h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The reason that car drivers don't see bikers is that they (the drivers) are usually tinkering with their cigarette lighter, stereo, mobile phone and shouting at their children behind them, all whilst eating a drive-thru burger. Car drivers are overconfident, inattentive and lack any real awareness of the world outside their glass cubicle. Only the bikers who ride in a similar fashion can be found moaning quietly next to a bent lamp post. Most bikers, out of sheer necessity, are careful, methodical riders who ride with skill and courtesy. Since I started riding again I have noticed a real change in my car driving style. I'm much less blaze about controllingmy tonne of metal than I used to be.

BTW, you only get a wasp in the face once. After that, you remember to shut your visor

As the rider of a metal frame with a disproportionately large engine, and two rubber hoops I feel compelled to make a comment here.
Drivers of tin boxes with a wheel at each corner (because they have no sense of balance!) have little or no awareness of their surroundings because they don't encounter them. Sod the air conditioning - get the wind in your hair!
There is nothing that compares with a winding country road at 70mph, a 120bhp motor between your legs, wasps in your teeth and rain in your eyes - except sex, maybe.
Who needs an armchair on wheels?
Throw away those creature comforts.
Get out there, feel that adrenalin rush - live a little.
And the best way to solve the falling off problem - don't stop!

BTW. No, I don't have a long beard, tattoos, or listen to Iron Maiden at high volume. I don't drink and I don't smoke. I have a respectable job, a wife, two kids and an enormous....respect for other road users.
So you know where you can stick your stereotypes!

HERE HERE to the previos messages. I drive a car now but I uded to ride a bike. the writer of the entry we are repling to has some strange ideas about motor cycles, I never fell over when I stopped on mine.

The best safety tip for cyclists complaining about automobile drivers: You'll never be hurt by an auto if you ride with one overarching thought constantly in mind - I'M INVISIBLE. Operating my motorcycle with this thought in mind has prevented me from accident for 35 years. Try it. It works.

I think the problem is greater if you fall over BEFORE you stop...

A friend of mine pulled up to some traffic lights in his car. A motorcycle pulled up beside him, stopped, then fell over to one side. My friend got out of the car and went to help, only to find the biker laughing his ass off on the pavement. It turns out that he was out for a test ride having only just removed his sidecar, and forgot to put his feet down!

The only time I fel over on a two wheeler was when I straped my feet in on the pedals of a racing push bike and when I got to a set of traffic lights I couldn't get my foot/feet out and I fell over, it was quite funny when I think about it.

Actually the last posting is not stricty true cause come to think of it I fell over many times as a child on a bicycle and I had a few mishaps on my motor bike as well. The worst one was when a car didn't see me coming and he pullled out in front of me and I went into the side of him at about 80 mph I escaped with minor cuts and bruises though. Luckerly I had my crash helmit on cause those were the days before it was compulsorey to where a crash helmit.(1971) The crash helmit was smashed to bits so it probably saved my life. The funny thing was I very rarely whore it at the time and I put it on just to go up the road for a packet of fags,

I didn't have a helmet on. I went over the hood of a chevy. Never did hit my head though. Messed up my leg real good. But you don't wear a helmet on you legs




(Might be y they call me stump~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

Is that why they call you stump really. If so I'm sorry to hear you dameged you leg that bad. Makes me realise how lucky I was. At the time I didn't give it much thought cause I was only 17 but as you get older you think F**K ME I could of been in a wheel chair for the rest of my life

Sobering thought isn't it.
About 7 years ago I managed (with a little effort, and a lot of help from a car driver) to throw my 600 along a dual carriageway.
My overriding memory of the whole incident (apart from the £3,200 bill for repairs) is sliding along on my leathers at about 60mph watching my precious bike gaining on me!
I find it amusing now, but at the time I was a little concerned.

BTW I went home, borrowed the wife's 125 and went looking for a new machine to lavish my affections on!

I didn't have the money to rush out and buy a nice bike like the one that was smashed but I bought an old motor bike snd sidecar for £15.00 (15 quid can you believe it) to get to work on, then I passed my test in a car and I haven't had a bike since.

I still take my friends Yamaha Genisis out for a spin every now and agian though.

1.) Yes, that is y i'm called stump
2.) Don't feel sorry for me, I always accepted the fact that I could die on my bike. I just never thought that it would be 1 piece at a time.
3.) I still ride nothing in this world, short of total incapacitation would ever stop me. Its a way of life for me not just transportation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I totaly agree with your statement. With todays traffic problems the other problem is two wheel envy when car drivers stuck in a jam see a bike sail on past into the distance.

Hey stump I've just bought a Suzuki Bandit 1200, It's great to have a bike of my own again, I should have got one years ago.

Bike Envy

Years ago, whenever I tried to overtake a line of stationary cars at least one of them would try to move over the centre line to try to block me. In the last few years I find more cars actually moving over to give me more space.

I think that the "born again biker" situation means more car drivers today at least know somebody with a bike and have realised that we don't all have two heads, are Hells Angels and bite the heads off bats etc etc...

Today the total reversal of what you said happenned to me. a car driver delberatly moved over to stop me passing. There are still some ignorant intollarable uncourtious drivers on the road unfortunatly.

I've just found this article and I'm really cross about it. Who wrote such bigoted nonsense? They should be taken out and shot at, or at least made to pass a bike test and >find out< how much fun, sense of community, freedom, etc etc.

I realise I'm preaching to the converted here, so I'll shut up now

Just agreeing with Mike The Bike actually. An awful lot of car driver do move over and let me past, it's really good The only thing you can do with the other sort, Paul, is to overtake them where safe and * off into the distance, which makes them even more jealous

H&K
Z

Are you saying that I wrote bigoted nonsense? sorry if you thought I wrote nonsence, I can assure you I am not bigoted, and I don't know how I Could have offended you

Soory Zed, I just reread my last message and relized how stupid I was. I know now that you were not replying to me, I got in from the pub and logged on and I was oviously pissed at the time.