Box Hill - Surrey. Just a typical Sunday, well almost.

[carphotographer]

Well almost except the roads were nearly deserted, weather was great, which meant fun, fun, fun but there was a lockdown.

Did that put anyone off ? Er no !

Motorbikes + empty roads + fine weather = racing = accidents. I saw the aftermath of an accident when a motorcyclist took a corner a bit too fast, I would imagine, and the consequences were 5 police cars, 1 paramedic, 1 air ambulance attended the scene whilst a group of 20 motorcyclists looked on.

Throughout the day the area was filled with bikes racing and out for a jolly. Harleys were out, as they raced down Dorking High Street the noise of un silenced engines reverberated against the shops in the empty street .

All I saw was a disrespect of the law, speeding, , illegal exhausts, illegal plates, the rider of a Ducati Panigale V4 race bike thought he didn't even need a number plate.

Sunday, bloody Sunday for the residents around Box Hill and for some poor rider.

All in a lockdown

This is only a tiny minority bikers, as most are law abiding citizens following the government guidelines.

Edited by carphotographer on Tuesday 7th April 20:38

[mckeann]

What were you riding??

[Pothole]

Try not to bite, chaps. I've asked a mod to remove it as it's clearly only here as bait.

[carphotographer]

Bait why ? Censorship ? The truth, yes.

I'm local and I was on my road bike cycling along the bike lane down the A244 when the accident happen......

Yes I'm a lycra cyclist

There's been a lot of social posting about Sunday

And pothole you're in Cannock, do you know Box Hill, do you know the A244 ?

Edited by carphotographer on Tuesday 7th April 19:58

Check out the local press .

Lots of social media posts about Sunday a couple - "I live 2 minutes from the motorway.. M25 and all I could hear was motorbikes..this morning"

"Yep people buy 200 bhp sports bikes capable of 200 mph for the road. At times like this some will simply think with the lack of traffic at the moment, it's their own personal race track and there will be accidents, putting a strain on the NHS at this critical time.
So selfish but it's good the government are trusting in the good old British spirit and relying on our good will to get us through this! Unreal!!! ." from a biker.

Edited by carphotographer on Tuesday 7th April 20:04

[meridian]

Exactly what Pothole says. Don't bite, and just ignore

The post is insulting and deliberately argumentative to all the many, many motorcyclists whom have their bike (or bikes) strictly locked away under the crisis, and whom many will also be enthusiastic motorists that have high performance cars and classics, and the like, which are also locked away and not being used at a time when they would all love to be enjoying them, all in the interests of doing the correct and proper thing as responsible people

The OP may as well direct his views at people that are on the beach, people bathing in the sun in public places, motorists out for a 'jolly' of which there will surely be just as many, perhaps a little less conspicuously etc, etc It's all ultimately pointless though

[Jockinthebox]

Other side of the coin is, I’m a Lycra clad cyclist, just done a loop of box hill and didn’t spot one motorcycle and couldn’t hear anything, today between 4-6pm

[roboxm3]

I assume there’s a similar post in General Gassing, about the car drivers out and about taking advantage of the quiet roads...or am I the only one who’s seen/heard them over the past few days??

[Red 5]

Bait or not, it is all true sadly

The Police were caught off guard by the sheer lunacy levels. No other single demographic has displayed such noisy disregard for everyone’s safety.

I now know the Police are planning an operation to filter off the pleasure riders this weekend.

If you do plan to go out in the area, at least make sure you have a legal plate / exhaust.
Ideally you’ll be needing shopping bags and some way to carry them, to avoid possible issues.

Fingers crossed it’s not as bad though, as I want this to be over asap!

[zzrman]

What's insulting about it assuming the post is legit. The OP should post a link to prove this happened.

If it did happen as described he's got a point. Some dhead on a Sunday jolly injures himself, puts an extra load on the police and accident response professionals, and the health service.

Worse case he's an asymptomatic virus carrier with the potential to infect others.

Same thing happened here in February only it was a skier having a heart attack on the slopes. He infected the paramedics, the helicopter crew and he hospital staff.

[carphotographer]

This is NOT MEANT to offend the majority law abiding bikers who follow the rules, but there is a minority who have disregard of the lock down, residents, and the NHS and damaging the reputation of the majority .

EDIT

Again I'm sorry if my post has offended anyone.

I love Box Hill, I've been visiting the area for over 30 years, but over that period I've seen restriction, after restriction put in place. The dual carriageway reduced to a single carriageway, average speed cameras two name but two. I've photographed many bikes, and I even had a 6 page spread in Bike magazine of my photos. I'm not anti bikers, I grew up with friends with bikes, sadly i've lost my best friend many many years ago. I helped a neighbour when he use to race his bike . But what I saw on Sunday really saddened me .

This post is not here to cause bickering or arguments . I was an observer of what happened on Sunday. Next time I fear that there could be a fatality, I also fear that their could be a major crack down by Surrey Police, like what's happened with Hampshire Police.

