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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> The Cafe >> Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate kind /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1550160738 Message started by springman on 02/14/19 at 08:12:18 |
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Title: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate kind Post by springman on 02/14/19 at 08:12:18 On my way in to work this morning I cut through downtown to avoid part of slow freeway. I am on a street that leads back to the freeway. I have the right of way and am travelling at around 35 mph. From about a block or more I see an SUV on one of the side streets. I rev the bike to make some noise and continue forward without slowing down but keeping an eye on that SUV. As I travel another 100 feet or so the idiot decides to cross. Yes, I stopped in time but it is sort of a blur. What I remember is that I stood up on the pegs, I probably mashed the rear brake as I remember fish tailing. I think I felt the front tire slide a bit also. Thank goodness I stopped in time and the idiot stopped half way across the 3 lane street. I actually pulled up in front of her and let out about a ten second tirade without even lifting my face mask. And then I went on my merry way. Oh, as I was going on my merry way I heard the honk of a horn. I have already analyzed this situation in my head but wanted to ask you guys what, if anything I did wrong or could have done better. Oh, when I arrived at the office someone had brought in breakfast tacos and muffins so I'm cool now. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by Beerm8 on 02/14/19 at 08:22:32 strobe light on your helmet and a loud speaker blasting heavy metal might have helped, but probably not.... |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by verslagen1 on 02/14/19 at 10:08:30 I can't recommend stopping in front of an idiot festooned in a death machine. :-? I can recommend coffee with breakfast tacos. 8-) |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by justin_o_guy2 on 02/14/19 at 10:39:33 You saw it as a threat before it became one? You survived the encounter. You'll replay the whole event,over and over, laying in bed. You'll learn something from it, if not today, maybe next week, but you'll replay it until you are satisfied that you've gotten whatever safety lesson it has to offer. I hope you share that. My guess is it's gonna be along the lines of Trust your gut and give room to the ones who have your attention. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by stewmills on 02/14/19 at 14:23:41 You survived unscathed so you did nothing wrong, and apparently did everything right! I have had encounters, some that I just roll on from and others where I chased the driver down to the next lace they were forces to stop and firmly but non-cursingly let them know what they did and that they nearly killed a man today, etc. Doing that is risky in today's crazy world so I don't advise the 'chase and scold' method, but the 'stop for a second and yell' method is fair because you aren't chasing them and posing as a threat. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by Eegore on 02/14/19 at 17:11:35 Years of working in a hospital has lead me to believe that stopping to interact with a larger vehicle while on a motorcycle is not a healthy decision. A number of patients have been run down after a close call. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by MMRanch on 02/14/19 at 20:44:25 Idiot are everywhere . To day , in town , 5 lanes , 30 mph speed limit , with everybody doing 40 mph --- I looked over at the guy in the next lane because he "over-corrected" a drift . Well he was Texting away looking down , so I lay-ed down on the horn and he looks up with a "WHAT !" on his face. when I cought his eyes I was making a texting motion that ended with a "What-are-you-doing" . The guy threw me a bird and went back to texting ... I did my part , just like I do at least twice a week ! :( I use the "Passing Light" function and "Short Horn" blast a lot to make sure I'm seen and/or heard . "Don't trust anybody" to be paying attention works good for me too. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by Dave on 02/15/19 at 04:03:16 Springman: You did good in anticipating the idiot and the threat and avoiding the collision. (You needed a Rocket Propelled Grenade to make the appropriate response). Last summer I saw an older model pickup truck on a side road coming up to a STOP sign.....I was on the main road going about 50 mph. I watched him approach, the stopped briefly, then pulled out in front of me. I had thought he was going to do this, and there was a center turn lane I pulled into and shot right up beside him and honked.....he was shocked I was there. He was old farmer in his late 70's with his wife, and at the next STOP sign I pulled up and asked him if he knew that he pulled out in front of me? He said he did not see me.....it was the classic case of him scanning down the road and not seeing a car or truck - he likely did not look for a motorcycle. In his case he likely does not see well and may be getting cataracts or failed vision or attention......I am sure he did not pull out in front of me intentionally. Idiots are out there in force.......and on a daily basis I see drivers doing really stooopid stuff. I watch the Asian Scooter Crashes videos on YouTube - it helps me to see what situations are dangerous without having to experience the pain myself. Most of the crashes are caused by the scooter riders who are going faster than traffic, and the other drivers can't see or anticipate the scooter driver is gong to come out of nowhere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9GJ6vM2TZc&t=7s [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9GJ6vM2TZc&t=7s[/media] |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by springman on 02/17/19 at 15:02:06 Well, I just got back from practicing my emergency stops at the school parking lot! ;D Yep, being aware and hoping your reflexes don't fail you is the best you can hope for. They did not have any grenade launchers at my local gun shop! :'( |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by KY Bluegrass on 02/17/19 at 15:45:24 Had someone cut me off in a roundabout a couple of days ago. Had I not anticipated it they would have either hit me or at the least run me off the road. I was very pissed of course It did not look intentional, just really careless and bad driving - still intentional or not, I'd be just as creamed. I beeped my horn once to alert him that he did it and let it go. I took it as a reminder to ALWAYS assume a car is your enemy and will get you given the chance. When you are on 2 wheels, paranoia is just good thinking. