Car drivers – what is your problem?

TJ im not debating about obeying traffic law, although I do stop at red lights. Im asking a specific question about motorcyclists disobeying speed limits in built up areas (national speed limit they can do what they like as far as im concerned)
BUT It seems to me that motorcyclists will blast off with quite a bit more speed than the actual limit. WHY?

More speed, or more acceleration? I usually go blasting off the lights accelerating hard right up to thirty (well, 29.883) and then up two gears and breeze along. Even though I’m only doing thirty, a glance in the mirror shows a gap of tens and tens of feet opened up. Filter the next queue and disappear and I guess it can look like you’re too fast.

rossi46 – Member

BUT It seems to me that motorcyclists will blast off with quite a bit more speed than the actual limit. WHY?

A bike weighs less, so getting up to speed is effortless. 0-30 from the lights and im easily three or four carlengths in front without much effort. It also means road positioning (for me) if i can get ahead of everyone then i can be on my way and not obstuct everyone else.
Im fully aware of a bikes accelartive properties. I was referring to speed, not accelaration. To be clear, the speed limit is 30mph, the bike is doing 40-50mph.

To be clear, the speed limit is 30mph, the bike is doing 40-50mph

I agree, most people do the speed limit- but there are some idiots out there. Cars and vans too dont forget!
I meant that i will accelaerate UP to 30MPH (or whatever the speed limit happens to be) and then stay there. I like my liscense where it is- in my wallet!

Car drivers – what is your problem?

This (not my words, stolen from the t’interwebs):

There is a mythology that has been carefully constructed around motoring. Look at the adverts: the open road, the perfect wife and contented children secure in the back.

Then there is the reality. The never-ending and spiralling expense. Sat in traffic jams while your hard earned bleeds out of the exhaust making you feel guilty about the environment while the kids are climbing the walls with boredom.

It’s hardly surprising that many drivers are half psychotic (or behave as if they are). And when they see a cyclist whipping past them all they can see is someone getting something for free.

So on one hand we have millions of delusional solipsists in control of a ton of machinery and on the other the cyclists blessed with instant karma where any bad decision will cost. Not at the end of the month. Not in insurance premiums, fines or garage bills. But instantly.

So I’m not hugely surprised when motorists complain about being delayed for a few seconds by having to safely overtake a cyclist.

I don’t believe its too extreme an example of what’s going on in the mind of many motorists:
“I pay all this money, I was promised freedom, my motorcar coddles me like a baby so I can act like a spoiled child, where’s my freedom. . . . ”

I don’t believe its too extreme an example of what’s going on in the mind of many motorists:
“I pay all this money, I was promised freedom, my motorcar coddles me like a baby so I can act like a spoiled child, where’s my freedom. . . . “

Well said….

Thats fair enough, I have no issues with zooming off from the lights and then settling down to the speed limit +/- 5mph. Its the excessive speed that im annoyed about.

I don’t believe its too extreme an example of what’s going on in the mind of many motorists:
“I pay all this money, I was promised freedom, my motorcar coddles me like a baby so I can act like a spoiled child, where’s my freedom. . . . ”

Anyone who believes that in this day and age is truely deluded.

I drive perhaps twice a week, the rest of the time I walk or cycle. I enjoy driving, but CBA with all the idiots who seem to think they can do what they like when they like “because its not doing any harm” in their own selfish perception. The rules of the road are there to protect yourself AND other users, who said we could be selective about which rules should be applied to us?

I don’t believe its too extreme an example of what’s going on in the mind of many motorists:
“I pay all this money, I was promised freedom, my motorcar coddles me like a baby so I can act like a spoiled child, where’s my freedom. . . . “

Anyone who believes that in this day and age is truely deluded.

I’m not so sure.

What’s probably the most common complaint/retort from a motorist, about cyclists?: “they don’t pay road tax”. Which when translated means “I’ve payed all this money, they haven’t, so surely that entitles me to something”.

And the ‘freedom’ bit is definitely true – nobody likes sitting in queues of traffic, we want to be crusing along, unimpeded.

all the idiots who seem to think they can do what they like when they like “because its not doing any harm” in their own selfish perception … who said we could be selective about which rules should be applied to us?

This is the ‘spoiled child’ part. So many people unable to obey/follow a few simple guidelines/rules. They need to grow up. My 4 year old knows you’re supposed to stop at a red light. Then there’s grown men (not mentally, obviously) who seem to think they’re above all this.

TandemJeremy – Member
Owenfackrell – so no cars break that speed limit – only bikes? I watch the cars I see as I ride around the city and its a very small minority of car drivers that obey traffic law

The vast majority of cars stick to the 40mph speed limit i have yet to see a bike do so. This road is not in the city it is a bypass around a few villages except due to this new limit put in place to protect the bikers its not any quicker than going through them.

Sometimes if I see a motorcyclist coming when I’m in a traffic jam on the motorway I’ll open my door just before he gets to my car then get out and beat him to death with a 12inch black rubber dildo.

Anyone else think a lot of motorbikers seem a bit up themselves?

Seems like every third bike comes with a free superiority complex.

if they want to rip the tarmac up then get on a track.

cyclist dont tend to put other peoples lives at risk by cycling along the side of the roads.

