Two Cents: Getting Noticed
Feb 27th, 2009 by Leo
Although I don’t recommend this, I think it might actually work in getting cars to notice you in NY. If you ever wished car’s would notice you more, perhaps an even better (and safer) option is to invest in a hi-viz safety vest to wear (at times) over your regular gear.
Why would I need this? In most situations it’s really up to the rider to look out for his/her own safety on the road. But there are traffic situations where a large part of your safety depends upon the drivers who are around you (especially behind you)…
I like the way UK police actually wear gear appropriate to motorcycling, as opposed to the short sleeve shirts and half-helmets you see in the US
Driving back (in a car) from Jersey some time ago I got caught in a light drizzle, and I don’t know what it was about the temperature (not too cold but not warm) and the humidity, the side and rear windows kept fogging and misting up and the glare from headlights made visibility a problem… A motorcycle really is invisible under those circumstances, unless you take some extra precautions. So not only is the road a bit slippery, but already distracted drivers have to struggle through additional obstacles. If they could see you, it would make it easier for them not to run into you.
A $5 vest packs easily into a backpack, and can be pulled out for dark or rainy weather. A safety vest will actually give you more visibility than a brightly colored helmet, with a little less dork factor. Or at least it gives you the option of not wearing the vest in nice weather. So anyway, there’s my two cents. Ride safe!
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That’s hilarious~~
If we do that in City I am sure we’ll get noticed! LOL~
Not to mention getting pulled over by the cops and get written up for Public lewdness…ha~
New York Penal Law
§ 245.00 Public lewdness. A person is guilty of public lewdness when he intentionally exposes the private or intimate parts of his body in a lewd manner or commits any other lewd act (a) in a public place, or (b) in private premises under circumstances in which he may readily be observed from either a public place or from other private premises, and with intent that he be so observed.
Public lewdness is a class B misdemeanor.
“Dorky” is in the eye of the beholder. There’s a lot about Europe that jives with my sensibilities (and some of it that doesn’t). In general, their motorcycling laws and the place bikers occupy in the daily urban scheme of things are one example that makes me laugh/cry at motorcycling/scootering (hell, CYCLING for that matter) here States-side.
Sure, there’s plenty of Nanny-laws over there, but logical no-brainer and perhaps life-saving everyday practices like hi-vis vests and filtering are make our antiquated practices over hear look amateur. As far hi-vis anything is concerned, at some point most riders make a choice between doing as much as they can to make themselves more visible to others with safety in mind, or doing so with fashion in mind.
I see more examples of the latter, as best shown by the popularity of black helmets, jackets and awesome black wife beater tanks that show off the tat-covered guns. To each their own, of course.
I wear a the True Orange Shoei helmet and Like it quite a bit. i do feel a bit like the headless horseman being in all black except for the pumpkin on my head. I believe that it is such an integral part of my safety kit that if I wasn’t wearing it I might be a bit nervous. That being said I am probably going to get a vest too for when I move to New Orleans.
I like that Shoei helmet! I think every manufacturer should make one like it. HJC has one that is more yellow, but I like the orange better.