Braver on a motorcycle?

[jonny jeez]

I witnessed a horrific bit of driving from a left hand drive tour bus last night on the old Kent road. Coach/bus driver overtook a cyclist, then, mid manoeuvre, moved over so close to the kerb that the poor guy on the bike was forced to do an emergency stop as his handle bars screeched all the way along the side of the bus.

really bad moment where I thought i was going to be a witness to something much worse.

Strange thing is though, the cyclist, just carried on regardless, no shouts, no looks no...thing. On the other hand i pulled in front of the bus, stopped the traffic and let rip, pointing and shouting at the kerb, the cyclist and the bus...to a look of total bewilderment from the driver.

All the while, the cyclist going past me without a word, like My shouting was totally unrelated to him.

It occurred to me later that, if I was riding chitty I probably would have reacted much as the cyclist did, as starting a row on a bicycle often leads to you being placed in more danger later on, whereas on a motorcycle, there is little or no chance of being caught up later and paying any consequences?

This bullying of cyclists is rare for me to witness, but none the less annoying.

 

[BentMikey]

Bullying happens to motorcyclists too:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzndTN98pIg

 

[Mike!]

I think the cloak of full leathers, armoured gloves and full face helmet with smoked visor makes someone look intimidating, i'm certainly more assertive on a motorbike dressed like that. Of course the speed at which you can move also helps get out of the way in all sorts of situations....

 

[jonny jeez]

Bullying happens to motorcyclists too:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzndTN98pIg

love that, especially the wag of the finger!!

good for him!

 

[BentMikey]

He was a great guy - composed, kept his cool. He was chuffed when later on we chatted about it and I told him I'd report the coach driver with the video.

 

[Riding in Circles]

I think the cloak of full leathers, armoured gloves and full face helmet with smoked visor makes someone look intimidating, i'm certainly more assertive on a motorbike dressed like that. Of course the speed at which you can move also helps get out of the way in all sorts of situations....

Not me, I'm the same mild mannered psychopath whatever I ride.

 

[dondare]

Perhaps motorcyclists are much braver than cyclists. They're certainly much more often dead.

 

[ferret fur]

I once shared a confrontation with a car along with another motorcylist: We won & and about half a mile later I pulled in to a petrol station as did the other guy. I wandered over to him and said: "It's amazing how threatening we can look with a helmet on"

At which point he pulled his own helmet off to reveal the words "EAT shoot" tattooed on his forehead.

 

[HLaB]

Perhaps motorcyclists are much braver than cyclists. They're certainly much more often dead.

+1 I don't ride a motorbike mainly because I've seen enough SMIDSY's on a push bike that I had that vital second to avoid, whereas on a motorbike I'd been dead