Sometimes if I see a motorcyclist coming when I’m in a traffic jam on the motorway I’ll open my door just before he gets to my car then get out and beat him to death with a 12inch black rubber dildo.

[stiffles a mad giggle in the office]

Hahahaahahaa. Classic thread.

I’m an ex motorbike racer, a current car driver and a current 29er owner…

I speed on my motorbike.. in built up areas… TBH.. i just don’t care… on my Supermoto i’m invincible… you’re nothing more than minor irritations in my quest for fun

slow claps @ weeksy

I always make the effort to get out of the way of bikers if I can because I know they accelerate faster and brake far less effectively, and neither of us wants him coming through the back window of my car…
I have no problem with filtering bikes or being undertaken by a competent rider, my car will never match their bikes performance or ability to get through either at motorway speeds or in traffic, and I have no issue allowing them to pass me… If they actually know what they are doing…

But it has to be said Bikers on the roads are as inconsistent as drivers…

There are the 2 primary types of Biker (IMO), those that realise and understand they are on a public road and hence will have to deal with a mixed bag of slow, doddery and Fast, angry “Lords of the road” type drivers and all shades in between, all of whom are in a 1-2 ton steel safety bubble. These riders make allowances for the fools in cars; ie – don’t sit in blind spots, give a bit of braking space, wait for a clear bit of lane to under/overtake rather than going for the squeeze option, you don’t have to be a slow rider, just read the road as you would expect a car driver to be able to do and take suitable actions to make safe progress.

Then there are the Plumbs who treat every journey as if it’s a track day and think they are the next Rossi, but haven’t quite worked out that they have to share the “Track” with less predictable metal boxes operated by a meat sack with an attention defecit issue and a phone clamped to his/her ear…

OP you complaint is basically that you can’t ride like a Cock on the road for fear of being wiped out by some other Cock in a car… I’m tempted to suggest as a solution that you simply don’t ride like a Cock, you’ll still get there quicker than a car would and have to spend an extra 10 minutes pissing about with your leathers…

Just make allowances for the numpties on the roads, and save the knobish riding for track days… you’ll live longer.

chakaping – Member
Anyone else think a lot of motorbikers seem a bit up themselves?

Anyone else think a lot of “people generally” seem a bit up themselves? FFS. 🙄

because I know they accelerate faster and brake far less effectively

Wrong. They can brake far more effectively.

As for the trackday comments – you’re bang on. If you want to pretend to be a racer go and do one. They’re pretty cheap and great fun; I was at Oulton Park at the weekend and 7x 20 minute sessions with instructors thrown in (if you want them) was £115.

I speed on my motorbike.. in built up areas… TBH.. i just don’t care… on my Supermoto i’m invincible… you’re nothing more than minor irritations in my quest for fun

You, my friend, wont make old bones with that attitude.. 🙄

There are OLD racers
There are BOLD racers
But there are no OLD BOLD racers 🙂

The ton!

BUT It seems to me that motorcyclists will blast off with quite a bit more speed than the actual limit. WHY?

Erm it’s not just motorbikerists, plenty of car drivers round our way do lot’s more than 30 in residential areas.
Asshats everywhere.
However I and I’m pretty sure TJ and others aren’t saying there aren’t asshat motorcyclists, cyclists or pedestrians BUT the bigger the vehicle the more damage your asshattery will cause when it goes pear shaped so directiong most of your fury towards motorvehicle operators seems decent logic to me.
There seems to be a lot of media attention at the moment towards lorry driver standards, wish they’d hurry up and move on to car drivers (then motorbikers then cyclists then motobility scooter users then finally pedestrians…actually can we squeeze dog walkers between motrobikers and cyclists – proper dangerous they are!)

PS intentionally blocking filtering = stupid, expecting people to jump out of the way instantly = silly.

Not sure where most of you lot drive, but I find most people are fine. See the odd poor bit of driving but generally its fine.

I find most car drivers will make an effort to move out the way if they see you. Some just don’t see you and a tiny minority actively block you but they are in the minority.

One of my mates gave me a great bit of advice for riding a bike. He said you don’t need to take a chance overtaking riding a bike as another will come along soon. Its not like in a car where its harder to overtake.

Car drivers also probably are not looking for the right things to see if its safe to filter. A motorcyclist will be looking at gaps that cars can change into etc. A car driver will not be used to looking for this sort of thing and just things the biker is mad.

Out of interest – when riding a pedal bike on the road how many of you would pull over to the left to let quicker road users past and how many would keep your legitimate road position and leave the manoeuvring to the other party?

different scenario MF staionary traffic vs traffic moving at speed, no-ones expecting motorists to move left if they are doing 30 in a residential to let speeder through are they? But yes I do sometimes move out of the way to let traffic passed depending on situation and it’s safe, especially buses or black cabs if I’m in a bus lane.

Filtering? Is that the term for undrertaking in motorcyclists world?

If it is im not going to make space so you can do something illegal and dangerous ..although I understand it keeps us in nice fresh bodyparts so feel free to keep trying.

