Toll gate and bikers

[supersunbird]

How about this view?

A responsible law abiding biker who knows he will be on a toll road, will prepare for having to pay toll fees and will ensure that he has his card or the cash in a pocket that he can reach relatively easily when required?

Is that asking too much?

Still think they should pay less than a Class 1 vehicle. The one and only sensible thing about etolls/GFIP is the fact that they charge bikers less.

 

[Archer]

How about this view?

A responsible law abiding biker who knows he will be on a toll road, will prepare for having to pay toll fees and will ensure that he has his card or the cash in a pocket that he can reach relatively easily when required?

Is that asking too much?

Not sure if serious...
OR you can wait the 60 seconds it takes to get gloves off, wallet out etc. I mean really, prepare how? Hold the card/cash in hand while riding?

 

[boanergesza1]

How about this view?

A responsible law abiding biker who knows he will be on a toll road, will prepare for having to pay toll fees and will ensure that he has his card or the cash in a pocket that he can reach relatively easily when required?

Is that asking too much?

I know there are those who do it. I've seen them. I however don't
I pay just like a normal motorist. I have a handlebar bag (or a tank bag before that) with my card ready to go.

I do get ragged about it a bit.

 

[boanergesza1]

Wow! What an argument!

For the first time in about 10 years, I actually witnessed a biker (in Centurion) who actually did obey the rules of the road last week.

He did not:

(1) Try and push through the traffic on the white line.
(2) Try and occupy the same space in the lane as another vehicle.

He did:

(3) Keep his line
(4) Stayed in the middle of the lane.
(5) Signaled his intentions

It was a pleasure to have him on the road.

So what was he? A new biker?

Are you aware that lane sharing "splitting" is permissible in RSA?

 

[SauRoNZA]

A some bikers would resort to violence because they had to pay a toll?

Don't biker jackets have pockets on the outside?

Even if they do, can't use them without taking off gloves, which is part of the problem.

And most won't use the outside pockets for fear of forgetting to close them or the wind opening them up and losing what's inside.


It is somewhat better these days if you plan ahead and only carry your card there as you can just swipe and go these days. No need for scratching in wallet.

Now NFC could solve all this ****. Just build a tag into the glove and go.

 

[crysis]

they use so much less fuel etc etc.

That's actually a myth. My bike drinks!

 

[SauRoNZA]

Wow! What an argument!

For the first time in about 10 years, I actually witnessed a biker (in Centurion) who actually did obey the rules of the road last week.

He did not:

(1) Try and push through the traffic on the white line.
(2) Try and occupy the same space in the lane as another vehicle.

He did:

(3) Keep his line
(4) Stayed in the middle of the lane.
(5) Signaled his intentions

It was a pleasure to have him on the road.

So what was he? A new biker?

If you meant "in the middle of the lane" to imply in the middle of the lane where cars would normally be (as in the centre between their headlights) then yes he is a new rider and an idiot at that making himself highly unsafe and invisible.

Lane splitting is perfectly legal and also safer if done correctly. Therefore it's legal for a motorcycle to share a lane with another vehicle, motorcycle or otherwise.

Not sure how a bike would "occupy the same space as another vehicle" this is physically impossible. Either there is space or there isn't space.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Cyclists are not "forcing" you to do anything. If you are encroaching into the on coming lanes when not safe to do so, you are doing that all on your own.

Have you driven on Chappies?

There is no run off so the cyclists need to occupy the normal car lane.

So either you have to do 20km/h behind or simply have to cross the line to pass them.

Therefore they are forcing a hell of a lot on you as you aren't capable of using the road accordingly.

 

[SauRoNZA]

How about this view?

A responsible law abiding biker who knows he will be on a toll road, will prepare for having to pay toll fees and will ensure that he has his card or the cash in a pocket that he can reach relatively easily when required?

Is that asking too much?

Not at all. I fully agree and therefore do this if I know I'll be passing tolls.

It still takes more time than it would in a car and therefore cars still get upset.


It also irks me to pay the same as a car, especially since our license fees are already reduced based on weight, therefore so should the tolls.

****

It's for this very reason that I resent the term "biker" as I don't label myself as such.

 

[Bizkit87]

Sad case of damned if you do, damned if you don't..
Option 1: Tailgate behind a car, people get pissed off.

Option 2: Slowly roll up, put bike in neutral or switch off the engine.
Take off gloves.
Unzip jacket.
Get wallet out of zipped inner pocket.
Whip out some cash to pay. (at this point, dude behind you is _probably_ getting frustrated)
Receive change, place back into wallet, place wallet back into pocket.
Zip up jacket.
(^ between here and v here, someone somewhere behind you is probably hooting)
Put gloves back on.
Start engine.
Drive off.

Aaah... I love biking, but people can be so impatient.

Or... you know, plan ahead and keep a card easily accessible in a front pocket, wait in line, take out card, swipe, continue...

 

[crysis]

Or... you know, plan ahead and keep a card easily accessible in a front pocket, wait in line, take out card, swipe, continue...

Or, tail gate some dude and get a freebie.

Step 2: Profit.

 

[SauRoNZA]

If you don't want to pay the toll don't get on the highway.
Like going to kfc and not paying for your takeaway. It's theft.

