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Had a close call yesterday.....

mantispf2000

Turbo Monkey
Aug 9, 2001
1,793
243
Nevada, 2 hours from Mammoth
I'm out on a short 6mile ride through the neighborhood. I'm on the homestretch, when a SUV just passes me to turn "right" into the church parking lot. If the distance between it and me was greater than 4ft when it turned, I'd be amazed. Since it was a lot, I follow and wait for the driver to get out. When she does, I light into her, asking if she saw me through the bug-eye sunglasses she was wearing. She replies that she thought I was going straight on the road, which I was, though that doesn't explain cutting me off. While I'm ripping into her, an older guy starts telling me how I can't talk to her the way I was. I tell him to back off, he didn't cut me off, and it doesn't concern him. When I felt I was done, I start riding off, giving one last barb, and he says I can't talk to him that way. I decide to turn around, tell him to back off again, that it's between me and her, and to shut his trap. I also proceed to tell her that my daughter is already in Heaven, and I don't need to join her because of someone else's stupidity, I'll go by my hand or when it's my time.

Oh, the dumping of adrenalin I felt. Good thing I have my dogs to walk when I got home to calm down.

Guess I'm safer on the trails with the rattlesnakes, haha...................
 
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drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
No offense but I hate your kind. Everyone makes mistakes and that lady was no different. Chill, bro. Dems woulda been fightin' words for me too.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,134
Portland, OR
Near misses suck.

I had a chick make a right turn just as I cleared the corner going straight. She didn't even look in my direction as she turned. I turned to avoid her but ended up hitting her rear door. I managed to not go down at least. She got out, I just yelled "Seriously? You didn't even look in my general direction".
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
some guy in a motorcycle cut me off today.

guy crosses 3 lanes from a standing start, in order to make a U turn right in front of me.
i had to swerve to the other lane on my left, in order not to hit him. even as i honked to an abs-aided stop, he did not stop nor slowed down.

one of these days, i´m going to end up killing someone who makes U-turns in front of me, or cuts me off in a motorcycle or a rickshaw.
and it wont be a sad day for me.... i might, in fact, smile when it happens.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
My thing is that when you are in your cage, you really have no appreciation of how bad it can be when you fall to the ground, much less get hit by a car.

Since it sounds like clueless but otherwise decent people, you may just want to roll up and point out how close you came to hurting another person. Let the guilt do the job.

With a-holes, then you might want to roll into them, and then say, "I didn't see you, you need to be on the sidewalk".
 

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
No offense but I hate your kind. Everyone makes mistakes and that lady was no different. Chill, bro. Dems woulda been fightin' words for me too.
Have you ever actually gotten into a fight? I just can't picture you getting mad enough to swing no matter what someone says. You're one of the mellowest people I've ever met.

Me, on the other hand, I have road rage just sitting in the office looking at the self observed moron who parks in space #1 all week long that's reserved for customers. Saturdays our parking lot is empty and we're closed. I had to come by to pick up some work and I used the first space. So moron used the handicap space. I got irritated by that more than I should have.

Now, imagine me being ran off the road or buzzed. Hulktastis....
 

blackohio

Generous jaywalker
Mar 12, 2009
2,773
122
Hellafornia. Formerly stumptown.
I spit on a dude once after he right turned infront of me, doing the passing then slamming on the brakes to turn maneuver. There was a big shouting match, he was a moron. My spit landed inside dudes mouth. There was about 20 seconds of him not knowing what the **** happened then spitting out my spit. He drove off, in his miata.

I understand anger over these things and I was 100% ready to punch, he just wanted to yell. I thought spitting on him would get him out of the car after his stupidity. It didnt, it left me feeling very unfulfilled.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
I spit on a dude once after he right turned infront of me, doing the passing then slamming on the brakes to turn maneuver. There was a big shouting match, he was a moron. My spit landed inside dudes mouth. There was about 20 seconds of him not knowing what the **** happened then spitting out my spit. He drove off, in his miata.
**** man. you should be on the olympics.
such skill and precision would sure earn you a medal.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Damn guys, and this comes from me, but bad things happen and looking out for yourself is key, i see a few stories here were being on the offensive has saved you guys, yeah maybe the people were in the wrong blah blah, but sometimes you should just be happy your alive and get to walk/ride away.

Getting pissed does no good whent eh cycling community already get a bad look on us.

Side note, last time I saw someone belittling and screaming at a woman in public i had no idea what it was about, and dude doing the yelling got hurt......... Carefull when someone comes to a womans aid and you say things like shutup its not your business........ That is exactly what you hear from abusive men when they are coming after their women.....
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
If 4ft is a close call, splitting lanes on a motorcycle is fightin' words...

Nobody was there, but it's hard to tell how you got cut off...
 

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
If 4ft is a close call, splitting lanes on a motorcycle is fightin' words...

