Who Shouldn’t Ride
Aug 29th, 2008 by Leo
Mainly this blog encourages people to take to two wheels, develop good riding skills, and wear protection (unless you’re one of the X-Men)…because we realize that if more people took to two wheels, not only would they find something that brings a little bit more joy into life, but the city would be better off, with less traffic and better less demand for fuel. But with all the talk about rising motorcycle fatalities, this brings up the question, “Are there some people who just should NOT be on a motorcycle or scooter?”
Is it possible that there are some people who drive cars with reasonable safety who, regardless of training, should not be on a bike? Could be! Nick Ienatsch of Motorcycle magazine thinks so, and he gives this test in the Urban Survival chapter of Sport Riding Techniques – I’ll just list a few of his questions:
- Are you always being encroached upon by other drivers? If so, you’re driving in too many blind spots and are unaware of how to “drive in someone’s mirrors.”
- Do you honk your horn daily just to survive? Your horn should be your last line of defense. If you constantly rely on it to get through traffic safely, you aren’t reading traffic patterns well, and you’re in the wrong place–probably in someone else’s blind spot.
- Is every other driver on the road out to get you? It’s okay to think they’re out to get you, but drivers who really believe it drive in a timid manner. They don’t maintain their place in the flow of traffic, and are constantly taken advantage of by more aggressive drivers.
- Does stopped traffic frequently surprise you, forcing you to brake hard every time you drive? If so, your eyes are too low and you aren’t looking far enough ahead of your car.
- Do you have trouble accelerating onto a freeway to merge smoothly with traffic? you won’t survive on a motorcycle without a good deal of aggression and an ability to fit into traffic smoothly.
Some people are wondering, “But how can you drive or ride in a place like NY without constantly being encroached upon by cars, honking your horn, and being surprised by stopped traffic?” Well this gives you something to think about… This isn’t the kind of skill you’ll learn in a racing school or on the track, it’s a real-world skill that most people either develop naturally or will never get.
For current riders, this list highlights an “attitude” required to ride safely in congested cities… if you had to sum up the attitude it might be: awareness of your surroundings, and awareness of the intentions of other vehicles as well as the ability to make yourself seen by cars.
So what do you think, are there some people who based on their driving should not ride a bike? What other test questions would you add to Nick Ienatsch’s list?
Related Posts:
- So You’re Thinking of Getting a Motorcycle
- What Makes a Good Starter Bike
- Riding Skills: An Exit Strategy
Related posts:
“if you had to sum up the attitude it might be: awareness of your surroundings, and awareness of the intentions of other vehicles as well as the ability to make yourself seen by cars.”
I think that sums it up nicely. I’d add that there are certain “types/profiles” of drivers a rider needs to keep an eye out for. The kid or overgrown kid in the muscle car, rice racer, angry cab guy, cellphone talking mom in SUV are just several kinds of folks I tend to avoid with extra effort. Any of the above mentioned would also qualify for those kinds of people who should definitely NOT ride a bike.
Oh, and that guy in the photo is a total squid dressed like that on a bike. Yes, I know it’s “just” a scooter. The ground doesn’t care about what bike you ride when your body slides against it.
/throwing_stone_nanny_comment
Squidly, yes, but it’s Wolverine… His super power is that he’s indestructible.