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by raydawg on 02/19/19 at 08:02:30 Couple things......when you see a situation as such, watch the front wheel of the vehicle for any movement......slow down and listen to your instincts. I did one day riding to work, because I saw a situation that was ripe for a accident, involving a transit bus, which had pulled over to the stop, prior to a intersection, flashers on, opposite direction from which I traveled. I saw a SUV coming up to that intersection, on the side street, wanting to get on to the main road I was traveling on, at a little to fast than normal.... I knew he wanted to roll through that stop to beat the LONG line of traffic that was behind me, commuters going to work after getting off the ferry, a LONG line that will keep this SUV pinned until they ALL passed. About that moment the bus pulled away, I knew I could not make my left hand turn now, onto the lane the SUV was wanting to exit, in front of the bus. It just moved away, the driver looking into its rear side mirror, never forward into its line of travel yet. She would have hit me in the process of my turn..... I knew then that the SUV driver was sure to hit the gas and pull out ASAP the second the bus passed, and that would be RIGHT INTO ME as I would come into view way too late.... So, I abandoned that spot, and moved up past my turn..... Sure enough, it went down just like that.... I would have been hit if I had made my legal turn in front of a parked bus, when the driver changed the scenario on me by their actions, or the SUV..... I just hung a quick U, went back and now made a right hand turn on the street I wanted. Then I crashed my bike trying to pat myself on my back ;D Its part of the game....let it go ASAP..... Keep your mind occupied on the moment, not the past, its over, and you need all your resources to avoid the next one. ;) |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by springman on 02/19/19 at 15:19:18 You are all right. We just need to use all our senses and anticipate the worst from all other vehicles. |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by raydawg on 02/20/19 at 06:15:16 5754564D4A4349454A240 wrote:
ALL of our senses......is KEY to putting you in the least amount of risk. I watch guys fuddle with their cell phone mike, and ear buds, and radio, prior to leaving the ferry and riding..... What is it they do when riding if a adjustment, a call, or a new station/song is required? They will have lots of time while recuperating to do that...... Riding takes everything we got, if you want to survive intact. Its a ever changing game, a split second can be a lifetime :o |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by stewmills on 02/20/19 at 07:02:13 When I started riding motorcycles ~7 years ago, aside from taking the MSF course my good friend and veteran rider said the two key pieces of advice to always remember is to look for gravel in the road in obvious places (driveway run-off into the road, turning lanes, edges of intersections, etc.) and to expect that a car will pull out of EVERY driveway and EVERY intersection regardless of whether or not there is a car visible and even if the driver is looking you directly in the eyes. That advice probably saved me from undue harm or death several times because I was prepared for the situation when it arose. I occasionally practice avoidance braking and steering (like what MSF teaches you) while I am riding just so it stays in my muscle memory. I also went through a short stage where I rode with ear phones for music, and soon after ditched them. I found myself either futzing with them or worse daydreaming to songs that brought back teenage memories and would find myself in that 'highway hypnosis' state of mind. Plus, you can't hear traffic and horns, and there are a lot of audible clues that help keep us safe as riders. Lastly, there is no ride short enough that doesn't require safety gear. There was a young man that died here this weekend riding a dirt bike down the street and back apparently just test riding a friends's bike. No helmet, and they say he died from blunt force trauma to the head after leaving the road and impacting a small tree. Very unfortunate, and quite possible a helmet would have spared him. Ride safe! |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by medic1898 on 02/15/20 at 12:23:20 Nice work springman seeing, anticipating, and avoiding what could have been a life-altering event. From my previous close calls and accidents I have learned the following: never ride faster than you can react to possible hazards. For example, I once had a car turn left in front of me while I was riding about 40mph down a 2-way street, sending me over the hood, totaling my bike, putting me in the hospital and ruining my month. Now I instinctively slow down when I see left turn signals coming my way from opposing traffic, whether I think they see me or not. Might seem like overkill, but I'd rather not repeat that kind of crash. At this point I EXPECT drivers to do the stupidest thing possible, and half the time I'm right! |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by Juliana on 02/15/20 at 13:43:48 I guess we have all had those moments and your story reminded me of the vigilance we all need riding. Not so much your rear end sliding but i can well imagine your feeling of impending doom feeling the front start to slide.. eeek I notice even when driving a car im constantly scanning the road surfaces, other drivers, my mirrors...so i guess our riding skills are transferrable haha. Seriously not convinced about tacos for breakfast tho! |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by Ruttly on 02/15/20 at 14:24:01 Tacos for breakfast has always been a great way to start your day ! Cause you know what goes with tacos , BEER , lots of beer. ;D ;D ;D |
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Title: Re: Close encounter with an idiot of the ultimate Post by springman on 02/15/20 at 19:39:48 Tacos for breakfast... very good! I had forgotten about this post. Yes, it was a bit scary and I thank God it all worked out OK. Whenever I am on the road I try to take on the mentality that every other vehicle is out to get me. So it is up to me to make sure they don't. And I have to admit I say a prayer every time I get on the road. |
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