Why do motorcyclists have a persecution complex?

Motorcyclists seem to think that car and larger vehicle drivers have a vendetta against them. Why is this? Motorcyclists that get abuse shouted at them, or horns blared at them, seem not to understand that it is normally a result of them having knocked wing mirrors or having used vehicles bonnets (hoods) as resting places for their hands. They also seem to think a traffic jam, or queue, is a challenge rather than something to be waited in patiently.


Motorcyclists also feel that running mini speed trials at traffic lights with other motorcyclists is something acceptable. Even if they aren't playing "whose bike is better" then they still sit in the queue revving the poor engines to ruin, motorcyclists also seem to have a habit of doing this when they start their engines first thing in the morning for no other reason other than they like to hear the sound of the engine.

Why do motorcyclists have a persecution complex?
The only persecution problem motorcyclists have is with people in cars tailgating them, changing lanes without signaling, pulling out of driveways while casually going through the motions of making sure the traffic is clear for them to enter the roadway while gabbing on their cell phone. Every single one of these issues puts the motorcyclist at risk for their life since an arguement between a cycle and a car, the car wins 100% of the time.





All that we ask is that you drive your car as if your infant is in the back seat and is totatally dependent on you doing the RIGHT thing EVERYTIME you drive. Are there stupid kids on cycles... yes. Some people in cars have little clue as to their responsibility and put others at risk due to their inattention and rudeness in traffic.





I don't believe anyone should get angry on the road, but I can see after a few close calls when I have a car behind me flapping on the cell and stoping right on my tail at the last minute, I do feel like saying something to them.





After talking with Sean by e-mail, I see he is in England and his perception may be a lot more skewed by circumstances of his environment. In the USA cars are on average a lot more affordable to even the youngest of drivers. I am sure it is not so in England. Perhaps those with less to buy a vehicle end up getting a motorcycle... especially the young. Maturity takes time, but if the cyclist or motorist is not following the rules of the road then the police should ticket them. Small congested non-direct paths through the city must make everyone shiver to drive there. I am sure it doesn't help when people are squeeking by you in a space between car lanes while stopped or at a slow pace on London streets. Here in the States, it is not the norm.





Due to the higher speeds here when we see this type of behavior, we call people here who do those things on bikes ."organ donors"
Reply:No I just have a fear of getting run down by Blondie on cell phone.
Reply:because of people like you who are judging every motorcyclist and banding them thinking they are all like that when they are'nt!
Reply:you may be thinking of people who own, harley's, or be thinking of teenagers who own crotch rockets. Those of us who don't need to go 200 mph , or destroy the eardrums of our neighbors to feel cool, get along quite nicely with other motorist usually. What the "Vendetta" amounts to is that many motorists, are already Asses to everyone, not just motorcyclists, that combined with the fact that they may not see a motorcycle since they already weren't looking for cars, makes motorcyclists angry. It's not that we have a problem with good drivers, it's just that bad drivers affect us even more than they would other cars.
Reply:To be honest with you, you really need to experience yourself what it is like to ride a bike on a busy road these days. Unfortunately there are a lot of good car drivers who actually know what's going on around them and look before pulling out of junctions, but the greater percentage don't. I have personally experienced what happens when a car driver doesn't look. It was at night so he couldn't have missed my headlight on the roundabout, and I didn't miss his car. The car actually came worst off though.


But as with all things in life, it only takes a couple of idiots (cars or bikes) for everyone to be treated the same.
Reply:We don't. It's just that you crazy "B's" think we are invisible. Not necessarily all of you but certainly plenty





We do have the same right to use the road as any other vehicle so why is it that virtually nobody thinks to look in the mirror and acknowledge that we are here when they change from lane to lane. Then when challenged seem to think that we are being unreasonable for daring to use the same road as them.





The standard of general driving on the UK roads in my opinion is appalling and if "some" of the other road users were made to have a spell on a bike for a change you would soon see that I am right. APPALLING STANDARDS
Reply:"Prejudice is an antipathy based on faulty and inflexible generalization. It may be felt or expressed. It may be directed toward a group or an individual of that group"





Gordon Allport, The Nature of Prejudice, 1954
Reply:Because they suffer from SPS (Small Penis Syndrome) .... that's why they need a motorcyle. You can tell if a guy has SPS, because he'll refer to his bike as a "crotch rocket".
Reply:Because they haven't figured out that their behavior is the source of the persecution.
Reply:It is a sad fact, that if you are not a car/van/wagon then you dont exist at intersections. Filtering through traffic is perfectly legal, however cuasing damage to other road vehicles while doing so is antisocial. Motorcycles are powerful and light, so do accellerate much faster than cars, so giving the impression of a 'time trial' and indeed, this is also part of the fun of motorcycling. Motorcycle exhausts are the quietest thay have ever been and are subject to far more legislation than other road vehicles. The sound of the engine is also another joy to the motorcyclist, as it is to the motorist with the lambourghini or ferrari. Motorcyclists do have a sense of persecution, but this is necessary, due to the fact that they are not surrounded by a tin box, have heating or radio to fiddle with or mobile phone to hold while the coffee cools on the dash. Would YOU really put your hand out onto the road surface at thirty miles an hour? Give them room and watch your mirrors.
Reply:Make it compulsory for everyone to take and pass there motorcycle test, before they are allowed to drive a car. This would make everyone far better drivers and far better at knowing what is going on around them. Persecution, what persecution!



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