Inconsiderate N1 Bikers

[supersunbird]

Please don't get me wrong. I too have once or twice neglected to check my mirrors and then just to have a fright when a biker revs or hoots at me. I apologise as I'm a biker myself and know how it feels. I have not had my mirror taken off as I apologise profusely admitting my mistake. If my mirror was to be taken off I would not have a fit about it as I know I deserved it. People in general are too caught up in our own lives and the race to get where we're going to be considerate to others on the road. I blame the lack of policing on it but that's what it is. Hopefully the OP will be using his mirrors next time and someone's father, brother, husband, son, wife, daughter... will make it home alive because of it in the future.

OP didn't change lanes, so I don't know what you issue is with him checking the mirrors when there was action in front of him and to the side...

 

[Former member 61586]

I wonder if the wing mirror vigilantes in this thread would object to a car driver ripping the mirrors off their bikes if they drove like idiots...

Bikers are tough. No car driver would try that with the UFC/MMA hard knuckle bikers

 

[Ancalagon]

um, dude, she is not a biker.
she does not even ride on the back of mine, she is too scared.

and just a side note, most bikers drive defensively and do not want to be treated like a pretty princess as you put it. we just want to be freaking seen so we do not die.

also, its another reason why I ride a cruiser, you will hear me AND see me (potentially at least)

But you expect everyone on the road to drive perfectly, which you know will never happen.

Please don't get me wrong. I too have once or twice neglected to check my mirrors and then just to have a fright when a biker revs or hoots at me. I apologise as I'm a biker myself and know how it feels. I have not had my mirror taken off as I apologise profusely admitting my mistake. If my mirror was to be taken off I would not have a fit about it as I know I deserved it. People in general are too caught up in our own lives and the race to get where we're going to be considerate to others on the road. I blame the lack of policing on it but that's what it is. Hopefully the OP will be using his mirrors next time and someone's father, brother, husband, son, wife, daughter... will make it home alive because of it in the future.

Yeah, you apologize, you learn a lesson because you feel bad, and hopefully it doesn't happen again. But your mistake doesn't give a biker the right to break your mirror.

Let's turn it around - you are in a car, and another car makes a mistake which nearly causes an accident. Do you get out and break his mirror? Why/why not?

Another one - you are on a bike and a minibus taxi pulls out right in front of you, nearly ending your life. Do you take his mirror off, or do you leave him alone because you fear for your life?

Actually, it does... A persons mind is a strange thing, and bikes tend to disappear (without any malicious intent from road users).
1) Bikes are slim, so people often misjudge how far away they are and/or their speed
2) Bikes are bikes, not cars, and with our minds that are pattern recognition machines the brain sometimes erases things that it thinks don't match.

Having said that, I think the onus is on the biker to ride with the above in mind. But it certainly won't hurt if non bikers can also drive with the above in mind.

It certainly wouldn't hurt if Jacob Zuma was not corrupt. It certainly wouldn't hurt if police officers did not accept bribes. It certainly couldn't hurt if our roads were properly maintained. It certainly couldn't hurt if our public healthcare system was better funded and equipped.

See? Yes, it is true that bikes are more vulnerable. Nobody denies that. And yes, people ought to look out for bikes.

But they ought to do a lot of things that they don't. Get over it, get used to it, make your peace with it.

If people's behaviour can be changed regarding bikes, it certainly won't be changed by people ripping wing mirrors off. That does nobody any favours, least of all the bikers.

 

[Car_B_OM]

Bikers like you and Pitbull do not want to accept reality...

Nice assumption...

I actually don't ride a bike. Never have, never will. I have terrible balance. I fall over while standing still.

When you accept that people are bad drivers and accept that you have no control over that, you will be happier.

I do accept people are terrible drivers. I actually expect terrible drivers wherever I go. That still does not excuse their actions on the road. Everyone who uses the road must accept responsibility for their actions.

Whether it's the biker who broke someone's mirror/lane split too fast/whatever or the car/truck/bus/taxi driver who pushed into a lane/changed lanes without signalling/straddled lane lines/drove in the emergency lane/stopped on the highway for no reason. I have seen more terrible, discourteous and dangerous driving from car drivers than I ever have from a biker.

 

[Cray]

Bikers are tough. No car driver would try that with the UFC/MMA hard knuckle bikers

So bullies in other words?

 

[Former member 61586]

So bullies in other words?

Normally bullies are in the wrong. Bikers never.

