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I pulled out of the 24 hour gas station in Hamilton onto Par-La-Ville Road, heading towards Front Street.  Cars were lined up past the gas station on Par-La-Ville, towards The RG offices, so, being on a bike, I pulled out and attempted to get in front of everyone at the light.

Yes, technically it's wrong, but we ALL do it (most of us anyway).

So a woman rounds the corner from, what is that...Church Street...and onto Par-La-Ville.  She sees me pulling out and try to hug the line of cars to give her plenty of room.  I pull in as best I could, but the lined up cars had left no room to enable me to get all the way out of her lane and stop, just to make sure all was cool.  She had PLENTY of room to go on her way! 

She gets a frown on her face and aims her car at me. 

I have no-where to go. 

With at least a THREE FOOT gap between her car and the edge of the pavement on her left side she barely missed grasing me with the entire length of her car as she drove by.  I even thought about abandoning the bike and jumping onto the car to my left for a second but it was too late.

I yelled at her and just extended my arms in her direction...because I wanted to know why?

She is willing to actually aim three thousand pounds of metal at me to "teach me a lesson".

My kids would like to thank her very much for not hitting me.  They are grateful that you didn't hurt their father because he does what 95% of bike riders do here in the same situation. 

 :wacko:

Why?

 Well when you give me a beter description of the events I may respond in depth. Yah gutt me cunfoozed Ace.

ps. I thought you vant too Swiztzarlan ;)

Cos she was your wife? :)

it's probably not you in particular...it's more like the fact that 95% of you do it and that people try to avoid you guys all the time that at some point you become so numb, you lose your ability to rationally look at the situation. 

She was obviously fed up...so it's more like she's making a point as to the attitude that people have on Bermuda's roads.  If you put yourself in harms way then you are obviously willing to pay the piper if need be.  I hate to sound callous, since i wasn't there.  But i have to admit there were times i wasn't moving for a bike and if i hit them....well...oh well.

I'm in no way condoning the action.  I think back and thank God that i didn't actually cause harm...but i was capable.

bottom line is...take care, it's a free-for-all on those roads.

CC

What Captain Canuck said...

As a car driver I get tired of having to hug the sidewalk, or sometimes the wall because of the never ending line of bikes heading towards me on my side of the road, courtesy of the third lane. I now have the attitude that if you haven't learned that in Bike vs. Car, Car wins 90% of the time then I'm more than happy to give you a ride west on the hood of my car.

Playing chicken first thing in the morning is annoying and I wish the Police would crack down heavily on all the Third-Laners as well as the two-wheeled vehicles who are willing to play Chicken in order to get to the front of the line at the stop light.

Why?  Because "F%@K you!", that's why... neatly sums up the attitude of 78.3% of road users

As a regular 2 and 4 wheeler, this whole island is insane. Your Belco bill may get delivered 2 weeks after it was postmarked, you may have to just stand there for 5 minutes waiting to simply pay for your milk and juice (in the express lane) while the cashier and customer 2 ahead of you chat it up since they haven't seen each other in 3 days, you may have to wait 30 minutes for your waiter to show up after you've been seated, you may have to wait until 8 for the taxi you pre-arranged for 6:30... but in the name of all things holy and good if you don't save that extra 5 seconds on dee rood dee vurld is gonna fackin' END bye!

Very eloquently put Canuck, and I totally agree. I find Paget lights the best for "intimidating" the odd cyclists every now and again, and they don't even seem to be bothered by the trucks or buses.

"Better 5 minutes late in this life than 5 minutes early in the next one"

"Why?  Because "F%@K you!", that's why'

My new favorite quote!

THAT's going into my sig!

Cos she was your wife Casual Observer?

Now that the evidence is in.... ;)

Actually CO - I agree with you. In fact I have attached a good old Hamilton Beach to my back fender just for those times. I call it the "Fender Blender". It sits about knee high and acts just like James Bond's wheel shredders. It's awesome baby! :)

Yours not to make reply,
Yours not to reason why,
Yours but to do an die...

So, some of you are willing to smash into a bike rider because he/she gets in *your way* in a car.

Wow.

Just wow.  Road rage is a very interesting thing.  No wonder this island is such a madhouse with attitudes like this.

Well it's the bike rider or my car into the wall? I guess the bike rider loses out in this one.

Are you serious? You're complaining that somebody didn't get out of your way when you were sitting on their side of the road? Am I hearing this right?! The other person wasn't at fault YOU were...I'm glad you've picked up the Bermudian way of blaming others when you are clearly at fault. Have a good one and learn to ride a bike.  :-*


Oh, and why do you feel it necessary to ride down the middle of traffic? My bet is you wouldn't do that away so why do it here? The 'road-rage' you talk about exists solely because of people like you...

I'm not complaining that someone didn't get out of my way.  Perhaps you should learn to READ.  I got out of the woman's way, as best I could, and she aimed her car at me with the intention of scaring me....which worked.  I was stopped.  I pulled over and STOPPED to get out of HER way.  If her judgement was off by a couple of inches then I would have been in hospital.

Out of the two of us involved in the incident ONE of us suffered from road rage....if you think it was me you are nuts!  This woman had at least three feet to work with...I was not blocking her route at all.

I know how to ride a bike...been doing it for 35 years thanks.  I am a born and bred Bermudian.  I do not "lane split" and I am not a crazy bike rider.  I *may* have made a mistake in pulling out into traffic the way I did but it certainly doesn't warrent the behaviour I saw out of this woman.

There is a significant feeling on this island that the traffic woes are all the fault of people on bikes.  This is an absolute MYTH!!!!  The car drivers on this island have gotten worse and worse.  These people seem to think that the road belongs to them and them alone.

ace - every action elicits a response, right or wrong.

As I stated, as a regular 4 wheeler it is very harrowing driving, particularly first thing in the morning with bikes coming at you HEAD ON on your side of the road. I don't just mean a couple of inches over the line, I am talking about having to swerve out of the way to avoid a head on collision. It is disgusting, and the lady's response was very likely out of frustration from day in and day out encountering bike riders, who like yourself, think that because 95% of riders do it, it's okay. It's not. It's dangerous and it's illegal. And very selfish to other road users, when you then expect them to adjust their behaviour to compensate for your misuse of the roads.

You begrudgingly admit that you were *probably* in the wrong. Adjust your behaviour and others will act accordingly (with the exception of the odd asshole)... Your children will appreciate the fact that you're home every night in time for dinner, but you really can't blame it on anybody else.

Ace - I hear you. I do think there's a big divide building up between the 2 wheelers and the 4 wheelers but I accept if someone wants to be a bit of a tool about putting the squeeze on me if I choose to create a third lane and end up blocking their side. I pretty much stopped doing it a long time ago when it started feeling like I was just part of a huge gang of rats scurrying to beat everyone else nowhere. Now I only do it very infrequently and if someone comes the other way I try hard to either move in or I aknowledge them and smile often with a little hand gesture as a thank-you for not crushing me.

