AdventurePoser Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Not me, luckily.... The first one was on the Sierra Highway before it bottoms out in the desert. Local So Cal riders, you all know that infamous long straightaway, right? Sure enough, I saw a cloud of dust up ahead, and as I got closer, I observed a leather bedecked RC51 rider picking up his friend's "new" 600 CBR.... The CBR was trashed, the fortunate rider's helmet was totaled and he was walking around in state of shock. No apparent, visible injuries. I tried to persuade him to at least sit down, as emergency vehicles started to show up... Completely straight road, however he lost control, got into the dirt and went end over end for about 200 yards! Later that day, I was riding about 800 yards south of Ragged Point on the Big Sur Coastline (I do get around, don't I )when a female driving a Honda Accord attempted to turn left in front of me to reach an ocean view turn out. It appeared that she did not see me, since she was focusing on turning in for the beautiful view. My speed was about 45 mph. I got on the binders, trying to scrub off enough speed before I hit her. Fortunately, I was covering the brake. I guess her reverie was interrupted when she saw a big Silver RT that was moments from colliding with her. Suddenly she realized she'd done a Bad Thing, and attempted to serve back into her lane. Meanwhile, the two HD riders behind her assumed she would just continue her turn across my bow. When she didn't, they had no place to go. Rider one locked up his rear wheel, skidded, and went off the road. HD rider number two somehow missed both his buddy and the Honda, which by now was continuing north bound! The whole event was over in about 3 seconds! No injuries and surprisingly very negligible damage to the HD. Sheesh, what a day! Steve Link to comment
Whip Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 ...and I was lookin forward to visiting CA.... Link to comment
Couchrocket Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Steve, Wow, what a day . . . glad you're OK. Tell you what, I'll buy you a headlight modulator if you'll use it! It is "most" effective in keeping those pesky left turners from running over us. Link to comment
ShovelStrokeEd Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 HD's have to be designed to crash well considering the skill set of many of their riders. Destination fixated left turners are about as dangerous as cell phone users. Actually, I think they are related. While returning from a short breakfast ride this morning, I was riding through my condo complex (geezer heaven) and a little old lady blissfully pulled out of one of the driveways right in front of me. Blackbirds stop really fast from 25 mph so no problem, I stopped about 10 feet from her. She, in the mean time, went into brain lock and stopped her car blocking the entire side of the road. I muttered a few imprecations, shouted them actually, and when she finally figured out how to step on the gas again, we continued on our merry way.\ Link to comment
bobiverson Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 HD's have to be designed to crash well considering the skill set of many of their riders. Quote of the week. Link to comment
RichM Posted August 28, 2006 Share Posted August 28, 2006 Destination fixated left turners are about as dangerous as cell phone users. Actually, I think they are related. \ I second that, all those in favor? Link to comment
hcmiller92 Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Destination fixated left turners are about as dangerous as cell phone users. Actually, I think they are related. This is a totally misdirected attribution, laying blame to cell phones as a cause of accidents. I use a cell phone constantly (where permitted), both in my car and on my bike - in the latter situation through my Autocom, of course. Cell phones ARE NOT a problem. It's the distraction they cause SOME riders and drivers that's a problem. DISTRACTION is the problem, not the phone. If a driver is unable to focus on the job at hand - driving - by virtue of their using a cell phone, then they must not use the cell phone while drivng or riding. Worse than cell phone use are: radio buttons, CD player functions, milkshakes, tuna (and egg salad) sandwiches, Big Macs and Whoppers (w/ or w/o cheese). I'm not being smart alecky or facetious and believe this is serious business. I've never lost anyone to a cell-wielding driver BUT have lost two friends to radio/CD/8 track buttons and one to a sandwich...3 people dead. Everyone thinks it's cute to blame cell phones as the main reason for distracted driving and that's absolute nonesense. Many times when I'm using the cell while driving, the person at the other end will say "where are you," only to learn when I return to the conversation that I was paying attention, as I should be to job #1 - driving - and not attentive to the conversation. Yet, nobody is going to get a ticket for driving down Main Street for eating a Whopper while they're driving. By comments like these here, we exacerbate a problem by not laying attribution in the proper place: distraction. And, by so doing, we ratify the anti-cell use laws that are popping up state-by-state. This is bad policy and completely avoids the other 90 percent of distracted driving causes. And that will not save people, like my friends, who were mowed down by equally distracted drivers. I will continue to use my cell phone all the time while driving (either where legal without hands free or with hands free where required). I will also ALWAYS pay attention to job #1 while behind the wheel, remaining focused on driving safely. I have not put a scratch on a car in nearly 1 million miles. I am a safe, considerate driver. I don't go more than 10 percent over the speed limit, don't tailgate, run through fresh red lights or stop signs and am courteous to others on the road. Bully for me. Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 I respect your thoughts and articulate opinion, but I will disagree with you. Around here the number of cell phone users is exponential...driving around, slouched behind the wheel, oblivious to all that is going around them, a true recipe for disaster. I fell quite strongly that it should be illegal to use them in a moving vehicle, period. Sure, distraction is the underlying problem. The cell phone just facilitates the issue. Cheers, Steve in So Cal Link to comment
