What are you afraid of?

[sammyseaman]

Years ago I would have said animals. I used to ride as much at night as day and deer scares were often. Now a days I'd have to pick inattentive drivers.  
What say you?

[squeezer]

Not a lot of heavy traffic where I live, so the deer remain the biggest danger. PA leads the nation in deer strikes.

If I was back doing an urban commute, I'd be more worried the distracted drivers.

[Mr. Whippy]

Deer weigh a coupla hundred pounds (maybe)

Cars weigh a coupla thousand pounds.



If I have to choose an erratic object to hit (or be hit by), I'll go with the lower weight, lower speed object.

[Papa Lazarou]

Idjuts in cages. As ever.



Don't like heights much either, which is why I don't own a KTM.

[mugwump58]

While a couple of those other entries are in the running the thing that has most often almost done me in is inattentive drivers.

[Kneescrubber]

Left turners. Been to the emergency room a couple of times and have had several broken bones because of them.

[Roadhound]

People who think their automobile is a mobile phone booth.

[Rincewind]

I'd have to go with the police

[Fourstring]

On a three lane highway, the guy two lanes over who sees the same open space and has the same idea.

[Papa Lazarou]

Short fat Brits.  

[sammyseaman]

Short fat Brits.  

Sooooo..... you voted Animals?

[chornbe]

Animals.

I read traffic very well, I'm generally pretty good about space and cushions and safety margins, blah, blah, blah... If another driver fucks up and I'm involved, nah... that's my fault. I shouldn't have been where someone else can affect me.

But big critters... yeah, huge unknown x-factor, there.

[Papa Lazarou]

Sooooo..... you voted Animals?

No. Can we have an option for Sais Nech?

[squeezer]

No. Can we have an option for Sais Nech?

(With trepidation, he ventures forth...)

What the heck is "Sais Nech"?

[Papa Lazarou]

(With trepidation, he ventures forth...)

What the heck is "Sais Nech"?

A Saxon.  

 (Gael=Sassenach)

[bassjones]

Animals.

I read traffic very well, I'm generally pretty good about space and cushions and safety margins, blah, blah, blah... If another driver fucks up and I'm involved, nah... that's my fault. I shouldn't have been where someone else can affect me.

But big critters... yeah, huge unknown x-factor, there.

Huge plus 1.  stupid humans I can usually predict pretty well.  stupid future venison steaks, not so much...

[bubba zanetti]

While inattentive drivers likely are a greater risk, my fear comes from animals which, in my case means deer and elk, darting out across the road.  Knowing there will be little I can do of any consequence. That just scares the crap out of me!

A distant second is insecure loads on the highway - plywood and mattresses tied with string to the roof of a car being my biggest fear.  

[bomber]

While I admire those who claim to be able to predict the actions of other road-users, I do not believe them. They do, which is sufficient, I"m sure. ;-}

Other drivers, every time. Far more difficult to predict/evade/protect against than animals.

[Papa Lazarou]

While I admire those who claim to be able to predict the actions of other road-users, I do not believe them. They do, which is sufficient, I"m sure. ;-}

Other drivers, every time. Far more difficult to predict/evade/protect against than animals.

You've never encountered a deer driving a car, have you?

[sammyseaman]

A distant second is insecure loads on the highway - plywood and mattresses tied with string to the roof of a car being my biggest fear.  

That is no fun. We get a lot of these types around here and you never know what you're gonna encounter sitting in the road or flying out of a pickup bed/trailer.

[bomber]

You've never encountered a deer driving a car, have you?

Very good point.

Though I do see teenaged girls behind the wheel often -- the deer should be afraid.

[nater]

Well, as I've managed to rack up 2 tickets in the past year    , I would have to go with the police.

[STJoe]

Old men in hats driving light colored four doors.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Old men in hats driving light colored four doors.

 

You get them in the US as well?   Flat caps or other sorts of hats? Ours wear flat caps.

[bomber]

You get them in the US as well?   Flat caps or other sorts of hats? Ours wear flat caps.

The bad ones wear plastic baseball caps -- with earflaps.

And listen to talk radio.

And have a compass on the dashboard.

[stevent]

You've never encountered a deer driving a car, have you?

Actually most of them seem to be walking around here.........I guess they bound from time to time..

[Mr. Whippy]

I was sort of expecting "Clowns" as one of the options.  

[sammyseaman]

I was sort of expecting "Clowns" as one of the options.  

That would be other. I'm not sceered of too many things (prison sex, being burned alive, Oprah) but clowns are pretty feckin' scary.

[mugwump58]

Actually most of them seem to be walking around here.........I guess they bound from time to time..

After a shitty day at work, thank you for my first laugh of the day.

[STJoe]

You get them in the US as well?

Seems like more every day.

Flat caps or other sorts of hats?

Have to say most wear ball caps, but I've seen more than a few in flat caps.  Are you exporting them?

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Only with the standard accessory, an old man in a beige anorak attached to the underside of the cap.

