ghaverkamp Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 The setup: I'm in the right-hand lane Tow truck is in the left-hand lane A city in California The meeting: Tow truck driver decides to make a right-hand turn I'm not so sure I like the looks of the tow truck; I try to stop, turn, and get away Tow truck's insistent; forces himself upon me; kisses my right side before I can get away The aftermath: The combination of the force of the kiss and my attempts to get away found me on my side Scrapes and bruises Lessons: Ashby Ave. can be a dangerous place. Lots of cars parked (illegally, according to the cop who came) in the right-hand lane left enough room for me to travel, but not enough for the tow truck Never forget to expect the worst. Fortunately, I saw him and hit the brakes right away. Unfortunately, based on the skid mark (and the abrasions on the side of the tire) I locked up the rear. Need to get back and practice. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Glad to read you were able to come home and tell us about it with minor injuries. What did the tow truck driver do / say afterwards? Link to comment
ghaverkamp Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Glad to read you were able to come home and tell us about it with minor injuries. Well, actually, I had to go to my next work engagement, and then I've got class until 9:30 when I finish up at work. What did the tow truck driver do / say afterwards? Well, of course, he claimed his signal was on. I didn't see it, and the ST1100 rider who was right behind me and saw the whole thing didn't see it. Then, of course, he said he didn't see me. I'm not surprised, since I imagine he didn't look. Frankly, I tried to avoid talking to him. Link to comment
Mr_Ed Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Taking a left from the right lane or a right from the left lane is simple inexcusable. I'm glad you're OK and I hope the Tow Truck driver was ticketed. The tow truck driver should be thankful that the whole thing turned out as well as it did. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 That blows. My little brother had a car totalled by a nearly identical crash a few years ago. Glad youre OK. Link to comment
David Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Darn. And you just spent time in Guatemala unscathed, only to be assaulted in progressive California. Link to comment
ghaverkamp Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share Posted January 24, 2007 Darn. And you just spent time in Guatemala unscathed, only to be assaulted in progressive California. FWIW, we did have a little run-in with the rental agency for a ding to the SUV upon return. Since I haven't written up anything about the trip yet, I'd not said anything. (I also came down with something with norovirus-like symptoms on my 3rd day back in the country, which was also just a tad ironic.) For the record here, I arranged with the owner of the towing company (who the cop said he knew and that I could trust) to give them a list of the plastic items that need replacement. Suzuki plastic, not being as expensive as BMW plastic, will make this somewhat reasonable. From there, the top said he'd hold on filing a report, because there was no requirement to file one without personal injury, anyway. At the risk of being ostracized from the board, I do wish I hadn't taken to commuting in just jeans and my slip-on Merrell mocs. The only parts of me that hurt right now are my toe and my knee that I landed on. Zero damage to my jeans or the shoes; impact protection would have been nice. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 At the risk of being ostracized from the board, I do wish I hadn't taken to commuting in just jeans and my slip-on Merrell mocs. The only parts of me that hurt right now are my toe and my knee that I landed on. Zero damage to my jeans or the shoes; impact protection would have been nice. Sinner. Link to comment
Mike O Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Greg, Glad you came out relatively unscathed (save the knee and toe). I'm not at all surprised at the tow-truck drivers reactions. Well, of course, he claimed his signal was on. I didn't see it, and the ST1100 rider who was right behind me and saw the whole thing didn't see it....Even if it WAS on, that doesn't give him the license to run you off the road. Mike O Link to comment
Huzband Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 "At the risk of being ostracized from the board, I do wish I hadn't taken to commuting in just jeans and my slip-on Merrell mocs. The only parts of me that hurt right now are my toe and my knee that I landed on. Zero damage to my jeans or the shoes; impact protection would have been nice. " A real rider don't need no stinking ATGATT. Link to comment
ericfoerster Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Glad you are OK.... (Greg who?) Link to comment
David Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 (Greg who?) Not only that, but he was on a scooter, not a motorcycle. So why isn't this in "Riders Discuss Other Topics"? Link to comment
