Originally Posted by
PigHog
Oh man, I feel like the most massive dick in the world!
I was filtering down the middle of two lanes of stationary traffic; loads of space, fine. Up ahead, I spot another biker, who's just sitting there looking all casual like. He passes a couple of cars and then decides to wait, and I'm thinking fair play to him, yet there's a clear route, still, right down the middle. So he tucks in to let me past and then follows me out.
This is all good, I'm having whale of a time—I don't always get much opportunity to practice filtering skillz and it's normally pretty clear at the times that I ride. Trouble ahead though—it's getting narrower up towards the lights and I should probably just sit and wait a little way up there, until the lights turn green. Let me just squeeze past this van and car right here, though. Hmm...this is pretty narrow, how am I gonna do this eh? Legs up, legs down, I can't really decide— crack!
Oh shit, I just clipped both of these guys' wing mirrors with mine in some massive lapse of judgement! I stop and turn immediately and raise my hand, nodding to the van driver in apology— clunk! What the...?! Oh, that was my clutch hand! Feeling pretty stupid now, with the other biker waiting behind me but the guy in the van just nods at me...
I give a quick apology to the other dude too, who also doesn't really appear to care that I just whacked his mirror one and by this time the lights are green and my engine's still not running! I get the bike started, but it looks like the guy in the van is letting me go in front (nice guy! He actually looked familiar, I don't know if I know him or not, but if I do, that could be pretty embarrassing!), though I'm just getting my bearings here so I nod and gesture for him just to go ahead— clunk! Using my clutch hand by accident.
Bear in mind, this has all only taken a few seconds but by now I just want the ground to swallow me up! The van is inching but not going, being kind enough to wait for me to go ahead of him, while it takes me a couple of goes to get the engine running, this time. Finally I manage to pull away (with no one hooting me!), and try to wave an apology to the other guy again as he passes me, but he's just oblivious and doesn't give a damn!
Anyway, the other biker just cruises on past me, no doubt thinking what a massive idiot I am, and I go on my way, albeit with mirrors that are now showing my own reflection and nothing behind me.
I don't believe I did any damage whatsoever to either vehicles or my own mirrors, so all is good, but I certainly felt like an enormous tool and have learnt my lesson for the future. a) Know how wide my mirrors are; and b) if in doubt, wait.