Think of the children

I found that out after I rebuilt the ABS on my FJ12 for the MOT.

Not all MOT places know it either. A bike shop in Wisbech was prepared
to sell me a non working ABS bike cheap as they reckoned it would cost a
fortune to fix the ABS to get it through the MOT.
And they were an MOT station.

 

That wasn't serious you prat. And I've been accused of "going all serious"
ever since I subscribed to ukrm, as if it's a complete surprise to anyone
who stumbles on a serious post that I have the audacity to post a view. Well
**** off, I'm here to entertain myself whether by being involved in
discussions like these or by talking bollocks.

And yes, that was a free feed line.

 

That's how I managed to collect the pedestrian with my MZ Trophy.

 

BTDT - but at 125 mph...

 

It's a pity there isn't a uk.rec.pedestrians we can have a flame war with
really.

 

Are you sure there isn't an alt.lemmings?

 

Cheshire & Warrington Information Consortium?

 

I'll take that as an enormous compliment Ivan, you being a far more
accomplished critical pedant then I. I'd like to proffer in my
defence that one has to know it to be able to abuse it. However, I'd
rather align myself in that context with Victor Borge than Les Dawson.

I'll try harder next time, eh?

 

So you think that if a ped runs in front of a bike he doesn't
understand that it'll put him in hospital? And if he does
understand that then he doesn't understand that he should look
before crossing? - I'm not following your logic.

 

So you give up on your argument when it gets tricky?

I'm a normal average bike commuter I have no skills that any
average or even below average member of the public can't have.
And it's not a laugh. The reason I'm a bike commuter is because
in this control freak, safety conscious, world we now live in,
the super-safe railway network has become a comedy commuter
system that costs a fortune both directly in fares and
indirectly in it's huge public subsidies while at the same time
can't deliver on its prime purpose. The present road-safety
lobby are attempting, without realising it, to do that to the
roads too.

 

Not generally, no. In your hypothetical argument it may well be that the
pedestrian is deemed to be at most fault. If it transpired that the mother
was reaching back to slap one of the kids or otherwise distracted then she
might consider herself to have contributed slightly. If one of the kids had
comically put their hands over her eyes, that's another matter. If she had
panicked and, although in retrospect realised she had time to brake, had
gunned the motor and mowed him down it would be a different situation. The
reason I didn't want to get involved in discussing an individual example is
that it doesn't detract from the thrust of the argument which is that as
aware bikers with aspirations to be among the highest skilled road users we
should exercise extra care around those that aren't and don't.

Yeah and I could have been a freelance systems analyst if I'd trained for
it. The fact is that the average or even below average member of the public
hasn't passed their bike test, some haven't passed their car test and we all
know what most cagers are like. They don't have that awareness because of
this, and because they're jet-lagged tourists from Japan, or distracted
mothers, or annoying teens on mobile phones- and because we know this-
therefore it has to be factored in to any responsible rider's awareness.

Perhaps since you're a biker not through enthusiasm but because of a
reluctance to use the poor rail service the pride associated with exercising
that responsiblity doesn't figure.

 

My lack of pride must be the reason that I've never had an
injury accident in 40 years of driving and biking.

 

Interesting, I see you've eschewed the generally accepted pattern of
conversation by not actually addressing any of the points I've made and
instead given yourself a pat on the back with a sarcasm topping.

Cunning.

 

Sorry to crash the thread but I just wondered if Mo is having the ten
minute argument or the full half hour. It's just that it's getting near
bedtime and I want my argument before we all get past it and start getting
cross and tetchy.

 

As did you when you failed to address the major issue (as I see
it) that the cost of the safety you seem to hold so dear is a
loss of the prime function of a transport system.

Wasn't it you that criticised my lack of pride a post ago? I
think that being proud of one's skills is a way to cease to
develop them and by appreciating that I'm not the most skillful
rider on the road leaves me open to learning how to improve.

 

It's not an argument - it's a full and frank airing of our
differing opinions. With a few ad-hominem insults [1] thrown in

[1] which is what I thought this news group was all about

 

How much? I had my bike weighed, with me and a reasonable amount of
gear onboard.480kg. Its a Pan Euro and I'm a big bloke.
Most sportsbike / rider combinations would come closer to 300kg.
There arent many pedestrians who would weigh 100kg, especially kids,
who are most likely to run out in front of a vehicle.

I'm never going to drive an artic again.
At least 380 times more responsible for a ped' walking out in front of
me?

The more vulnerable the road user, the more care they should take for
their own safety.

--
ColonelTupperware
spouting bollocks on Usenet since 1997
Usenet FAQ at
http://www.its.caltech.edu/its/services/internetapps/news/news2.shtml
UPCE FAQ at http://upce.org.uk/
UKRM FAQ at http://www.ukrm.net/faq/

 

What? Are you saying that to increase safety considerations impedes making
progress on the roads?

It really wasn't meant as a criticism but when you said-

"I'm a normal average bike commuter I have no skills that any
average or even below average member of the public can't have.
And it's not a laugh."

-it didn't come across like you had any interest in bikes in themselves at
all, certainly I don't see how any roadcraft that you have developed as a
biker can be had by Joe Public without undergoing the same process.
And "pride associated with exercising that responsiblity" doesn't equate to
"being proud of one's skills ". It would be just peachy if you could read
what I wrote in future exchanges.

 

Sorry, I'm in too good a mood to argue this morning, please come back
later.

 

That's what's happened on the railways, and is now happening on
the roads. I've said somewhere else, more people die in
accidents in their own home than die on the road (from
government statistics, but I don't have the reference to hand).
I feel adequately safe on the roads I don't want them to be safer.

I accept that

I love riding my bike

He doesn't need those skills he just has to look both ways
before he steps out in the road. That should be enough to reduce
pedestrian casualties to near enough zero.

Read your mind?