New To Me Experience

[bokobob]

I imagine this story is pretty tame, but it almost resulted in me being pushed over from the side, so here goes.

Yesterday, I was riding in the left lane of a divided highway in town and a lady in a car somewhat ahead of me and off the right lane, pulled onto the roadway from a store parking lot heading in the same direction as I was...I thought nothing of it and kept riding at the same speed, about 35 mph. . However, she just angled over from the right lane into the left adn kept on coming into the left lane steadily and quickly and I sounded my horn and applied my brakes and she still just kept angling over and finally she was right next to me about two feet away and it was then that she first reacted to my by-then blaring horn and got a horrified look on her face and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" to me and veered sharply to the right...Had she gone as few as a another ten feet, I would have been pushed off the roadway over the curb and onto the grassy median....

Looking back on it, had I slowed down when she first started to come onto the roadway, I would not have been endangered...However, having been riding not quite two years after a layoff since 1953, I did not think of that...I will now do so...

As said, probably a tame story, but it sure was a scary moment for me.

[watchman]

Things like this happen all the time. People just not looking and with cycles being harder to see it is more likely to happen to them. I had a woman pull out in front of me with my highbeam light and running lights on. The passenger seen me and yelled at the driver. She got stopped with me heading for the shoulder. I tell you trust no one! Always be on the lookout and give yourself an opening if needed.

Glad you made it through without incident!

[ringadingh]

Ive had that happen a few times over the years, all you can do is keep your eyes open all the time, and have the mentality that everyone is out to get you.

[dantama]

At least she mouthed I'm sorry.

The one thing that pisses me off more than anything is when they look over in that situation, and keep coming anyway after looking right at you.

But as for your scenario overall, here are my thoughts.

For me, all traffic is like a big game of chess, and all the other cars are opposing players. So when that car even looked like it was in a position to pull out, it was an opposing player. I'd quickly consider what it might be able to do to me if it was really out to get me.

One of the things would be for it to come all the way over. Another would be a car going faster than it jumping lanes to get around it when it pulled out. I'd quickly consider it's likely rate of acceleration and if we would have a meet up point or not. As it pulled out, I'd re-figure depending on if it was cutting across all lanes all at once, or pause change, pause change.

Depending on what those started looking like, I'd speed up so that the meet up point would be where I was, not where I am. Or I'd slow down so that it was in front, all depending on it's speed and trajectory.

All that sounds like a lot to run through your head, but you get used to it and it happens automatically. If we were sitting around and I tossed you some keys or something, you'd make about the same equations instantly.

Depending on how the threat looked, I'd get out of the way ahead of time, or if I judged it to be an unlikely threat, I'd be ready just in case.

I make that sort of calculation for all cars in front, back, to the sides, or even thinking about entering the roadway.

Eventually you get it down pretty good, and you'll notice a light turning yellow ahead, and you'll know that there are two cars ahead of you, and five cars in the next lane. You'll know that the boy racer who jumped lanes twice while coming up behind you is going to likely jump lanes to the one with only two cars waiting at the light, cutting you off in the process. Then he does just like you predicted, but you were not surprised at all, and you were ready for it.

It's all a game, and they are all opposing players.

[phred]

Bob, glad you came out of it ok.
Dan, Great advice for all of us.

[bokobob]

ThAnk you for well wishing and helpful comments..Dan, I owuld not have thought of all you said in million years and now I have it all absorbed and will put your advice to use..
Again, thanks to all..

[dantama]

Originally Posted by bokobob

ThAnk you for well wishing and helpful comments..Dan, I owuld not have thought of all you said in million years and now I have it all absorbed and will put your advice to use..
Again, thanks to all..

Here's another way to explain it. Picture leaving a football game, or even walking through the mall. You automatically consider all the people cutting diagonally across the flow, coming towards you, going slower than you but in the same direction, or coming up faster from behind. You adjust your speed to take into consideration the person cutting across etc.

Have you ever been in a mall or something, and there is a person right in front of you who is clueless to everything going on around them, and they all of a sudden stop right in front have you as if you weren't there at all? Those same people are out there driving too. They have no clue what anyone else is doing around them and they don't factor it in at all.

[peterdarby]

Glad you are all right. Two of my three primary MC riding laws that apply here are.
1. What bends a fender kills a MC rider. Trying to hold onto your space until she hit you could have been a very bad thing for you even though you were in the right.
2. Someone came out with the intention of killing a MC rider (me) When you find them, stay out of the way and keep an eye on them.

Based on my interpretation of what you say happened I would have accelerated past her or slowed to let her over while voiceing my displeasure with my horn.

[MAS Tequila]

I follow the get in front of them rule.

Instead of braking, I accelerate so that there is no way for them not to see me.

The odds of getting hit from behind are smaller than being cut off.

A rider is kinda like a fighter pilot. You should always be scanning for targets.

MT

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

Here's another way to explain it. Picture leaving a football game, or even walking through the mall. You automatically consider all the people cutting diagonally across the flow, coming towards you, going slower than you but in the same direction, or coming up faster from behind. You adjust your speed to take into consideration the person cutting across etc.

Have you ever been in a mall or something, and there is a person right in front of you who is clueless to everything going on around them, and they all of a sudden stop right in front have you as if you weren't there at all? Those same people are out there driving too. They have no clue what anyone else is doing around them and they don't factor it in at all.

