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

[Lawrence]

So if you're in a 40 limit, you're approaching a junction or exit where vehicles are pulling out from, there are solid double white lines and a blind dip which might conceal an on-coming vehicle, do you a) maintain speed (or back off, depending on the exact distance to the hazard) or b) accelerate and attempt a dangerous and illegal overtake?

I'd do a).  Regardless of what I'm doing though, whether it's 20, 40 or 90mph, the person at the junction is at a give way line and I have right of way.  One persons riding/driving poorly doesn't make it ok for me to do the same.

[Khaotik]

I can confirm.. That I left The Departure Lounge Cafe (which is open on Thursdays) today at around 12pm, turned left with no car in front of me, and no vehicles approaching from the right. All went well.

[MadDogMcQ]

Hi Graham, all this is just friendly forum-chat - let's not lose sight of that.    You posted details of your incident, automatically inviting opinions from the forum members.  No, I wasn't at the scene, so I can only go off the information which you supply. But it's not really about that - it's more about your uncompromising position relating to whether you made a mistake or not. You seem to be unable to accept that you were at fault - you made a mistake. As Rusty said - we all do!  You now go on to expand the "mitigating circumstances" by pointing out the riders illegal visors!!

If I had been in that same situation, I would have looked at those speeding bikers and thought "Stupid Foccers" and waited a couple of seconds for them to pass instead of making the unfolding potential hazard a greater hazard still.

Hold your hand out, we'll slap it, then buy you a pint and be friends.  :lol

[Grahamm]

You seem to be unable to accept that you were at fault - you made a mistake.

Damn, really? And I could have *sworn* I said something in at least one of my posts about that...

If I had been in that same situation, I would have looked at those speeding bikers and thought "Stupid Foccers" and waited a couple of seconds for them to pass instead of making the unfolding potential hazard a greater hazard still.

I'm glad to hear it.

[Grahamm]

That I left The Departure Lounge Cafe (which is open on Thursdays)

But did the buggers say anything about being closed on Tuesdays as well as Mondays from the 1st of September? :pokefun

[Chillum]

With regards to the test failure scenario, I failed my first driving test for just this reason.

I was stuck at the bottom of a hill just outside the test center in Cambridge for about 15 mins, no-one let me out. A bus pulls out of a layby/bus-stop about 60 yards away, which meant a large gap developed in front of him which I pulled out into.

Now the examiner had been doodling on his notepad for the last 10 mins, looks up as I pull out and sees a bus 50 yards away and puts a mark on his notepad. The git didn't even clock the fact that the bus was doing about 5mph at this point.

FAIL - CROSSING THE PATH OF ANOTHER VEHICLE UNSAFELY. Bastard.

[rayburn600]

Hold your hand out, we'll slap it, then buy you a pint and be friends

Steady there, half a pint is more than enough.

Quote "friendly forum-chat"

[Khaotik]

[quote author=Khaotik link=topic=4486.msg37966#msg37966 date=1346944082]
That I left The Departure Lounge Cafe (which is open on Thursdays)

But did the buggers say anything about being closed on Tuesdays as well as Mondays from the 1st of September? :pokefun
[/quote]


Nope, but I did have to wait in line behind 6 little old ladies before I could place my order.

[caretaker]

iridium visors? that immediately flags up as power rangers!!! had a couple of them behind me last week in builth (30mph zone); all weaving and revving as if i was holding them up. opened it up on leaving town and never saw them after the first coupla bends.

[pitternator]

At my age I have seen so much on the road, experienced almost every sort of scenario...but believe me Graham there is one sacrosanct rule...
Traffic leaving a side road or give way moving onto a main road has the liability if any accident occurs as a consequence,...ask any good barrister.
As such matey , if you did cause another road user to change speed, or alter his course by leaving such, you are  in the wrong , and if a collision occurred as  a result ....guilty of at least careless driving, auto fail of yer IAM  test no question.

You cannot rely on the daft defence  " well they should not have been going that fast"...you pulled out , you are responsible.I have said this to you before , an advanced rider shows restraint , restraint , restraint. If in doubt dont pull out.( or do over ambitious show boat overtakes )...

I do think you show me signs that because you have studied the IAM, you almost have a "preacher" attitude to other road users. You have to step outside that thinking. We is all in it together , neither you nor I have any authority to enforce traffic law or rules to any other road user. Use your experience to identify potential hazard issues, and manoeuvre yourself around them. That is the secret of advanced riding. Its not just being able to ride "fast" , its riding clever as well.

