waving of the leg

[Lew]

Hi , Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason bikers in France tend to stick their leg out after they pass you? Is this a form of thankyou? certainly a nice jesture. A lot of the car drivers over there could do with a few manners. Do not get me wrong I am not anti French I love the place that much I live there half the year.

The country is a bikers paridise especially around southwest France.

Lew

[mark h]

When God created France it was a most beautiful and wondrous place,

The other countries complained because of this,

So to appease them he created the FRENCH,

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

Hi , Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason bikers in France tend to stick their leg out after they pass you? Is this a form of thankyou?

You got it. With driving on the wrong side of the road, it's difficult to give a wave, as you'd need to use the right hand and that would take your hand of the gas.

See it more and more over here too now.

I've done quite a bit riding throughout Europe, and to be honest I would say that the British drivers are the second worst, only being beaten by the Italians - really, the standard of driving over there is very dangerous indeed, and I've been through Poland, Bulgaria and Romania where road rules are more loose guidlines than actual rules, and where road surfaces defy definition. I would say that the French driving is very good on the whole.

[steve m]

You got it. With driving on the wrong side of the road, it's difficult to give a wave, as you'd need to use the right hand and that would take your hand of the gas.

See it more and more over here too now.

I've done quite a bit riding throughout Europe, and to be honest I would say that the British drivers are the second worst, only being beaten by the Italians - really, the standard of driving over there is very dangerous indeed, and I've been through Poland, Bulgaria and Romania where road rules are more loose guidlines than actual rules, and where road surfaces defy definition. I would say that the French driving is very good on the whole.

Yep got to agree with all of the above ,,,,,,,

I am getting to the point that I hate riding in Engeeerland,suppose I am lucky that I live in Lincolnshire, except on school and bank holidays I can always find nice quite roads to play on and even when the main roads are busy the back roads can be fun !!

99% of the French are far better drivers than Brits and certainly more bike aware than over here, you still get the ocasional tail gater, but that is getting less and less now and if ever you look like you are in trouble some one allways stops to ask if you are OK, even car drivers !! some thing you wouldn`t get over here !!!!!!!!!!!!

My Fazer Thou has 24k miles on it now and 19k has been done in France,just hoping things improve with the Euro before the holidays, would hate to miss going cross the channel next year !!

[kevin10529]

I stayed in Paris for a bit when i was younger and if you think the Parisians are good drivers you are mistaken. Nutters. Must be all the horse they eat.

Never been out of paris that much so i cant comment in the rest of that lovely land.

PS Forgot to say.... stay away from Marseille, whacky races.

PPS Gas ups right about the Italians - check youtube.....

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

I stayed in Paris for a bit when i was younger and if you think the Parisians are good drivers you are mistaken. Nutters. Must be all the horse they eat.

I'd say that was true of most big cities - only ever riden through Paris once, and it was 4:00 in the morning, so I bow to your experience on this.

PS Forgot to say.... stay away from Marseille, whacky races.

Sounds like a good reason to go, if you really want wacky, try Romania!!

PPS Gas ups right about the Italians - check youtube.....

Thought I would have got lynched for that comment. Here's the blog entry I put up on Italians......

What is it with Italian drivers? Having ridden my bike in

every European country I must be qualified to say, they are

the worst in Europe.

They cannot keep inside of their own lanes, even when

something else is there.

They have no concept of concentrating on driving, at least

50% of them are on the phone, or looking at the passenger in

some conversation (either way they don’t bother looking at

the road)

1 in 3 cars has bodywork damage

They have no respect for anyone else’s safety on the road,

usually driving a few feet from the back of the bike, and

when they do pass, the xxx's cut

right back in front of you, within a few feet of the front

of the bike.

I have to say, in summing up these drivers that they are the

biggest bunch of xxx’s in the continent.

And another thing, fuel is the most expensive yet, 1.4 Euros

a litre, then you have Dick Turpin in his little booth when

you want to leave the Autostrada - 37 Euros to travel from

Ancona to France!

I don’t like the hotel owners either, miserable bunch of

gits. Goes a bit like this;

Mr knackered looking traveller : “avete una stanza Liberia

?”

Miserable git : “How many nights?”

Mr knackered looking traveller : “one”

Miserable git : “How many people?”

