At All Cool, Or Just Nuts?

I once saw a motorcyclist do something which I will never forget. I
was in lane 2 of an at-capacity but free-flowing 3-lane motorway. A
few cars in front of me, someone also in lane 2 decided to move into
lane 3, slotting in behind a motorcyclist and in front of a car.
Unfortunately they were far too close to this car (and moved with
virtually no warning), and the driver of this car had to brake sharply
as a result.

The motorcyclist in front then proceeded to somehow stand up and turn
round, casual as you like, and clap his hands mockingly at the errant
driver, before sitting down again and resuming his normal position as
if nothing had happened. I've got to admit that I was in awe of this
person and his (I assume it was a "he") evident skill, though of
course I was also thinking "What would have happened, both to the
motorcyclist and possibly those around him, if the traffic in front of
the motorcyclist had happened to brake at that time?" Doesn't bear
thinking about.

I freely admit to knowing next-to-nothing about the motorcyclist
community, so I just wondered how this kind of behaviour was
viewed...is it universally condemned as giving bikers a bad press, is
there any admiration for it, or is it somewhere in between? Generally
speaking, do bikers like the reputation they seem to have as rebels
(at least somewhat)? Or do you just see it as a useful form of
transport, and would like to be seen and treated exactly like users of
other forms of transport?

 

On Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:46:54 -0800 (PST), Nuxx Bar wibbled:
<snip>

Is it the school holidays on your side of the water?

 

Nuxx Bar wrote:

I certainly admire the skill involved in doing that. Yes, it's
potentially dangerous, but no more so than school-run-mum leaning over
to the back seat to give the spawn a slap. And statistically, *far*
more school-run-mums have crashed than people standing up facing
backwards on motorbikes.

Dunno, try asking some bikers - we're just a group of people who
(mostly) ride motorcycles.

It's both a useful form of transport & a hobby. I don't want people to
treat me like a car driver when I'm on the bike - I want them to move
over a bit & give me space to filter.

 

<shrug> It happened, I was sincerely interested in what people
thought, if you're going to assume bad faith then that's up to you.

 

Not sure what nuxxy's doing posting here - he's been in my kf for
years. He's one of the resident nutters from uk.rec.cycling who
largely wrecked the group and gave rise to uk.rec.cycling.moderated.

 

Oh Jesus, not this one again.

 

I knew you'd chime in. That doesn't mean you should have.

 

I'm new to this group. New people tend to ask questions that have
already been covered. The nice thing to do is not flame them the
first time they do it.

 

Thank you for the one reasonable reply so far.

 

If you think that's a flame, you're a terribly over-sensitive soul.

It's just that it's a topic that has been dragged up in just about
every motorcycle-related newsgroup or web forum I've ever seen, over
and over and over again. And just because you've posted it here for
your first time doesn't change that. And you haven't even considered
what's the main reason for riding a bike these days, for many.

I'll leave you to work out what that is, and get back to you if you
fail.

 

I saw one of those mums the other morning whilst on the way to drop the SO
off. Only she had stopped the car, got out and was screaming and whacking
the youngster in the back seat. I stopped sharpish and bellowed at her and
she fucked off quite quickly. The BT van that was behind me had to stop
sharpish too. The Mini behind used the BT van to stop.

Oops.

 

Anyone asking a question containing the word 'bikers' will generally
get ignored or abused, & rightly so.

 

So **** off and read the ukrm cbt and when you have done that read the
ffaq as well.

..

 

No, he's a serial troll who's more or less run out of places in which
to abuse cyclists, so presumably wants to cross horns with someone
else now.

<Opens big bag of popcorn>

 

**** off and die you tedious shitcrust.

 

Well **** off to another you boring fucking dribble of jiz runout.

 

just about anything and everything .. as your previous posts on usenet
testify.

 

Pah. I once saw a cyclist actually stop at a red light.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Nige

Time for a new schtick, Nige. This one's getting boring.

 

The little bastard probably dropped a stinking minging fart.

Actually, the worst drivers on the back roads around here are the
school-run mums - they hare along with no perception of consequences
either to themselves, anyone else, or their brats unsecured in the back
seat.

Highway Code - Mini brakes are shite.