Moron Motorists #3

[pj]

Angry bus driver

[uart]

Angry bus driver

Wow pj. It's very hard to see what you did to provoke that tirade. Other than just being there. LOL

[Cheesewheel]

Angry bus driver

Wow pj. It's very hard to see what you did to provoke that tirade. Other than just being there. LOL

Tbh I thought the bus driver was having a go at the car who blocked traffic by pulling out to merge when it wasn't clear.

[uart]

Tbh I thought the bus driver was having a go at the car who blocked traffic by pulling out to merge when it wasn't clear.

Ah yeah, I can see it now.

[g-boaf]

Friend of mine was caught out by a moron motorist. He had his classic Mercedes S-Class (a 1991 model) parked outside of his house. Video footage caught a hoon driver in a white Commodore losing it on the intersection, hitting the back of the old Merc, smashing it fairly badly. He kept going. Video footage isn't quite good enough to make out the number plate.

The Police aren't very interested either because the number plate isn't clear enough to see. That old car was quite pristine as well.

Any ideas on catching the hoon driver?

[jules21]

Any ideas on catching the hoon driver?

don't like your chances

[trailgumby]

Any ideas on catching the hoon driver?

don't like your chances

Police doing work? Yeah, nah.

Could try running likely combinations through the free rego check website but it will be a massive manual exercise unless you have access to bot software.

[pj]

Tbh I thought the bus driver was having a go at the car who blocked traffic by pulling out to merge when it wasn't clear.

Ah yeah, I can see it now.

Yes for once the abuse was not been directed at me

[Biffidus]

What kind of moron wants their car to emit noise?

As a(n ex-)motorcyclist, a loud engine is a useful reminder of your presence to unobservant motorists. It's saved me a few times.

As a cyclist, it's a useful warning that a hoon is approaching. When they start driving electric cars we're in trouble!

[bychosis]

What kind of moron wants their car to emit noise?

As a(n ex-)motorcyclist, a loud engine is a useful reminder of your presence to unobservant motorists. It's saved me a few times.

As a cyclist, it's a useful warning that a hoon is approaching. When they start driving electric cars we're in trouble!

Noise is handy for hearing trail bikes while out mountain biking. E-trail bikes will be a real problem because you don’t expect vehicles in the bush. Currently you can hear them from kms away.

[Lukeyboy]

REV BOMB!

[Thoglette]

As a(n ex-)motorcyclist, a loud engine is a useful reminder of your presence to unobservant motorists. It's saved me a few times.

Shame there seems no data to support that anecdote*. "Loud pipe saves lives" appears to be an excuse for owners of certain American bikes to ignore a road rule. And yes, I was involved in those (endless) debates decades ago.

* or rather there wasn't when I stopped looking more than a decade or so ago. Or at least not when the rider behaviour didn't warrant sirens and lights. If you've found some contrary research I'd love to see it. Particularly as all my recent reading on pedestrian and cyclist visibility suggests the contrary.

[mikesbytes]

You guys are confusing sound as a tool with sound as a pleasure to the detriment of others

[Duck!]

Two knuckleheads in the space of one intersection on my way home last night.....

The road I was travelling on is a moderately significant suburban route, although only a single lane each way, with a good shoulder lane. At the intersection of a dual carriageway it opens out to three lanes; a left turn/straight through lane, a straight through lane and a right turn lane. A short way past the intersection it merges back into a single lane.

So as I approach the intersection, I stake my place in the right wheel track of the left lane, to make it clear that I'm going straight. with a green light I give it some beans to ensure I'll be through, or at least well into the intersection before the lights change. Enter Knucklehead 1 who can't bear to slow down enough for a bike who is travelling faster than he will be going around the corner, and swings around from the centre lane, almost left-hooking me. Thankfully he missed.

But waiting on the other side of the main road was Knucklehead 2, sitting 1/4 of a car-length out of the slip-lane into my lane, and you guessed it, whipped straight out in front of me, again thankfully he missed, and to further drive (sorry about the pun) home the stupidity and futility of the impatience, immediately peeled off into the fat food establishment on the corner.

[silentC]

What kind of moron wants their car to emit noise?

As a(n ex-)motorcyclist, a loud engine is a useful reminder of your presence to unobservant motorists. It's saved me a few times.

As a cyclist, it's a useful warning that a hoon is approaching. When they start driving electric cars we're in trouble!

Noise is handy for hearing trail bikes while out mountain biking. E-trail bikes will be a real problem because you don’t expect vehicles in the bush. Currently you can hear them from kms away.

As someone whose property backs onto State forest, I'd be very happy to not be able to hear them

[human909]

Shame there seems no data to support that anecdote*. "Loud pipe saves lives" appears to be an excuse for owners of certain American bikes to ignore a road rule. And yes, I was involved in those (endless) debates decades ago.

Loud Harleys etc are just obnoxious. I'm surprised there isn't more policing of this noise pollution, being near one most likely exceeds safe noise levels.

Personally as a driver, the higher pitch sound of a motorbike on the freeway has definitely alerted me to the presence on occasions when I might not have been aware of the motorbike precedence as early.

[bychosis]

Noise is handy for hearing trail bikes while out mountain biking. E-trail bikes will be a real problem because you don’t expect vehicles in the bush. Currently you can hear them from kms away.

