After watching "Riding in Pyrgos - Ilias, Greece," Cat said she would let me know on Friday if she will strangle me for my riding. I was busted once before and quite rightly for my riding in "Riding Home from Katakolo (video)" and I freely admitted already that was juvenile even if it did make for an entertaining video. I've been riding on two wheels for a very long time and senseless risks just make you dead. I've come close enough to that already (e.g. "An Angel Came Tonight") so Cat was quite right to bust me.
However, the riding in Pyrgos looks more dangerous than it really is. At the outset you can see me running a stop sign but it will get you dead if you don't as someone from behind won't expect it and will drive over the top of you if you stop. I nearly got creamed that way once before. Some laws you follow and some you don't. You can see that in a stop light just after as everyone stops for that one always. There are laws but it is much more important and safer to follow the rules and you get to know them after riding there for a while.
Something you may notice is that even though it appears people are driving quite rudely, there is no honking of horns. No-one is surprising anyone as this is the natural way of driving in Pyrgos. You can see also that in riding in the city center among the pedestrians where motor vehicle traffic is prohibited and yet scooters ride all over the place there. That's the law but the rule is do not hit the pedestrians and absolutely do not use the scooter to intimidate them. If you behave then everything is cool.
You can see also at one point that I drive quite closely to a parked vehicle and do know that I'm well aware that car doors open. Part of your job in riding is to make damn sure you look through the windows of any parked vehicle to see if anyone is in it.
Even if I do say so myself, the video is funny and, even if you don't know German, the subtitles will probably amuse you. The video was obviously made for Cat but she gets a kick out of me sharing them. She doesn't get a kick out of me taking stupid risks and I didn't consider anything in the video to be anything close to 10/10 riding (i.e. using all you've got). I was not angry and you can hear from the soundtrack that much of the time I'm laughing. The key to staying safe is to be extremely observant and to know the limits on pushing because everyone else does and they follow them, that's what makes it all work without lots of dead people. It doesn't look like it but everyone is extremely well-mannered in following those rules.
However, the riding in Pyrgos looks more dangerous than it really is. At the outset you can see me running a stop sign but it will get you dead if you don't as someone from behind won't expect it and will drive over the top of you if you stop. I nearly got creamed that way once before. Some laws you follow and some you don't. You can see that in a stop light just after as everyone stops for that one always. There are laws but it is much more important and safer to follow the rules and you get to know them after riding there for a while.
Something you may notice is that even though it appears people are driving quite rudely, there is no honking of horns. No-one is surprising anyone as this is the natural way of driving in Pyrgos. You can see also that in riding in the city center among the pedestrians where motor vehicle traffic is prohibited and yet scooters ride all over the place there. That's the law but the rule is do not hit the pedestrians and absolutely do not use the scooter to intimidate them. If you behave then everything is cool.
You can see also at one point that I drive quite closely to a parked vehicle and do know that I'm well aware that car doors open. Part of your job in riding is to make damn sure you look through the windows of any parked vehicle to see if anyone is in it.
Even if I do say so myself, the video is funny and, even if you don't know German, the subtitles will probably amuse you. The video was obviously made for Cat but she gets a kick out of me sharing them. She doesn't get a kick out of me taking stupid risks and I didn't consider anything in the video to be anything close to 10/10 riding (i.e. using all you've got). I was not angry and you can hear from the soundtrack that much of the time I'm laughing. The key to staying safe is to be extremely observant and to know the limits on pushing because everyone else does and they follow them, that's what makes it all work without lots of dead people. It doesn't look like it but everyone is extremely well-mannered in following those rules.
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