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Andrew Anderson © 2012 The Happy Biker All Rights Reserved


Ride 2 – 17 April 2013

General start chat, advised mentor only just got to meeting five minutes ago after a 2 hr run to it as there were delays which put me half an hour later than anticipated to be here.  I ask mentor if he is or was a Police Class 1 motorcyclist, he advise no.  I advised mentor my bike had a damaged rear suspension, and not running right and was being replaced next day (he ignored this), started this ride with camera mounted and switched which mentor was aware of.   I also manage to get in my comment “some of my riding actions may seem strange to some people as they may not recognise what I am doing unless you have been trained by Police Class 1 motorcycle offices”, no response why I am ignored?  I was asked how much practising I had managed to complete, answering one ride on my own, he said nothing to this, was he listening?

We spoke about signals and told him there was nothing wrong my bike signals and advised him again what I had previously, the mentor then said he should have briefed me on this and asked for me to stick an arm up in the air or perhaps a leg out so I know you have seen my signal.  Great he now says about a leg out, which was what I was going to do anyway.

At this point I am continuing out of curiosity to see what this mentor / Senior Observer is like!  I have already now been conditioned by this person so am not able to be responsive or relaxed.

#6 Ride 2 First Part - Completed

#6a Ride 2 First Part - De-Brief

Mentor that was a very good demo ride you gave me but you did not enjoy it, I (mentor) could see that.  I (me) thought I did enjoy the ride.  No .  .  , no .  .  .  , no you did not, there was no fun in it, I could see that you did not enjoy the ride, there was no briskness and no sparkle in your ride you did not enjoy that at all.  I did, at least I thought I did. No take it from me you did not, it just lacked sparkle, it was safe and a good ride just lacking in briskness & sparkle, my reply ”ok” if that’s what you say, as I did not want any of this head shaking & lowering with saying no, no, no again.

Andy - Nothing else was commented on.  To me I knew I did good Advance Plus / RoSPA Gold ride and was really happy about my ride, but not pleasing him! What’s going on here? Now this mentor is now telling me how I feel and knows me better than me? Really! ! Is he taking mind bending drugs?

Mentor; Let’s see if you can do better in the next part and put some sparkles into your ride, we will also be doing some slow riding, in a disused car park, opposite a closed garage, do you know where that is? No.

#7 Ride 2 – Part Two of the ride – completed.

Andy - Near the end of this he took me to this disused car park that had vertical posts in the ground to stop vehicles going in there, these posts were so close together, the angle I was at I could not slip my bike between them as the mentor did, as I have panniers on my bike and it’s width is 39 inches across (post width distance 49 inches), he would have known this by now as had been following me for two rides, what’s he up to?  I was thinking; does he want me to try and then damage my bike?  Why is there no consideration in his thoughts for me?  I would need a straight on approach to pass between the posts, which would mean from out in the road.  The mentor asked if I was coming in the car park, I said yes, but would need to have a straight line approach so if you can stop the traffic, I can go out into the road, get a straight approach and enter, you will need to do this also when I leave the car park.  He sat there looking at me for a while and the traffic was very busy as this time, the road was the A29 and on the top brow of a small hill, then said no, we will go to another car park.

I completed the slow riding he wanted in the way he advised in the other car park and as he could see I was doing very well, he then said when my associates do decreasing circles very well I then I get them to take one had off the handle bars and do it that way of course it’s your responsibility if anything happens, I thought what a *****  there is no way I would do that and why even say and suggest it?  He just wants people to fall off their bikes!  I asked the mentor to demonstrate this to me, he declined and finished the session quickly as he advised was running late and needed to be elsewhere.

#8 Ride 2 – Part Two - De-Brief

At this point probably better to go to Ride 2 Report comments (See my answers below his comments.) on ride as I just stood there and listened to some very brief comments not saying really anything as I know better not to say anything that would result in head shaking, lowering and saying no, no, no, besides he had already told me he was running late and needed to get away.

I advised I do not usually wear Hi-Vis, mentor replied “if you do not wear a Hi-Vis you will be deducted a point, so dropping your overall mark”, I replied “I do not usually wear Hi-Vis clothing”, mentor; “well you will lose a point, I was going to wait until the last session to tell you”.  I though what a **** going to wait until the last session to tell me , what else is he holding back until the last session?

IAM Masters Mentoring - Ride 2