Why block filtering motorcycles...?

Why block filtering motorcycles...?

Author
Discussion

supercommuter

Original Poster:

2,169 posts

101 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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I ride a motorbike, drive a car/van and cycle so I like to think I have a good viewpoint of most road users. However, one thing I cannot get my head around is the car drivers who actively block motorcycles from filtering in traffic.

I commute into central London every day (on a motorcycle) which includes a long stint on the M4 and all the way in on the A4 and through the city. I would estimate I come across somebody who takes offence to motorcycles filtering and blocks them about 5 or 6 times a day. Actively making eye contact with me in their wing mirror and then pulling across to block the path (another 30 or 40 people oblivious to their surroundings on phones, eating cereal, watching the news or doing their hair - but that's another story..)

I have been directly next to peoples window before (as it is usually wing mirrors that stop progression) and said "what is the point?" only to get a response of "wait in traffic like everyone else mate"...I mean, its pissing down with rain and 1 degrees, it is pretty obvious I am not riding my bike to work for the love of biking and happen to be enjoying the added benefit of skipping traffic.

Will anybody admit to being that person or knowing somebody like this and shed some light on why they do it? It is so frustrating, but I try not to let it annoy me anymore otherwise I would be in a bad mood when I get to work everyday. Only time i get annoyed now is when somebody swerves into me mid filtering.

KevinCamaroSS

11,555 posts

279 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Seen it a lot, but, I always move over to get out of the way. That's supposing I was in the way in the first place, I generally try to leave filtering space anyway.

icepop

1,177 posts

206 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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'You shall not pass, if I'm not going anywhere mate, neither are you' sheer mardyness.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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supercommuter said:
I like to think I have a good viewpoint of most road users.

I have been directly next to peoples window before (as it is usually wing mirrors that stop progression) and said "what is the point?"....
Yup, that's where you're going wrong.

tejr

3,101 posts

163 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Could be ignorance/lack of education.

I have to admit, a few years into passing my test I didn't actually know about the term 'filtering' and thought bikes were simply "over-taking" and similarly to the example you give above, thought they should also wait in traffic unless there is ample opportunity to overtake rather than squeeze through gaps.

Although at the same time, if I'm driving into central , although I 'd never actively block someone from filtering (and will now and again move over a little if I can), I usually leave the responsibility to the biker. If he wants to get past and there is space then fair enough, but with the volume of bikers going into central theres no doubt I will end up slightly obstructing some of them but I won't go out of my way to move over for each and every one as it diminishes MY capacity to plan ahead.

But to be fair, most normal bikers tend to understand and get on with it. Just the odd occasion you get a numpty on a dirt bike with sports pipes who will feel the need to rev past your window as loudly as possible (in fact that seems to be most dirt bike owners I come across, unforuntaely.)

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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icepop said:
'You shall not pass, if I'm not going anywhere mate, neither are you' sheer mardyness.
My thoughts as well, same people that sit in the outside lane of Dual carriageway or Motorway,t hen get all arsey if you go past on the inside after 2 miles of waiting for them to move, sorry but, no, you arent holding me up any longer, you may well be doing the speed limit but you still have to move over unless overtaking.

mgv8

1,631 posts

270 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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I have noted if the driver owns the kind of car that makes you thing "PistonHeads" then they do all they can to get out my way.
On the other side the owner that just have the car for status that seem more keen to block.
By far the most are good "thank you" just the few like most things.

Renn Sport

2,761 posts

208 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Like you OP I ride motorcycles, cycles, cars and vans...

It just come down to people be cretins and selfish.

To balance this out I have motorcyclists who stop me filtering past on my pushbike too.

On roads like the M4 its a lottery who you're gonna come up on.


PulsatingStar

1,715 posts

247 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Based on speaking to my friends over the years, a lot of them think filtering is illegal. I dont think this leads to them blocking bikes, but you know theres a type of person that it would...

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Two reasons spring to mind:

1. Jealousy, simple as that.

2. If they're not good at using their mirrors, they'll probably deem it unsafe. I know that's stupid, but there you have it!

Alex_225

6,235 posts

200 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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I know why people do it but I don't agree with it. People get all uppity because they think someone is jumping the queue. The thing is people have a 'me first' mentality which we all know but essentially it does them zero harm if a bike filters past. It's not hindering their progress at all as they can't go any quicker than the car in front but bikes can, let them do so then!!

If I drive myself to the station for work, it's not uncommon a few bikes will filter past the slow moving traffic. I'll usually make an effort to move aside to give them room and often get an acknowledgement, which is nice.

Essentially OP, people are tw*ts so that's probably the main answer haha. smile

brrapp

3,701 posts

161 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Renn Sport said:
To balance this out I have motorcyclists who stop me filtering past on my pushbike too.
I filter if on a motorbike and try to help motorbikes to filter if I'm in a car or van, but I have to confess, I'll try to block cyclists from filtering in some circumstances. If I've been in a queue of vehicles stuck behind a bunch of cyclists for a while, I've just got past, then come to a set of lights and the cyclists start filtering past the waiting traffic and I know I'll be stuck behind them for another mile or so then yes, I'll try to block them.

