G'day forumites. Just got back from a 1050 k ride this weekend with 400 or so other bikes from Newcastle to Uralla and back again. Had a great time as usual. No incidents over the whole weekend and everyone had a great time. Except one today when i was about 20 ks from home. A Bloody truck driver who should know better decided to overtake a slower moving car/van combo up a hill and then ran out of puff himself. Well he pulls out right in front of me and the missus.
How he didn't see the huge, jaffa coloured full dresser with all lights on, with me and the missus on, and she had a bright orange H-D jacket on top of her leathers aswell. Maybe he did see us gut didnt care as so many dont these days.
Text book idotic move just like you see on youtube on the freeways when the driver doesn't look properly. Any way he ran out of puff so then he had to merge back into the left lane again. Gave him the gesture on the way past, so this lead me to an idea.
What can we actually, physically do to educate these recalcitrants on the road. Well i suggest asking/inviting someone you know who doesn't ride to come for a ride with you 2UP! Yep, 2UP, take ém for a double down through town and do a mainy, or to the beach or anywhere where there is traffic. You know it won't take long before some dickhead either pulls out, brakes for no reason, texts, lane changes without looking or indicating just generally does some idiotic thing right in front of new found riding buddy! Give them a thrill hey
Ask anyone who is willing, (Work colleague/ next door neighbour/ young hottie at the takeaway/ Boss?) You know the type i mean. The ignorants, zombies who drive in a daze, people who just dont get it. Get it? Notice i didn't say mate cause all ya mates allready ride hey?
Anyway, The reason for all of this would not only open there eyes up to our world, but would actually put them in our situation when confronted with potential hazards on the road, in all aspects. They will then realise how vulnerable we are and they just might think twice when they are at the wheel of their tin boxes. Especially if there is a near miss involved. You never know the outcome, but at least we have done something as opposed to just rant and rave as that acheives nothing. Just ask me how i know.
We might even spark an interest in our new buddies. We might actually convert some to our world. We might actually EDUCATE one of them into THINKING about being motorcycle aware! How good would that be? You young pups might even score with the hottie at the takeaway! (how good would that be?)
So What do ya's think? Is it worth it? I think so. Lets give it a go and see. We have a lot to gain for a little effort. We might even change someones boring life which would be worth it to me!
HUTCH.
Sounds like a great idea and you are right might even enlighten a few........except for the bit when they drag their wanky street shoes through the paint on the rear guard!
Thanks for everyones thoughts so far. There is no wrong answers here. Yes i reckon it will be a tall order to change anything about non riders, let alone their attitude but like i say even just one new person introduced to what we love and the dangers that they force upon us, and it would be worth it in my opinion.
Yeah Clive, That reminds me why i have gloves with reinforced knuckles. To get through the glass easier but have never tried yet, and the one time i didn't have em on, i kicked his car with my steel toe caps. You see i had some dickhead that nearly knocked me off on a roundabout by taking the straight line through it, and he didn't even look to see if anyone else was around. I managed to stop him once when i pulled up in front of him. He wouldn't even look at me and then took off again. They are in total denial that have done the slightest thing wrong! This is the frustration that these dickheads give us. I chased him for another 35 ks and he would not pull over. I got bored after the adrenalin hit was over, and then went home. It's funny what makes us do shit like that but when you have just seen your life flash before your eyes, things like this happens.
Hey BC, maybe one of them taxi change holders would be needed on the handlebars, due to the amount of coinage that would be needed on some days!
Burnzi we will have to make them wear fluffy slippers so they look girly.
Funny you mention this at this time.
Just come back meself from a trip down south, where I had the pleasure of taking a couple of, errr, lets say un- enlightened for a putt on the back.
Couple of them finished up quite happy and enjoyed the experience, but the last one shared the full experience of meeting a few of the other not so curtious drivers along the way through a typical local town set of laps.
Well, by the time I headed for home, the last one had tensed up a wee tad, even wrapped it's legs around me at one stage, but the most interesting effect came after we got back to base,,, she dribbled inside and laid on the bathroom floor for four hours before coming back out to continue socalising again,,, in a somewhat subdued fashion.
What? she peed her panties? Thats a dramatic effect. This is the stuff we deal with daily and its like water off a ducks back most of the time hey.
What happened Rider?
Not really sure how it all came about, but it was a pretty interesting day. Sort of figured that she experience some kind of emotional overload at the same time that the adrenaline rush was maxed out, topped off with a coupla experiences she'd never seen before on the road,,, and she did have a coupla refreshments prior but wasn't smashed if ya know what I mean. Appeared that the whole combo was just a little too much at the same time for the poor wee lass.
