2 or 4

Two wheels is all that separates cars from motorbikes. For both modes of transport mutual respect is crucial.

40 years ago it was not possible to buy a new veichle on finance, making the divide between road users purely financial. Today this is not the case. A person can pay for a car or a motorbike on a finance scheme set up to suit them individually, which in turn puts more veichles on the road, with some families owning 2 or more cars. Today, we are spoilt for choice. Translated into the biking world this means that there is a higher number of weekend and fair weather riders on the road.

I am trying to point out that a general acceptance and respect from one road user to the other needs to take place before harmony on the road can be accomplished. I am writing this after having clashed with 2 cars in the 2 days that have just past.

Yesterday I rode to Newhaven pier and partook in a little off road riding down a dirt track. After an hour or so I was tired, and made my way back to Brighton. Upon returning to my MC parking spot I noticed a blue Nissan parked there. I guessed it to be someone on a school run as it was that time of day. After a long wait, a Mother returned to the car with a sheepish look on her face, muttered an apology, jumped in her car and left. I nodded at her apology and maneuvered in to the spot, I was a little irritated as to why she parked there in the first place with it being clearly marked for bikes.

Today, when I was riding back from a meeting and was waiting on a minor road, about to enter a major road, that would take me back home, the space became free and I managed to maneuver my bike in to the gap and saw, from the corner of my eye, a car coming from the opposing minor road right at me. It took a while for me to realize as I was in disbelief, but sure enough she kept driving and coming closer. I sounded my horn and suddenly the car came to a standstill. Shocked I drove off to the traffic lights. When I had stopped at the lights a little further ahead the car pulled up beside me, wound down the window and delivered an apology. I didn't see you. Didn't see me, I said to myself, I am 6ft 4, ride the tallest production bike in mass production, have a white paint job on my helmet and my bike, making me highly visible and have an aftermarket end can fitted with the baffle removed, and you still had no inkling I was there. She must have glanced left and not right or straight ahead. This common excuse of car drivers not being able to see us, is, for want for another word, pathetic. A real effort needs to be made when looking out for obstacles, as a bike rider I know this, any wrong judgment can land me six feet under. It must be so easy to become complacent whilst driving a car, a steel cage to work as a shield in the effect of a smash. Scroll down and read the blog entitled R.I.P to see the horror's of a high speed car crash. That cage is great at slow speeds but can produce a horrific mangled mess at a higher speed.

I am not an angry biker, I have total acceptance to anyone, regardless of what style of transport they choose to use. I think of myself as being no better and no worse than the other roads user and I will see myself ride with the very best of my ability each and every time I ride.