[JonS]

My pick was road conditions. Gravel, sand and water. It could be animals too. With the huge amount of open range, it is very common to have horses, cattle or sheep and goats wandering around. Cows seem to like the plants that grow close along the shoulder.

[Squareman357]

I voted animals at first, but realized I only worry about them at the start (leaving before dawn) or tail end (arrival after dark) of travel days during trips, not so much during the day.  I changed to inattentive drivers because that's what got me in my only serious get off.

[RRdvark]

Before most of the corn was harvested my two biggest concerns were animals coming out of the corn and drivers at intersections not being able to see around the corn (thus pulling out in front of me).  Now that the corn is (mostly) down, my ride seems much safer.  Too bad it's getting cold now.

[UFO]

(X) Any other vehicle on the road.

animals on the road are rare, but the roads are rife with numbskulls behind the wheel of vehicles of all kinds.

[J-Mac]

Great thread. The last thing on these idiots mind's is driving their car.

Forward facing machine guns, like the Warthog, would be perfect.

[Papa Lazarou]

Funny thing was, when I had Cossack outfit, I became visible to all other road users.  

It might have been because the chair had a dent in it, it might have been the camouflage job, or it might have been the machine gun. Who knows?

[et]

Inattentive drivers by a long shot !

I would like to see the metrics on where people live and ride (ie rural, suburban, or urban) vs. how they vote.

--ET

[McHack]

Riding country roads,  & going UP a hill,  & nearing the apex of the hill....

You can NEVER know whats on the other side...  a turn,  a deer,  a combine,  a drunk redneck...  

[Scratch33]

I voted 'Driver Inattention', but after yesterday's ride there should be an option for 'Losing Shit'.  Redfox and I were our riding our FZ's when we came up on a GXSR.  Just as we started to go by the poor guy I saw his wallet fly out of his unzipped jacket pocket -- it and its contents scattered all over four lanes of heavy traffic.  No way he was gonna be able to recover it.  
  

[Playinthestreet]

The bad ones wear plastic baseball caps -- with earflaps.

And listen to talk radio.

And have a compass on the dashboard.

The compass has replaced St Christopher from the days of steel dashboards...

[Elseanno]

I voted for inattentive drivers.  I struggled between that and road rage as both have tried to take me out.

I think it might also be interesting to rank three or four things. For instance, I'm also very wary of road conditions and of animals. Most of the other items on the list don't concern me very much.

Elseanno

[Andrew]

Alen abduction scares me.  May not ever have or will happen, but I don't want to be part of it.

As to being on the road, other drivers, moms on cell phones, cops high on jelly donuts, blue haired little old people who can't see over the dash
OH YA a latter in the road

[stromgal]

Alen abduction scares me.

C'mon, Dred's a pretty nice guy... I'm relatively sure he wouldn't abduct you.

[DNA]

Animals.

I read traffic very well, I'm generally pretty good about space and cushions and safety margins, blah, blah, blah... If another driver fucks up and I'm involved, nah... that's my fault. I shouldn't have been where someone else can affect me.

But big critters... yeah, huge unknown x-factor, there.

Yep -this.

Stupid drivers are predictable, but suicidal bamboo is not visible until you it it.

[Papa Lazarou]

Right now, black ice.

[sammyseaman]

Right now, black ice.

  I've had too many pucker moments due to black ice  

[DNA]

Right now, black ice.

BTW - Where has that nut job been?

[Guy]

I'm with Chris on the traffic reading. I'm generally rarely surprised by bonehead maneuvers, but I am always deathly afraid of being rear-ended while sitting at a light or stop sign. Hard to get a good read on traffic behind you through two crappy little mirrors

[Papa Lazarou]

I'm with Chris on the traffic reading. I'm generally rarely surprised by bonehead maneuvers, but I am always deathly afraid of being rear-ended while sitting at a light or stop sign. Hard to get a good read on traffic behind you through two crappy little mirrors

friend of mine was rear ended on his brand new Rocket 3 last summer. Didn't do the car any good at all.

[Dan K]

Voted for road conditions.  I expect and do not fear inattentive drivers. If I feared them I wouldn't ride.  I do fear bad road conditions - like a new pile of gravel on a turn I normally take a bit aggressively...that scares me. Animals too, but personally I find myself worried about road conditions much more often than animals.

- Dan

[st2sam]

Please tell me the first picture was staged!

[st2sam]

It was staged but thats how I feel because every time I sow my wild oats Mr.CHP starts up the Thrashing Machine...

Thank God.
I've heard most of California is, lets say "overly protected".
 Nothing is free, it's your payment for having the best mc roads in the country.

[falconati]

The police.  When I'm really riding hard, I make sure I'm far away from traffic.

[Moe wheels]

I'm going with ICE. That is the scareist $hit I've ever hit on two wheels in the public streets. I refuse to ride after it drops below freezing.

Moe

[stealth1]

I would choose all of the above but I actually spend more time worrying about the police than any single thing.

[Lakeguy556]

Suicidal forest rats by a long shot.

[Flyer]

 

...especially ones with their entire electronics collection aimed right atcha.

[jfusaro]

my wife