ghaverkamp Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 Not only that, but he was on a scooter, not a motorcycle. So why isn't this in "Riders Discuss Other Topics"? The cop did ask me, "Do you take that thing on the Bay Bridge?" Shortly after that, he proceeded to tell me how he sure wouldn't want to crash on a motorcycle at 60 MPH on a freeway, because that will really do a number on you, apparently. I wanted to tell him that that was alright; I just do 90 everywhere, so crashing at 60 isn't a problem. But I didn't. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The cop did ask me, "Do you take that thing on the Bay Bridge?" Shortly after that, he proceeded to tell me how he sure wouldn't want to crash on a motorcycle at 60 MPH on a freeway, because that will really do a number on you, apparently. I wanted to tell him that that was alright; I just do 90 everywhere, so crashing at 60 isn't a problem. But I didn't. Link to comment
roydog007 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Glad your ok, now get back to your homework Link to comment
Carnadero Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Taking a left from the right lane or a right from the left lane is simple inexcusable. That's what I first thought upon seeing the aerial photo of the intersection in question. The guy wanted to turn to the right across the lane on the right? And he seemingly thought that his turn signal being on in that situation relieved him of the responsibility of ensuring that all was clear before proceeding??? Link to comment
ghaverkamp Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 That's what I first thought upon seeing the aerial photo of the intersection in question. The guy wanted to turn to the right across the lane on the right? And he seemingly thought that his turn signal being on in that situation relieved him of the responsibility of ensuring that all was clear before proceeding??? Yes. Looking at the aerial photo, you may note some cars parked in the right-hand lane. And there were cars in the right-hand lane, though they were easily 50 yards back from the intersection, and these were the cars the cop said he thought were illegally parked. Regardless, the other motorcycle and I were travelling in that lane, which is sufficiently wide to travel in even with the parked cars. So, basically, the tow truck driver, believing that because he couldn't travel in that lane (but claiming he saw us in his rear-view) no one else could, never bothered to look despite the 50-yard gap. As a result, though I was in a full lane and he was fully in the left lane, he felt it was safe to make a right turn from the left lane. He never denied making the turn. He really only made excuses. Link to comment
Tony_K Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The only parts of me that hurt right now are my toe and my knee that I landed on. Zero damage to my jeans or the shoes; impact protection would have been nice. Yup, know the feeling. I have since switched up to that impact protection. You don't have to be going fast to take a hard fall. Oh and no ostracizing from me... BTDT. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 The only parts of me that hurt right now are my toe and my knee that I landed on. Zero damage to my jeans or the shoes; impact protection would have been nice. Yup, know the feeling. I have since switched up to that impact protection. You don't have to be going fast to take a hard fall. Oh and no ostracizing from me... BTDT. Thats why I want to start wearing protective riding pants. I'd rather learn from other people when it comes to that stuff. Link to comment
USAF1 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Shhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it man!! Were you wearing boxers or briefs?? Pat Link to comment
Bill_Walker Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Glad to hear you're not badly injured, Greg. At least on the scooter you probably didn't get your leg pinned under it! Link to comment
Joel Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Dang, Grasshopper! I'm glad to see that this wasn't worse for you. It's damn hard to be on guard all the time, trying to anticipate the unexpected. I find it even harder on streets that have on-street parking, because then I'm scanning for heads in the parked cars, waiting for a car door to open, or for a car to re-enter the traffic flow, or for a kid or a dog to spring from between the cars, and hoping that cars aren't parked too close to the corners, cutting down the sight lines. And then there are the shadows from trees and buildings (and from enormous balloons floating above intersections ). The last thing you need is an erratic driver, lumbering along in big vehicle, pulling a bonehead move. Kudos to you for at least being suspicious of that truck, with all the other things that could demand your attention. Things could have turned out worse if you hadn't already been taking evasive action. It didn't avoid the collision, but it probably spared you some more serious injuries. I don't know if it is possible to practice emergency braking too much, except if you wore out a tire doing it. This thread reminds me that I need to practice that more. If all this damn snow would ever melt so I can get the bike out again the parking lot beckons. Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 It's a jungle out there Good to read that you came out of this fairly well. Hope you can function in the A.M., bound to be a bit sore Link to comment
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