Safe Speed Forums

a few weeks back a female friend broke down smack in the middle of a junction (3lane DC with 2 lane on/off slip approaching a roundabout) at rush hour. she sat there with the hazards on, terrified for a good 15minutes with cars squeezing round both sides, beeping and giving abuse.
eventually a swede stopped behind and got out to see if he could help. he parked his car across the left most lane and helped push her car out of the way.

hundreds of pople must have passed before then.. none stopped

this morning i had a similar dilemma.... saab broken down in L2 of 5 approaching traffic light controlled roundabout.. with waves of cars coming off the motorway traffic lights.
mus have been terrifying... i wondered what i could do and ran through a mental risk assesment:

1 - park up, would have had to be half on the verge and partially in the way or directly behind the stranded vehicle.. putting mine & me in even more risk
2 - go and speak to the driver, i dont carry a hi vis... i will go an get one.. even then being on the edge of a lane and having to cross one didnt sound good
3 - recovery? its uphill slightyl so pushing forwards wouldnt have been possible.. the best we could have done was to roll back across to the kerb between waves of traffic.. possibly i could have gone round to block the lane with my car.. but the intention would not have been clear to other traffic... and even then it would just move her to the side of the road not off it.

i didn't stop.. i didn't go back... should i?

I hate to discriminate but I'd only stop for bikers now. I stopped once for a car and asked the driver if he wanted any help and he said sarcastically "you the RAC then are you", so I said "No, but then i'm also not the twat broken down at the side of the road", then after leaving his kid a can of coke I drove off.

Sod them now, is what I say.

I'll stop for bikers (not scooters or other 2 strokes) but not for car drivers. Thats only because I know how much it p*ssed me off when I was broken down (as a female on my own) on my bike at the side of the road for about half an hour, waiting for my other half to come get me, and all these twats in cars just drove by slowly and stared at me rather than stopping to see if I was ok.

Oddly enough, all those who did stop (and there must have been about 5) were either female or bikers, or both...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

so how do you tell, from a moving vehicle, that a bike is broken down and not just stopped for some other reason? Obviously if you're in a car you pop the bonnet, but a bike?
I can imagine you'd also get p*ssed off if you were just having a rest or waiting for someone and every second person was asking if you were ok, at least I would.

ah.. .bikers... such a caring inclusive bunch

Well all it would take is for a couple of people to block the road for a few seconds and push the car out of the way... of course people won't stop even if you're lying half dead on the road. Just yourself would be rather dangerous though - and how long do you wait for someone else to join you?

I've been driving along and noticed a man collapsed by the roadside, so I went around the block and came back. Amazingly, nobody had stopped in the few minutes it took. As I pulled up the guy got up and staggered off, obviously rather drunk.

I've also been knocked off my bike a few times, once right in front of a rather posh school. NOBODY has ever stopped to offer assistance.
If I see an accident, I always stop to at least offer my details as a witness.

I wonder if this is a manifestation of our increasingly bonkers "Compensation Culture"? Nobody wants to stop and help because if they do, and in the process the person that they are helping or his/her property is damaged in some way, they feel that the next they'll hear about it will be a writ for damages issued by one of the rapacious firms of ambulance-chasers..

Wasn't there a case a couple of years ago where an experienced first aider cleared the airway of a woman who had (I think) swallowed her tongue in a car accident? Unfortunately in the process he damaged one of her crowned teeth. She sued him for the cost of its replacement, despite the fact that without his actions she'd have been dead!

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

I was riding to work one morning and set off from a set of traffic lights (from the front, natch )

About 4-500 yards away an old dear was crossing the road, a very wide urban road - no parked cars, wide enough for 2 lanes in each direction. She saw the lights change and decided to pick up the pace to get across before all the cars reached her. She tripped and fell just after crossing the white line in the middle of the road. I was still about 150-200 yards away and immediately braked and pulled in at the side of the road - she was still lying in the outside lane.

By the time I got my helmet off the cars had all passed. I went over to her, helped her up and guided her to the pavement. Fortunately, other than skinned palms and knees, she seemed uninjured and was happy to get back across the road and back home to get herself sorted out.

