Motorcycle riders

[Dichotomy]

Today when I went to deposit my check I watched as a little old lady pulled out of the bank and broadsided a guy on a Harley.  Fortunately neither one of them was going very fast but it did a number on the bike and dinged up the guy who managed to walk away from the wreck.

That got me to thinking that I've already cautioned Squid about how people lose their minds around Christmas and aren't necessarily paying as much attention to their driving as they should be.

So you motorcycle riders keep your heads even more on a swivel during the holidays.  And the rest of you take the time to remind your loved ones to be extra careful on the roads.

I don't want to hear about a player or a loved one not making it through the holidays unscathed just because somebody wasn't paying enough attention to what they were doing.

Happy holidays all <S>

[tmetal]

Amen about increased number of idiot drivers around the holidays. On the way home last night, I noticed movement without the corresponding headlight movement in my rearview mirror.  A newish land rover goes by me on my left then whips back into the lane in front of me; he had his lights off. (this was on a highway at the tail end of evening rush hour so there was a good number of cars around and it was dark)  He starts doing those movements of a distracted driver (you know, drift to one side then jerk it back center once you hear the reflectors bumping or another car honks at you, rinse and repeat) and to top all of this off the roads where wet and slick from an all day slow rain.  I stayed behind him to help highlight this moron and hopefully help protect other drivers; the whole time I was flashing my light on and off or from low to high beam.  I don't think the other driver even knew there was anybody else on the road, and eventually they happened to take the same exit I use and I saw them pull into the parking lot of a Applebees.  

With camera phones so prolific now, there should be a new law that common citizens can confiscate a persons drivers license if they have video of that driver doing something like this.

[F22RaptorDude]

I'm more worried about the amount of people texting while driving, I almost got Tboned at target a week ago cause this guy ran a stop sign doing maybe 30, had to slam on the brakes to avoid being hit, and of course he was looking down at his phone 

[Shuffler]

I'm more worried about the amount of people texting while driving, I almost got Tboned at target a week ago cause this guy ran a stop sign doing maybe 30, had to slam on the brakes to avoid being hit, and of course he was looking down at his phone 

Texting, eating, putting on makeup, talking.................

Some folks even drive while driving.

[ROC]

There are no laws on the books that will ever address the different levels of stupidity the human being is capable of operating at.  Having said that, always, absolutely always operate a car or bike with the unfailing belief that those around you are in no way, shape or form paying attention to anything they are doing. 

You will put yourself in a much better position to react to what they will inevitably do.  Expect them to pull out in front, expect them to turn into you, expect them to slam on their brakes because a butterfly landed on their windshield.  Then put yourself in a defensive position on the roadways to make sure you have the control over your vehicle and the room to navigate around them. 

Good reminder Dicho, thanks for posting.

[Jayhawk]

A friend of my got hit on his motorcycle the other day too, a girl (18 years old in a brand new mustang  ) ran a stop sign and hit him directly in the side.  He wasn't seriously injured and luckily looked over just in time to lift his leg out of the way.

What's it going to take for people to start taking the responsibility of driving seriously?

[Dragon]

Driving home from Michigan yesterday, traffic was tied up in a construction zone and doing 40 MPH behind a "lady" who was doing her Xmas shopping with phone in one ear and catalog open on the steering wheel.


I almost took a video, but that would have just messed traffic up more and made me just as guilty of stupidity as her.  Damnit!

[F22RaptorDude]

When I start driving on my own i'm going to set up a camera to record when i drive, so I can catch the retards and if I get hit it will show whose fault it was 

[Nypsy]

In NJ riding a bike means you have target on your back.

You have to decide if the reward is worth the risk.

[Babalonian]

Last week I'm driving home, taking the canyon route because of a sig alert at the 101 and 405, and this is normaly a busy canyon route so it's basicly 12 solid miles of cars single file caravaning at a steady 35 mph.  I had the usual 4-5 car lengths distance between me and the car infront.  So some shmuck (I assume young, inexperienced greenhorn with a death wish) on a motorcycle was a bit impatient comming the opposite direction and in his desire of wanting to make a left turn.  This had to of been some kid who's played more hours riding a motorcycle in video games than real life I figure, because he yanks the bar so hard and then gasses it without leaning into it.  The stead of cource reacts obediently to it's idiotic master, almost throwing him off.  Over powering and turning from starting in the middle of a narrow two lane highway, he had at least powered off a bit, but is now heading with good momentum and at a straight cource for the shoulder and ditch, so he has to lean EXTREMELY heavy to his right to now correct.  All this happening obviously in a split second and 30-feet infront of me heading at 35-40 mph while I'm kinda half brain dead because I've already been in the conga-line procession for 7 miles.  It was pure reflex on my end and habit of paying attention to the road (and I noticed his Fup as quickly as he did) that prevented my right headlamp helmet planting him.  !@#$n' idiots this time of year.  I take that route often, it's a motorcycle I haven't seen before and it was taking a left into one of the small communities that lives in the canyon, so it reeks of a new young kid in the area or a visiting guest, I'm keeping my eyes out for them since as I'm sure I'll happen by them again soon, and share my opinion that the next time he has an idea to kill himself, to please have the decency to keep me and others out of it.

[F22RaptorDude]

You know what the worst part is, the idea of flying cars, if people can't drive right now, how the hell are they going to fly them without accident, the best thats gonna do is keep the stupid population low

[AAJagerX]

There are no laws on the books that will ever address the different levels of stupidity the human being is capable of operating at.  Having said that, always, absolutely always operate a car or bike with the unfailing belief that those around you are in no way, shape or form paying attention to anything they are doing. 

You will put yourself in a much better position to react to what they will inevitably do.  Expect them to pull out in front, expect them to turn into you, expect them to slam on their brakes because a butterfly landed on their windshield.  Then put yourself in a defensive position on the roadways to make sure you have the control over your vehicle and the room to navigate around them. 

Good reminder Dicho, thanks for posting.

This.

[phatzo]

There are no laws on the books that will ever address the different levels of stupidity the human being is capable of operating at.  Having said that, always, absolutely always operate a car or bike with the unfailing belief that those around you are in no way, shape or form paying attention to anything they are doing. 

You will put yourself in a much better position to react to what they will inevitably do.  Expect them to pull out in front, expect them to turn into you, expect them to slam on their brakes because a butterfly landed on their windshield.  Then put yourself in a defensive position on the roadways to make sure you have the control over your vehicle and the room to navigate around them. 

Good reminder Dicho, thanks for posting.

we call it roadcraft over here and its a part of the required course for getting both your motorcycle learners and full license. Unfortunately not everyone chooses to remember it but its saved me from ever hitting anything else on the road after 27 years of riding almost everyday. Now if I can only learn to keep the front wheel on the ground while there are police watching. 

[Rob52240]

My strategy when riding is to treat cars just like deer. 

[eagl]

My strategy is to treat motorcycle riders like mental patients, and other cars like psychopaths on the loose.