“Watching out for motorcycle riders” cautions “With good weather; more cyclist take to the roads. They will be rusty from not riding all winter. And motorists are not accustomed to seeing so many two-wheelers on the roads… And motorcycles, because they are smaller, also are less visible than motor vehicles.”
WATCHDOG: Two shakes of the tail. To probe deeper into the problem, the human brain is programmed only to note certain expectations, so we are unconsciously monitoring for cars and trucks. A motorcycle can be right in front of us or coming towards us and we just don’t note it!
This is why cyclists keep their headlights on at all times, or they should. Also, helmets are essential!
Before retiring as a cyclist, the Watchdog drove with the assumption that he was invisible to other drivers. Cycling teaches driving defensively, scouring the road for signs of gravel or oil slicks.
And as a driver, he gives ‘bikes’ a lot of space.
Like Mayor Rick Gray, the younger Watchdog prized his BMW, due to its precision construction, excellent handling, and quiet and comfortable ride. (Okay Harley fans, send in your comments.) We suspect that Rick would agree that seriously injuring the mayor is a bad thing, but demolishing a BMW is a tragedy!
