After reading about Zed's mate being cleaned up, I was thinking about how many close calls I've had recently.
I was cleaned up in March last year and since then I've had 4 other close calls. 1 last Saturday and another this morning!! Starting to think I have a bullseye painted on my back. It's only because I am super careful that I manage to avoid hitting the turf.
Now, I live in a town of 1000 people so I was wondering what it's like for the rest of you that live in the cities. Must be hell!
Had a few close calls myself in the last couple of weeks
Just the usual dickheads not looking and pulling out in front of you.
My son got rear ended on his bike on friday arvo and the guys response was i didnt see you
my response was don't you look where you are driving (fucking idiot)
My son is OK (could have been worse) thank god but his bike needs a bit of work
So to answer your question Magilla yes you have to be on your toes here to
Just two little episodes from last week.
1. My younger daughter was in her car, turning left into a major road from a road that was controlled by a "Give Way" sign. She had to stop as there were some cars traveling along that major road and her car was rear ended by some bitch who was driving behind her and was on her mobile. A bit of damage to both vehicles but my point is what if that was me on my bike instead of my daughter in her car? I wouldn't be writing this now. I'd be in the morgue.
2. Riding along a highway one nice afternoon I was in a right line and a small car was in the left line, suddenly, without indicating the driver, a young girl (still on her red "P" plates) swerved into my line, she did that for no reason - there was nothing in front of her. Luckily, sensing of what might happen, I hung back behind her - I made sure I'm not in her blind spot - I wasn't hit. I changed lines, pulled up to her and gave her a look. Up comes a finger and I could see her lips moving as to say "Fuck you c**t". All I could do was to shake my head and accelerate to be well in front of her.
As Crasher said, treat every driver (and some of the riders too) as blind, drunk and drugged fuckwits and never put yourself in a danger spot.
another one turned out in front again on Saturday morning. 3 weeks in a row now
Time to do some educating me thinks
They only bitch about bikes splitting lanes and getting out in front of them in multi lanes because that takes away their sport of trying to run you over.. Get out in front and away from the fuckers and all is good.. Noisey bike but my tunnel vision didn't allow me to see you beside me.
I had a tosser in a honda accord change lanes on top of me yesterday and when I kicked his door, I nearly fell into his drivers seat, he shit himself and pulled over to get his breath as I rode off laughing.
Only way to ride safe is to stay away from tin tops.
Enjoy
I can only think of two close calls in 30 years of owning a road bike that I can blame someone else for, and they were, a guy who pulled out in front of me while I was in 100km zone who gave me absolutely no warning and drove in front of me at the last second while I was watching him watching me, I managed to get between him and an on comming car, just. And another guy who deliberately decided to try and drive his car into my wife and I on an old Bonny when we pulled in front of him at a set of lights, that instance still amazes me (fu$#ing moron). Other than that I can only think of close calls that were my own fault, usually because I was full tilt on a road somewhere that I didn't know very well doing something silly. I can think of other instances which involve tin tops that could have been a problem if I wasn't watching or expecting it from them.
and again this arvo!!! Farrk!!
Magilla, please don't take this the wrong way but, if you are having that many close calls in a small town then maybe your powers of perception are not as good as you think ?? You said earlier that you are super careful which is good, but you also need a certain amount of controlled aggression, confidence and skill to stay safe on a bike. A mate of mine has been trying to convince me that he is so careful on his bike that he is confident he will never get hit but, he has no advanced riding skills to speak of and so relies on being careful. Just him saying that he will never get hit is an over confident attitude to have on a motorcycle, and last week he was knocked of his bike at a roundabout. Luckily he was not hurt. Anyway, what i am getting to is, maybe it would be a good idea to take an advanced riding course and try to pick up some skills that may improve your overall riding skills and perception abilitys ?? In your case I may be way of track but I think we can all improve (myself definitely included) our riding skills and if I were having as many near misses as you I would be trying to improve my own skills and forget about blaming everone else, because bad drivers will always be waiting for us. In your case there can only be two possibilities 1- You live in a town where everyone is a worse than normal driver and is out to get you. 2- Your skills are not as sharp as they should be. I just finished a 2000km road trip down south with a mate through mountain roads, large and small towns that I haven't been through for years and never once had a close call with a tin top, and the trip involved speeds that shouldn't be discussed here (no not on the Harley). I'm not suggesting in any way that it could not happen to me, but from what you have said does suggest that you are having a few too many close calls. I'm sorry if i am out of line here but better to have someone pissed of at me than shut up and hear about another bike accident.
