Fun in the snow
Fun in the snow
Well, I have been having fun. Got caught out by the big snowfall on Monday the 21st and ended up abandoning my ZZR1100 at the side of the road. It was just too dangerous to ride the last mile or so home.
Why? Not because of the snow on the ground or the ice, riding slowly with both feet down and being careful made that alright. No, it was first of all pedestrians: what the hell were they thinking, "Oh look here comes a motorbike, let's walk out in front of him…" Or "Let's drag the kids across the road here, never mind the cars and motorbikes, they'll stop for us..." No, we f****** can't!!!!
And then, when it got to about 3 inches of snow: the car drivers who tried either to overtake within a couple of inches or tailgated me, and the one that did it on the A217 on the downward slope of the road at Tesco. You are the reason I went through the red light you f***wit, you were so close I didn't dare try to stop!!
The problem with the A217, near where I live, is that there is not anywhere to get off it safely when going south, on the north-bound side there are a couple of places to pull in by the shops at Gander green lane etc.
The side roads fill up with snow and it is safer to say on the main road in the car tracks. Unless, of course, you are where some other idiot in a car wants to be. At two points last night, if I could have managed to stop and get off the bike, there was going to be blood spilt. And when you shout or sound your horn they look at you, through that tiny hole in the snow and mist on their windscreen, as if you are mental. Well, maybe they think I am mental, for riding a bike in the snow, but it was fine when I left central London and it got to the point where it was easier to keep going than stop.
It does make me wonder about how people are taught to drive, in the space of 5 miles I saw 8 minor accidents, all caused by people not thinking before acting, it was like they just didn't understand what they were supposed to do in the various situations.
What worried me more though was the number of people who went through red lights very late. As I mentioned earlier, I had to go through one, but it was from necessity rather than anything else. That night I counted 7 people who went through red lights so late that my mind boggled. One driver went through 5 seconds after the lights had changed, if it had not been snowing I would have been in the middle of the junction. Now think about this, not only are the conditions treacherous, snow, ice and night time, but he has just driven through a red light 5 seconds late. The next time you are at a set of lights, count 5 after they have changed and see what might have happened.
Riding or driving in adverse conditions takes skill, yet most people seem to think that they are better drivers than they actually are. I have also noticed that there appears to be more people who are either drunk or drugged up on the roads, the stench of skunk from cars in certain areas is unbelievable, either that or erratic driving is the norm in some areas.
OK wrong choice, I laid the bike down. It still hit him but he was not really hurt, only minor damage to the bike that he has offered to pay for, so I can't say fairer than that.
Why? Not because of the snow on the ground or the ice, riding slowly with both feet down and being careful made that alright. No, it was first of all pedestrians: what the hell were they thinking, "Oh look here comes a motorbike, let's walk out in front of him…" Or "Let's drag the kids across the road here, never mind the cars and motorbikes, they'll stop for us..." No, we f****** can't!!!!
And then, when it got to about 3 inches of snow: the car drivers who tried either to overtake within a couple of inches or tailgated me, and the one that did it on the A217 on the downward slope of the road at Tesco. You are the reason I went through the red light you f***wit, you were so close I didn't dare try to stop!!
The problem with the A217, near where I live, is that there is not anywhere to get off it safely when going south, on the north-bound side there are a couple of places to pull in by the shops at Gander green lane etc.
The side roads fill up with snow and it is safer to say on the main road in the car tracks. Unless, of course, you are where some other idiot in a car wants to be. At two points last night, if I could have managed to stop and get off the bike, there was going to be blood spilt. And when you shout or sound your horn they look at you, through that tiny hole in the snow and mist on their windscreen, as if you are mental. Well, maybe they think I am mental, for riding a bike in the snow, but it was fine when I left central London and it got to the point where it was easier to keep going than stop.
It does make me wonder about how people are taught to drive, in the space of 5 miles I saw 8 minor accidents, all caused by people not thinking before acting, it was like they just didn't understand what they were supposed to do in the various situations.
What worried me more though was the number of people who went through red lights very late. As I mentioned earlier, I had to go through one, but it was from necessity rather than anything else. That night I counted 7 people who went through red lights so late that my mind boggled. One driver went through 5 seconds after the lights had changed, if it had not been snowing I would have been in the middle of the junction. Now think about this, not only are the conditions treacherous, snow, ice and night time, but he has just driven through a red light 5 seconds late. The next time you are at a set of lights, count 5 after they have changed and see what might have happened.
Riding or driving in adverse conditions takes skill, yet most people seem to think that they are better drivers than they actually are. I have also noticed that there appears to be more people who are either drunk or drugged up on the roads, the stench of skunk from cars in certain areas is unbelievable, either that or erratic driving is the norm in some areas.
Addendum.
2 days after I wrote this I hit a pedestrian, he ran out in front of me in Farringdon Road just north of Blackfriars Bridge. He was very lucky, he saw me and when he tried to stop his feet slid out from under him, leaving him laying in the road right in front of me, I had the choice of running over him or laying the bike down.OK wrong choice, I laid the bike down. It still hit him but he was not really hurt, only minor damage to the bike that he has offered to pay for, so I can't say fairer than that.
Jake
