Think CAR!!!!!

Another idiot biker story for this morning.
I'm at the robot in my car waiting to turn left. Robot goes green I turn left (indicator is on), and I'm about 2 metres from the kerb going around, some stupid idiot biker decides to undertake me by taking the corner between me and kerb to make the same left turn on my inside. Who the hell does that, it's not the first time, it won't be the last but no biker deserves any sympathy for being driven over for making such a stupid decision.
 
i was glancing back over some of the previous pages and i noticed a remark about bikes in the emergency in traffic. presonally, i consider this a very bad idea and for a number of reasons.

firstly, there is only one direction of safe escape. should another vehicle, for whatever reason, move into the emergency lane in front of the bike, the biker is forced to make a correction on one side only. in nearly all situations, changing course in the direction of the road edge is a very poor option (curb stones, lack of road surface, pavement obstacles such as road signs). there are many gaps between cars, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and this makes the option of swerving into a lane occupied by traffic a relatively available one.

secondly, the road surface on the edges of the road (in the emergency lane) is usually littered with gravel, stones, broken glass and sometimes even worse. this makes for reduced grip and is heavy on tyres. very heavy - punctures are common among those who brave the road edge!

thirdly, riding in the emergency lane (whether the left emergency or the right) have a tendency to align the cars in the lane adjacent to them towards the centre of the road. this makes the gap smaller for those bikers who choose (and i believe rightly so) to ride in between the lanes.

fourthly, it creates more areas for drivers to have to observe closely. they already have a load in trying to spot us bikers as it is. when we all stick to one general area, it makes their task that much easier. this means that the drivers will get it spot on more often, and fewer incidents will take place.

fifthly, because there is a perception of more space, the temptation to ride that little bit faster is usually too much to resist. speed plus traffic equals lots of unhappiness before long.

sixthly, it is illegal.

hmmm... perhaps i should have said "in no particular order"! ;)

I hear you brother, gets my blood boiling everytime
 
Maybe you are not getting the picture here :

Pedestrian > Cyclist > Biker > Motorist > Truckers > the-rest-of-the-world > HIV/Aids > Taxis
 
There are a lot worse bikers out there than taxis, and im a biker saying that
 
taxis aren't that bad. i find them quite considerate towards me when i'm on my bike, actually.

Same here. The problem, however, isn't their consideration towards us when they see us. It's the erratic, unpredictable nature of their driving habits. I've always countered this by being exceptionally vigilant around them.
 
taxis aren't that bad. i find them quite considerate towards me when i'm on my bike, actually.

Suprisingly, I also find this to be true. Taxis will always move over for me, will always see me, will always let me go first. You'd think it would be the opposite, given their reputation for driving badly. The only explanation I can come up with for this is that because they drive so badly, they're super alert to the other traffic because they don't actually want to be in an accident, but still want to drive like maniacs. Because they're super alert, they notice us more than your average cager does. Your average cager sits in traffic, in the queue, listening to the radio. Your average taxi is busy driving on the kerb, in the yellow, off the road, or into oncoming traffic. They pay more attention!

I can't believe I just wrote that, because it seems so wrong but feels like the only working logic.
 
Suprisingly, I also find this to be true. Taxis will always move over for me, will always see me, will always let me go first. You'd think it would be the opposite, given their reputation for driving badly. The only explanation I can come up with for this is that because they drive so badly, they're super alert to the other traffic because they don't actually want to be in an accident, but still want to drive like maniacs. Because they're super alert, they notice us more than your average cager does. Your average cager sits in traffic, in the queue, listening to the radio. Your average taxi is busy driving on the kerb, in the yellow, off the road, or into oncoming traffic. They pay more attention!

I can't believe I just wrote that, because it seems so wrong but feels like the only working logic.

I would have to disagree 110% with you there. The other motorist have to be 110 times more alert to avoid them from driving into you. Just this morning I had to hit the brakes hard again to avoid driving into one of those road scums!!! So no, they are not alert at all!!!!!!!! They are lucky we are missing them
 
I would have to disagree 110% with you there. The other motorist have to be 110 times more alert to avoid them from driving into you. Just this morning I had to hit the brakes hard again to avoid driving into one of those road scums!!! So no, they are not alert at all!!!!!!!! They are lucky we are missing them

She was speaking about the taxies reaction to bikers, not cars. They know the cars are there and don't mind causing you consternation. It means little to them and they know you can brake. They are generally courteous towards bikers, though.
 
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