If I feel they are being aggressive I do the exact same thing. I see it this way - it's when you're blatantly over the line AND ignoring the oncoming traffic that people get pissy.

Hey - it's like golf. You play by the rules or you pay the penalty. There's no if's and's or but's.

[/b]

You were stopped in the wrong lane with traffic coming towards you and want to complain that others feel as though the road belongs to them? You are complaining about how the person driving the car didn't drive down the left hand side of their lane (because you were parked in the middle of the road) yet still feel they think the road belongs to them? Look in the mirror mate! If the road doesn't belong to them it sure as heck doesn't belong to bikers like you who feel the need to overtake and ride in such a manner that may cause unnecessary accidents. How about next time you sit in traffic like you are supposed to...

Yes Drew, that's me.  I just like to bitch and moan about other people's driving and think that I own the road.  Yup...you got me.

This morning there was a young girl crossing the street as I drove into Hamilton.  She wasn't anywhere near a cross walk.  I know I should have ploughed into her and given her a few days off, but I decided against it.

Silly me.

Well, being a Bermudian like myself you have to admit that this idea that the bikes creating a third lane gives car drivers every excuse to smash into them is a relatively new concept.

Cars *used* to leave three or four feet between them and the car in front, to enable any bike rider the ability to get back into traffic.  This doesn't happen anymore.  We've become like major US/Canadian/UK cities where it is "**** you".

I cannot belive people like Drew and CO are out there on the roads thinking "tough shit" to anyone not in a vehicle that can not hurt them.  Yes I get frustated with how some people on bikes drive but I would NEVER consider trying to use my car to scare people by threatning them with my car.  It is just inhumane, no matter how much of a prick the bike rider appears to be.

The situation I described is one in which I was not blocking this lady, she had plenty of room.  I have already admitted that I made a mistake by pulling out when I did, but does one silly mistake justify this woman's actions?  She was willing to risk my flipping life because she experinced road rage...it is as simple as that.  Yet here we have people justifying it.  Amazing.

Um, everybody walks across the street without utilizing a cross walk..........

Maybe she will make a thread here on BS complaining that a car driver was on their side of the road and could have hit her. I've seen stranger things happen..............

ummm... ace.... you're missing the point here love. Nobody is saying that it is cool or acceptable for individuals to intentionally try and take out other road users because they are pissed off. You talk about selfish use of the roads but fail to recognize that YOU were the one being selfish in the first instance... you and the rest of the 95% who know that a behaviour is wrong, but do it anyway thereby forcing the rest of us (who are actually on our side of the road) to adjust ourselves accordingly. Is that not selfish? It wasn't a silly mistake. A silly mistake is when you hit the gas instead of the brake. Knowingly and admittedly moving to the head of the line putting yourself on the other side of the road is a pattern of behaviour as you pointed out in your first post (by admitting that it was wrong but still doing it... not a 'silly mistake'). It's symptomatic of the 'I own the road' and I'm kinda shocked that you can't see that.

No, it wasn't right for anybody to 'aim' their car at you. But maybe you need to re-examine your riding habits so that you don't put yourself in that type of situation... people don't go around 'aiming' their cars at riders who are obeying the rules of the road...

"Cars *used* to leave three or four feet between them and the car in front, to enable any bike rider the ability to get back into traffic.  This doesn't happen anymore. We've become like major US/Canadian/UK cities where it is "**** you"."

And there's the catch-22. You are correct. A lot of people these days people driving cars are "too" intent on grabbing whatever space they have and with all the bikes over-taking them at stop lights, slow areas etc. they figure hey - I'll just keep on the bumper of the car in front. Why should I have to keep stopping and starting and hitting the brakes everytime some clown comes along playing dodgem. I honestly cannot say I blame them because they are only doing what they are meant to be doing.... keeping up with the car in front. But yes - they too are being jerks. BERMUDA HAS BIKES FOLKS! Hello! If everyone had a car we'd all be living in a parking lot.

Again, it's why I stopped bothering. I pick a  space and try to keep with it as long as I can. Besides you never know who might show up next to you and say hello. Maybe a cute tourist from state-side out for a joy ride. ;)

It is called jaywalking and it is illegal.  She should NOT have been walking across the road like that...she should have taken the 2 minutes it would have taken to walk down the street and use the pedetrian crossing.

Now IF I aimed my car at her and just missed grazing her just to prove that she was doing something wrong (even though *everyone does it* [kinda like lane splitting on a bike]) then she may well have been justified in starting a thread on a BBS.  She could entitle it "Why the F***?" and moan that some a-hole in a car essentially threatened her for no other reason than she crossed the road in the same way everyone else does, albeit illegally.

Instead I stopped and allowed her to cross anyway.  Weird huh?  Based on you and CO's arguments I should have run her down to teach her a lesson...she was quite cute and would have made a nice *hood ornament*.

CO, dear, go back and have a read of my posts.  In more than one occasion in this thread I have admitted that I made a mistake.

I did.

Nevertheless it does NOT justify the bhavoiur of this woman....at least not to me.

sigh. and nobody is saying that it was justifiable m'dear... just that you're being a little.... errr.... hypocritical when talking about selfish road users...

breathe. take a deep breath. here... have a karma for making it into work safely this morning.

All I'm saying is that if a shiny new SUV with rims, limo tint, illegal license plates and music blaring comes around the corner, please make sure you're on your side of the road and not angling for a spot in the front of the line :innocent:

Is Jaywalking illegal in Bermuda?

Well CO darling, I am sorry for pressing the point but this from you earlier:

"I now have the attitude that if you haven't learned that in Bike vs. Car, Car wins 90% of the time then I'm more than happy to give you a ride west on the hood of my car."

does indeed appear to justify this woman's actions and highlights your attitude while driving.  Or...was this just bravado writing?

As to this:

"As I stated, as a regular 4 wheeler it is very harrowing driving, particularly first thing in the morning with bikes coming at you HEAD ON on your side of the road. I don't just mean a couple of inches over the line, I am talking about having to swerve out of the way to avoid a head on collision. It is disgusting, and the lady's response was very likely out of frustration from day in and day out encountering bike riders, who like yourself, think that because 95% of riders do it, it's okay. It's not. It's dangerous and it's illegal. And very selfish to other road users, when you then expect them to adjust their behaviour to compensate for your misuse of the roads."

It is obvious that you are mixing things up.  You have made it sound as if I am some ignorant bike rider that goes head on with cars.  I am *disgusting*, selfish etc. apparently....your words not mine.  Except you have taken one situation and placed it on top of mine.  I was not riding like a maniac and going HEAD ON with anyone.  I pulled out of the gas station to join taffic when this woman came flying around the corner, frowned at me and aimed her car at me.  I WAS only a couple of inches on her side.  I had stoppped my bike.

