Riding on the roads and traffic...... Rant

[PeterNatt]

I always recommend that riders wear long sleeved Hi-Viz jackets so that drivers can see their hand signals more clearly.

The method of slowing down a vehicle is firstly to point at the driver for 3 seconds and then raise the palm of your hand towards them. This will normally do the trick. Waving your hands will not work!

 

[Natch]

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I got a high viz police surplus jacket for christmas, its been the greatest thing for slowing people down, I have also been asked if I'm the actual police whilst wearing it, sadly not yet!

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Wear it in the forest near me and you get mistaken for the (non-existant) "Forestry Ranger" by kids and asked if you can do cool stuff!

First (and probably last) time I ever had street cred I think!

 

[Storminateacup]

Personally I think it has very little to do with drivers not understanding the signals to requests that they slow down or stop. I think most of these kinds of drivers are ignorant swines that have issues about what they percieve to be "middle class/stuck up women on horses" who by their gestures, are to their warp minds, telling them what to do.
Basically they feel intimidated by us, perhaps just because we are women, and they are NOT going to be bossed around by us.
If you were driving an Audi or a Merc or some other classy car that could outrun them at the lights then these would be the type of guys that would try to beat you.
When we are on a horse they seek to intimidate JUST because they can.
I think these are the same types that hit their wives in an argument, or try to force themselves on women or who sexually harrass and intimidate women whenever they find the opportunity.
They dehumanise us in their minds by labelling us in some derogotary way, which then "allows" them to behave towards us in a way that can cause our deaths or inflict severe injury.

Alright, a few are women drivers but the vast majority are men.
I ride defensively at all times, and I know what this is all about, its about mens oppression of women (whenever they can get the chance - And no I am not anti-men just these types of men).
I bet they wouldn't do it to men on horses or the local Hunt.
Its the lone woman rider or the odd couple of riders out together that bear the brunt of this aggression.

They do it because they can, and because they WANT to.

An extreme view, maybe but I have had so many near misses over the 20 years I ve been riding, been screamed at, hooted at, had farm machinery driven at me and been chased by a man in a landrover who reversed his car up the road hurling threats then jumped out of his car and ran after me and friend on our horses, screaming whilst whirling a brolly around his head for maximum reaction.

We had asked him to slow down whilst passing us.

 

[Tinkerbee]

Nope,I don't ride two abreast. Ignorant and dangerous on our lanes.

The drivers around here are fairly good. 90% of the locals know us and slow down, and we know the 10% who will try and kill you, so leap onto a drive/verge if you see them coming.

Its the tourists/visitors who could do with a riding crop round the face.

Actually thinking about it theres been a few who seemed to think that the slow down signal was a speed up one as they actually sped up and overtook us, putting their hand up to thank me as they went past.