WAAAY Too Close....

Hello Everyone! Almost had a stroke on Saturday night, here is how she went...

Riding along at about 2100 on a 4 lane road (2 one way, 2 the other), speed limit 50, im in the far right lane, there is a brown sedan in the left lane going in my direction just ahead of me. I am slowly overtaking him. I get right along side him as we pass a McDonalds. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his front wheels turn toward me and sure enough his car follows in a hurry
I was about 4 feet from his car so I swerved hard right and gunned it, while watching his car head for my a$$ end. It all happened in about 1/8 second, I was sure he was going to take out my rear and I was going for a slip and slide ride on the tarmac. He ended up missing my rear tire by what must have been less than a foot. :faint:
The Only thing that got me away was being high in the RPM range so when I nailed the throttle, the bike really surged forward.

At this point, I was a little upset , so I checked to make sure it was clear, made a spirited U-turn, and headed into the McDonalds to ask politely why this person made an unsignaled right hand turn from the left hand lane of a two lane road with me beside him. (Mind you I have dual HID Xenon bulbs BRIGHT, and was at 9K rpm, so it was LOUD).
I catch him in the drive through, pull my bike in front of him, and give it to him with both barrels. He sounded all strung out, with a fat cigar in his mouth, claiming he didnt see me and was sorry and all this. The only thing that spared him a trip to the dentist was his daughter in the backseat.
I got back on and was shaking with adrenaline. What do you guys think the right thing to do was? In retrospect, I think putting my riding boot through one of his headlights would have been warranted, but all I really gave was a fierce tongue lashing. I rode home fighting mad.

 

Neverlost. Man, I'm glad you are O.K. :biggrin:

I've been there and done that with drivers that don't see you, or seem to care when then do... I get the impression some feel like their lack of perception is somehow the bike's fault as our crotch-rocket was likely doing something wrong anyway.

Some people don't realize how their actions effect others. :frown:

Glad your able to pick up stuff like the front wheels twitch. That blindspot by the cage's rear tire is deadly.... passing slowly on the right is gonna get you one day if you are poking through that spot. :nono:

Even if your bike has no baffles, Hip-hop or screaming kids in the back seat may be louder to the driver's ear. :biggrin:

If it is any consolation, the Mcdonald's food may help get him out of the driver's pool sooner than later :wink:

Peace.

 

NeverlosT, firstly I'm glad you are alive to tell the tale. I reckon you did the right thing by giving the guy an absolute tongue-lashing. He can't sue you for it for a start, and he just might remember it the next time he is around a bike.

 

As the others said, glad you are ok. In regards to solving the problem, two words: Stebel Horn. Gets anyone's attention and with a little luck will give them a heart attack in the process:wink:

 

NEverLost, Glad you are OK.
I ride in a metro area and if I stopped to give every cage who through inaction or action tries to kill or maim me a tongue lashing. I would hardly have time to ride. i never go back and find some asshole to tell them that they are assholes. I 'm pretty sure they know already.
violence to a person or their property will get you in a law suit. flip em off curse at them and then leave. sounds like a plan to me.

 

hah its true. I guess harsh words are the best I could do.

You're right though, I figured two lane road, cant hurt to ride in the right lane, but you are right, if some doofus decides to cut across my lane for some mcnuggets, it is going to be my day ruined. From now on I am going to ride in the left lane on two lane rural roads, and if I need to get ahead, I am going to pass them with authority in the right lane, never loitering there.

HOWEVER, not on the highway! God I hate those people that sit in the left lane on the highway...

 

Glad you are ok. I understand the anger. I commute daily in NYC and deal with busses, cabbies, bicycles, horse drawn carraiges, crowds of people, crazy street conditins and oh yeah and the cops. I am lucky my bike is Yellow (very visable) and the VFR horn is loud enough for people to hear it. I guess I just expect people to do some dumb things or maybe careless things (people are so lazy thesedays - some too lazy to completely look for traffic). If somethng happens and the person is still there then I may make a gesture or say something but it is never worth it (just my opinion). Once somethng happens and it is over and the person is gone - I do not try to go back or catch anyone anymore. Important thing is not to lose you cool because it can affect your riding. I do make sure I have a few ball bearings in my jacket pocket when needed.

 

Always make all passes quick, especially on the right.
Get in front of the other vehicle where you can be seen.

No one expects to be passed on the right, most of all Left Lane Rangers.

I've long believed the safest speed for a motorcycle is about 10% faster than surrounding traffic.
It gets you past the slow-movers and you are in command of the situation.
Assertive but not aggressive.

FWIW - I've found through countless episodes that while it's a great relief to have felt like you've accomplished something by screaming at errant cagers, it really only cements in their moronic minds that WE (bikers in general) are nothing but violent sociopaths.
Best just to scream in your helmet for a few minutes to vent the frustration as you motor on in self-righteous superiority (we are the superior species).

They're effing stupid; nothing we can ever do will change that.

 

As stated before I almost never stop to tell people what they already know...
A$$holes..

But just last week on Friday, Rt. 97 (Georgia Ave) in the suburbs of D.C. I had a guy in a Ford Ranger pick-up cut me off and almost take up my front tire/ fender.

He did this on purpose...he saw me and looked right at me before he did it.
He had a Metro bus stopping in his lane...looked at me, gased it and overtook my lane even though there was not enough room.
I ended up right next to him as I jammed on both brakes and downshifted...I could have grabbed him through his window I was soooo close.