100%.

Usually the scenic route is the better ride for a bike anyway.

But this is the difference between bikers and motorcyclists.

The one group is a culture of lawlessness often including people who don’t even ride bikes, the other is just a bloke on a bike going on his merry way.

 

[Blu82]

Or... you know, plan ahead and keep a card easily accessible in a front pocket, wait in line, take out card, swipe, continue...

Easy accessible also mean not watertight and might vibrate open over a long period and this is from experience.

 

[vic777]

Or... you know, plan ahead and keep a card easily accessible in a front pocket, wait in line, take out card, swipe, continue...

Not defending bikers not paying tolls but no, its not that easy. The biker would still have to stop, put the bike in neutral, take off the gloves because you'd struggle to grab a slim credit card or bank note in a pocket with gloves on. Also, the pocket would have to have a zip so the card doesn't get lost.

I lost many bank notes this way, talking from experience

 

[Agent_Smith]

Haha, if being stuck behind a motorcyclist at a toll booth is the worst of your problems, then I really envy your life. I've spent more time being held up at a McDonald's drive-through behind someone knob who doesn't know what toy he wants with his happy meal than behind a motorcyclist paying his toll.

 

[Moosedrool]

Wow! What an argument!

For the first time in about 10 years, I actually witnessed a biker (in Centurion) who actually did obey the rules of the road last week.

He did not:

(1) Try and push through the traffic on the white line.
(2) Try and occupy the same space in the lane as another vehicle.

He did:

(3) Keep his line
(4) Stayed in the middle of the lane.
(5) Signaled his intentions

It was a pleasure to have him on the road.

So what was he? A new biker?

New or a dumbass.

Keeping in the centre of a lane in traffic is dangerous on a bike. People are conditioned to look for big objects on the road when passing and such. They don't look for bikers.

About the tailgating. Surely you guys know when your driving through a toll plaza before hand. Just keep some change on hand or at least easily reachable. Using the yeah but my gear makes it hard to handle change without taking my gloves off excuse is silly. Any car driver might say I'm wearing winter gloves or whatnot and also struggle to handle change.

 

[Sinbad]

Haha, if being stuck behind a motorcyclist at a toll booth is the worst of your problems, then I really envy your life. I've spent more time being held up at a McDonald's drive-through behind someone knob who doesn't know what toy he wants with his happy meal than behind a motorcyclist paying his toll.

WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS BLINDING YOU!?

 

[TheMightyQuin]

Not defending bikers not paying tolls but no, its not that easy. The biker would still have to stop, put the bike in neutral, take off the gloves because you'd struggle to grab a slim credit card or bank note in a pocket with gloves on. Also, the pocket would have to have a zip so the card doesn't get lost.

I lost many bank notes this way, talking from experience

The umpteenth post using gloves as an excuse. What are these gloves that bikers wear that are nearly impossible to take off? Do they somehow magically fuse with the skin of the hand after a few minutes of riding?

C'mon people what is the difference:

Bike stops, puts bike in neutral, TAKES MAGIC GLOVE OFF and hands over money.
Car stops, puts car in neutral, ROLLS DOWN WINDOW and hands over money.

Also since when are bikers suddenly so sensitive to a car behind them at the tolls that MAY contain a person that becomes impatient and, shock and horror, HOOTS at them? This from people that drive how they want, lane split in an illegal way ( not implying lane splitting IS illegal ), kicks off side mirrors when "provoked" etc. etc.

Pull the other one, please...

 

[supersunbird]

The umpteenth post using gloves as an excuse. What are these gloves that bikers wear that are nearly impossible to take off? Do they somehow magically fuse with the skin of the hand after a few minutes of riding?

C'mon people what is the difference:

Bike stops, puts bike in neutral, TAKES MAGIC GLOVE OFF and hands over money.
Car stops, puts car in neutral, ROLLS DOWN WINDOW and hands over money.

Also since when are bikers suddenly so sensitive to a car behind them at the tolls that MAY contain a person that becomes impatient and, shock and horror, HOOTS at them? This from people that drive how they want, lane split in an illegal way ( not implying lane splitting IS illegal ), kicks off side mirrors when "provoked" etc. etc.

Pull the other one, please...

I have never had to put on or take off bike gloves, I have had to put on latex gloves, it's not a quick and easy thing sometimes. And Biker gloves would be harder due to their material, I can imagine. Don't go off on others due to your lack of imagination.

 

[Sinbad]

The umpteenth post using gloves as an excuse. What are these gloves that bikers wear that are nearly impossible to take off? Do they somehow magically fuse with the skin of the hand after a few minutes of riding?

C'mon people what is the difference:

Bike stops, puts bike in neutral, TAKES MAGIC GLOVE OFF and hands over money.
Car stops, puts car in neutral, ROLLS DOWN WINDOW and hands over money.

Also since when are bikers suddenly so sensitive to a car behind them at the tolls that MAY contain a person that becomes impatient and, shock and horror, HOOTS at them? This from people that drive how they want, lane split in an illegal way ( not implying lane splitting IS illegal ), kicks off side mirrors when "provoked" etc. etc.

Pull the other one, please...

Try it sometime. They're not woollen mittens.