hcmiller92 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I respect your thoughts and articulate opinion, but I will disagree with you. Around here the number of cell phone users is exponential...driving around, slouched behind the wheel, oblivious to all that is going around them, a true recipe for disaster. I fell quite strongly that it should be illegal to use them in a moving vehicle, period. Sure, distraction is the underlying problem. The cell phone just facilitates the issue. Cheers, Steve in So Cal Same excessive use here, too. Everyone's got one glued to their ear...including me. But I don't slump, slouch or avoid what I'm doing. Why should I be penalized for other's misbehavior? I assume it is impicit in your argument that a ham sandwich in the hand while driving should be illegsl, too, no? Curt Link to comment
codinn Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 A person can only eat so many Whoppers. They can yammer on the phone all day. Link to comment
hcmiller92 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 A person can only eat so many Whoppers. They can yammer on the phone all day. Well, that's true. I don't get any of this. I don't get distracted by anything while I'm driving or riding...ever, so I simply can't identify with the discussion. I've had my license for 38 years, driven/riddden nearly 1 million miles without a crash and haven't had so much as a parking ticket since 1972. WTF is everyone else doing? What size brains do they have that talking on a cell phone causes them not to pay attention to their driving. Like I said in an earlier post, I've lost three friends to Radio buttons and a sandwich. If cell phones are outlawed, I want sandwich eating while driving outlawed, too. Link to comment
codinn Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 A person can only eat so many Whoppers. They can yammer on the phone all day. Well, that's true. I don't get any of this. I don't get distracted by anything while I'm driving or riding...ever, so I simply can't identify with the discussion. I've had my license for 38 years, driven/riddden nearly 1 million miles without a crash and haven't had so much as a parking ticket since 1972. WTF is everyone else doing? What size brains do they have that talking on a cell phone causes them not to pay attention to their driving. Like I said in an earlier post, I've lost three friends to Radio buttons and a sandwich. If cell phones are outlawed, I want sandwich eating while driving outlawed, too. From your statements it is evident that you are an exceptionally safe driver. You are apparently able to multi-task as well. Kudos to you. However, the vast majority of folks, including myself, are not that good. I know I am an average driver and I admit it. Too many folks are consider themselves "excellent drivers" and are willing to submit the rest of us to their distracted multi-tasking whether it be food, the stereo or the cell phone. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 By comments like these here, we exacerbate a problem by not laying attribution in the proper place: distraction. And, by so doing, we ratify the anti-cell use laws that are popping up state-by-state. This is bad policy and completely avoids the other 90 percent of distracted driving causes. And that will not save people, like my friends, who were mowed down by equally distracted drivers. I agree. There's a zillion things that drivers use to distract themselves. Phones are just one of those things. The problem isn't the phones, it is people's attitude. Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 It amuses me to think of all the people who consider themselves "excellent" drivers or riders... Steve in So Cal Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted August 31, 2006 Author Share Posted August 31, 2006 I assume it is impicit in your argument that a ham sandwich in the hand while driving should be illegsl, too, no? Curt Only if the maker uses yellow mustard instead of stone-ground.... Steve in So Cal Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 It amuses me to think of all the people who consider themselves "excellent" drivers or riders... No kidding. I took traffic school back in College to make a ticket go away. The first question the instructor asked was "How many of you think you are above-average drivers?" I was the only one who didn't raise their hand. Then we started hearing why people were there: Speeding in a school zone, running a red light, right turn from the left lane on a 6-lane road, etc. But all of these folks are "above average". Yikes. Link to comment
bobiverson Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 ...ham sandwich in the hand while driving... Link to comment
