White van man fraternity challenged by big biker wave

For years ordinary motorists have been stung by their exclusion from the white van man brotherhood. From London to Huddersfield white van men have operated under the radar screen, letting each other into traffic, allowing faster white vans to pass easily and warning each other of traffic cameras and speed traps. A white van man can spot another in the heaviest of traffic, almost as if no other traffic exists. Carl Orbison from Hackney averred, ‘I couldn’t believe it. One day I had cause to hire a white van and it was like being on another planet. Suddenly there were these incredibly sensitive and supportive guys recognising my needs. Of course, I reciprocated immediately.’ Ordinary motorists can observe but are not invited to participate. However, motorists have now started to hit back. They are forging a symbiosis with the large motorbike fraternity (smaller bikes don’t qualify). In slow-moving traffic it's not unusual to see a motorist ease quietly a metre or two to the side to allow a motorcyclist to pass. In return the bike rider will acknowledge this action with a low-key lift of a gloved hand off the handle bar. 'There’s nothing more satisfying than to get a cool wave from a big bike,' raves Perry Jann, a Toyota Corolla driver. 'Now the white van man fraternity no longer rules the road,' he added. White van driver, Peter Wilson, commented, 'We're not sure how to respond to the biker wave challenge. On the one hand it would be nice to get that wave but on the other it would be a betrayal of the exclusive bond we white van men have with each other. It could break the safety and security of the fraternity.' One driver who will never be invited to either group is Barclay Angelo who drives a Hummer. Says Barclay, 'Even if I had space to pull over for a biker, which I don't, I wouldn't.' And the white van men shun him completely.