I am an extremely conservative driver on my bike generally.  I made one small mistake and almost paid heavily for it...way too heavily in my opinion.

Nail on head as far as I am concerned.

By all accounts, from your posts you are not one of the idiots that likes to queue jump, and cause other road users to have to take evasive action.

I use both modes of transport. If I am coming into town on my bike I generally have my place in line and that is where I stay. I am fortunate that I don't have to go into town during rush hour any way. If I happen to have the wife on the back, then I am screwed. I think she goes on the back to do some thigh exercises, because if there is the slightest notion of a car approaching or anything, I get a very tight squeeze from her or a poke in the ribs. (I think she is just proving that she is watching the road, but it scares the piss out of me when she does it...)

If I am in the car during rush hour I try to keep to the left so that the on coming traffic has sufficient room to get by, if a bike decided he want to double park next to me.

As I can spend a fair amount of my time on the road, and in the car, I don't see why I should have to take evasive action because some idiots are in a rush for work (not aimed at you Ace). As far as I am concerned I have up the the white/yellow line to drive on, and if someone wants to encroach over that line then that is their problem.

Does the thought cross my mind of trying to hit someone who encroaches, well yes unfortunately, do I make a point of trying to hit them. No I don't.

ace - my comments about bikes coming head on in the line of traffic was a general remark about 2 wheelers and their selfish use of the roads. If the shoe fits wear it, if it doesn't then it doesn't apply to you. I've already stated repeatedly that I don't think it's cool for anybody to purposely try and cause an accident or injury. I also stated that I think it's hypocritical to talk about selfishness on the roads when you were being selfish by expecting other road users to adjust their driving because of your choice to manouver(sp) to the front of the line. Whether a couple of inches or a couple of feet, you were on her side of the road because you chose to be.

That said, I can understand why you'd be pissed at her deliberate attempt to do you in. Glad you're okay and also hope that you and other 2 wheelers drop the attitude that 95% of riders do it, therefore it must be okay. It's dangerous and sooner or later sure to cause an accident - be it genuine, or somebody trying to 'teach a lesson'. The roads are dangerous enough without cars and bikes playing chicken.

Ace - You drive like crap anyway  :D

Given your road rage attitude, you should get rid of that piece of crap Honda and get yourself a V80 (preferably orange) - then you could really cause some sh!t on the roads!!  :slap:

Pitts Bay

Just the other day I hit a side wall trying to give the oncoming, passing bike (who "WAS only a couple of inches" on my side of the road) room to live.  I lost my mirror and my nine year old had a melt down.  What about the bike rider?  I'm sure they didn't notice and didn't learn a thing.  What did I learn?  I need my lane, the whole lane...

Road rage is a strange thing.

Recently I almost lost it, when driving down Middle Road out of town past the US consulate. I decided after watching 4 bikes riding towards me on my side of the road so that I had to really push into the pavement...to move more towards the middle of the road - a kind of 'push them back into their own lane' thing, driven solely out of anger.

I almost got caught out, when I think it was the 6th bike who could see what I was doing, decided to stay the course and stay on my side of the road as he came towards me.

Well - didn't quite get to the stage of changing underwear, but I suddenly realised what a prat I was.

This 3rd lane thing has to stop. With maniacs like me around, life could get short!

Thinking about it, it isn't a 3rd lane issue. It's a 2 lane issue - but there are people around that think they are driving either in the US - or a dual carriage way.

Interesting the experiences there. I ride a bike myself to work and do so to get through all the cars clogging up the roads. Must be approximately 50% of the cars which travel with only a single person on board. Because of all these cars traffic shows from what should be a 23 - 26 mph pace to a stop start 0 - 14 mph pace!!

So the best way to get through traffic is to use the leapfrogging method, by where you overtake once the cars which accelerate slower create gaps which to slip in. I do agree that it's not fair to cause other road users coming the other way to move, so I make sure I am slotted in well before so not to create annoyance.

There are however plenty bike riders which do stupid things like overtaking on blind corners or overtake without considering that there will be no gaps to move into should a car come quickly around the corner ahead.

When I use a pedal cycle I overtake with far move vigor and enthusiasm as I get past all those blocks of steel which overtook me only a few minutes earlier!!  :D

What are you driving...one of those great big SUVs?

Frankly to blanketly state that you need every inch of the lane you are driving in makes me think that your ability to judge the width of your vehicle is seriously impared.

I'm afraid all this talk about how bad bike riders ignores completely the lack of driving ability of many car drivers in Bermuda.  I cannot count the number of times I have driven behind cars whose right hand side wheels spend more time on the wrong side of the road than right.  They cut EVERY single corner on the road.  The hug the line and when an oncoming car approaches they yank the wheel left to ensure they are in their own lane and then return to the middle line.

Bad bad drving.

I am aware than in Bermuda we now have at least 10 road deaths.

How many of them were drivers or passengers in cars?

Especially when you leave town cars cut straight through to go up Trimingham hill, so if you are on the right side to head down Harbor road, getting your nose chopped off is a very real possiblity!! I even had a police car do this to me once!!!!  >:(

So I clear the way for the oncoming bike, giving it the benefit of caution, as I would rather hit a wall instead of a bike, and now I’m a bad driver.  Nice…back to lurking me thinks…

No no...don't get me wrong.  I think what you did WAS the right thing, absolutely.

What scares me is your conclusion.

See, the problem is here that one prick appears to have now changed your attitude after your unfortunate experience.  The next guy who comes along may be a great person with three great kids who want to see their daddy and who made a simple mistake.  Yet, because of your last experience you will likely not give an inch and you may well put this poor fellow in hospital, or worse.

Will it be enough to justify not moving to try and avoid someone by saying to yourself "Well, he was on my side of the road....which belongs to me...and my car might have been scratched if I tried to get out of the way."?  If so, well carry on.

'Filling the gap's as bad as the 'third lane'

The purpose of a SAFETY GAP between cars is so that they can stop safely not for a bike to 'leapfrog' in the space - which reduce the stopping distance and causes the drivers to have to reduce speed/and re-adjust the safety gap.

Filling the gap is no safer than the third lane....

Piglet

"By the book" interpretation is all fine and dandy IF it is enforced, which nothing seems to be these days.

But, what is really at issue here is the whole concept of social decency.  Aiming your car at someone, which is what this thread is REALLY all about, because you are fed up with the way most bike riders behave, is wrong in my opinion.

Would you, as a police officer (or former officer) , condone the vigilante attitude that people who do something wrong deserve to be scared or actually punnished by other civilian motorists?

The only gap that needs to be filled is the one between the ears of the Government Ministers who have continued to allow the size of the vehicles to grow larger and larger every year. Next time you see a BMW 750il coming at you how about sticking to the center of your lane..... :)

 Ace, it's all about attitude. Regardless if your on the road, in a super market, a clothing store or just walking what streets there are that are safe.