Blake Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 It amuses me to think of all the people who consider themselves "excellent" drivers or riders... No kidding. I took traffic school back in College to make a ticket go away. The first question the instructor asked was "How many of you think you are above-average drivers?" I was the only one who didn't raise their hand. Then we started hearing why people were there: Speeding in a school zone, running a red light, right turn from the left lane on a 6-lane road, etc. But all of these folks are "above average". Yikes. everything's relative, and in the eye of the beholder, they think they're perfect - even if they're legally blind! Link to comment
bobiverson Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 everything's relative, and in the eye of the beholder, they think they're perfect - even if they're legally blind! What's important is the freakin' ham sandwich... Link to comment
Blake Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 everything's relative, and in the eye of the beholder, they think they're perfect - even if they're legally blind! What's important is the freakin' ham sandwich... umm..., yeah Bob, ok, whatever you say..... (would someone pass me the mustard please) Link to comment
Bob Palin Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Everyone's got one glued to their ear...including me. But I don't slump, slouch or avoid what I'm doing. Why should I be penalized for other's misbehavior?For the same reason you aren't allowed to pass on a double yellow when your bike's power makes it perfectly safe to do so - there is no way to legislate for all the possibilities. I take your comment about brain size personally, I simply cannot talk on the cell phone and drive properly in traffic, my brain size seems to be just fine in many other respects. I believe this to be true for the majority, especially as most of them are not even aware of the problem and are much more interested in the phone conversation than in driving. Do you want a special license plate for your super brain size? Link to comment
NoHeat Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The first question the instructor asked was "How many of you think you are above-average drivers?" I was the only one who didn't raise their hand. Hey, that oughta inspire a slogan for a biker's Lake Wobegone ... where all the bikes are the strong and silent type. The men are all good looking. The women are fast. And all the riders are above average. Link to comment
divakitty Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 For the same reason you aren't allowed to pass on a double yellow when your bike's power makes it perfectly safe to do so - there is no way to legislate for all the possibilities. I take your comment about brain size personally, I simply cannot talk on the cell phone and drive properly in traffic, my brain size seems to be just fine in many other respects. I believe this to be true for the majority, especially as most of them are not even aware of the problem and are much more interested in the phone conversation than in driving. Do you want a special license plate for your super brain size? Well said. There simply is no way, as you said, to legislate for all possibilities. Lowest common denominator. I am deeply amused that the first discussion I jumped into involved a size debate. Juvenile, perhaps, but funny? Yup. As a sort of interesting sidenote, I participated in a project a few years ago regarding the brain's ability to multitask. The experiment was done with people of a requisite skill as an accomplished musician and a proven ability to sight-read challenging material (so that it would be active response and learning instead of relying on muscle memory), a minimum of two languages spoken fluently and at least one other that was vaguely comprehensible. The challenge played out as, in essence, as a musician, can I perform, identify and remember shapes and words flashed in the background, and understand multiple monologues or dialogues in different languages at once. The end result was that some people can fairly successfully, and some people can't, but so far no one has been without a limit. At some point, the brain either stops being able to attend its central task (here, performance; in the discussion, driving) or has to shut out the distractions (snacks and phones and the need to get away from Paris Hilton's new single). The problem isn't cell phones, or eating, or radios, or lack of skill, but a lack of self-governing in regard to personal limits. Or ignorance of what those limits are. More to the point, during the course of the experiment, it was undeniable that even people who could keep track of quite a few things and still do their central task did not do it nearly as well as when it is their sole focus. Because I am a nerd and think it's cool, I just have to share that further work was proposed following the sort of Chomsky-esque theory that past a certain number of mastered languages that the brain re-enters that place it had in the development of childhood of more efficient language and activity mapping. Which would mean more people better at juggling sandwiches (with the appropriate mustard), cell phones (with conversations in multiple languages!), and music options all while driving correctly and maintaining the kind of cognizance of the road most car-drivers don't realize is necessary to be truly responsible for themselves and considerate of others. Though, I rather doubt that most people who cannot be bothered to watch the road instead of channel-surf or conference into a meeting for which they are late will be interested in mastering five languages in order to increase their brain's capacity to multitask just to make those of us on two wheels happy. We could suggest it though. Link to comment
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