Have been riding motorbikes since the late 1970s and never expected anyone to move over or drive in the gutter just so I can shorten my journey time by a few seconds. I’ve never understood motorcyclist’s desire to blast through everything and anything just because they (we) can.

If someone blocks your way when filtering, just come to a halt and wait. The traffic will move on and you can filter past safely.

There was some argy-bargy in front of me the other night when some twunt on a scooter couldn’t squeeze past a van so he starts thumping on the side of the van. Just for the sake of a few seconds FFS 🙄

Ian, Filtering is perfectly acceptable and legal within the law of the UK. You don’t need to make us spaces… i have a pair of these though if you need some persuasion on your nice comfy car door

Good point m_f – depends what is behind me. If it is a bus or a truck, or something that might need a bigger length of road to pass and I don’t really want behind me, I pull in at the next lay-by, pavement etc. If it is a car I hold my line, and a motorbike I wave and flash them.

different scenario MF staionary traffic vs traffic moving at speed, no-ones expecting motorists to move left if they are doing 30 in a residential to let speeder through are they?

Okay I might have misunderstood the original post but I understood that part of the discussion was about pulling to the left to allow motorbikes to pass when driving down, say, an A road and they come up behind you wanting to pass.

Looking at it, I don’t think I misunderstood it…
in far too many cases will car/van drivers just not move aside when trying I’m trying to pass them

I try and work on the assumption that ALL other road users (in whatever mode of transport) are complete numpty f*** wits and will do something dangerous and or unpredictable at any given moment.

What’s probably the most common complaint/retort from a motorist, about cyclists?: “they don’t pay road tax”.

Nor do motorists. No such thing as road tax.

Filtering? Is that the term for undrertaking in motorcyclists world?

No.

If it is im not going to make space so you can do something illegal and dangerous

Rule 88 of the Highway Code.

Sometimes if I see a motorcyclist coming when I’m in a traffic jam on the motorway I’ll open my door just before he gets to my car then get out and beat him to death with a 12inch black rubber dildo.

That made me laugh out loud

On the upside, I think this thread has answered the OP quite nicely.

How many posts here read, “I do xyz, therefore I’m right and everyone who does abc is a lunatic, so why should I be courteous to people like them?”

Swap xyz and abc for any two demographics of road users, and you have your answer.

The Highway Code discourages undertaking on motorways with some exceptions (rule 268): “Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake”. Undertaking is permitted in congested conditions when frequent lane changing is not recommended.[4] On other roads, the Code advises drivers “should only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right” (rule 163).[5] Rule 163 uses advisory wording and “will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted”, but may be used in evidence to establishing liability in any court proceedings.[6] On all roads, undertaking is permitted if the vehicles in the lane to the right are queueing and slow moving. Undertaking in an aggressive or reckless manner could be considered Careless Driving or more seriously Dangerous Driving, both of which are legally enforceable offences.

The scenario I have in mind is the motorcyclist undertaking on dual lane roads often when the car in right most lane is at or above the speed limit. See it every day . Watched one recently when the biker started having a go at car driver who moved to the left just as he was getting undertaken !! Cos you would expect some plum to be creating a third lane when non exists. Clearly the bikers fault if he ended up squished.

On the upside, I think this thread has answered the OP quite nicely.

How many posts here read, “I do xyz, therefore I’m right and everyone who does abc is a lunatic, so why should I be courteous to people like them?”

Swap xyz and abc for any two demographics of road users, and you have your answer.

Spot on! +1.

The scenario I have in mind is the motorcyclist undertaking on dual lane roads often when the car in right most lane is at or above the speed limit.

That is, of course, illegal. It’s called ‘speeding,’ the side of the road is irrelevant.

Cos you would expect some plum to be creating a third lane when non exists. Clearly the bikers fault if he ended up squished.

The car driver is changing lanes without looking, of course he’s in the wrong. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre, remember?

Again, “third lane” is irrelevant, it’d be the same scenario if there was a car there.

The car driver is changing lanes without looking, of course he’s in the wrong. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre, remember?

Again, “third lane” is irrelevant, it’d be the same scenario if there was a car there.

Not really because the car driver has just overtaken the only vehicle that SHOULD be there. In that scenario the biker is in the wrong and whilst i do it often… if the driver goes to pull in and i cause an issue it’s ME that apologises to them as i know i was in a poor overtake…

Doesn’t stop me doing them

Out of interest – when riding a pedal bike on the road how many of you would pull over to the left to let quicker road users past and how many would keep your legitimate road position and leave the manoeuvring to the other party?

On a bike decent road position keeps me safe and I generally wouldn’t compromise on that. Wouldn’t compromise my safety in a car either, so I don’t slam it in a hedge every time a motorbike comes past! Just talking about adjusting road position a bit if it’s possible. And as suggested, I’d be less likely to do so in an urban area because of the hazards about.

WRT legitimate road position, there’s a range of distances you can be away from the kerb safely. I’m just taking about adjusting myself within that.

So weeksy, you like putting yourself in a deliberate point of conflict with cars, yet you wonder why motorists don’t have much respect for you?

If you genuinely ride like you say you do, I truely fear for your long term survival. Hope you’ve got good life insurance!