Scooters Arggghhh! (bit of a rant)
Discussion
I don't ride a bike but have plenty of friends who do so as a four-wheeled road user I try to be aware of bikes and treat them safely and with courtesy. Most bikers seem to respond in kind and apart from the occasional pillock steaming around on his 'Blade in the summer in shorts and a t-shirt thinking he's Tom Cruise which scares me s**tless - I don't even want to think of the mess he'll make if he puts it down - I rarely have a problem with them.
I live next door to a school and a lot of the lads now have little scooters which they ride on L-plates - badly ! I was overtaken by one while waiting at a pelican last week on the flashing amber. As it happens I stopped alongside him at the next lights so I had a word. He was a bright guy and took my point that he could have gone steaming into a child still on the crossing as he had no visibility, just that nobody had ever told him that what he did was stupid and he'd never thought about it.
Generally they have no experience of driving or riding on public roads so have zero roadcraft, zero anticipation and weave in and out of the traffic completely clueless. I've seen them carrying passengers on the handlebars (without helmet), ignoring stop and give-way lines, crashing lights, overtaking on the left (fun if you're turning left yourself), going the wrong side of traffic islands in the face of oncoming traffic and goodness knows what else. I find it incredible that these guys can even ride "for reward" delivering pizzas on an L-plate with a bloody great unstable box on the back.
OK - rant over but does anyone else share my fears for these kids? Surely better to train them properly before they're let loose on the road. As soon as my boy is old enough I'm going to buy him a bloody great bike and a proper training course.
Steve
I live next door to a school and a lot of the lads now have little scooters which they ride on L-plates - badly ! I was overtaken by one while waiting at a pelican last week on the flashing amber. As it happens I stopped alongside him at the next lights so I had a word. He was a bright guy and took my point that he could have gone steaming into a child still on the crossing as he had no visibility, just that nobody had ever told him that what he did was stupid and he'd never thought about it.
Generally they have no experience of driving or riding on public roads so have zero roadcraft, zero anticipation and weave in and out of the traffic completely clueless. I've seen them carrying passengers on the handlebars (without helmet), ignoring stop and give-way lines, crashing lights, overtaking on the left (fun if you're turning left yourself), going the wrong side of traffic islands in the face of oncoming traffic and goodness knows what else. I find it incredible that these guys can even ride "for reward" delivering pizzas on an L-plate with a bloody great unstable box on the back.
OK - rant over but does anyone else share my fears for these kids? Surely better to train them properly before they're let loose on the road. As soon as my boy is old enough I'm going to buy him a bloody great bike and a proper training course.
Steve
Its struck me as absolute madness before now. The amount of kids that have them in London is scary.
The other worrying thing I have found is the number of women who ride them in high heels! I was driving home back in the summer and was undertaken by a girl in a mini skirt and high heeled boots (which I have to say could have been worse) who cut me up and then dropped the moped in front of me at the next set of lights. I got out, picked it up for her but she didnt seem to find anything wrong in making the scooter part of her outfit without any though for what being on the road means.
I am convinced on the whole though that 16 year olds who ride them think they are playing Playstation.
Matt.
The other worrying thing I have found is the number of women who ride them in high heels! I was driving home back in the summer and was undertaken by a girl in a mini skirt and high heeled boots (which I have to say could have been worse) who cut me up and then dropped the moped in front of me at the next set of lights. I got out, picked it up for her but she didnt seem to find anything wrong in making the scooter part of her outfit without any though for what being on the road means.
I am convinced on the whole though that 16 year olds who ride them think they are playing Playstation.
Matt.
however, *if* they live a few years, some will become such daredevil riders - and most likely make it to the track, and the bigmoney.
It is a steep learning curve, more so than with cars, for obvious reasons.
BTW, what's wrong with using the available space on the road? - if the traffic is clogged up, no harm in going round a traffic island. Think they are only "advisory" anyway. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
C
It is a steep learning curve, more so than with cars, for obvious reasons.
BTW, what's wrong with using the available space on the road? - if the traffic is clogged up, no harm in going round a traffic island. Think they are only "advisory" anyway. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
C
quote:
Most definitely and those large white hatched in areas you often find down the middle of the road do infact identify a motorcycle lane.
yeah! I used to consider these a waste of space, but when on 2 wheels they serve a purpose !!
The big wide ones are stupid though. Usually painted red or green, I drive on them, even if no one else does. Don't get the point - no double white lines or anything, just loads of paint !!!!
Can't argue with you on the white (and red and green)lines there hertsbiker, they're a bloody rash round our way. Not even bothered about the traffic islands except that in the case I saw the bloke coming the other way had to brake to avoid the accident.
They may be "advisory" I'm not sure, but in this case it was good advice
Steve
They may be "advisory" I'm not sure, but in this case it was good advice
Steve
quote:
I don't ride a bike but have plenty of friends who do so as a four-wheeled road user I try to be aware of bikes and treat them safely and with courtesy. Most bikers seem to respond in kind and apart from the occasional pillock steaming around on his 'Blade in the summer in shorts and a t-shirt thinking he's Tom Cruise which scares me s**tless - I
Around here (Cote D'Azur) every single kid from the age of 14 upwards has one. They're complety mad and rarely stop for traffic lights etc. I must see one hit by a car about every 2 weeks. The thing is they don't learn until its too late.
quote:
Most definitely and those large white hatched in areas you often find down the middle of the road do infact identify a motorcycle lane.
Being really boring for a minute...
if the hatchings aren't bounded by solid white lines, they are PURELY advisory. (I guess they're just suggesting that you would be safer to drive 3' from the kerb than 3' from the centre of the road.) So you CAN overtake through them.
I'm reasonably sure that a hatched area bounded by a broken line identifies an area into which you should go only if it is safe and necessary to do so. If it is surrounded by a solid line, entering it is a traffic offense. Ignoring a keep left sign on islands in the middle of the road is also a traffic offense - points and a fine.
quote:
I'm reasonably sure that a hatched area bounded by a broken line identifies an area into which you should go only if it is safe and necessary to do so. If it is surrounded by a solid line, entering it is a traffic offense. Ignoring a keep left sign on islands in the middle of the road is also a traffic offense - points and a fine.
Oh it is definately neccessary for me to use the hatched zone - I'd have to slow down too much if I didn't ! can't be having that now, can we?
The only prob with the hatched bit is all the road grit gathers there. I just seen the best bit of scooter riding ever !! on my way to the job this morning I found myself behind a feller on a decrepit Honda 50 with a flat back tyre. He was soldiering on throught the p155ing rain at between 15-20mph with both feet down as the back tyre was trying to fight its way off the rim. To top it all as he went for the second exit of a roundabout, I was overtaken by a big CBR going for the first exit. CBR feller nearly planted into the side of him. Looon ! 
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