Impatient a$$hole car driver

murphaph

Just drove along a road with a continuous 'repair' running the whole length of it. The 'repair' was obviously over a trench with a pipe etc. laid in it and the trench covered with uneven tarmac with horrible banding all along it. Now there was no way I was riding on this so I had to sit about 3' from the centre white line. This was fine until a twat in a 205 or something sat right behind my back wheel. It was most annoying although I'm sure in his complete ignorance of the poor surface he thought I was just takin the pi$$ sitting in the middle of the road. Arrrghh.

jiffy

You get used to it with the way that the roads are here, Just ignore the dick on the car behind !

saobh_ie

I would slow down and keep slowing down until he over took or passed. If for any reason you had to stop suddenly, he'd be up your arse in an instant so your better off slowing to down, to 5kph if necessary so if you have to slam on he'll hit you at 5kmh instead of 50/80 whatever.

Also I would not surrender my position to facilitate his overtake if it put me at risk, because experience tells me that if you move over they will over take in a dangerous manner within inches of you instead of giving you the road space you have a right to.

ie. You move over to make their overtake easier. And they don't use the extra space. I'd rather have a car scream past within an inch of my elbow while i have half a lane to my right than have a car scream past within an inch of my elbow with the edge of the road an couple of inches from my left.

If he doesn't want to sit behind you he can drive onto the other side of the road just like he would overtaking a slow car. Never let the speed of other traffic dictate your speed on a bad surface, although the speed of other traffic does have to be considered. Especially if your going 20kmh and there's nobody behind you yet.

Hotblack Desiato

murphaph wrote:

Now there was no way I was riding on this so I had to sit about 3' from the centre white line.

On a straight road this isn't that far off where you should normally be, anyway, all other things being equal (roughly where a car driver's head would be.) Too far to the right exposes you to danger from oncoming traffic, and undertakers. Too far to the left restricts your vision, puts you closer to parked cars/gutters/potholes/debris, and leaves you vulnerable to being overtaken with no room by the "get out of my way or else" brigade. The best position to be in depends on the circumstances. The book "Motorcycle Roadcraft" is good for stuff like this...

This was fine until a twat in a 205 or something sat right behind my back wheel.

A special place in hell should be reserved for tailgaters. It's the worst thing about riding a motorcycle in Dublin IMHO, people have no respect. They wouldn't like it if a 40-tonne artic was up their rear, but to us a car represents an equally large danger. Smaller bikes in particular get treated very badly by many car drivers. I like to keep to speed limits in urban areas but it's not easy given the aggressive attitude of many cagers.

Anyway, what Saobh said, and remember that being tailgated means that you cannot stop suddenly if a hazard arises ahead of you. So to maintain your margin of safety you have to slow down.

I'd love to have a big LED sign for the back of my bike - "THE CLOSER YOU GET, THE SLOWER I GO"

murphaph

The road was a typical wide suburban one, connecting an industrial area with residential. I was 3' from the white line but about 6 or 7' from the kerb. Normally I like to sit right in the middle in the 'command position' as they say. I didn't slow down though I think you guys are right and I should have. He couldn't pass with oncoming traffic. I actually bought roadcraft last week and am finding it quite useful, if a little heavy going at times-a light read it is not!

sutty

ninja900 wrote:

A special place in hell should be reserved for tailgaters.

There is, its the same place Child Molesters and people who talk in the cinema go