WTF is wrong with people? An old lady fell in the middle of the road in front of oncoming traffic at 8.30 in the morning and no-one else stopped to make sure she was ok. They didn't even stop and give her a chance to get off the road, they just drove round her like so much road debris. At the very least I would have hoped that someone with a bit of compassion would have protected her with their car, hazards on, until she was able to get up off the ground. Sometimes I despair of the selfishness on display in this country.

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Less Kodak, more Kojak.
In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

THIS sums it up.

It also beggars belief. When did people suddenly start to become so shitty?

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

Many years ago I was listening to the radio in the car on the way to work. The traffic helicopter was reporting on a broken down vehicle on a very busy commuter route, describing how cars were having difficulty getting past etc

The traffic guy, in his most sarcastic tone of voice, said something along the lines of "hey, you in the traffic jam; if you guys at the front get out and push that car out of the way you'll all get where you want a lot faster"

2 minutes later he reported that the broken down vehicle was off the road and traffic was moving freely again.

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Less Kodak, more Kojak.
In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

When they became so wrapped up in themselves they forgot other people exist too.
When they realised that altruism repays only through experiencing satisfaction and contentment at helping a fellow human being, not in crisp fivers

I've seen that photo before. Appauling, absolutely appauling. To be honest things like that make me ashamed to call myself a human being - but then its London, what more can be said?



Depending on the road, if possible slowing and giving a thumbs up usually works, as the biker USUALLY understands this and responds accordingly. If not, yeah I'll stop and ask - generally people don't stop for a rest in the middle of the road or on a busy junction

There have been a couple of occasions where I've stopped at the side of the road to check something (involving spanners out) and yeah, a few people stopped / slowed to ask, and no it didn't piss me off. I'd far sooner have to thank people for stopping and send them away than sit there for hours on my own with no offer of assistance.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Allrighty then. So what happens with the ones that don't understand? Being a psychotic biker, do they come roaring after you and carve you into little pieces?

That's right, using the axe that all psychotic bikers carry especially for dealing with that eventuality...

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

I use a mace. It's easier to fit under the seat

Edited to add: this is a joke. I have never psychotically attacked another road user for offering to help me

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Less Kodak, more Kojak.
In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

I think this apathy is down to a mixture of things. First off you've got the 'What can I do to help?' reaction. This is especially true of a broken down car that is in no danger and not an obstruction. Modern cars are quite complex and even if someone knew a bit, it's unlikely they would have the tools / parts to solve the problem. The second is fear. This is of a variety of things. Is it a trap? I once had three men that were at the side of the road in an old banger waving for me to stop. I didn't. Why? Becasue I was on my own, outnumbered and driving someone else's £15k car. Then their is drunks and the like, people are scared to offer their help in case they get violent. Then there is the fear they may cause an even bigger tailback if they stop and can't get the car to safety. The third is clearly the ugliest, but some people just too lazy and can't be bothered. Not much you can do about that.

I will help if I think I maybe of assistance and not in fear of my own personal safety.

True story(according to my mate!): - His mum once saw someone walking along the road carrying one of those green 5l petrol containers. Being the good samaritan she stopped and asked if he wanted a lift to the petrol station. The chap said that would be great and he jumped in. Since she was in no rush she offered to give him a lift back which he again accepted. When he directed her to a residential address she asked where is car was to which he replied "What car? This is for my lawnmower!"

When smackhead muggers started using the ploy of the "unconscious" female in order to get their next victim.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Perhaps since they cottoned on to the fact that they're very likely to be fined for parking on a double yellow while helping the woman.

I would have had no hesitation in stopping

Cheers
Peter

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

That is why I NEVER nod at bikers when I ride my bothers "proper bike". My scooter runs EVERY day and is not some pampered toy sportsbike, it earns its corn. "proper" bikers don't nod and evidently woulnd't stop to help if I needed it because I have only one very small piston.

Not sure I'd stop for Laydees either. Don't have the money fight any court cases for stuff I aint done...