I followed him into a parking lot and he began to curse my through his open window, like it was my fault he almost killed ME!!!!
Complete blatent disregard...as it appeared he thought he owned this stretch of road.
At this point I wasnt thinking straight anymore...cocked back and punched his side mirror right off his Ranger pick-up.

The guy just looked at me in amazment, rolled up his window and stared str8 ahead....looked as though he was frozen with fear.

He wouldnt look at me or get out of his car.
I usually dont do things like this, but I believe it was warrented this time around...this guy will probably think twice before he tries to pull a stunt like that agian!!!!

-S

 

I'm with most everyone else. You can't go yell at everyone who does something stupid, but there are definitely times to let them know that they screwed up. The best thing you did was to be suspicious enough to be watching the wheels of the car, even if you didn't realize conciously that you were. That is a sign of good riding awareness. I have to agree though that you might want to watch passing in the right lane. It's like riding in a Fire truck with lights on. You can't predict what people are going to do. You just have to expect the worst and keep expecting the worst. There is no limit to the stupid things people will do and "I'm sorry" doesn't bring anyone back. Keep safe and watch your rear.

 

I've only talked with a cager after accident once... I'm stopped at a red light and car skids up from behind me and onto shoulder next to me. I'd have dumped the clutch, but there was no where to go. Lady slides/stops next to me with her window down and her three girl friendz. boom-ba-boom bass pumping. I lift my visor as my knee caps begin bouncing up and down from the adreniline and motion for her to turn down the radio....

I usually don't yell or scream, but instead calmly thanked the nice lady for not killing me, let them know how much my kids appreciate their attentive driving that avoided the collision etc. They usually get the point. My knees continued to bounce as I rode away, then stopped to get gas. As my tank filled and I got my heart rate back down.

Sarcasm, now there's a great way to communicate! :wink:

 

let me get this straight

you were at 2100 rpm's
and were doing 50mph?

the brown sedan turned from the the left lane into the Mickey D's at what speed? he never hit his brakes? surely he had to slow first right?



either way glad you made it out in 1 piece

 

Whew Hate that shit..... good save, as far as what to do you did ok, hard to get to crazy when shit like this happens. this is a good read, enjoy

http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/2007/97/geezer97.htm

 

Glad you're OK. I'll follow a slow idiot in the left lane for miles if I have to, insted of passing on the right. I drive a semi, and can tell you that people who pass on the right are taking more risk than they know. It's harder to not pass on the right in city traffic, however, I avoid it at all costs.
I did stop the other day to give an idiot a good piece of my mind after he decided it would be a good time to turn on the blades of his riding lawnmower just about the time I passed. Oh yeah, his discharge was pointing directly at me and he was in a GRAVEL driveway. If my shield had been up, I'd be blind right now. That shield and helmet took several HARD hits from rather large gravel. After immediately showing him my finger, I turned around, pulled off the road in front of his house, and told him a thing or two. After a demonstration of how gravel in the face feels, I felt that I had worn out my welcome (as if I was ever welcome there) so, I decided the time had come to continue my ride before the po-po arrived. Sometimes anger and fear can cause the meekest of us to lash out. I did.

 

I took it as 2100, or 9PM. He said he was at 9K rpm.

 

haha big 3, that is 2100 (aka 9 PM time) the speed limit was 50 and we were doing just shy of that, I can only assume that the reason he didnt slow or signal was since it was a quick decision (gotta get that burger!), and the micky-D's entrance was curved like an onramp and big so he could get in there without slowing much. Either way, he probably did hit the brakes some, which, combined with my goosing the gas, let me get by with both wheels still attached.

Either way, it was the closest I have come in recent memory to coming off, and that, coupled with jumping out of an airplane a few hours before, topped off one adrenaline filled day!
I will DEFINITELY think twice before passing on the right again. Although I can associate with some of the stories here, since my biggest fear is stopping somewhere and having a cage slam into me from behind. We need to get some BRIGHT LED taillights figured out!!

 

Coming from a guy that lives in the Communist People's Republic on NJ, NEVER threaten someone after a traffic mishap.

A few years ago, a friend got into a wreck at about 45MPH on his HD. The bike was totalled in the process. The wreck occurred at a traffic circle. I jokingly refer to this circle as the "Circle Of Doom" & 8 miles up the road is the "Circle Of Death". The law in NJ is: "yield to traffic ON THE CIRCLE". Meaning, if you are already going around, you have the right of way & vehicles entering from the feeder roads must yield. The wreck occurred because a guy & his wife didn't yield & plowed into my friend & his bike. He was injured but able to walk & talk. He was able to walk & talk to the point that when the guy who hit him approached to ask if he was OK, my friend got up, grabbed the guy & started screaming "GIVE ME ONE F'N REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU RIGHT HERE!!!". Well, the guy's wife didn't appreciate that so, even thought the cager was completely at fault, my friend was issued a citation for dis-orderly conduct & a few other misdemeanors. You read that correctly, he was nearly killed but was charged with a crime for getting mad about it. The cager's insurance paid for the bike & my friend has not been back on a bike since.

The moral of the story, don't threaten or touch anyone. It's simply not worth it.

KC-10 FE out...
lane:

 

Yeah, but sometimes it's worth it, isn't it?:brick: