Cars vs Women on 2 wheels

Hello,
What's the deal with some car drivers vs women on two wheels?
It's an issue that I've been aware of for a while but have had several
reminders in the last few weeks.

On both motorbikes and pushbikes I've heard countless stories of women
being treated like crap on the road by dickheads in cars.
The most recent was of a friend who gave up on motorbikes immediatly
after some wanker passed her aggressively on the left while she was
attempting to turn right. They obviously didn't understand what the
'L' plates might indicate.

No obvious sign that this was becasue she was female, but there have
been plenty of times where I've been out riding with a woman who is
doing exactly what I'm doing but she gets yelled at or tooted
(aggressively) where I'm left alone.

On more than one occasion I've seen this happen, given the driver a
dirty look or hand gesture and all of sudden they're apologetic or
cringing.

What is it that makes a small but significant minority of drivers act
like such arseholes on the road?
Problems dealing with women?
Impotency issues?
Bully mentality?
I just don't understand it...
Cheers,
Duncan.

 

I guess they feel threatened.

 

Yes you do.

Moike

 

In aus.motorcycles on 17 Aug 2003 18:19:14 -0700

I've never experienced it.

Now it is true that one short wide bod on a bike wearing full kit looks
very much like another short wide bod on a bike wearing full kit, and
that if I let my long hair out it tangles like hell so I dont' do it...

But even so, I can't recall getting deliberately monstered, and the
close calls I've had fit much better under the heading of "brain dead
body in charge of car" than "Aggro bloke getting at a woman".

Maybe I'm oblivious to it, maybe I just don't trigger them. I've not
seen it.

It is, of course, possible that hefty bod on ratbike will scare off
potential he-man-macho-bullshit smalldick in car, making them think
the chances of having their arms ripped off and being beaten to death
with the wet end are definitely non-zero (an effect most noticeable when
riding a hardtail chop with all the trimmings), so they don't notice said
bod is chromosomally different. Whereas smaller, thinner, more clearly
female makes them think "I can scare that one!"

I *have* had dickheads in cars monster me when I was riding horses, I
think that too was bang-for-buck (lets really make trouble with little
effort) than it was about me being female.

Zebee

 

Road ragers who can't resist a soft target most likely.

A few more plainclothes policewomen on unmarked bikes, with concealed
truncheons, oughta do wonders.

 

Speaking of which... saw my first-ever lady m/c cop on Saturday. She looked
about Zebee's age (and shape) and she and her obviously junior partner-bloke
were whirring along one of the bikepaths through Woden on their RT Beemers,
querying cyclists and people walking their dogs if they'd seen the petty
crim they were chasing instead of busting people speeding...wonder if that
has anything to do with the nearby arterial having a 90 limit...

 

John Harvey wrote;

I saw plenty of them on the telly last Mardi-Gras....
(And some of their "truncheons" weren't real well concealed either!)
WorkDoodle

 

I've never had a problem. The only time I get hassled is by guys when I
stop, normally saying "that's a big bike for a girl". I look at them in
disgust and walk away. I seem to remember not too long ago everyone came up
with a list of smart replies.


Sharon
(VFR800)

 

Sharon wrote in message ...
~

Best was "those are big pants for such a small dick".
WorkDoodle

 

Interesting, maybe I should refine the group of women my experience is
from.
I live and ride mainly in Melbourne in the inner city, most of the
women riders I know aren't very experienced. I never had these
problems when I was slowing people down getting used to the bike.
A lot of the reinforcement I've had of my view has come from bicycle
riding, but I think there's a fair amount of overlap.

The thing that brought it to my attention was the example in my first
post. Since then I've been asking people how often they get beeped or
yelled at. Then on the way home friday night I watch my friend get
tooted as she rode behind me doing exactly what I did, she said that
happens all the time, maybe they see the long blonde hair out the back
of the helmet...

One of the worst cases was a friend out riding with his wife on her Ls
(?), she hesitates at a busy right turn, the car behind her literaly
starts pushing her forward into the intersection (deliberatly).
Unbeknownst to the driver my friend is also there and he's a fairly
tough fireman type person. Fruitbat, if you're reading maybe you
could give more details?

I wear a plait to avoid tangles, even with long hair noone mistakes me
for a woman.
I used to get the problem riding road bicycles where women would
sometimes grab my arse from a passing car, that scared the hell out of
me but I kinda liked it

As far as tooting goes it is ambiguous, but when they throw in some
sexist slurs it becomes more clear.

 

I'd like to see someone give any shit to my mates daughter when she's
riding her bike.
She's over 6' tall and is a very big girl, she'd probably give them back
a lot more than she received



Daryl

 

Probably _all_ of the above. :-(

Sad, isn't it?

regards,
Crazycam

BTW, if you are 7 foot tall, and built like the proverbial...male or
female....you get a good bit less agro. :-|

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Can't say that we've particularly noticed it. Generally if the car driver
is going to be a dickhead, he'll be one. It can be pretty hard to tell,
too, whether the rider is a female or not, when you're all rugged or
leathered up. The only time I felt 'monstered' was when I was learning on
an obvious 250cc bike. Small dick syndrome? Most likely.

Julie and Deb
Triumph TT600 Cagiva Raptor 1000

 

"L" means 'pass on the left', doesn't it?

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
'81 Suzuki GS450-s
'87 BMW K100RT

www.dmcsc.org.au

 

There was an article on her in the Canberra Times earlier this year. I think she is the first police woman motorcyclist in the ACT.
Not sure of that exactly. I think her name was Mary or Mandy or sumit like that.

er ..... it was definitley a girls name anyway......


UT

 

those dirty looks through your motorbike helmet must have a real affect on
them!

 

Well if someone did that to my fiancé, they'd better be _running_.

j

 

Hitler, Nazi, Goebals, Hess, U Boat, Coventry, V2,
Get it?

 

No

Boxer

 

Well, you woundn't, Boxer.