Mr knackered looking traveller : “one”

Miserable git : “no, hotel full”

This was the same script at 5 hotels

Why, why I ask do they go through this if they have no

rooms, I’ll tell you why, because they do, they are just too

lazy to provide for one night that’s why. I despise people

like this, they are unhelpful, they should have just told me

to go away, at least they would have shown themselves for

what they are.

In Prague I had a fantastic hotel, with nice pleasant staff,

good food and for 30 Euros a night. Last night I paid 80

Euros for a dump with no food and a hot room.

Thank you, I’ve had my rant now, I can calm down and enjoy

the run through the south of France.

I was feeling pretty tired when I wrote this, but it did make me feel better.......

[kevin10529]

LOL brilliant ^^ got anymore like it?? love rants

[steve m]

I stayed in Paris for a bit when i was younger and if you think the Parisians are good drivers you are mistaken. Nutters. Must be all the horse they eat.

Didn`t think that Paris was considered by a lot of the French to be part of France

[Lew]

Hi , Can anyone enlighten me as to the reason bikers in France tend to stick their leg out after they pass you? Is this a form of thankyou? certainly a nice jesture. A lot of the car drivers over there could do with a few manners. Do not get me wrong I am not anti French I love the place that much I live there half the year.

The country is a bikers paridise especially around southwest France.

Lew

Nice one but to be honest my neighbours in France are lovely people and outside of the big cities I have found them to be polite and helpful, as long as you have ago at speaking french.

I do have a go at speaking french but they do not understand, nothing strange there really as I have been speaking english to my wife for 26 years and she does not understand me either!!

[steve m]

I do have a go at speaking french but they do not understand, nothing strange there really as I have been speaking english to my wife for 26 years and she does not understand me either!!

Nice one mate I like to try to talk in french when we are over there, but I think i confuse them with my Yorkshire/Lincolnshire accent type French ,bloody good fun though trying

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

I have found them to be polite and helpful, as long as you have ago at speaking french.

I like to try to talk in french when we are over there,

It's true, even as little as asking them if they speak English, but in French helps loads, and if you get the phrasebook out they'll normally speak English to you straight away. What I find frustrating is that I'll have a go and try to learn something, but on the mainland they all speak English and they want to practise it as much as I want to learn theirs - but they are much better at it than the British, I suppose it's because English is so universal and therefore straight forward for them. Whereas us Brits have to choose a language and ir's always the wrong one!!

I think the point of the rant was about the standard of the driving - most people are nice, but when they get behind a whell they have some form of transmognification into the spawn of Satan's blind 2nd cousin.

[Cy Welch]

You got it. With driving on the wrong side of the road, it's difficult to give a wave, as you'd need to use the right hand and that would take your hand of the gas.

See it more and more over here too now.

I've done quite a bit riding throughout Europe, and to be honest I would say that the British drivers are the second worst, only being beaten by the Italians - really, the standard of driving over there is very dangerous indeed, and I've been through Poland, Bulgaria and Romania where road rules are more loose guidlines than actual rules, and where road surfaces defy definition. I would say that the French driving is very good on the whole.

Ok, I don't get this. We drive on what you call the wrong side of the road, and when I wave to another rider it's with my left (clutch) hand which is the hand on the oncoming traffic side. If I wave for some reason to someone on the other side I just wave up high rather than low like normal.

[mervin]

Ok, I don't get this. We drive on what you call the wrong side of the road, and when I wave to another rider it's with my left (clutch) hand which is the hand on the oncoming traffic side. If I wave for some reason to someone on the other side I just wave up high rather than low like normal.

well having driven trucks in Europe for the last 20 years i must say the standard of driving in england has got terrible in the last few years, but the standard of driving in france is improving, but it has to be said that the French government is doing something about it, the introduction of points on licences over there slowed them down a bit, before just a fine and off you go again, but traffic calming systems, ok in big cities the standard of driving leaves a bit too be desired but that is the same in most countries, oh and the instant removal of your licence for 50 kph or 30 mph over the limit and drink driving helps calm em down, and their drink drive limit is lower than ours, also you do not seem to get so much road rage over there, if yuo make a mistake and someone has to brake hard thet tend ot just shrug their shoulders and carry on.