I've had situations like this happen to me so often I just expect it now. I am so sick and tired of self-absorbed, clueless idiots in the grocery store, let alone on the road. I find that probably 75% of the public is so wrapped up in themselves, they have no awareness of what's going on around them.

I have developed my own theory. Watch how some boneheaded (man or woman - doesn't matter) handles their cart in the grocery store. Stopping in the middle of the aisle, off in la-la-land while they decide which flavor of Little Debbie snack cakes to buy, and I'll bet you they drive their automobiles in the same manner. It's the "me first" mentality, borne out of the desire for instant gratification. You have traffic merging ahead and instead of falling into place naturally, people race to try to merge in 15 cars ahead of where they would have been. THEY don't want to wait. THEY can't be inconvenienced. So instead, THEY cause a slowdown and bottleneck at the point of the merge. I see this everyday on my ride home from work. The freeway I take drops 2 right lanes within about a mile and people can't handle it.

Since I took up riding again, I have become infinitely more aware of what's happening around me, and not just while riding either. I honestly believe that everyone should have to ride a motorcycle for a period of time as a step in obtaining a drivers license. It would make a world of difference on the roads. Might thin the herd some, too.

[ivan]

Sorry about your experience buddy.
Many drivers fail to notice motorcycles. Even an eye contact with a cage driver does not always mean they see you as a moving vehicle.
I've had several close calls. Many times it's a woman yakking on a cell phone. Have you ever seen a teenage girl driving without a phone to her ear?
We can't change other driver's behavior. Defensive driving helps a lot. I always turn burn high beam light when riding at day time. Sometime I wear a bright yellow mesh safety vest when going into town. Who cares if it makes you look dorky. It may save your life one day.
Ride safe guys!

[ivan]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I've had situations like this happen to me so often I just expect it now. I am so sick and tired of self-absorbed, clueless idiots in the grocery store, let alone on the road. I find that probably 75% of the public is so wrapped up in themselves, they have no awareness of what's going on around them.

I have developed my own theory. Watch how some boneheaded (man or woman - doesn't matter) handles their cart in the grocery store. Stopping in the middle of the aisle, off in la-la-land while they decide which flavor of Little Debbie snack cakes to buy, and I'll bet you they drive their automobiles in the same manner. It's the "me first" mentality, borne out of the desire for instant gratification. You have traffic merging ahead and instead of falling into place naturally, people race to try to merge in 15 cars ahead of where they would have been. THEY don't want to wait. THEY can't be inconvenienced. So instead, THEY cause a slowdown and bottleneck at the point of the merge. I see this everyday on my ride home from work. The freeway I take drops 2 right lanes within about a mile and people can't handle it.

Since I took up riding again, I have become infinitely more aware of what's happening around me, and not just while riding either. I honestly believe that everyone should have to ride a motorcycle for a period of time as a step in obtaining a drivers license. It would make a world of difference on the roads. Might thin the herd some, too.

A buddy of mine (who also lives in Chandler) got rear ended by a teenage girl. It threw him and his wife off the bike. The bike was totaled and his wife's back was injured.
The little girl got out of the car and was still talking on the phone! She did not eve attempt to come closer to check on her victims.
The girl's insurance refused to pay anything claiming the motorcycle's light were off and it was getting dark. My buddy had to get a letter from a Harley dealer stating that you can not turn the lights off, they always stay on. What a mess.

[harleyandangel]

So Glad All Worked Out Well For You, I've Been Riding For Over 30 years Now, And So Many Situations I had To get Out Of With All The Cages On The Road . But let Me tell You The best Thing I Bought For My Bike is The STEBEL Air Horn. Blow That And They Will Hear You.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I have developed my own theory. Watch how some boneheaded (man or woman - doesn't matter) handles their cart in the grocery store. Stopping in the middle of the aisle, off in la-la-land while they decide which flavor of Little Debbie snack cakes to buy, and I'll bet you they drive their automobiles in the same manner. .

Cactus, unfortunately I have data that backs your theory up. My wife doesn't know what is going on around her for the most part. If I don't pull her towards me on a sidewalk when other people come towards us, she'd keep right on going down the middle of the walk.
The Cherry Creek Bike Trail is across the street from us, and she doesn't even register bikes coming towards her at high speed.

And she drives the same way. She's one of those who will be going 10mph slower than traffic in the next lane, and move over right in front of people, who then have to slam on the brakes.

She's clueless on a sidewalk, grocery store, and driving. I do all the driving even when we take her car, I can't stand to be her passenger.

Luckily she doesn't read posts here :)

[billyboy]

Originally Posted by MAS Tequila

I follow the get in front of them rule.

Instead of braking, I accelerate so that there is no way for them not to see me.

The odds of getting hit from behind are smaller than being cut off.

A rider is kinda like a fighter pilot. You should always be scanning for targets.

MT

"Instead of braking, I accelerate so that there is no way for them not to see me.

How do you figure? Bikers get killed fairly often by drivers turning left in front of them. They were in plain view, yet the driver didn't see them.

"The odds of getting hit from behind are smaller than being cut off."

Actually, I PREFER be cut off than hit from behind. The operative word being "hit." I'd rather have the idiot who just tried to kill me in front of me where I have control over the situation.

"A rider is kinda like a fighter pilot. You should always be scanning for targets."

Agreed, but where's the best place to be if you're a fighter pilot with a target?

Exactly.