I'm stumped

[guest7]

I'm having four weeks off bikes so that I can stagger my insurance renewal dates (car and bike in same month, not good).

'Car' I hear you mutter. Yes, instead of riding everywhere I am tootling around in a 1.8 diesel Escort van. It's deadly dull.

My bike problem is this - how the hell do car drivers put up with it?

GC

[Jez F]

Firstly, don't use an escort van,dull as ditchwater, drive something with a bit more in the power department, I use a 4.3ltr Chevy left hooker,  makes overtaking a bit more interesting! The only advantages of being stuck in traffic in a box is the radio, not getting wet and not having to stop when you want a smoke. Much prefer being on a bike, got to get on with all the rebuild/projects.
Jez

[guest7]

The only advantages of being stuck in traffic in a box is the radio,

I agreee, but being an R4 listener, I seem to have the bad luck to always be in it when Woman's Hour or You and Yours is on. WH's gem this morning was some hippy droning on about the Eco-friendly felt coffins she makes and sells 

GC

[guest18]

My bike problem is this - how the hell do car drivers put up with it?

GC

Radio 4, cd's of "I'm sorry I haven't a clue".
Or what I also do is throw in a 2m VHF radio* and chat with the guys in the off road club to organise the fun
(*illegal to use a mobile phone whilst driving, not recommended to use hands free... perfectly legal to use a 2 way radio! A one or two day course for the foundation licence and none of the cb idiots on it. Strongly recommended for club comms/frinds networks  )

[bullet350]

 the nice thing about driving with four wheels, is its alot easier.

 for starters you don't have to:

 indicate
 use mirrors
 leave a distance when following other vehicles
 give way to bikes (they can just get out of the way)

 also you can use the phone when driving as long as the conversation only uses 90% of your brain, leaving the other 10% to drive the car.

has riding in London made me bitter?

 bullet350
 

[Steve H]

 the nice thing about driving with four wheels, is its alot easier.

 for starters you don't have to:

 indicate
 use mirrors
 leave a distance when following other vehicles
 give way to bikes (they can just get out of the way)

 also you can use the phone when driving as long as the conversation only uses 90% of your brain, leaving the other 10% to drive the car.

has riding in London made me bitter?

 bullet350
 

Its not limited to four wheels. I was following a Fireblade out of Cardiff last summer and I couldnt understand why he was weaving around so much. When I eventually pulled alongside, on the dual carriageway, he was reading a text on his phone.

[Dave#22]

Text on a phone.......last year I was following a friend who was on call and as we were riding toward Welshpool, his phone rang, so instead of stopping to answer it, he took it out of his pocket to read the message and.......dropped it. It hit the ground at 50mph and disintegrated. We stopped, went back and scoured the area and I found all of the parts which were spread all over the road and on both verges, reassembled it in the cafe and to my amazement it worked, but didn't look too well. The problem was that it was new, not his phone, but the property of a local authority and he would have been in the s**t if it had gone missing and been found in Wales.
   Dave

[guest7]

Texting bikers! 

I can barely undo a zip on my jacket pocket whilst riding without using two to three lanes and much cursing... let alone then retrieving and reading a phone.

Each to their own I guess.

GC