They have a new way to get you. Dumb cager rant

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Never ran into this one before and I'm so mad I could spit nails.

 

Pulled off for gas in NE TN, near Bristol. Coming back up the 4 lane to return to I-81 and get into the left turn lane. Some traffic coming up so I slow to allow them to clear and the bend it into the turn.

 

A POS Ford Bronco turning left from the offramp stop sign cuts right across my bow as I enter the #1 lane of the oncoming side. Had to slap on the brakes while heeled over to avoid hitting the stupid (vernacular for female dog). She looks right at me like "What, I had the right of way". No drops, no hits but, I was sore tempted to follow her down to the next light and remove a window by dragging her out through it.

 

Be careful out there guys. The idiots are gettin' more plentiful and inventive.

[ESokoloff]

Be careful out there guys. The idiots are gettin' more plentiful and inventive.

 

Nice going on saving it & controlling yourself from strangling her.

Come to think of it, perhaps you should have taken her out & left us with one less hazard out there

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Eric,

I really don't understand her thinking. She was at a stop sign crossing a 4 lane highway.

 

My only conjecture is she never looked to her right, or looked and didn't see me as I was no longer coming up the main roadway but in the left turn lane to re-enter the freeway. She must have been concentrating on the same clump of vehicles coming from my front, her right and went as soon as they cleared. How she failed to see me, I'll never understand. Candy apple red motorcycle, running high beams and with a blinking left turn signal. Rider in a silver jacket and bright yellow helmet all against, what was for her, a dark green background.

 

I guess I am somewhat at fault as well for not looking for traffic coming out two full lanes over and at a stop sign. I was, of course, looking where I wanted to go which was the apex of the turn into the on-ramp.

 

My only guess is she though I was going to stop before turning. No reason to, there was no stop sign for me. Two assumptions, one near miss. I'm just glad I hadn't chosen to strafe that one. (gulp)

[russell_bynum]

How she failed to see me, I'll never understand. Candy apple red motorcycle, running high beams and with a blinking left turn signal. Rider in a silver jacket and bright yellow helmet all against, what was for her, a dark green background.

People run into school busses, fire trucks running with lights and siren, police cars with lights and siren, ambulances with lights and siren....hell...people have even been known to run into freaking buildings, and they always answer the "WTF?" question with "I didn't see him/her/it."

[Quinn]

I really do wish I could just stop some of these people and ask them what they were doing. Do they think they had the right of way? Did they misjudge my speed vs. theirs? Did they see me, but not realize I was a vehicle deserving of respect? Did they not see me at all? I'd really like to know what they think happened. Instead, I just look at them like they're crazy while they're looking at me like I am.

[Twisties]

How she failed to see me, I'll never understand. Candy apple red motorcycle, running high beams and with a blinking left turn signal. Rider in a silver jacket and bright yellow helmet all against, what was for her, a dark green background.

People run into school busses, fire trucks running with lights and siren, police cars with lights and siren, ambulances with lights and siren....hell...people have even been known to run into freaking buildings, and they always answer the "WTF?" question with "I didn't see him/her/it."

 

I've been rear-ended in cage (truck even) five times. In four of those cases the offending driver either thought he had cleared me or had never seen me. In four of the cases I was at a full stop, had been stopped over 30 seconds, and had vehicles stopped in front of me.

 

How do you plow into a line of vehicles at a red light in perfect conditions in the middle of the day? Don't ask me, but it happens all the time.

 

You's tak'in your chances out there.

 

Glad you came out ok Ed!

[motoguy128]

She was probably talking on the cell phone and didn't want to interrupt her conversation to think about her driving for a second. Not everyone is a genius that can do 3 taskes at once. I'm not, that why if I'm talking on the phone OR to a passenger (it's the same scenerio IMO) in any kind of traffic, I hear only half of what the other person is saying and there are long pauses in my talking. I let myself get distracted by the traffic... most pople let their conversation distract their driving.

 

The other possiblity is she just F'd up and didn't see you. It would be nice if drivers instead of getting defensive when they make a mistake, would admit it, and give a friendly wave to say "I'm sorry". Instead most people always want to blame someone else for their failures or mistakes.

[BruceWA]

Good judgment on your part. One thing riding a motorcycle crystallizes is the fact there are not very many good drivers on the highways. IMO most drivers are poorly "trained" and have no desire to improve any related skills!

 

One must always ride in anticipation of where the next assault on your space will occur

[Couchrocket]

I really don't understand her thinking.

Ed, bad assumption. What leads you to believe she was thinking at all? Way too many drivers out there are so totally tuned-out that they are on complete autopilot.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

True dat. Pretty sure she was operating with minimal brain activity. Might actually be normal mode.

[Huzband]

True dat. Pretty sure she was operating with minimal brain activity. Might actually be normal mode.

 

And just what evidence do you have to support the theory that she has a brain?

 

I had a ditz pull out RIGHT in front of me in the rain last week. As I slid past her door with the Stebel blasting, I could see her looking at me like I did something wrong.

[steveknapp]

People run into school busses, fire trucks running with lights and siren, police cars with lights and siren, ambulances with lights and siren....hell...people have even been known to run into freaking buildings, and they always answer the "WTF?" question with "I didn't see him/her/it."

 

I was once taking the train out of the city. We were delayed because a car hit the train.

 

Not the train hit the car...but the car turned right and ran head-on into the STOPPED train. Flashing gates. Big double-decker stainless train car. BAM.

 

The red-tape for a car/train accident was the same regardless of cause, we sat there for at least an hour as they filled out paperwork.