As someone whose property backs onto State forest, I'd be very happy to not be able to hear them

Wholeheartedly agree. I'd rather they didn't exist, but if they are around while I'm riding I'd rather they were noisy. If I'm moving at 20km/h and they come around a bend at 60km/h I can be prepared and out of the way if I can hear it coming.

Jet-skis fit in the same bucket. Noisy and annoying.

[uart]

Loud Harleys etc are just obnoxious. I'm surprised there isn't more policing of this noise pollution, being near one most likely exceeds safe noise levels.

Yes, I've been alongside them sometimes (on my pushy) at traffic lights, and they can be almost deafening to be that close to.

South Park did an episode on them (Harley Riders) once where they portrayed them as so needy for attention that they had to make as much noise as possible in every situation, just to be noticed. Their bikes of course were as loud as hell, but even when they were off the bike (in the dinner or where ever) they still had to try and keep up the same noise. It was hilarious.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8PFHCF9yHM

[human909]

Noisy and annoying.

Are we talking about the vehicles or those riding them.

There are some people who go out to enjoy nature. There are other people who go out to trash it. Those going bush in motorised vehicles seem to fit in the latter category much more often. Big 4x4s, dirtbikes, jetskis, snow mobiles... Of course the bad eggs are probably still a minority but its noticeable. That said all of those activities are damn fun.

[g-boaf]

Shame there seems no data to support that anecdote*. "Loud pipe saves lives" appears to be an excuse for owners of certain American bikes to ignore a road rule. And yes, I was involved in those (endless) debates decades ago.

Loud Harleys etc are just obnoxious. I'm surprised there isn't more policing of this noise pollution, being near one most likely exceeds safe noise levels.

Personally as a driver, the higher pitch sound of a motorbike on the freeway has definitely alerted me to the presence on occasions when I might not have been aware of the motorbike precedence as early.

Supposedly the loud pipes is because car tyres are so noisy at highway speeds. Uh, yes, that's precisely why our Harley riding friends are doing loud burnouts away from the lights and any time they have to slow down to a stop have loud bikes.

I'm affected by this motorbike noise and would happily have some enforcement action against them.

[silentC]

It's not an on the spot fine. They are reported to the EPA who issue a notice to present the vehicle for noise testing. All they do is put the original exhaust on, take it to be tested, get the certificate, then put the modified exhaust back on.

My old man was reported to the EPA for a noisy exhaust on his Landcruiser. It needed a new muffler and was making a bit of a din. He received a letter in the mail advising him he needed to have it repaired and a certificate sent to the EPA. That's all there was to it.

[HenryCharlie]

Maybe if they're pulled up by police, there should be a sticker put on the muffler and they have to get that muffler tested. If proven to be over the limit they then get a fine and have to come back with a quieter muffler.

[Jmuzz]

Maybe if they're pulled up by police, there should be a sticker put on the muffler and they have to get that muffler tested. If proven to be over the limit they then get a fine and have to come back with a quieter muffler.

They can do roadside testing, but it's very complicated to do properly since it is very RPM and distance dependant and it can be claimed that roadside noise and wind influenced the result.

So they send you for testing, which is a time wasting punishment by itself.

But it's an exhaust pipe, you can just jam stuff down it with a stick to shut it up. A lot come with OEM baffles and bike mufflers are called "slip ons" because that's literally what it does, 5 minutes to slip if off, add baffles, slip back on.

It's impossible to tamper proof the muffler unless they impound the vehicle, which they can't do based on a basic handheld sound metre.

[outnabike]

Two knuckleheads in the space of one intersection on my way home last night.....

The road I was travelling on is a moderately significant suburban route, although only a single lane each way, with a good shoulder lane. At the intersection of a dual carriageway it opens out to three lanes; a left turn/straight through lane, a straight through lane and a right turn lane. A short way past the intersection it merges back into a single lane.

So as I approach the intersection, I stake my place in the right wheel track of the left lane, to make it clear that I'm going straight. with a green light I give it some beans to ensure I'll be through, or at least well into the intersection before the lights change. Enter Knucklehead 1 who can't bear to slow down enough for a bike who is travelling faster than he will be going around the corner, and swings around from the centre lane, almost left-hooking me. Thankfully he missed.

But waiting on the other side of the main road was Knucklehead 2, sitting 1/4 of a car-length out of the slip-lane into my lane, and you guessed it, whipped straight out in front of me, again thankfully he missed, and to further drive (sorry about the pun) home the stupidity and futility of the impatience, immediately peeled off into the fat food establishment on the corner.

Hi Duck,
I like the clarity of your description. It sort of sums up the average ride doesn't it. I reckon it is all to do with the fact that we are made of glass and not seen. Apart from the real aggression out there, a cop on my door stated (after I had made four videoed complaints), that the good and decent folks driving in my video couldn't even remember the occasion and that it was I... who was the problem.
So I get what you mean.

[jules21]

a cop on my door stated (after I had made four videoed complaints), that the good and decent folks driving in my video couldn't even remember the occasion and that it was I... who was the problem.

you were the problem. you made him come all the way out to your door with your complaining and demanding nature that he uphold some kind of driving standards.