It's the new age. Studies have shown that persons between 19-35 don't give a flying nun about others.  It's all about me and my progress forward. There is no more real integration that is relative, only about "me".

Can you really imagine or want to know what the above said group will be doing in twenty years?

Clinically, I don't want to know but if I am still here I guess I will be wearing a "Batman' uniform or eating 'chips' from a dumster next to microsoft...or will it be 'applebies/by's

No one gives a damn and it covers all threads and opinions. Remember "dog eat dog" ?

Well, humans are doing this nowadays............................it's all relative.

Of course I'll still choose the wall. ...then again I AM over 35... I just don't see why I should have to. 

You've made some assumptions about me that were way off the mark.  I wonder if that lady was thinking about something else entirely when she frowned and aimed her car right at you.  Maybe it's your guilty conscience for putting your children's father in harms way that has clouded your perception?  Just a thought.

I'm actually pretty sure she probably was trying to scare you but you can see how assumptions can be...what's that saying...

Now really...back to lurking...

 Actually, after reading the RG and the statistics.....60 odd accidents reported/attended by police in the past week makes me want  to go back to my kocane habit. Really, think about it. Where I live and where others live elsewhere this would be breaking news.

In such a samll community and with such a vast amount of traffic one should/would consider this statistic to be lower in relative terms. As I have stated prior, most of it is due too inattention. Regardless if the other guy is on your side of the road. If they are, well dah!! I must get there and I will regardless. It is an accepted fact that Bermudians will give way and allow me to get too my destination regardless of road conditions, congestion et al.

Whether your a car length behind or bumper to bumper does not justify someone pulling in and making you take evasive action as you already have by not following close.

Know/no/one cares and it's all about me. What a bummer...........

Drive on the left? Good for you. Is'nt that what it's all about?

Gotta run...........Russian crude tanker off North Shore.....................or is it a Delta flight that's waiting to find the runway,..................................

Rummo................... :)

"Now really...back to lurking..."

So what do they call you over at lurking... DonePosting? ???

Don't give up so easy. Just cos Ace has put a bee under your bonnet doesn't mean you need to give us the boot. :)

Hmmm... seems like in the haste to aim our vehicles at each other, some people have forgotten their manners....

welcome donelurking and reefchaser...the obligatory welcome karma point to each of you...

 8)

PS. Donelurking - don't give up on us so easily  ;)

Third lane is bad enough - but what about the fourth lane?????

When you're keeping your eyes on the vehicle in front, the oncoming vehicles, the vehicles in the 3rd lane, pedestrians etc. and you think you've got everything covered . . . some idiot on a bike comes up on the inside!!!! :o :o :o

I can handle all the rest reasonably well, but this is plain insanity. And it's not the daredevil didly bops or whatever they're called these days. It's people in business dress for God's sake!!!!  ??? ???

Why? Death wish? Forgot that we drive on the left? Actuaries who feel it's a safe bet?

hehe

Old Donelurking accuses me of making assumptions and yet makes his/her own assumptions about me.  Of course there is no indication of which the assumptions I have made that are wrong.  Let it out...let's hear 'em.

I can only go on what you write.  You concluded that you now need the whole lane, every inch of it.  I can only assume you have difficulty judging the width of your car as even an SUV has 6 or 7 inches on either side of the road to play with.  

If you don't want me to make assumptions then don't make silly comments like that.

You then go on to say "Of course (I) will stil choose the walll" but that is NOT what you said or hinted at in your previous post.  Did you forget what you wrote or something?  Then you caveat this comment with "I just don't see why I should have to."

WTF is THAT?  I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe it is because you are a decent human being, but then maybe I'm just making another assumption.

So it's not ok for someone to have THEIR whole lane to themselves? You get your lane plus a foot of theirs but they can't expect a whole lane to themselves? Is that what you are saying? I guess I don't have the right to drive on the line but you get the right to drive over it? Maybe you should learn to have some patience and wait next time you are at the lights...you obviously have a hard time dealing with the fact that if you play with fire you might get burned.

disagree, as long as the filling of the gap is done while the car is on the acceleration then he/she then has plenty time to readjust braking distances and such. If the filling is done when they are braking then I would agree.

Yea, you drive a CRV on harbor road and tell me how much room you have to play with in your lane. I've never driven mine on harbor road. I've seen people clip mirrors in jeeps, so I feel no need to take the chance. But I do agree they are too big, but they're nice as foooks

And yea, being that those side mirrors cost like $900 to replace... I'd choose the bike/rider who has to pay for my damages, over the wall who aint paying shit.

I'm actually having a harder time dealing with idiots who seem to want to justify the woman's actions of attempted murder with a car.  Because that is what it would have been if she hit me.  I find myself now arguing about something I don't even do...lane spiltting.  It isn't what I did to get myself into the situation I was in and I just don't do it anymore.

I'm going to stop posting in here now, because this post has likely had the exact opposite effect of its intention.  I have no doubt that Drew et al might see the next person lane splitting and *take them out* either by accident trying to scare them or on purpose thinking it might be me or someone *like me*, despite the fact that I am about the most conservative bike rider out there.

Drew, I'm sure you are such an awesome driver that you have never made a mistake and the wheels of your car have never drifted across the middle line.  I'm so sure that I am going to give you a karma point for being so great and keeping Bermuda's roads so safe.

I think the woman was out of order if she intentionally aimed her vehicle at you. I think in rush hour traffic, people have to be a little bit more considerate towards other drivers, as there are some circumstances when people have to take additional risks just to get out of a junction.

I am one who gets fed up with bikes who like to encroach, thinking about doing it and actually doing it are two different things in my book.

I have on many occasion inconvenienced other road users, and they have afforded me sufficient space (or whatever), and on that basis, what goes around comes around, and I try to be considerate to other road users no matter how frustrating it is.

I am beginning to think that CO is right...

'Hmmm... seems like in the haste to aim our vehicles at each other, some people have forgotten their manners...."

I guess someone will say..."well - I will if you will"...."it's my ball, and you can't play".....

Jinks - what a f....d up lot this is. Get a grip folks. Life's too short as we are constantly reminded.

I was going to say I will catch a bus in future, but that opens up a WHOLE new argument!!

Just one final post, although I did say I wouldn't again:

I sat, as usual, in traffic along Harbour Road this morning watching hundreds of bikes speed down the centre lane.  I tried as hard as I could to pretend that I was driving a car, because I really wanted to get angry with these people.  It was difficult to do so (pretend I was in a car) as I was rather hot, sitting on my bike in the sun in my work clothes.  The sweat trickling down my back made any slight breeze quite refreshing, however.  It was also difficult to pretend to be in a car due to fact that I was forced to suck in the fumes of some Terios that was in dire need of a tuneup which was in front of me.  Nevertheless, I tried to get mad at these horrible people who were GETTING IN FRONT OF ME on their bikes!  My GOD...how dare they do it?  But, I just couldn't.