Renn Sport

2,761 posts

208 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
brrapp said:
Renn Sport said:
To balance this out I have motorcyclists who stop me filtering past on my pushbike too.
I filter if on a motorbike and try to help motorbikes to filter if I'm in a car or van, but I have to confess, I'll try to block cyclists from filtering in some circumstances. If I've been in a queue of vehicles stuck behind a bunch of cyclists for a while, I've just got past, then come to a set of lights and the cyclists start filtering past the waiting traffic and I know I'll be stuck behind them for another mile or so then yes, I'll try to block them.
Pretty stty thing to do.. I hope you don't mind if other road users do that to you.

akirk

5,377 posts

113 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Living out of London sadly I see a lot more bad 'filtering' which is basically overtaking in the same lane, than accurate filtering...
when I do go into London there is a mixture - the worst are moped drivers and couriers who will filter even where there is no room - the proper bikers tend to be far more courteous and thoughtful about how they do it... if there isn't space, don't push it - I am not losing my wing mirror to a biker's bad judgement - so if I feel it is marginal but having seen how the bike is pushing through other traffic and moving people's mirrors, then yes I will move across and block that bike - there isn't always space, arrogant bikers don't get courtesy, those who filter properly get lots of support and help - but bear in mind that there isn't always room for me to move, the car could have bikes filtering from both sides, and filtering is not a divine (or legal!) right regardless of everyone else...

no issue with bikes filtering properly - and move to allow it - so in traffic in London it makes sense...
just don't be the biker who still thinks that filtering is legal at 70+ within the outside lane of the motorway sharing it with a 2+ tonne car - that I will block for safety reasons, I am not going to be involved in an accident because of some biker's arrogance...

768

13,602 posts

95 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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tejr said:
Could be ignorance/lack of education.
I'd imagine that's all it is. No cameras for that yet.

brrapp

3,701 posts

161 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
Renn Sport said:
brrapp said:
Renn Sport said:
To balance this out I have motorcyclists who stop me filtering past on my pushbike too.
I filter if on a motorbike and try to help motorbikes to filter if I'm in a car or van, but I have to confess, I'll try to block cyclists from filtering in some circumstances. If I've been in a queue of vehicles stuck behind a bunch of cyclists for a while, I've just got past, then come to a set of lights and the cyclists start filtering past the waiting traffic and I know I'll be stuck behind them for another mile or so then yes, I'll try to block them.
Pretty stty thing to do.. I hope you don't mind if other road users do that to you.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, as I've said, I'd only do it in fairly specific circumstances. I try to drive and ride with courtesy and respect for other road users, but when someone else isn't showing me the same then I reserve the right to be a complete bd to them.

RobM77

35,349 posts

233 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
brrapp said:
Renn Sport said:
To balance this out I have motorcyclists who stop me filtering past on my pushbike too.
I filter if on a motorbike and try to help motorbikes to filter if I'm in a car or van, but I have to confess, I'll try to block cyclists from filtering in some circumstances. If I've been in a queue of vehicles stuck behind a bunch of cyclists for a while, I've just got past, then come to a set of lights and the cyclists start filtering past the waiting traffic and I know I'll be stuck behind them for another mile or so then yes, I'll try to block them.
Just to give a cyclist's perspective on this, this is on my mind when I over/undertake cars at traffic lights as I don't want to wind people up. However, the problem is how slow most drivers accelerate once the lights go green. Where I live we don't have traffic lights, but there are two level crossings that I often cycle over, and after both are clear wide NSLs where most cars do about 45-50mph; I'm not exaggerating when I say that if I'm at the front of the queue, then after the barriers go up and I cycle off it's often a mile, maybe more, before the car behind me passes me. It's purely how slowly people accelerate - to be stuck behind someone accelerating like that on a bike is frustrating, and at this time of year, cold. I suspect, being a PHer, this isn't how you drive (even the slowest cars are easily capable of out accelerating a cyclist given a driver who's awake), but cyclists won't know that, unless you're obviously in a sports car.

It's always a balance between what you describe and what I've described above. I try to get that balance right, although I can't speak for all cyclists.

Dr Murdoch

3,427 posts

134 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Renn Sport said:
Pretty stty thing to do.. I hope you don't mind if other road users do that to you.
+1

Petty. That cyclist is one less vehicle in the traffic jam...

(for info I drive a motorhome, HGV, car and I have passed my CBT. I also commute via cycle one day a week)

Edited by Dr Murdoch on Wednesday 18th January 11:11

Dr Murdoch

3,427 posts

134 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
brrapp said:
I try to drive and ride with courtesy and respect for other road users, but when someone else isn't showing me the same then I reserve the right to be a complete bd to them.
How is a filtering cyclist not showing you respect?

xjay1337

15,966 posts

117 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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akirk said:
no issue with bikes filtering properly - and move to allow it - so in traffic in London it makes sense...
just don't be the biker who still thinks that filtering is legal at 70+ within the outside lane of the motorway sharing it with a 2+ tonne car - that I will block for safety reasons, I am not going to be involved in an accident because of some biker's arrogance...
Don't be stupid and block it.
Many of us commuters will filter on the motorway at speed and many cars actually move to make space.

On the topic in London, I have to be honest I have been lucky in that I've never been actively blocked, only when 2 lanes of traffic come to a stop and both cars are towards the center lane. Which is annoying but we survive.

I'm just glad to get home each day.
Luckily over winter I've only had to go in twice.