 

[Baxteen]

So bullies in other words?

whoosh....

 

[Former member 61586]

Nice assumption...

I actually don't ride a bike. Never have, never will. I have terrible balance. I fall over while standing still.

Think the medical terms is intoxication?

It does kind of explain your silly comments here though.

 

[Cray]

whoosh....

Indeed, I blame a lack of coffee....

 

[Necropolis]

Luckily I don't have to deal directly with bikers on my daily commute.

They all seem content to fly down the gap between the right-most lane and the concrete barrier on the highway.

 

[ToxicBunny]

This attitude from some bikers that they have some justified reason to remove a cars mirror if the driver makes a mistake or upsets their sensitive little souls is one of the reasons I have a dashcam...

Take my mirror off and there will be a criminal charge laid against you as well as the insurance company coming after you for the damage to the car....

We all make mistakes, and yes I've nearly hit bikers when changing lanes a few times. When I'm in the wrong I apologise because I just didn't see the biker... when they biker is in the wrong (travelling more than 30km/h above the prevailing traffic) I just ignore the retard.

 

[Ancalagon]

Nice assumption...

I actually don't ride a bike. Never have, never will. I have terrible balance. I fall over while standing still.

Well you defended them, I assumed you were one of them.

I do accept people are terrible drivers. I actually expect terrible drivers wherever I go. That still does not excuse their actions on the road. Everyone who uses the road must accept responsibility for their actions.

Whether it's the biker who broke someone's mirror/lane split too fast/whatever or the car/truck/bus/taxi driver who pushed into a lane/changed lanes without signalling/straddled lane lines/drove in the emergency lane/stopped on the highway for no reason. I have seen more terrible, discourteous and dangerous driving from car drivers than I ever have from a biker.

No I don't think you do accept it. If you did, you would accept it as a fact. You'd say, "if only...", but you wouldn't justify breaking wing mirrors.

Well there are many more car drivers than bikers - statistically, of course you are likely to see worse car drivers. So what? Does that justify breaking wing mirrors?

 

[skeptic_SA]

I wonder if the wing mirror vigilantes in this thread would object to a car driver ripping the mirrors off their bikes if they drove like idiots...

To echo what Pitbull said. If I cut a biker off while I'm in a car - I apologize profusely. Because I know the frustration bikers encounter with every ride.
If I ride like a twat and a driver chooses to kick my mirror off... so be it. I may not be happy about it and I'd likely take the person on. Hasn't happened yet.
Most bikers can/have/do drive cars too. So they have the benefit of insight into both spheres of road use. Sadly not all car operators have had the opportunity to ride. Seeing the road through a bikers perspective would really open a lot of "responsible drivers" eyes. Sadly there a large percentage of drivers that just DGAF.

 

[Brenden_E]

I have bitten off more than I can chew many times before. It's part of life. You can't always win. It's about getting back up and not backing down... ever. I have been knocked on my arse before and I probably will again. So I should now stop living because I might die? /shiver... OMG PLEASE NO!!!

To your top ^ observe the neanderthal in his natural habitat. In case you wonder why we struggle to move forward as a society, keep this guy in mind and realize there's many more like him. Fuuuuuu...

 

[Pitbull]

Yes this is a rant and I had to rewrite it a couple of time because nothing ever dies on the internet.
This morning I was once again reminded why most drivers hate bikers.
I know it's not all of you guys, but the majority are entitled little bitches.
So sorry to you guys that do not fall into this group, this it not for you guys.

This morning driving to JHB the traffic was stop and go at a couple of places. I'm in the second lane from the middel.
Close to Vodaworld we just start moving again and there is the bloody taxi on my left hand side driving on or over the line into my lane.
Along come this prick on his bike driving between the fast and my lane.
So now I'm trying not to be hit by the taxi by slowing down and keeping my car away from it.
Next thing the biker is at my window revving his bike like I'm doing something wrong.

So what do you want me to do?!?! Crash my car into the taxi so that you can get to work faster. Well **** you!
When he finally could dodge the cars in the fast lane (who could have moved out of the way much easier) and pass me, he took my drivers side mirror and twisted it all the way to the front.
Just checked at work and thanks for breaking my fold down mirror you *******!

So if you are reading this you entitled ****, I hope your bike gets stuck when the sun doesn't shine!!!!!!!

When I'm able to move out of the way and even drive in the yellow part in the fast lane I do it.
I get maybe 1 out 30 guys nodding his head in thank you when I do that. The rest just speed on.
So once again sorry for you bikers than can read the situation on the road and who would have waited for me to dodge the taxi.
The rest of you, well I can't say what I want to on a open forum...

