Things on the road, you keep seeing that aren't there.

[PaulCa]

A few years back they converted the lights on the main dual carriageway into my town LEDs.  At the same time they installed this little black cabinet with a pole sticking out the top.

 

Every single time since, that I drive past this, even if I look at it consciously and see it as a charcoal grey utility box on the central reservation.... my inner advanced driver starts shouting "Pedestrian!"

 

I know it's not a pedestrian, but every single time I pass that box I have a pedestrian warning, every time I look in the mirror to confirm it was NOT a pedestrian.  But tomorrow I will do it again.

 

I have noticed this occasionally with other things.  Like flood lights from buildings ALWAYS raising a "headlights, car on the right!" type alarms from my road sense.

 

Am I alone?

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The only thing I can think of is a road near us where there is a window that reflects the headlights of vehicles on the road. This makes it look like there is a vehicle heading straight for you.

 

Every time I go down there I know it's coming but it still makes me flinch.

[PaulCa]

[PaulCa]

1 minute ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The only thing I can think of is a road near us where there is a window that reflects the headlights of vehicles on the road. This makes it look like there is a vehicle heading straight for you.

 

Have you ever miss identified someone's driveway as the road if it's lit up?  I had this once, it was a minor affair.  However I have heard stories of bikers ending up skidding into people garages and even cars ending up trying to stop from 50mph in a driveway.  I feel sorry for people who have driveways that lead straight on while the road turns.

 

[S-Westerly]

1 hour ago, PaulCa said:

 

Have you ever miss identified someone's driveway as the road if it's lit up?  I had this once, it was a minor affair.  However I have heard stories of bikers ending up skidding into people garages and even cars ending up trying to stop from 50mph in a driveway.  I feel sorry for people who have driveways that lead straight on while the road turns.

 

Happened to me near Carter's Bar in Northumberland. Fortunately it was a farmyard and I managed to stop before wiping the farmer out who had a rather surprised look on his face. Soooo embarrassed.

[bonio]

Yup. A143, riding east in the dark. There's a house out in the middle of nowhere with a security light. Every time I see it I flinch and think it's an oncoming vehicle, and the road must have a bend to the right. But it always turns out to be a house by the side of the road with a security light.

[Bender]

Tits, every where you go, are they real or imagined. 

[Steve_M]

14 hours ago, Bender said:

Tits, every where you go, are they real or imagined. 

Just not moobs.

[S-Westerly]

Speaking of tits the Greens were out in force in Stroud today. This time they were threatening us all with imminent extinction. Didn't take kindly to me pointing out that everything that's ever lived has either already gone extinct or will do. Wouldn't let me loose on their opinion poll.

[Joe85]

Hoards of adoring women, pining to be my pillion as I race away from the lights leaving the Deliveroo mopeds in my awesome wake. 

[Mickly]

On a country road approaching a hump back bridge I was convinced that the road went straight on due to the high hedges and telegraph poles going straight on, a great opportunity to get some air under the Gixxer’s tyres …. Nope the road went hard right shortly after the bridge and straight on  was a farm track … luckily the farm gate was open & I managed to keep it upright despite a bit of off roading

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

1 hour ago, Mickly said:

On a country road approaching a hump back bridge I was convinced that the road went straight on due to the high hedges and telegraph poles going straight on, a great opportunity to get some air under the Gixxer’s tyres …. Nope the road went hard right shortly after the bridge and straight on  was a farm track … luckily the farm gate was open & I managed to keep it upright despite a bit of off roading

I saw a guy do that once when we were approaching a bridge from the opposite direction. He flew over the crown of the bridge, realised the road was disappearing from underneath him, landed right on the joint between a kerb and a brick wall, did a very impressive wall of death moment, and shot off into the distance.

 

I swear you could hear his heartbeat over the roar of his exhausts.

[PaulCa]

4 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I saw a guy do that once when we were approaching a bridge from the opposite direction. He flew over the crown of the bridge, realised the road was disappearing from underneath him, landed right on the joint between a kerb and a brick wall, did a very impressive wall of death moment, and shot off into the distance.

 

I swear you could hear his heartbeat over the roar of his exhausts.

 

Reminds me of something I heard in both paragliding and skydiving training.  Basically it says, "Hit the ground still fighting to save yourself."

From many more experience taking much higher risks on pedal cycles/ mountain biking.  I can tell your from experience, the moment you commit to falling off, is the moment you commit to doing so.  Obvious is obvious.  However the issue is going there too soon.  You have not crashed into the hedge or dropped the bike until you actually do it.  Until that moment happens, continue with ever reserve of skill and experience to avoid it.  