[richfzs]

:agree Amen to that

[b3tarev3]

That sign http://goo.gl/maps/ErKic  just about says it all WARNING! fast moving traffic from both ways. :lol

[manuel32]

I am going to that cafe, yep and when i want to leave i am going to wait for them fokkers, then pull out infront of them and slow em down ,


then pull out my sawn off shotgun and blast them,, :eek




Yes, just because they caused all this greif for our Graham,

[Dave48]

Have not taken IAM test nor training but have read & studied their book, also Police Riders manual in fact everything relating to training,self improvement,riding techniques because there is always something new to learn and although I took my bike test in 1966,everything has continued to change/advance road & vehiclewise. But what hasnt altered is human nature. Training in those far off days was minimal or non-existent & we sailed out onto the roads with optimism & bravado but a few scares later started to learn(those of who didnt become casualties in the process). When I was undergoing driving instructor training in the 90s I had a very wise instructor. When we asked him for a definitive answer to a specific question he would usually answer "It depends". This infuriated us trainees until the penny dropped-there is no hard & fast answer to particular scenarios-YOU HAVE TO THINK & ACT ACCORDING TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES. He of course taught us defensive driving techniques & made us realise there is no place for ego on the roads. Never make assumptions about other road users intentions, obey the rules (Highway Code) but more than anything else use "PST". P-develop your sense of inner PEACE. S- Create your own SPACE on the road by use of vehicle controls/self discipline(S also means SAFETY ZONE) & T-TIME (TIMING OF ACTIONS-ALSO THINKING AHEAD. Not trying to sound holier than thou or anything just want us all to ride safe & happy-the best advert for motorcycling is good riding-the best ones hardly get noticed because they arent trying to prove anything unlike the "Powerrangers"-but I was like that once. We all have to share the same roads-its just that accidents are going to hurt us more than the cagers. Enjoy & be happy! :lol

[Grandma]

I am going to that cafe, yep and when i want to leave i am going to wait for them fokkers, then pull out infront of them and slow em down ,


then pull out my sawn off shotgun and blast them,, :eek




Yes, just because they caused all this greif for our Graham,

Brilliant post, I passed my bike test in 1962 then did RAC/ACU course as that was all that was available. Then in 2000 my son wanted to ride the R6 I had at the time, as he had passed his test a couple of years before but had never ridden anything like the R6, so we both toddled off to our IAM group, I managed to pass a month before he did.
[/size][/color]It has stood us both in good stead, I do much higher bike miles than him, but he is catching up fast, and on the times I have been knocked off they were in bizarre, almost unimaginable situations, and would have been much worse without training.
[/size][/color]Nowadays the roads are very congested with people who are not drivers, but just want to get from A-B in the most convenient way. They are not bothered about raising skill levels, more about satnavs, texting etc., etc and only seem to learn enough to pass the test, or not in some cases!
[/size][/color]There is very little courtesy on the road, though thankfully bikers are not so guilty of this, so it is a bit of a war zone every day now in the South East a road is closed due to a major incident. :eek

[Grandma]

Whoops, wrong quote in last post, brilliant thread though, what seems to be coming through is commonsense has gone out of fashion (not just on the roads) and ASSUME, i.e makes an ASS of U & ME.
[/size][/color]Have also done Rospa which is basically the same as IAM, but you are retested every three years and graded, Bronze, Silver or Gold, but not so many Rospa bike groups around, we are lucky have one in Kent and Surrey and my IAM group meet at Brands Hatch with lots of perks.
[/size][/color]Last three groupnights dealers have brought along their lovely new bikes for us to play on, all free!

[JZS 600]

Slightly off topic, are you still in the ROSPA group? Thinking of taking a nosey over to the Kent branch..

[Grandma]

Slightly off topic, are you still in the ROSPA group? Thinking of taking a nosey over to the Kent branch..

Yes I am still Rospa, Kent branch meet at Mickey's on A229 2nd Sunday of month, Graham Allen Sgt in Police force and instructor with Rapid Training runs it, great guy, very helpful and friendly.
Look at Rospasmart.com and rapidtraining.co.uk who also do brilliant track days at Cadwell.

[JZS 600]

I'll be giving that a go then!

[Grahamm]

Have also done Rospa which is basically the same as IAM, but you are retested every three years and graded, Bronze, Silver or Gold

As you know, the IAM grade from 1-5 where 1 is "Well above the expected standard" (or some such wording) and 3 is "acceptable" in 20 categories. Anything below 3 being a fail. I've heard it said that a basic pass (ie 3's across the board) is the equivalent of a RoSPA Bronze.

The IAM have recently introduced their F1RST qualification where you need to score 1's across the board (presumably their equivalent of a RoSPA Gold) however this only lasts for *two* years before you have to be retested which seems odd because I've heard RoSPA Observers say that they think that one reason for their declining membership is people not wanting to fork out for the three year re-test, so a two year test cycle seems the wrong way to go.