One for the "There are some right idiots out there" file...

[dazza]

I would have let them pass, for no other reason than I thoroughly enjoy coming up behind other bikers and having a little bit of fun. I guess that makes me an idiot too.   But aren't we all at times ?

[caretaker]

to be fair, we dont know how far away the bikers were to graham. if i'd have thought there was ample room to pull out, i would have. someone rides like a twat, thats his problem. BTW, i'm not captain sensible. i often overtake on a double white (yes i know i shouldnt etc etc) and i dont have chicken strips on my tyres. but i still ride as safe as i possibly can to cover most eventualities.

[shady]

Sorry folks but l agree with Graham, theres a surprising number of bikers that think they are immortal and immune to the laws of the road !  Yes we all speed, we all take the odd risk, l mean l commute through traffic everyday and l can tell you its scary. But many bikers put themselves into trouble unecessarily, read the road wrong and accelerate into trouble. Many a time l ve had crazy bikers cut in front of me because they fail to get past the car in front of me in an effort to stay with their mate who earlier overtook the car on the wrong side of the road on the approach to a bend ! Think of yourself coming the other way then you would be scared to see this idiot on your side of the road coming towards you. Just one of many examples of crazy riding that at times makes me feel ashamed to being a biker, the point here is this yes Graham pulled out after seeing the guys coming towards him, they were equally at fault for accelerating on the approach to vehicles meeting their road from the left whilst already in a 40mph zone. 

[rayburn600]

Grayham.   Quote "On a ride-out earlier today we stopped off at the Departure Lounge Cafe on the A39"
Are you sure this is the A39?
It does not seem so to me.
Or have you got this wrong to?
The other bikers must have scared you a bit.
Take care matey. Ride safe.
R
 

[manuel32]

My mate overtook  while driving a car on double whites, the driver of the car he over took was an off duty policewoman , she clocked his number plate and done him,,,TWELVE MONTH BAN    poor chap, he is always in the wrong place at the wrong time

[richfzs]

Grayham.   Quote "On a ride-out earlier today we stopped off at the Departure Lounge Cafe on the A39"
Are you sure this is the A39?

Typo, A339

[Grahamm]

Typo, A339

Oops! Thanks for the correction. (I'd have edited the post, but...!!)

[clayt74]

I treat everyone else on the road as a blind unpredictable y'at!!! All rules  are out of the window! I ride to survive !!and that includes reacting quickly to situations! If I have miss read the road or a twat, then I feel it's my bad for  not bein more defensive. Yes I can ride like a loon, but when the conditions allow.
Peace!

[His Dudeness]

it sounds like you pulled out when it wasn't safe to and he had to take evasive action because of it so it was you're fault. the fact that he was driving like an asshole is irrelevant. if you had taken a proper look before pulling out you would have seen his speed

[Grahamm]

he had to take evasive action because of it so it was you're fault. the fact that he was driving like an asshole is irrelevant.

I beg to differ, he had to take evasive action *because* he was riding like an asshole. My mistake was not *assuming* that he was an asshole and would try for a dangerous and illegal overtake.

[MadDogMcQ]

If an asshole driving in front of me STOMPED on his brakes just for the fun of it, would it be my fault if I crashed into the back of him? YES!! He was acting like an asshole, but it would be my fault for not keeping a safe distance. It's the same thing Graham.
 
Or look at it this way - and be honest with yourself - if you had made that exact same manoeuvre during your Riding Test, do you think you would have passed??
 

[Phil TK]

I beg to differ, he had to take evasive action *because* he was riding like an asshole. My mistake was not *assuming* that he was an asshole and would try for a dangerous and illegal overtake.

 

[Phil TK]

I beg to differ, he had to take evasive action *because* he was riding like an asshole. My mistake was not *assuming* that he was an asshole and would try for a dangerous and illegal overtake.

This evangelical approach to other peoples riding could get you (and others) killed one day. Give it up, you are not setting a good example. Always assume that other road users are assholes.
 And yes, you would have been failed if you pulled out on these guys on a test.

[Lazarus]

I pull out, figuring that I've got plenty of space to do so safely because there was nowhere for the approaching bikes to pass, so they'd have to slow down behind the car,

This is the bit I dont quite get....


You decided that since they would have to slow down behind the car, then you would also pull out meaning that they would have to slow down even quicker behind you?


not being arsey, but i would get the hump then as well.

[Lawrence]

I beg to differ, he had to take evasive action *because* he was riding like an asshole. My mistake was not *assuming* that he was an asshole and would try for a dangerous and illegal overtake.