Obviously it's clearer in the terms of aerial sports, as the altitude normally gives you a margin of time to fight or give up.  But it applies to motorcycling in so many ways.  On a mountain bike, trying to ride up a steep slope, along a narrow ridge and drop down some severely steep steps...  The moment you fail, is the moment you question and pause.  You have to commit and stay at least equally committed until the procedure is completed.  Once committed any pause or question will guarantee an off.  

 

It's the lottery.   If you play there is a high odds you will lose, but if you don't play the chance of wining is zero.  If you stop, question, pause, doubt yourself, you will fail.  so if you commit to a corner, commit to it.  Don't just question yourself half way through and accept defeat.  Fight!  Fight until you hit that wall.

 

Disclaimer:  Wine.

Edited November 6, 2021 by PaulCa

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

13 minutes ago, PaulCa said:

 

Reminds me of something I heard in both paragliding and skydiving training.  Basically it says, "Hit the ground still fighting to save yourself."

From many more experience taking much higher risks on pedal cycles/ mountain biking.  I can tell your from experience, the moment you commit to falling off, is the moment you commit to doing so.  Obvious is obvious.  However the issue is going there too soon.  You have not crashed into the hedge or dropped the bike until you actually do it.  Until that moment happens, continue with ever reserve of skill and experience to avoid it.  

Obviously it's clearer in the terms of aerial sports, as the altitude normally gives you a margin of time to fight or give up.  But it applies to motorcycling in so many ways.  On a mountain bike, trying to ride up a steep slope, along a narrow ridge and drop down some severely steep steps...  The moment you fail, is the moment you question and pause.  You have to commit and stay at least equally committed until the procedure is completed.  Once committed any pause or question will guarantee an off.  

 

It's the lottery.   If you play there is a high odds you will lose, but if you don't play the chance of wining is zero.  If you stop, question, pause, doubt yourself, you will fail.  so if you commit to a corner, commit to it.  Don't just question yourself half way through and accept defeat.  Fight!  Fight until you hit that wall.

 

Disclaimer:  Wine.

Disclaimer accepted.

[bonio]

Disclaimer polished off.

[Mr Fro]

1 hour ago, PaulCa said:

Disclaimer:  Wine.

Ooh, get you mr lah-de-dah.

 

It's a pint of Stella in my house or you can get your nancy corpse out of my gaff.

[fastbob]

It all looks different now but I've ridden straight into this farmyard in the dark . 

[billy sugger]

My brother once drove us into somebody's yard, then reversed us into a pond on the way out, even after I had told him the pond was there 

[Bender]

1 hour ago, billy sugger said:

My brother once drove us into somebody's yard, then reversed us into a pond on the way out, even after I had told him the pond was there 

Quakackers 

[Essem]

15 hours ago, PaulCa said:

>  Fight!  Fight until you hit that wall.

 

 

way back in the 80s I used to dabble in Enduro and trail riding. One mate was very good on a dirt bike, and one day crossing an open moor he left the rest of us in his wake. I asked him how he did this and remain upright, and specifically whereabouts he looked ahead - 5m, 25m ?  He reckoned the trick was not to look near, but look far, and don’t look for every hole or rock (which is what I did). He looked further ahead, went as quick as he could, and just dealt with problems as they occurred rather than look for them and attempt avoid.  Philosophy for life there.

[PaulCa]

23 hours ago, Essem said:

 

way back in the 80s I used to dabble in Enduro and trail riding. One mate was very good on a dirt bike, and one day crossing an open moor he left the rest of us in his wake. I asked him how he did this and remain upright, and specifically whereabouts he looked ahead - 5m, 25m ?  He reckoned the trick was not to look near, but look far, and don’t look for every hole or rock (which is what I did). He looked further ahead, went as quick as he could, and just dealt with problems as they occurred rather than look for them and attempt avoid.  Philosophy for life there.

 

I did an enduro week end on a CRF250.  Almost a full day we ran around the high peaks in granada spain on loose gravel mountain tracks.  The group who knew what they were doing, floored it, rooster tailed it off into the distance while those who where clueless plodded along trying to keep the front wheel from tucking constantly.  When we caught back up, they were de-kitted and laying out asleep in the sun.

 

The guides then explained the technique is to look far ahead, trust the bike, get up to good speed as quickly as possible and float along the gravel rather than sink into it.  It takes balls though.  I managed to get the bike up "on plane" once or twice on the straights, but had no idea how to control it on the brakes and so usually backed out and sank into it again.  It was a long hard day and... my backside hurt.

[DJP]

I used to be a police driver and when you're driving around at 3am your eyes play tricks and every bush and lamp post turns into someone lurking in the shadows.

 

It's even worse when you're looking for a suspect who's gone to ground: Is that him? Oh no, it's another bush!