unlike on daft pillock in Poole on monday night reversed straight out of a parking space in front of me witout looking making me brake hard when i blew the horn just sat there and wound down his window and stuck his fingers up, car is noted next i will not brake, 40 tons of artic vs 08 registred nice new disastra guess who will be worst off

Merv

[steve m]

unlike on daft pillock in Poole on monday night reversed straight out of a parking space in front of me witout looking making me brake hard when i blew the horn just sat there and wound down his window and stuck his fingers up, car is noted next i will not brake, 40 tons of artic vs 08 registred nice new disastra guess who will be worst off

Merv

Seems to be the norm now i am afraid I drive for a living as well and the fun is going out of the job fast !!

I no longer let people out of road junctions, they never seem to want to say `thanks` as for 4x4 drivers they have got to be some of the most arogant and ignorant drivers on the road today !!!

[steve m]

Ok, I don't get this. We drive on what you call the wrong side of the road, and when I wave to another rider it's with my left (clutch) hand which is the hand on the oncoming traffic side. If I wave for some reason to someone on the other side I just wave up high rather than low like normal.

It`s the way they do it in France.

If a bike is aproching you then the rider will give you a wave below the level of the bars in the form of two fingers in the form of a V, (this is not normaly done on motorways ) if a bike over takes you then a they will normaly wave with the right leg as they pass you, if you overtake a car and he pulls over for you then it is polite to acknowldge him/her by waving your right leg, car drivers in France are more `bike aware` than in any other country, and will move over for you, weather in town, in traffic or the open road and usualy they will indicate there invitation to overtake by putting on there left or right indicators.

May be a bit different than the `states` where i belive you can`t even filter in traffic, or if you exceed 55mph it`s a hanging offence

[Cy Welch]

It`s the way they do it in France.

If a bike is aproching you then the rider will give you a wave below the level of the bars in the form of two fingers in the form of a V, (this is not normaly done on motorways ) if a bike over takes you then a they will normaly wave with the right leg as they pass you, if you overtake a car and he pulls over for you then it is polite to acknowldge him/her by waving your right leg, car drivers in France are more `bike aware` than in any other country, and will move over for you, weather in town, in traffic or the open road and usualy they will indicate there invitation to overtake by putting on there left or right indicators.

May be a bit different than the `states` where i belive you can`t even filter in traffic, or if you exceed 55mph it`s a hanging offence

The states are a little bit like Europe in that each state has it's own traffic laws. In California where I am filtering/lane splitting is both allowed and actually encouraged. As far as speed it varies again state by state but most have speed limits of about 65MPH or so, and many places around here if your not doing at least 70 you will get run over. Road rage is bad here, and talk about the idiots not see bikes! I'm glad my 1100 has really loud horns because when an idiot pull into my lane almost into me I hit the horn and he got back in his lane until I was clear of him.

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

I no longer let people out of road junctions, they never seem to want to say `thanks` as for 4x4 drivers they have got to be some of the most arogant and ignorant drivers on the road today !!!

Awww.... That's a bit harsh - you don't even know me!

I tend to agree with your point, I bet you are thinking about BMUU, Merk (or is that Berk?), Lexuses, Porch's or VW?? rather than proper 4x4's (the type that actually see ruts, mud, etc) ?????

Are you by chance in a large town/city ? I'd agree that these places are not somewhere you cannot justify a vehicle like this ??

I'm not having a pop at the Goods and Passenger vehicles, but they do tend to take the piss a little, often I find they just 'go' and bugger everyone else, I appriciate haow difficult it is to drive these around (having 615 gears can't be easy!!) but a right of way is a right of way, and often I find (busses in particular) they just start moving out and everyone has to stop/move/take action or in Highway code speak - Change speed and direction.....

Of course, it's not all of them/you - it's a few that do it, but they are the ones you remember when you see a truck/buss waiting to pull out. Just human nature maybe ??

I like the Polish style of driving, keeps you on your toes........

[bealsey41]

I love France in general and especially love driving there, roads nice and smooth, Toll roads are really good and always clear. I have not had a chance to ride my bike there yet!

I did'nt know what was going on when i first drove, had loads of bikers keep sticking there leg out at me when i had my car, took me a week to realise they they were all saying hello cos i had put loads of bike stickers on my car!!!!