing silly/girly waves at the heroes roaring around on their sports bikes (only on sunny sundays of course) and none of the buggers wave back, which tends to make my next attempt even more over the top. Of course this only applies when they pass in the opposite direction, no chance of catching up with any!!
Snaphappy
18-10-08, 11:44 AM
Remember Kendo Nagasaki??!!!!
He was my favourite.
Ha Ha which one, insider secrets let out, there were two of them!!!
Mick McManus, The Royal Brothers, Catweazel and Johnny Kwango the list goes on but above them all..... me Dad
they tend to **** themselves when i stand up off the bike :D:D:D the change in their facial expressions is priceless isnt it:D:D
Yes but now one legs shorter than the other does it have the same effect :D
Snaphappy
18-10-08, 02:00 PM
Yes but now one legs shorter than the other does it have the same effect :D
:sign5::sign5:
Yes mate..i started out on varadero 125 for work to save money and not to use the car. Had all the hi vis gear, lights on, every safety item possible and its as tho your not there. Progresed to a varadero 1000 and bought a hein geric hi vis jacket and webbing belt and hey presto. Everyone seems to keep out my way. Then when i go out on my twin its back to normal. Ive got to have eyes in the back of my bloody head. Safe riding.....kevsky
Yes but now one legs shorter than the other does it have the same effect :D
listing to starboard they think im a drunk nutcase:D
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