Edited by carphotographer on Tuesday 7th April 21:47

Edited by carphotographer on Tuesday 7th April 21:51

[meridian]

zzrman said:

What's insulting about it assuming the post is legit

As I'm the only poster to have used the word insulting, I naturally presume this is directed to me

I will therefore quote myself, please read accordingly and particularly take note as to whom I am saying it is insulting to, quote 'The post is insulting and deliberately argumentative to all the many, many motorcyclists whom have their bike (or bikes) strictly locked away under the crisis, and whom many will also be enthusiastic motorists that have high performance cars and classics, and the like, which are also locked away and not being used at a time when they would all love to be enjoying them, all in the interests of doing the correct and proper thing as responsible people' unquote

We all know that there are numerous dheads flouting the rules, with no sense of decency, decorum, or perhaps ultimately intelligence

It's really pointless the OP posting this on a motorcycle forum unless he is specifically looking for an argument, or justification. I along with him, and I am most sure the very greater majority of others on here, totally abhor this kind of behaviour, whether from (knobhead) motorcyclists or other (knobhead) members of society. There are lots I'm afraid, but I rather do feel that the decent motorcycle and motorist folk amongst us (applies to me in equal measure) are getting rather pissed off by all being tarred by the same brush

[outnumbered]

This is merely a tiny foretaste of what will happen the weekend after the lockdown is lifted A&E staff will be wishing for Coronavirus again.

[Jazoli]

How many more threads do we need about fking biking and CV19? It's all been discussed already in the thread about it, why bother debating it all again for fks sake.

[zzrman]

meridian said:

As I'm the only poster to have used the word insulting, I naturally presume this is directed to me

I will therefore quote myself, please read accordingly and particularly take note as to whom I am saying it is insulting to, quote 'The post is insulting and deliberately argumentative to all the many, many motorcyclists whom have their bike (or bikes) strictly locked away under the crisis, and whom many will also be enthusiastic motorists that have high performance cars and classics, and the like, which are also locked away and not being used at a time when they would all love to be enjoying them, all in the interests of doing the correct and proper thing as responsible people' unquote

We all know that there are numerous dheads flouting the rules, with no sense of decency, decorum, or perhaps ultimately intelligence

It's really pointless the OP posting this on a motorcycle forum unless he is specifically looking for an argument, or justification. I along with him, and I am most sure the very greater majority of others on here, totally abhor this kind of behaviour, whether from (knobhead) motorcyclists or other (knobhead) members of society. There are lots I'm afraid, but I rather do feel that the decent motorcycle and motorist folk amongst us (applies to me in equal measure) are getting rather pissed off by all being tarred by the same brush

Not directed at you in the slightest. You said his post was insulting. I disagreed. He has a legitimate point. Like many other responsible bikers I have some great roads on my doorstep, probably a lot more enticing than the Surrey Hills. I like many others I have left my bikes in the garage on the basis that I don't go out intending to have an accident but by definition they can happen regardless of whether it's my own fault or someone else's. I don't want to be unnecessarily burdening the Andorran or potentially French or Spanish systems as a result.

It's a simple fact hat you are more vulnerable on a bike. So I think it's sensible to forgo the pleasure of riding my bike in the current circs. IMO bikers unless they're riding to work, to the Chemists, to get food are irresponsible.

You and I are on the same page but don't deny the OP's right to call out these dheads for their IMO irresponsible behaviour.

Edited by zzrman on Tuesday 7th April 20:54

[zzrman]

meridian said:

My final say on the matter...

All the motorcyclists in the shots are utter idiots, just should not be there

The OP is a pr*t of the highest order and if he wishes to take the moral highground should stay at home as well

Next weekend, do what I did, and what the greater majority of people did, and stay home. I cannot emphasise strongly enough what a hypocrtical self impotant t*sser I think the OP is

You disregard a key differentiating factor. The OP was entitled to exercise. Which he was doing - on a bicycle - a permitted purpose. The tt on the motorbike wasn't.

[Red 5]

zzrman said:

You disregard a key differentiating factor. The OP was entitled to exercise. Which he was doing - on a bicycle - a permitted purpose. The tt on the motorbike wasn't.

I guess he had to abandon at that point and run back, as the cycle path was choc full of upset motorcyclists

[TonyG2003]

I live near Boxhill, saw the air ambulance coming over and read this in the local news. The rider may have been commuting or hit by a car driver on a non essential journey. I don’t know. What I do know is I spent the afternoon on the garden listening to bikes gunning it up Young Street (round the corner from the accident). Not good and almost a minority who think that this crisis doesn’t apply to them.

[lukeyman]

meridian said:

Next weekend, do what I did, and what the greater majority of people did, and stay home. I cannot emphasise strongly enough what a hypocrtical self impotant t*sser I think the OP is

Its spelt 'impotent'.

[carphotographer]

TonyG2003 said:

I live near Boxhill, saw the air ambulance coming over and read this in the local news. The rider may have been commuting or hit by a car driver on a non essential journey. I don’t know. What I do know is I spent the afternoon on the garden listening to bikes gunning it up Young Street (round the corner from the accident). Not good and almost a minority who think that this crisis doesn’t apply to them.

He was with a group of other riders, and there was no cars involved. To be honest probably only saw 4 or 5 cars on that stretch of road. There were very few cars.

[jjones]

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-03-27/cyclist...

There are selfish people whatever their chosen leisure activity.