Makes no difference if he's driving like a dick or not, at a give way line you're supposed to give way to traffic that has priority over you.
 
If they would've had to slow down for the car even if you didn't go then he was in the wrong also.

[Dave48]

The only safe assumption is that you cant assume anything other than theyre probably out to get you!   Training is only a pathway. Commonsense is uncommonly rare

[Grahamm]

If an asshole driving in front of me STOMPED on his brakes just for the fun of it, would it be my fault if I crashed into the back of him? YES!! He was acting like an asshole, but it would be my fault for not keeping a safe distance. It's the same thing Graham.

So if you were travelling too fast to be able to stop if something happens in front of you, it's your fault? Erm...
 

Or look at it this way - and be honest with yourself - if you had made that exact same manoeuvre during your Riding Test, do you think you would have passed??

In all honesty, I do not know. Would the Examiner have brought it up in the debrief? Certainly. Would he have marked me down for it? Very probably. Would he have failed me because they were riding irresponsibly? I do not know and unless you're an IAM Examiner, you don't either. You can assume all you like, but that's all it is: assumptions.

[Grahamm]

This is the bit I dont quite get....

You decided that since they would have to slow down behind the car, then you would also pull out meaning that they would have to slow down even quicker behind you?

No, because had they been riding sensibly and doing anything like the speed limit, there would have been no need for them to change their riding plans or slow down sooner because they would have encountered us a distance further up the road.

As I've already said, my mistake was assuming that they were riding sensibly instead of them trying to overtake on double whites past a junction and, again as I've already said, I will take such things into account in the future.

[maddog04]

IPSGA
Information, Position, Speed, Gear, Acceleration
 
info wise, you've misjudged their speed
position, waiting to join a main road, let them pass
Speed, in this instance.....thiers not your's, how many times have we heard car drivers say or be told that bikes are deceptively quicker than you think
Gear, you'd be in 1st?
Acceleration, not a chance as the car was slow, let them all pass (move off when safe to do so blah blah blah)
I'm not an IAM instructor or examiner but its all about observation (Info bit) and I think he may have failed you
 
to paraphrase what JZS said............treat everyone as a pleb and you won't go far wrong

[chilly]

whats all this talk of assholes   are we in america now arseholes

[fireblake]

Schools must be back.  Absolute carnage on the streets of London today!  Ahh, for the easy days of the Olympics!

You're not wrong. I had to take my son to a hospital appointment in Hampstead and it took an hour longer than the previous week, so many near misses too. Without being a big head i could often predict near misses to my lad just on observation, you can feel it in your gut when Dippy Dave's daydreaming and is gonna change lanes or Trippy Tina is texting. My latest annoyance is Stupid Simon and his SatNav telling him to keep right on the motorway so he suddenly changes lane for no reason other than a stupid machine telling him too.


I used to write childrens books in an earlier life

[Lazarus]

This is the bit I dont quite get....

You decided that since they would have to slow down behind the car, then you would also pull out meaning that they would have to slow down even quicker behind you?

No, because had they been riding sensibly and doing anything like the speed limit, there would have been no need for them to change their riding plans or slow down sooner because they would have encountered us a distance further up the road.

As I've already said, my mistake was assuming that they were riding sensibly instead of them trying to overtake on double whites past a junction and, again as I've already said, I will take such things into account in the future.

 

[MadDogMcQ]

QUOTE GRAHAMM "So if you were travelling too fast to be able to stop if something happens in front of you, it's your fault? Erm..."
I don't know about IAM or any other advanced riding methods, but according to the School of Grown Up Men with Common Sense, yes, you need to maintain a distance and a speed which enables you to come to a safe halt in the event of something happening in front of you. Erm, what's difficult to understand about that?? Seems fairly elementary to me 
 
And if you honestly believe that a Riding Test Examiner might not fail you for pulling out in front of oncoming traffic, causing them to change the speed and direction (not to mention cause a scene with their angry gesticulations), then you passed your test in the 1970's or are living on a totally seperate planet to the rest of us .
 
 

[MadDogMcQ]

Sorry, that should have been    separate     (I can hear Rusty's footsteps)

[MadDogMcQ]

Let me pose another question, if I may. I direct this not only to you Graham, but also to any riders who have advanced riding qualifications (or just common sense)....
 
If you were going around a blind bend and ran into the back of a car which had broken down in the middle of the road, would it be your fault?