Why don't more scooter owners die?
Discussion
I followed a scooter for most of my journey into work today. I was "gobsmacked of SW4" at the shit-state of this guys riding - 3 miles weaving in and out of heavy central London traffic and not one life-saver, hardly any indication, shooting of pelican crossings, inside filtering, filtering past cars indicating to turn right the list goes on. Oh, and he was wearing trainers with no socks, jeans, a fleece, wool gloves and an open face helmet.
How come more of these numpties don't wind up as urban road-kill??
How come more of these numpties don't wind up as urban road-kill??
I think the honest answer to this is that scooters are almost exclusively used in inner cities where nothing else tends to be moving. Judging from the number of scraped scooters I see in London, accidents must be common, but I'm sure that rider casualties are likely to be higher out of town.
I reckon I see at least 3 near fatalities a week commuting from wandsworth to west end, even when I'm on the bike they still pull out from inbetween cars right in front of me. I'm not the best rider in the world but I like to think I dont take unnecessary risks. It just amazes me sometimes the way these guys scream past me when they cant see whats coming, nuts!
craigw said:
I reckon I see at least 3 near fatalities a week commuting from wandsworth to west end, even when I'm on the bike they still pull out from inbetween cars right in front of me. I'm not the best rider in the world but I like to think I dont take unnecessary risks. It just amazes me sometimes the way these guys scream past me when they cant see whats coming, nuts!
Craig - as we've said before, we do pretty much the same route and it just amazes me - these guys have a death wish!
Most surreal biking experience of 2004 so far was crawling at 5mph with both feet on the ground ski-style through 4 inches of settled snow, when a pizza hut delivery boy burns past on a honda cub doing about 30.
In a safety-obsessed country the govt response to rider (and driver) safety issues is abysmal.
Lunatic pizza man **will** needlessly injure himself and/or (worse) someone else, probably without ever being flashed by a 'safety camera' and certainly without being educated by a traffic policeman (because there aren't any).
In a safety-obsessed country the govt response to rider (and driver) safety issues is abysmal.
Lunatic pizza man **will** needlessly injure himself and/or (worse) someone else, probably without ever being flashed by a 'safety camera' and certainly without being educated by a traffic policeman (because there aren't any).
Former flatmate fell off her scooter every six months or so. Wet road, white lines, manhole cover etc. ... all bog standard hazards that shouldn't really catch you out ... frankly it's just a matter of time before she hurt herself. (Come to think of it, she has already had her heel cut off by a scooter's chain when she was a kid ... barefoot passenger ... clever. Her grandmother shoved it in a bag of frozen peas and they stiched it back on at the hospital.)
Last week saw a Pizza delivery geezer jump his Honda wotsit over a speed hump. Rear wheel got a good few inches off the ground, front wheel was well and truly airborne. Finally a motorist who has found a use for these wretched constructions.
Last week saw a Pizza delivery geezer jump his Honda wotsit over a speed hump. Rear wheel got a good few inches off the ground, front wheel was well and truly airborne. Finally a motorist who has found a use for these wretched constructions.
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