Maybe it is the airconditioning in a car that is responsible for all this anger, or maybe the radio talk show hosts can be blamed.  I'm not sure.

Anyhoo...I kept trying, but just could not bring myself to get angry.

The only couple of things that got me a bit *upset* was the car that cut the corner just missing my front wheel on MY SIDE OF THE ROAD once I got into Town.  Apparently *I* did something wrong because the driver muttered some angry comment in my direction as he drove past.  I actually checked to make sure I was not on his side of the road and found that I was well into my own lane.  Then a few moments later I had to make a right hand turn and the car behind nearly rear ended me trying to squeeze by on my left side, he just couldn't wait for me to make the turn.  Then there was the double parked car on the opposite side of the road that forced drivers to overtake it, thereby encroaching on my side of the road, forcing me to pull as far left as I could and then actually stop becuase NATURALLY the person overtaking the double parked car who was now on my side of the road NATURALLY had the right of way, or certainly felt she did.

I did manage to control my temper though and didn't even get upset by the crowds of pedestrians slipping through cars to cross front street after getting off the ferry.  Despite the fact that there is a crosswalk less than 20 feet away these people just popped out into the road assuming everyone would stop for them.

They are LUCKY I wasn't driving my car, because if I had been I would have every right and justification for scaring the daylights out of all of them.  I could have done so on my bike I suppose, but oddly didn't feel the need...besides *I* might actually get hurt myself as I don't have a tonne of metal around me for protection.

All in all it was a typical drive into work on my bike.  I'm sure glad I didn't drive my car though, because I don't like feeling angry.

Have a nice day everyone.

Toodles.

Reefchaser,

I guess you have a crystal ball to tell if the other driver is braking or accelerating whilst you decide to 'leapfrog' (Change Leapfrog ' to cut them off)' in front of a moving vehicle (or slower moving)

Clearly you are not interested in road safety but your need to get where ever it is you are going maybe 20 seconds quicker - the point of the gap is for safety reason, when riders fill the gap they cut off another vehicle and cause that driver to have to adjust their course or speed (facts that can be relied on to prove a traffic offence such as Due care another story).

As an aside the safest way to overtake is a straight line and the 'leapfrog' method as you describe is not considered safe in any driving system.

Anyway happy driving and feel free to 'fill the gap' just don’t bitch when someone speeds up and you get knocked off your bike or you get a traffic ticket for driving without due care and attention...all of which happens .......

As I said earlier the gap between two vehicles is a 'SAFETY GAP’…. not to help some impatient rider get to their destination 30 seconds quicker...

Safe driving to all

Piglet

I’m sorry we’re not all here to pat your back on this issue but what you did was not only illegal it is indicative of the problem we have in Bermuda in regards to driving today. You see your ‘mistake’ as something small and minor but when you take into consideration the fact there may be 5,000 people on the road at any one time if each one of these people made a ‘mistake’ like you because they couldn’t wait 5 seconds at a stop light the risk of something major happening increases greatly. Removing these small ‘mistakes’ from our driving habits is what is needed if the level of safety on our roads are to ever increase. I’ve removed them from my driving, how about you remove them from yours now?

And I have never justified the aiming of her vehicle at you and therefore take great offence to being called an idiot for pointing out your driving deficiencies. Like I said earlier, what you did was illegal, as seen below (taken from www.bermudalaws.bm):

(100) Never attempt to overtake if by so doing you are likely to inconvenience or endanger any other road user.

and

(102) Overtake only if you can do so without forcing the person overtaken or approaching traffic to swerve or slacken speed.

I’m sure what happened shook you up (as it clearly has done so on here) but none of this would have happened if you had sat in the traffic and waited like everybody else. You may feel she should have simply driven on the left side of her lane but that is where our differences begin. She has the ‘right’ to drive as close to the line as she so desires. You being parked over the middle line doesn’t remove this ‘right’ of hers and so if you choose to park there, well you know the potential consequences.

And congrats for sitting in traffic on Harbour Road this morning – I do it every day and have hardly seen another bike do the same. Changing habits can be hard, but I honestly feel that if we remove our bad ones (due mainly from impatience), driving on the roads will be a much safer thing to do. Change starts one person at a time and although you may see lots of other bikes going down the middle of traffic on your way to work every morning just be glad that when the next driver decides to aim their car at a bike rider it won’t be you.

There are too many good things in life to look forward to…getting to work early isn’t one of them!

I'm going to give you another K for that wonderful lecture, despite your lack of reading ability relating to the actual incident and your holier than thou attitude.

Have a great day.

Actually when you are driving one hopes you use all ones observational skills when deciding to overtake. To me that's one of the prime reason that we have so many accidents on the roads here as this does not occur. It is pretty clear when a car is accelerating from a standstill and if not then one does not have the observational skills to be riding.

As far as time saved, well even on a pedal cycle along Harbor road I can make up 5 - 10 minutes over work mates, so by motorbike this is considerably more. It is a waste in fuel all these cars clogging up the road, so I'd rather not be penalised by them.

I don't know if you are a cop or not, but being lectured on what is safe driving by one is a bit hypocritical!! I've seen their road antic's over the years and even remember when they wrecked was it 6 cars in 2 months??? Then they have the nerve to book you for speeding on a totally quiet stretch of Kindley Field road at 7am on a Sunday while manic's are loose overtaking on blind corners, on the insides etc!!


I'm all for road safety! I say deal with the truely dangerous stuff rather than make easy picking cause it gives the appearance that the jobs being done!!

hehe

Yes, we should all (including cops) try to be more like Drew, who is clearly the Aristole-like *form* of a proper driver in Bermuda....at least in his mind.

 :slap:

You have just explained that you were breaking the law here. According to the code, you had no clear exit from your position, and, and if you had have managed to negotiate the line of cars, you would have been across a solid line (i can't recall what colour it actually is there... probably white), should you have negotiated to the front of the line, you would have also positioned yourself in front of the SOLID WHITE line at the pedestrian crossing. To overtake a waiting vehicle at a pedestrian crossing is also a traffic offence.

The local offences list goes on and on....

Ace, no wonder there are so many a$$holes on bikes and in cars. No one knows the highway code, er, no one follows the highway code.

Safe trails all.

(edit for stoopid spelling)

Welcome to the forum, John.Smith.   :)

It sounds like you have more than a passing familiarity with the code... thanks for sharing.

Do you really think it is ignorance of the code that makes for the problems?  I'd guess it is more like contempt for the code.

By the way, you can feel free to say "asshole" here.  We just don't like to see the C-word, the F-word and the N-word, so we change them to ****.  Other than that, feel free to express yourself here on Bermuda Sucks/Rocks as you see fit.

