I used to stop for most riders I saw on the shoulder/side of the road (outside the city obviously) but 9.5/10 times they're just taking a break or adjusting something so now I just slow down a bit and if they don't say anything I go on my way
Had to pull over on the side of the road at davis drive and pine tree crt
- Thread starter sweetpea10
- Start date
rmemedic
Well-known member
Generally that's what I do. If I'm in my truck, I will pull over if it's safe and see if they need help, since typically I have a full set of tools in the trailer.
I once encountered a woman in Algonquin on a cruiser that was dead. Cold, windy, drizzle all day. Luckily I had the trailer, so I made room for her bike and drove her right to her destination, since it was only a few minutes out of my way. Her lucky day I guess as she had been there a couple hours and had a few more hours of waiting until someone could come pick her up.
kruzuki
Well-known member
What's the protocol these days?
When I started riding in the 70's, there were not many bikes out there, and they were less mechanically reliable, so you'd wave at every bike and stop for any stranded riders.
Now there's so many idiots in cars on the road that I'm too busy focussing on my riding to bother looking at/waving to most other bikes, & half the time they don't return the wave anyway, so I feel like an idiot!
Same with bikes pulled over. There's so many more bikes out there, and I assume that a stranded rider has a cell phone these days.
If I pull over, it's not because the bike broke down, it's because I'm adjusting something or making a call. And most bikes just whiz right by. I'd wave if I needed help.
If you look like you are definitely in distress, or pushing your bike somewhere, of course I'll stop to offer help.
When I started riding in the 70's, there were not many bikes out there, and they were less mechanically reliable, so you'd wave at every bike and stop for any stranded riders.
Now there's so many idiots in cars on the road that I'm too busy focussing on my riding to bother looking at/waving to most other bikes, & half the time they don't return the wave anyway, so I feel like an idiot!
Same with bikes pulled over. There's so many more bikes out there, and I assume that a stranded rider has a cell phone these days.
If I pull over, it's not because the bike broke down, it's because I'm adjusting something or making a call. And most bikes just whiz right by. I'd wave if I needed help.
If you look like you are definitely in distress, or pushing your bike somewhere, of course I'll stop to offer help.
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Wow - such a lot of negativity. I took from the OP's post that she had been told that people will stop if they see the helmet on the ground. She simply posted her own experience, which was different.
There are so many things to consider now. If they had pulled over and she didn't need help, would they have intimidated her? Did she look like she was anxiously waiting for help? Was there anything nearby? I'm like Macs - slow down, and try to get some indication from the rider if they actually need help....no matter where they put their helmet.
Most of the time there's nothing I could really do anyway, unless they need a phone - or they're way out in the middle of nowhere (in which case I probably won't come across them
There are so many things to consider now. If they had pulled over and she didn't need help, would they have intimidated her? Did she look like she was anxiously waiting for help? Was there anything nearby? I'm like Macs - slow down, and try to get some indication from the rider if they actually need help....no matter where they put their helmet.
Most of the time there's nothing I could really do anyway, unless they need a phone - or they're way out in the middle of nowhere (in which case I probably won't come across them
bboySushi
Well-known member
holy geez, I thought you said you found a dead body on a cruiser the first time I read that.
sykobish
Well-known member
lol I thought the same.