[redryder]

I never am amazed anymore by stupid cager tricks. A few rides ago I was coming into Tellico Plains from riding the Cherohala with my ever faithful riding buddy. As we got within 100 feet from the intersection of Hwy 360 (a great road, by the way) two dregs of society in an old Intrepid, with the headliner hanging down so low that it touched the back of the front seats, came meandering up to the stop sign on 360 and without even looking in my direction (to the left), ran the stop sign and pulled right out in front of me going my direction. Needless to say, they got a LOT of horn and hand gestures. The miscreant behind the wheel (certainly not a "driver") kept looking at me like I'd done something to her! With visor raised, and since we were travelling at a snail's pace anyway, I took the opportunity to give her the verbal abuse that she so deperately deserved; knowing full well that it didn't do any good at all other than helping me keep my blood pressure down into three digit range.

 

I've been telling my wife for years now that we need to have the ability to push the stupid ones to the edge of the herd. When we're in our cages we should have the right to get in on them, take the air off their rear and put them in the wall. We haven't got that right, and now the stoopid ones are procreating and our riding is jeopordized more and more every day.

 

As I have ranted before, there are signs in Virginia that encourage folks to report "aggresive" driving. I say, if the law would go after "stupid" drivers, the aggresive driving would abate to a large degree. As long as the law allows the Left Lane Lucys to drive in the left lane 5, 10, or 15 miles an hour BELOW the posted speed limit, and allow truckers to tie up the left lane for miles passing other trucks at a fraction of a mile per hour overtake, then aggresive driving is just going to be an unfortunate by product. Don't get me wrong. I'm not justifying aggresive or dangerous driving; but, rather, pointing out what I see is a breeding ground for it.

 

I would have much rather had an aggresive driver come up to the stop sign on 360, look and pull out and get out of my way than some human dingleberry too fargin LAZY to turn her head, run a stop sign to pull out in front of me, then sweetheart along so that I had to take evasive action. Fortunately, that's what the MSF, and other defensive driving classes teach you, and fortunately I was prepared for such actions by the idjut behind the wheel; but it still makes my blood boil. I'm sure though that had she caused an accident that her insurance was paid up.......NOT!!

 

//end of rant//

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Couldn't agree more. Having, just before my little incident, run the length of I-81 from top to bottom, the trucks are another pet peeve of mine. I do understand that momentum is everything to those guys, but, that doesn't give them an excuse to pull in front of me when I'm closing on them at 15mph or better speed differential and no one behind me. That gets you passed and then slowed on the next available hill. I don't even mind the long overtake, if they have signaled in plenty of time, I'll always let them in. The ones that proceed to wait for a quarter mile clearance get passed on the right. Used to be you could more or less count on a guy driving an 18 wheeler to be a pro and courteous as well. Not these days, they are no more competent than the cage drivers out there.

[Agent_Orange]

+1 The average 'trucker' out there wouldn't know a twin screw from a wood screw.

 

Went to some 'school' and voila, they are a real over-da-road-gear-grinding-moron.

[grayghost]

As a local, and over-da-road "gear grinding moron" I take some offense to the above remarks. After getting cut off, having to deal with "left lane lucys" or middle (or as some call it the "travel" lane, as opposed to "slow lane" and "passing lane" ) cruisers, often on the cell or the new hazard, texting, getting cut off about 20+ times a day by 4 wheelers that "don't wanna to get stuck behind da big truck". When I need to move over into the passing lane and there is the space, I take the opportunity, and if the cager speeds up when I put my signal on I move over anyway. Motorcycles I give leeway to, but the cagers around here have NO concept that a 70K+ lb vehicle cannot stop or manuver like their automobile.

I have just come to the conclusion that 99% of the people that get involved in accidents with trucks are probably at fault. The only unfortunate thing is they've most likely reproduced and have left offspring with the same intelligence level as they have. Remember these are also the people who "didn't see the motorcycle".

I will agree there are some dumb*ss truck drivers out there giving the rest of us a bad name. Just like there are "squids" giving respectable motorcyclist a bad name.

[Quinn]

I was listening to a conversation between a New Yorker and a local Southener about turn signals. The Yankee said that we don't use turn signals to change lanes down here. The Local said it was because it was a sign of weakness; you would be asking for "permission" to get in front of someone. We won't give permission to anyone who is that weak; we speed up to cut them off. If you want to change lanes down here, man up and pull over like you mean it before the other guy can stop you.

 

I maintain that we do use turn signals--just not the little blinky lights on the corners of our cars. We use our tires instead. If you want to change lanes, you stick your tires on the edge of the lane. If noone speeds up and blows their horn, you can move your full tire into the intended lane. If nothing crunches, you proceed to move all four tires into the new lane. See it every day.

[Kitsap]

Good to hear all ended well.

 

As I was told during one of my rants it's good to vent the issue here and then move on to download the stress ASAP. Of course my moving on involves a good beer and mexican food.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Yup! A couple or three Negra Modello's, a nice bowl of Pasole' and some Carnitas to top it all off. I defy anyone to remain stressed after that repast. In fact, I defy anyone to remain awake!

[K2R1150RS]

When we're in our cages we should have the right to get in on them, take the air off their rear and put them in the wall.

 

You mean like this?

[Wyn]

Had one like that the other day. I was in passing lane beside an SUV, got to the back seat door and over she comes. Before I could react she saw me and pulled back to her lane. Yaking on the phone. Wanted to pull her through her window too. Did manage a dirty look to which she waved. At least she acknowledged her mistake and didn't fixate on me forceing me off the road.

[Quinn]

I have this fantasy of sneaking out at night and putting up signs along my interstate commute that say "Cell phone users right lane only--next ten miles."