Reef chaser,

I am not lecturing you on how to drive - you will drive how you choose - I am jut telling you that what you are doing in my view (and the traffic code of Bermuda as well as the laws of Bermuda) is no safer than creating a third lane...

Likewise I am not defending any Police Officers driving, however, I can say driving a response vehicle on Bermudas roads is very difficult and it is not made any easier by ‘riders’ (can think of other better descriptions!)  who amongst other things 'leapfrog' other cars trying to save time (5 mins over their mates….. ???....) on their way to work.

I can also say that I am personally aware of many accidents were the 'leapfrogger' has not been let back in by cars and ends up getting squashed like so may other frogs...on the roads……

Piglet

PS I agree speeding laws should not be 24 hours a day???I mean 7am on a Sunday is a safe time to speed and break the law. right?....and I agree the police should spend more time ticketing dickheads doing  the third lane and or leapfrog...which is dangerous....and is a factor in may serious injury accidents.....

PPS If you are truly for road safety play your part and drive within the laws...the old ' but he drives 'worse' or more 'dangerous'  than me' argument is pretty sad!

Agreed - it's not that different from the "UBP did it too ..." that we regularly hear from one of our favourite posters.  ::)

One think that seems to be missing from your arguement Piglet is just cause a law exists, it does not mean that is correct for every situation. The other day when going to work I took extra note of how using a leapfrogging technigue would affect overtaken cars. What was interesting is before the car that was being overtaken and leapfrogged moved there would be a 15'+ gap forming in front of it which the bike quite easily slipped in. So in actual fact the safety gap even with a bike now in front was far greater than without the bike in front!! Of course that would be different when the car is actually prepare to or is actually stopping when a bike slides in.

I believe in California lane splitting by motorcycles is legal, other states it may be not. Germany has on some motorways no speed limits, where in other countries thay do, despite the roads being of similar design. Is each law correct, ie if not obeyed will result in a dangerous situation?!? Don't know about you but having spent time driving both on UK motorways at 80mph and German ones at 120mph I felt much safer on the German ones as the standard of driving on UK ones can be pretty abysmal. So to me just cause a law exists, it doesn't mean it is going to dramatically enhance my safety!

So going back to driving on Sunday at 7am, sure if the road is clear and a biker was going at 65kph... is it truely as dangerous are a rider going 45kph through the twisty section of Ord road? For me I'll deem what I believe is considered safe, don't need to be lectured on safety motorcycle cop who just raced along the southshore, over taking a couple cars on a 450lb motorcycle at 140kph to chase me down for doing a much safer 56 kph.

Police are just legalised speed merchants, who are not there to make the roads safer, but to makeup extra revenue!!  >:(

Reefchaser,

I don't make the laws - laws are different everywhere ....but when in Rome....you should abide by the laws and rules of the road...driving as in the UK - where you are from....is a privilege and certianly not a right......

I have also driven all over the world (not Germany)...the Safety Gap is not new ...it is also not a distance…. you speak of 15 feet etc...but a specific time after a car (or vehicle passes) as fixed point and you reach it...rule of thumb for Bda would be 2 seconds and 4 seconds at night or rain....again it is up to you if you follow the rules...but they are in place to try and make driving safer....not just for YOU...but for other road users...who may not share your thinking or ‘style’ of driving….!

Ref... the Ord Rd and Kindley Field example…Clearly there are safer places to ride and drive ...but the key here is speeding is a traffic offence...pretty simple really.....doesn't really matter much where you do it.......

I very much doubt you were chased down at a 140kh...but it makes a nice story....

With your current ideas of driving this may become a common occurrence for you!

Safe driving to all…and leave the leap frogging to the kids in the playground or the frogs.....

Piglet.

<golf clap>

There are rules for everything and not knowing them is no excuse.

There are also unwritten rules, and rules of common human decency.

My rant is not about defending myself against the written rule of law.  My rant has much more to do with the fact that I was almost intentionally run down by a woman in a car because SHE experienced a road rage incident.

But, again, for being such a perfect human being I'll award you a "k" also.  Some of us are weak.  The "k" is for being so darn strong.

Hey Ace, you do realize that there are now probably dozens of people driving around Hamilton any given day wondering which one of the guys on the bike sticking out is you.... ;)

Yea I do.

I sure hope some poor schmuck doesn't get mistaken for me and is justifably driven off the road or something for a minor infraction.

;)

Yeah guess you never seen police bikes chasing down speeders, we used to hang out as teenagers to watch them do it. Used to be fun watching them 750's flying down the road. Just to fill you in on the motorcycles, the bikes doing the chasing were GSX750P which is a derivative of a bike called a GSXR750 which was a full on race replica. Anyway just to make a long story short, they'd get through 3/4 gears by the time they catch down the offend "highly dangerous" speeder. I'd say you'd be right 140kph is a bit much, I'm a mph guy myself, so had to do a conversion. So anyway for sure doing 120kph and I'm sure when they do have their little blasts down Kindley at nights 140 isn't a problem.

Thankfully not!!!  :D

Besides those cheesy 750's couldn't touch my orange V50 even if they tried!!!  :slap:

Reefchaser,

Following on your theme of ' thanks for the lecture' .....regarding police bikes - have actually ridden one or two - don't need to touch 3/4 gear but that is another story....anyway thanks….. ;)....

The 140 like other bits of your rant were more than a little off......but as I said it was a good story to read....... :D.....

Be careful with a V50 one of the most stolen bikes of all times..... :o.....

Safe driving

Piglet

Your welcome!!!  ;)

Yeah you're right don't need to touch 3/4 gears to break speed limits on them big police bikes, you may not but I've seen plenty do so...... just hang out on the Prospect drag strip next to the Police impound.... remember a few years back neighbours were complaining about the police "racing along the stretch"! Police officers are human and like to give it a bit of welly from time to time!! Just chat to one over a few drinks and you get to hear the stories of wild chases!! But I guess you are right... those chases were done in 2nd gear and never over 30 mph!!!  :D

 

Are wheelies deemed illegal???

Watched a copper on one of those big single cylinder dirt style bikes, briefly have the front up just turning up Burnt house hill, the acceleration was damn impressive!! I want to know where I can sign up for one of those!!  :D

Reefchaser....

....trust me you can a lot faster in second gear....many times you don't need to go to 3/4 although the mechanics get pissed off...

Not saying that no one uses all the gears.......

The newer dirt bikes...are pretty quick.....

You should start a thread on police bikes/driving/speeding..... :D.....

Piglet

I'm not too bothered by police bikes speeding....just when they book me for doing what they just did!! Honestly I'm relative to general traffic a fairly conceincous rider... or at least I'd like to believe so. I've read a few books on proper driving, I think one was an old (British) police one dusted off in my school library. Alot of it is common sense, but then some is about trying to predict what is going on ahead and being prepared for the unexpected. In Bermuda I think so many accidents are because of lack of foresight and carelessness.