Nobody was there, but it's hard to tell how you got cut off...
I saw a guy on a motorcycle splitting lanes through Boston a couple months ago. 1/2 mile up the highway he was lying under a blanket.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
A) It's legal here
B) Most guys that ride aren't the brightest crayons in the box.

Edit: I really only used to split in stopped traffic or reeeallly slow traffic.
 

CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
I'm not saying I'm for/against it either way. Just don't be an idiot if you're going to do it and have some poor bastard live with the fact they killed you, and most likely it wasn't their fault.
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,537
Riding the baggage carousel.
IIRC it's only legal to lane split in CA if traffic is going <15mph. Of course most of the squids who are lane splitting are probably doing 20+ over speed of traffic regardless of how fast it's moving.
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,957
Tustin, CA
There's actually nothing in the law about it....which is why it's 'legal' in the first place. But from everything I have read, the general consensus is the fuzz will leave you alone as long as you aren't speeding and aren't doing ~15mph faster than traffic. I have split lanes in front of and behind a fair amount of CHP bikes and never been bothered.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
I'm not a squid or a dim crayon, but I do share/split lanes pretty frequently commuting by moto between SF and Oakland. It's not specifically illegal or legal, it's in a grey area. The cops allow it unless you ride like a moron and get cited for unsafe behavior. I've had cops wave me through with a thumbs up.

As for "fault", I know I take my chances out there and that I'll be the one to pay the price regardless of who is at fault. So yeah, if I split lanes it's my decision and my risk, knowing that people in cars are often clueless and do stupid things. But if someone changes lanes without signalling or looking around, or makes some other erratic move that takes down a moto, they are at fault and I don't really care how they feel about it.
 

blackohio

Generous jaywalker
Mar 12, 2009
2,773
122
Hellafornia. Formerly stumptown.
I used to ride a supermoto from south orange county to van nuys (girlfriend at the time) I took it specifically as it wasnt the best bike at 70+ mph on the highway but it was excellent for my friday afternoon to van nuys and monday am back home trek where traffic for the 65 mile trek route was at a near standstill. I'd split lanes but never felt comfortable doing more than 20mph doing that. Traffic was usually moving at 5-10mph if at all. The only sketch thing was the wide bars on the SM and peoples mirrors or the occasional asshole that was angry he drove alone and was a part of this massive congestion problem that would swerve over to block the lanes as they see you in the mirror. I'd usually just hug the lane directly beside his car with my handlebars as humanly close as possible to their window. They'd usually back away and off i'd go.

I've actually knocked on a womans drivers window as I was in the lane beside her and she started moving over without signaling where I have nowhere to go. Scary for both of us.
 
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jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
I am allergic to bees and my epi pen was expired. I knew not to drive to the hospital. So instead of calling an ambulance, I walked to the hospital. I left my bike in the woods and it was still there when I got back.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,187
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
Side note, last time I saw someone belittling and screaming at a woman in public i had no idea what it was about, and dude doing the yelling got hurt......... Carefull when someone comes to a womans aid and you say things like shutup its not your business........ That is exactly what you hear from abusive men when they are coming after their women.....
Pretty much,
I'd probably lay someone out at that point.
 

mantispf2000

Turbo Monkey
Aug 9, 2001
1,793
243
Nevada, 2 hours from Mammoth
Wait, so you were on the right and she passed you to take a left? How is that cutting you off? Could you have just kept going without a problem?
I humbly bow to my posting mistake. She turned right, as I corrected in my post, crossing in front of me. And yes, sometimes, I hate my kind, too. Yet like I said, I'll be with Alaina in my own time, or by my own hand, not by someone else's. Oh, what if I'm wearing pink spandex? Does that score me any points???
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
IIRC it's only legal to lane split in CA if traffic is going <15mph. Of course most of the squids who are lane splitting are probably doing 20+ over speed of traffic regardless of how fast it's moving.
There's actually nothing in the law about it....which is why it's 'legal' in the first place. But from everything I have read, the general consensus is the fuzz will leave you alone as long as you aren't speeding and aren't doing ~15mph faster than traffic. I have split lanes in front of and behind a fair amount of CHP bikes and never been bothered.
Actually, it is in the law on this one, its not called lane splitting, its called lane sharing, and there are four laws about it.
1, do not cross over and over the line
2, no more than fifteen MPH faster than traffic
3, you cannot break the total speed limit
4, must be a reasonable amount of safety.

So no there is no if traffic is going under fifteen MPH or anything like that, there is no grey area, it is in fact legal in the state of California.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
There actually are code's for it, I thought it was a grey area for years myself, till My sheriff buddy here actually showed me.

Anyways back to the topic at hand, Moto or bicycle, you can still safe yourself a **** ton of trouble by swallowing your pride and letting things go, and instead of expecting others to look out for you, keep an eye out for yourself instead.