OP didn't change lanes, so I don't know what you issue is with him checking the mirrors when there was action in front of him and to the side...

Unless he stayed inside his lane with the taxi already in his lane I can't see how he didn't...

 

[Former member 61586]

To your top ^ observe the neanderthal in his natural habitat. In case you wonder why we struggle to move forward as a society, keep this guy in mind and realize there's many more like him. Fuuuuuu...

well said.

 

[Cray]

To echo what Pitbull said. If I cut a biker off while I'm in a car - I apologize profusely. Because I know the frustration bikers encounter with every ride.
If I ride like a twat and a driver chooses to kick my mirror off... so be it. I may not be happy about it and I'd likely take the person on. Hasn't happened yet.
Most bikers can/have/do drive cars too. So they have the benefit of insight into both spheres of road use. Sadly not all car operators have had the opportunity to ride. Seeing the road through a bikers perspective would really open a lot of "responsible drivers" eyes. Sadly there a large percentage of drivers that just DGAF.

I can understand acting in the heat of the moment with almost getting killed, a friend of mine did the exact thing. He smacked a taxis wing mirror off with his hand, forgetting he wasn't wearing gloves which led to him needing stitches. It's the pre-meditated notion that gets to me, in the calm, rational light of day you guys are all promising to destroy someone's property if they happen to act negligently...

 

[SykomantiS]

Ja, no... I totally agree with you. A-holes all of them. It means about 98% of the other drivers and bikers I have to deal with are total a-holes.
I see people texting all of the time. Or chatting on their phones. Or having a fat animated chat with the person in the passenger seat.
I saw it this morning. The lady in front of me stopped at an intersection where the pointsmen were waving for her to go because she was on her cellphone.
She didn't even notice about five cars honking at her.
But the a-hole bikers are more obvious because they get 10,000% more angry than the car drivers. And car drivers don't usually smash your rear view mirrors off.
But a-hole bikers will kick your car or break your mirror in an instant. I've lost about 5 mirrors that way in my lifetime and had one accident with an idiot biker on a crotch rocket.

Clearly, you're doing something wrong. You need to pay more attention while driving. Even a-hole bikers won't take a mirror off without cause- unjustified as it may be. I've been driving cars for 12 years and have NEVER, ever, been in a situation like this (and I drive a big, slow, cumbersome 4x4 SUV). But then, I also know why my car has indicators...

I do find guys who own superbikes to have the ego and entitlement attitudes on the road. The guys riding enduro bikes or tour'ers are generally decent.

Not true. As a superbike rider, I've even been made to be the "slow" guy that has to move out of the way of things like R1200GS bikes. This is not because I'm slow or don't know how to ride, it's because I don't feel like killing myself while lane splitting. Ties in with this (difference in speed being too great):

I think a big issue is when you have bikes splitting lanes at 60 - 80km/s per hour - you could very well not have been in the cars mirror when they started executing the lane change...

Such a tough guy intimidating women. Hope you grow some balls one day and do that to a man then get your teeth kicked in.

There was a golf once, speeding in a 60km/h zone, overtaking on a solid white line, on a blind rise, that nearly killed me. Single lane both ways, and he was completely in the oncoming lane (mine). I turned around first chance I got, fetched him and removed him from his car and explained what he did wrong. Now this was a guy and there was no violence involved, as he apologized profusely. But my point is here, just because a woman can and will often do the same thing, doesn't make her exempt based on gender. Gender equality and all that.

Regarding op and the taxi, I know the feeling, when a taxi just assumes he's entitled to the spot you're occupying. It pisses me off no end. I want to sympathize with both sides of the argument, as I use my car and bikes almost an equal amount. It is however a slippery slope and as a rule I'm against violence in any situation, but I do understand why some people get violent (justified or not) and have been close to the point several times.

 

[Pitbull]

well said.

He has some kind of gay love obsession with me for some reason, I don't even notice what he says no more...

 

[supersunbird]

This attitude from some bikers that they have some justified reason to remove a cars mirror if the driver makes a mistake or upsets their sensitive little souls is one of the reasons I have a dashcam...

Take my mirror off and there will be a criminal charge laid against you as well as the insurance company coming after you for the damage to the car....

And they will find the numberplateless biker (or one with a number plate so small, I hope your dashcam is UHD ) how?