I've over the years been smart about how one "speeds" so only once received a ticket and that was totally because I let my guard down on a nice sunny day and got booked! The most annoying thing was I briefly overtook at 58 kph a car which was going unusually slow and dropped back down to 46 kph. There were no intersections on the road and it was clear as far as the eye could see! Yet once I was 200m down the road a brief look in the mirrors I could see a rapidy approaching shiney 750 coming to lighten my pockets some!! Me and my trusty 50cc bike knew we were nicked and pulled over before the copper even needed to say a word!!

Thing is my bike weighs all of 170lbs, where that 750 weighs 450lb or perhaps more with all the extra police gear! From where he came out to chase me down, he would have been doing far more than my 58kph to have caught me the way he did, so when we apply Newtons Second Law of motion (F=MA) my total energy is far far less. So comparatively should we either of us have the misfortune to have an accident I'd inflict far less damage. Then you get these nutters overtaking on blind corners and there's not a cop to be seen!!  >:(

So that's my rant!!!  :'(


As far as safety I'm not sure how to fix the problem, but if it was me, I'd name and shame!! I can't get over the walls that get knocked over all the time, but we'll run out of Bermuda stone quite quickly from what I see every week! So I'm make it so you knock a wall down you have to pay 3 times the price to repair it and have your photo in the paper in the "skilled" driver section! I mean imagine having a sarcastic "driver" or "rider" of the week posted in the Bermuda Sun with a mug shot!!   :-[

Also lets gather statistics on accidents and post a monthly record of all the details posted in the paper!!  Give causes, age, gender, race, engine capacity etc... I go past HWP and it's amazing to see so many nice shiney new cars totally written off on a regular basis!!??? I see the car ship calling in all the time, no wonder!!  :yawn:

"In Bermuda I think so many accidents are because of lack of foresight and carelessness."

I agree. People need to learn that trees and walls can and do jump out at you all the time. With a little foresight we can avoid them. 8)

Reeeeefchahsa.....stick to 'snorkelling'...............

As for you Smokes....yah playjarizing mighy vurds.........

Just kaws yah gutt ha lutt uv karrmay dunt meen yoo kan yooze mighy rummiisanizums........yoo vunna fite???

Taik yah snurkle ann mazk too dee tenk.......

Muss haiv juss gutt howt uv rehaib.....nah yoo vunna maik ah lutt uv noyse????? >:(

"BTC have been working on the poles at Watlington Road, and some kind person has sprayed them red so there is hope yet......."

Now that's foresight..... :innocent:

Why? Its called the right of way! Get the **** out of my lane, I am glad your ok, take this time to look up "right of way" in the drivers handbook. Does Bermuda have such an enlighten manual for the uninformed? Probaly not. You might want to look up "how to signal" and "proper stopping techniques". I play chicken with drivers in my lane except I am on a scooter when i do it, i love the look i get from people who have to zip back into there lane or hit, ah Bermudian arrogance.

Rim..

I think I hurt myself laughing, nothing is illegal in Bermuda, on the road anyway. The so called laws need to be enforced to make something illegal.

I see no reason to enforce the law, the people don't care, the surviving family members don't care, the government doesn't care. People just say thats just the way Bermuda is....Quaint.
I have never meet a people where safety and life means so little. Maybe i should travel more?

Rim..

Now you can't just say that the surviving family members don't care... I'm not sure on the activities of the ROLO group recently but I don't think they formed the group just to hold meetings for the sake of it.

Enforcement of laws however is poor. People aren't going to obey general traffic rules if they know there's no possibility of being caught and proscecuted. You see red-light runners on a regular basis, not just in town but in places like the Collector's Hill junction. As for the "yellow is the new green" modus operandi, maybe that's on the list of things to tackle in the next phase of police blitzing.

Do you remember when they were clamping cars illegally parked? Someone told the Gazette reporter, "This is an island, people need to relax, man".

Anarchy on the streets, indeed.

Well well well. Where do I begin? This is the first time I have felt compelled to reply to a thread on BS.

Hello everyone. Today I have read through a lot of finger-pointing, accusations, guilt-dodging and guilt-assuming posts. My conclusion, from reading this thread, and from driving on these roads is that the vast majority of you drivers with whom I share a road are the worst I have ever had the misfortune to share a road with. So many of you are here to preach, so many of you shake your fists and yell profanities whilst cocooned in the safety of your automobiles and yet, when I drive home this evening I will see so many of you continue to abuse the rules of the road as I see on a daily basis.

My first point - there will be no winner in the cars versus bikes debate. It's not 95% of car drivers who are morons, it's not 95% of bike riders who are morons. It is the vast majority of road users who are morons. The vehicle that they happen to ride is just an outlet for them to express and display their moronic driving habits, whether it be a bike or a car.

Secondly, how many of you here who pour scorn on others are going to drive home tonight and use the correct turn signals at a roundabout? The answer will be close to zero. Drivers on our roads have the attitude "everyone else does it, so can I." What b****ks. Know this: Rules exist to prevent chaos. Follow them, regardless of what the other idiots around you may do. (When was the last time you saw someone turning right at a roundabout and correctly using firstly their right indicator, followed by their left indicator after they pass the exit prior to the exit that they are going to take? - If you did see someone do this - it was me).

Bike riders - a special message for you - it is not OK to overtake in a lot of cases. It is never OK to double-overtake. It is absolutely f*****g never OK to overtake me so close to me that you actually make contact with me and clip my wing-mirror - this has happened (I ride a bike too but hope to change to a car when I can). Overtaking on the left when traffic is moving forward is stupid and dangerous. Forcing oncoming traffic to take evasive action is wrong.

Car drivers - pulling out of a junction when a bike is coming toward you is wrong. Leaving a motorcyclist with the choice of slamming on their brakes causing them to skid, or t-boning you is careless and idiotic. This has happened to me. Rear-ending motorcyclists is unacceptable, especially when you are not even insured - this has happened to me also. (and not because I leapfrogged anybody). Another one - don't f*****g tailgate me, and that includes taxi-drivers.

Car-drivers - fog lights are for foggy conditions, so if it isn't foggy - TURN THE FOGGING THINGS OFF!.

Bike-riders - if you're not going to bother fastening your helmet, just don't bother wearing one.

Bike-riders - I am sure you feel really cool when you ride with one hand on the handlebars and one on your lap. But it's against the law. You may be safe 99.99% of the time doing this, but what happens when you suddenly need to take evasive action?

Car-drivers - Sticking on your indicator when at a junction, or pulling out of a parking lot does not give you the right of way. If it's convenient for me, I will stop and let you out. If not, stay where you f*****g are and wait your turn. Don't start nosing out and forcing people to stop.

