The two second rule is useless...

[angryjonny]

...in London because a two second gap is long enough for pedestrians to think they can run across the road in front of you and cars think they can pull out into the gap. By leaving two seconds you are encouraging people to force you to brake or swerve. Does anyone else find this is the case, either in London or elsewhere?



Disclaimer: I'm not encouraging people to not leave a two second gap here. I'm merely saying you have a choice. Slam into the back of a car that you're following too closely or slam into the side of a car that pulls out into the gap you've left. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[techierob]

yup. I catch myself bipping the horn occasionally as much as I hate doing it, but it's only a matter of time before I swerve around a suicidal pedestrian and low-side on a manhole cover.
Short of getting one of those exhausts that sounds like bernard manning farting into a bullhorn, I don't see any other option

[Minty]

Same in Croydon, especially near East Croydon Station. Nutters just walk into the road. They dont even twig until you are along side and accidentally rev

Dont get me started on cars. They seem to think "I am indicating - therefore I am coming over to your lane. My indicators, thus, give me right of way".
____________________
My fingers smell of your mum.

[palmer]

used to get a bit like that in peterborough central, but nothing that scary, speeds were 30 or lower, and often qued. i was more often than not going down the middle of traffic than following it.

[Stiffler]

I've found exactly the same in Manchester. I've always been a fairly cautious driver leaving a good gap to the car in front (if anything else I think of it as polite to not sit up the backside of the car in front). But since I started riding a bike I've quickly learnt to drop the distance for my own safety. Maybe the gap looks larger or more inviting when it's only a bike coming, I don't know, but I seem to encounter people hopping out in front of me far more often!

It's also not helped by the fact a few months ago a little boy tried to do the very same thing and I couldn't stop in time before running into him. Since this happened I've been even more skitty about leaving "potential" gaps in front of me.

Tim
____________________
Current Bikes - Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) | BMW G650GS

[Mister James]

I know what you mean, and have the same problem, but I simply try and intimidate people into NOT barging into my space. If someone does, I simply slow and create a gap again. Frustrating as it is, eventually you will end up surrounded by half decent drivers who will cut you a bit of slack.

If you commute on the A312 surrounded by crap asian mini-cab drivers, you may find it takes some time to achieve this happy situation.
____________________
>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[17-in-87]

This is the main reason I fitted a noisy exhaust - a few blips on the throttle normally gets pedestrians jumping back onto the pavement
____________________
K1 GSX-R 600 - blue n white of course....

Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional...

[Itchy]

Old rusty bikes prevent this a great deal! , you just ride slightly to the side , and switch from far forward to close constantly so you can pre buffer some braking in time , and ride in a lower gear so you can stop on the spot with engine braking (though this may just make somebody go in behind you),

today has been a 3 second gap day , the wind is so strong near the CIS it pushed me up hill in neutral.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[angryjonny]

It does seem to be a bike problem. I can leave a 2 second gap in the car and no-one does this. People just seem to have some kind of mental tic that says "bikes aren't dangerous" or "that bike isn't really there" or "it's ok to piss off a biker" - I don't know, maybe all three.

The other thing that gets me is when drivers drive alongside you on a single-lane road, simply because there is room to do so, particularly in a queue of traffic. I find a deliberate look across to them and a tilt of the head to say "what are you doing?" usually does the trick though. Still - at least in traffic if you find a driver intent on killing you it's easy enough to put some distance between you and them.

[Itchy]

no seriously get a black visor I don't have a black visor but a HUGE sun shield on the front which is almost as big as the visor , and maybe its psychological but fewer people do nasty things to you on the road.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[G]

Wheelies.

[DEN MONKEY]

Maybe its the pedestrian form of filtering.
Or car drivers trying to get even for it.

I hate when Im in a pedestiran area and they see me coming but still step out on the road and get way to close to me when I pass for comfort.

I have also been known to slip on the throttle to assist in their awareness of my proximity.

The exhaust definately has its benefits here though, because they never used to run like they do now.
See em start to step out and give it a fist full and rocket toward them......run bunny run



Right up there with cagers who creep out into an intersection while IM STILL FUCKING USING IT
____________________
meh

[paulodd]

Only had that problem once when i 'popped' into London.

Remember the horn is meant to be used to let people know you are there, not as an abusive angry thing! So just keep beeping your horn like they do abroad, everyone will think your crazy and leave you be
____________________
Paul
1999 Yamaha R6
www.coventrybikers.co.uk / www.norfolkriders.co.uk

[mistergixer]

Maybe we should make jaywalking an offence as it is in many other countries - in the UK it has always been the responsibility of pedestrians to cross safely (something i wholeheartedly agree with), however in these days of diminished personal responsibility perhaps it might be a wise idea to institute it in urban areas.

I was in Seoul a few years ago and went to cross an empty road a few hundred yards away from a pedestrian crossing - i got half way across before i realised that everyone on the street was staring at me - lucky there wasn't a copper around, in Seoul they carry big fuck off swords and look like they want to use them!!!
____________________
Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[flat eric]

its really annoying when you leave a suitable gap to the vehicle in front. you always get someone pulling into the gap whether it be overtaking you or pulling out on you, but i suppose you can't stop them. after all once a crap driver/rider always crap driver/rider, mostly driver crap.
riding defensively is always my approach, and always expect people to do the wrong thing. expect the unexpected.
i always gets tits pulling out on me when driving/riding to work, they wait 'til i'm on top of the junction and then they pull out. at least when i'm on the bike i can blast past them.
____________________
There is always someone worse off than you !

[Kal]

[techierob]

I had a close shave yesterday. I was following a diversion near threadneedle street and was filtering past some stationary traffic when some fellow walked out between two taxis right in front of me.
Luckily, I was doing about 10mph, had the brakes covered and had left a big enough gap to spot anyone jumping out, but the poor fellow got the fright of his life. He turned round to face me just as I braked, and the front tyre must have stopped about an inch away from his nuts. A fraction of a second later, and I'd have probably been wiping bits of scrotum off my headlight
He apologised. I let him go past and no harsh words got exchanged - although I did get called a "cunt" by some ponce in a double-breasted suit who was more interested in looking at his mobile than watching where he was going. I suppose that's a fair thing to call somebody who slows down and lets you walk slowly across a busy road

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

If a pedestrian starts to walk out, as you pass them do the ol' kill switch back fire. Would put the shitters on them.
____________________
My Flickr

[THCi]

[m99dws]

Simple solution, stay away from the dirty south

[J0Al1]

I prefer the 5 second 'chair' rule - much more fun

[element]

[SoulRider]

i usually leave enough gap for me to know i can stop, not allways two seconds but only you can say how quick you can stop. (worse thing though is lap of concentration, not good and best avoided luckily i managed to stop, lesson learnt.).

Ive only had the one padestrian walk out infront of me and to make it worse it was a fellow biker from my work, just looked at me coming towards him and walked right out in front of me. Managed to stop and he just walked on, right there is an example of someone you can call "not a proper biker".
____________________
My Bike Pics

[angryjonny]