Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Commuting

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Commuting

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Discussion

CAPP0

Original Poster:

19,532 posts

202 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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Or, more accurately "How to achieve Zen and the art of...."

I guess we all know that it's best to assume that every other driver on the slog to the office is a potentially-murderous fkwit, and to ride accordingly and just leave them to it. Occasionally however, your zen-like calm leaves you. Like it did this morning when the aforementioned fkwit forced his car between me and the wall of the Blackwall Tunnel approach, coming from behind me, when there really wasn't such a gap. Provoked me into whacking his mirror flat against the car window, at which point he went bananas and I had to use my ninja filtering skillz biggrin to leave him frothing behind me.

Point being, I guess I shouldn't have risen. Good friend of mine has commuted for 20 years, and his philosophy, as well as being an island of calm at all times, is "they're in my life for 10 seconds, I'll never see them again, I'm not going to let it bother me".

So, how do YOU remain cool calm collected and gentlemanly at all times?


Harby74

56 posts

106 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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I always have it in my mind that it is better to leave them fuming and me laughing it off and hence calm, so the odd wing mirror adjustment doesn't go amiss in my book and maybe, just maybe, they will think next time they see a gap or decide they want to turn off while in lane 3.

Just make sure there is an escape route.....

SteelerSE

1,885 posts

155 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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I listen to the radio on the way in and I've found it helps chill out the journey. That and ride defensively.

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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Remain task focused (get to work in one piece, get home in one piece) and keep the safety margin in place. If someone confirms your assumption that they're an idiot by driving badly, give them a wide berth.

obscene

5,174 posts

184 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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Having seen a guy in a truck whip out a chainsaw from the back once (this was while playing a gig), it kind of put me off rising to any other driver. You never know what they have and whether they'll be a nutter.

Playsatan

567 posts

226 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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After 8 years of daily commuting I'm done with the whole red mist, getting angry or getting even thing. Most days I find myself in some sort of "flow" where I find myself able to string together a pretty effective rhythm. Other days I'm all out of sorts and it's much harder work. Can't say what makes the difference but you can definitely tell when you're in the zone.

Be assertive when you have to, courteous when you can and aware of your surroundings always.

toxgobbler

2,903 posts

190 months

Monday 12th October 2015
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obscene said:
Having seen a guy in a truck whip out a chainsaw from the back once (this was while playing a gig), it kind of put me off rising to any other driver. You never know what they have and whether they'll be a nutter.
This, and life's too short to let them get to you.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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Harby74 said:
I always have it in my mind that it is better to leave them fuming and me laughing it off and hence calm, so the odd wing mirror adjustment doesn't go amiss in my book and maybe, just maybe, they will think next time they see a gap or decide they want to turn off while in lane 3.

Just make sure there is an escape route.....
This.

Along with always riding faster than cars can keep up. I've trained the drivers on my trip in now, I had half a dozen or so who'd try to make my life hard. One had to loose two mirrors before he stopped being a .

Fleegle

16,688 posts

175 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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A bad move might get a few 'fks' or 'wker' under my breath but I've normally forgotten about it within seconds

My blood pressure is high enough without letting shyte drivers, fkwit cyclists or mongtastic scooterists get to me

Iang84

962 posts

165 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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Baryonyx said:
Remain task focused (get to work in one piece, get home in one piece) and keep the safety margin in place.
Same here I have one junction I go have been going past for the last 6yrs and people always pull out of it without looking so I normally just drop my speed on approach and wait for the inevitable to happen

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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CAPP0 said:
Provoked me into whacking his mirror flat against the car window
I wouldn't do that, not now in this age of CCTV and dashcams; if you damage the car doing that then you could be up on a criminal damage charge. There's a reason I know this.

The other thing to remember is that even if you are rock hard, harder than Chuck Norris, you're not harder than a car.


CAPP0

Original Poster:

19,532 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
quotequote all
Dog Star said:
CAPP0 said:
Provoked me into whacking his mirror flat against the car window
I wouldn't do that, not now in this age of CCTV and dashcams; if you damage the car doing that then you could be up on a criminal damage charge. There's a reason I know this.
I agree, I did somewhat regret it after, but only for those reasons. Was one of the reasons I started this thread, bit of catharsis! I only folded it in tho, I haven't graduated to the MX-style feet-out removal method.

(Yet hehe )

cat with a hat

1,484 posts

117 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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I just look at them with a very mild cringe and shake my head as if I'm disappointed with them... Then I swiftly but smoothly depart.

Reardy Mister

13,757 posts

221 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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cat with a hat said:
I just look at them with a very mild cringe and shake my head as if I'm disappointed with them... Then I swiftly but smoothly depart.
Unfortunately, that's not always possible.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

2ono

552 posts

106 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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Some days you just roll with and ignore them, other days you give them a little 'wake up' tap. It really depends on my mood. Fortunately I tend to commute at different times so very rarely have to worry about bumping into them the next day;)

CAPP0

Original Poster:

19,532 posts

202 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
quotequote all
2ono said:
Fortunately I tend to commute at different times so very rarely have to worry about bumping into them the next day;)
That also crossed my mind! Pretty sure I did see him this morning, he's one of those sorts who has his seat massively reclined for maximum coolio, but he was too busy trying to look good to notice me as I passed in a line of a dozen or so bikes.

happyWanderer

388 posts

137 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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There's always at least one, isn't there?
For me today was a guy on crosstourer with one pannier who refused to look in his mirrors and see hes been blocking me and a guy on r1 for good 10-15mins...
he then proceeds to squeeze through a gap clearly not big enough, scraping a van with his pannier...
Car drivers are usually not that bad on my route, van drivers move out of the way/make space 95% of the time.

J B L

4,199 posts

214 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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Had my very first bike commute this morning. 2h, M1/25/3. I psyched myself up not to get annoyed by people changing lane without indicating and/or looking into their mirrors before moving out.

It worked quite well despite quite a lot of filtering on the M1 and M25, I still arrived fresh in the office.


gsxr renegade

126 posts

114 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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I never let anything bother me unless it's a proper case of having to emergency stop/violently swerve to avoid a collision that is entirely the other persons fault.

Everyone makes mistakes and as long as they don't have too much of an impact on me (see above) then i just let it slide. It's not worth worrying about and i'm sure i've made the odd mistake before that's impacted a bit on someone else.

I'd certainly never damage someone's car because they wouldn't let me through/block me from filtering. Annoying, yes, but enough to lash out at someone like that? No. Moronic behaviour in the extreme. Would you punch someone in the head because they get in your way when you're walking round the shopping centre?

Prof Prolapse

16,160 posts

189 months

Tuesday 13th October 2015
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"Always remember, do you want to make this person a part of your life forever?"

Read that on here. For some reason it really got to me, I'm sure MTB reacted to it as well... Although I do recall him trying to burn out the retinas of people using fog lights when he last drove my car.