Car-drivers - If I overtake you (which I occasionally do when it is legal to do so) that is not a reason to tailgate me or try to intimidate me off the road. Are you so f*****g insecure that you take personal offence when you are overtaken?

Car-drivers - stay on your own side of the road at ALL TIMES. If you are unable to manouevre your vehicle such that you constantly find yourself straying over the middle line (esp. on Harbour Road) then get off the road. I don't care if the roads are too small - if you are incapable of driving within the laws and the lines, stay off the roads.

Bike-riders - your headlights have a dim swtich. Find out where it is and practice using it before you venture out at night again.

All of you - please do not travel on our roads unless you absolutely definitely know all the rules of the road, and further, have the common human decency and moral courage to abide by them.

Here ends the rant.

Well, your still alive "choozy". We have been over this on numerous threads but you seem pissed off for being a good and relative driver. Yah gutta bee ah ax-patt wiff ah noo kar..................valcum hahbored dee gooooo sheep ewart-pop......................... ;) :slap:

Choozy....yah juss ah maber as frum toodey..............."Compelled" ?.....Valculm hahboard hahgain.....have a "k" frum mee......eye neid ah quad---ripple........... ;D ;)

I think many of us are in agreement with your feelings about the driving culture and the scenarios on the road that you mention, however you can't accuse us of preaching and then turn around and do pretty much the same thing, nor accuse us of being hypocrites on the roads.

I could even take issue with your roundabout strategy in certain situations... the person who is actually on the roundabout always has the right of way. It's the responsibility of the person approaching the roundabout who must yield until the path is clear for them to enter the roundabout. These days partly because of bad driving, people have to look in each direction before entering it as well.

But this would be a good post to submit to the Gazette L.t.t.E. column if you only added an additional paragraph to admonish those who are on their cellphone and thus unable to have a free hand to make turn signals, much less avoid potential collisions.

With a name like that I suppose you have the right to preach. Just don't let Ace or CO know who you are. Or you might end up being the chosen one. K2U for a great rant. But as Tryangle says, you forgot the cell phones!

Bravo, I couldn't agree more.

Rim..

The fog light issue is easy. Ban them. It's never foggy in Bermuda. Never. Have them removed.

Let's face it, people use them to look cool.

"(When was the last time you saw someone turning right at a roundabout and correctly using firstly their right indicator, followed by their left indicator after they pass the exit prior to the exit that they are going to take? - If you did see someone do this - it was me)."

Not wishing to put your article down, as it was good....but "no", it wasn't just you! Rare to see I will grant you - but you aren't the only one doing it. Look in your mirror - I am right behind you.

When I was in high school a guy had a beat-up XR4Ti that he just thought was the coolest thing ever - and to make it even cooler, he had a bank of 4 of those round rally fog lights installed on the bumper   :slap:  The things were ALWAYS on... and freakin' blinding   >:(

Anyway, one day he had it in to the auto shop for the cheapie oil change etc (no labour cost) and I noticed whoever installed the fog lights ran all of their own wiring.  So I just cut the "hot" wire but left it in place so all looked well and ran my own, complete with a kill switch hidden under the bumper.  Shop teacher thought it was hilarious, but of course didn't condone it or know anything about it at all for that matter   ;)     It was fun to just go out to the parking lot and flip the switch every few days

What makes me smile is Government is planning to use all this new electronic wizardry so they can reduce police street patrols!!!  :dunce:


"Sen. Caines said the electronic tags would ease pressure on the Police in monitoring traffic on Bermuda's roads. "This technology will provide much needed relief to Police," he said.

Senator Kim Wilson added: "It will allow us to have more Police for foot patrol. It means they will not be tied to running around in cars, it will allow them to do other roles."

yet as witnessed in the UK at least it just encourages lowering of driving standards!!!

"I have noticed a drop in driving standards since they replaced traffic police with cameras. I passed my test in 1992 and as a young driver I used to get constantly stopped just as routine, to get the car over, tyres, tax etc and make sure I was not drinking, There seems to be more interest in generating revenue from speed cameras. More traffic police would reduce careless driving levels or replace the airbag with a spike in the middle of the steering wheel!!

Overtaxed, Buckingham"

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5231&edition=2&ttl=20080815113421





 

With all due respect, there doesn't seem to be much foot-patrolling these days. I'm sure that's due to lack of resources, but it would be useful to have a police officer or two navigating through the city and hopefully be able to enforce the laws.

I am in favor of foot patrols which are an important part of service delivery.

But in this thread we are tlaking about riders and drivers who are habitual breachers of the road traffic laws etc..

So they are going to stop for an Officer on foot patrol? Interesting concept.....

Piglet

Yah rite dear Piggy.....1:30am Tuesday Fabyooary 1970........Parliament and Frunt Streeetz....Wave dee ole raid fleshlight...and dee guy hits mee doowin 40 knuts........Norman Simons laughed so hard annn Buster Brown ann Laz Peerson ann J.L. Villiams haid to gahoe howme ann bee reeleeved......

Follies on broadway..............Chack howt number shreee ducks antranze....steal gutt mighy body imprint on it............................... :slap: :slap:

Eye neid ah rahum..............................................

Maybe if the cop noted the licence number then the person could be doubly-booked with the second offence being not obeying an officer's instructions...

I suppose you'd have no choice but to have them strategically placed around town on their 750s... bicycles and even Segways wouldn't likely be practical.

Ummm....perhaps that is what this thread evolved into but it was actually about a very good rider who obeys the law 99.9% of the time who almost got run down in a road rage incident after a crazy woman in a car decided to take the law into her own hands,.

Or maybe it was about this....

"Sorry about that Smokes...but we didn't get married.  I threw that one back man."

Did you get a good look at the driver Ace? ;)

I saw the whites of her eyes trust me.

I hope I didn't offend with my remark in the Holiday Inn thread man, I was just kidding.  Apologies if I hit a sore spot.

LOL - you couldn't hit a sore spot with a pair of .50 Brownings mate! Even if you are an Ace.

I just know that the woman scorned will take you out at red-light the first chance she gets! ;)

You mean like this??

(http://i30.tinypic.com/24curv8.jpg)

Nice tats.... now those'll leave a sore spot alright. ;)

I saw a really great one the other day.

A bike was trying to cut back into 5 o'clock traffic when a car decided that she should not be allowed back in and should instead be a *hood ornament* of an oncoming car.  Except....the woman in the car took too long to close the gap between her and the car in front because the bike rider managed to nip in front of her.  The car driver misjudged this fact and ran into the back of the bike.

The gesticulation of the car driver's arms and her attempts to get out of the car to check her damage and her attempts to get the bike rider to pull over were obvious signs that this person felt that the bike rider had caused this * accident*.

Problem is...due to her road rage she committed the traffic offense by hitting the bike, from behind, a fact I pointed out to the bike rider should she ever hear back from this crazy car driver.