Be careful

[OTB]

My wife tells me that I used to be a hothead in a car when people did stupid stuff : I’d cuss and swear, give people the one-finger salute, flash my brights at laggerts in the fast lane, and lift my foot from the gas, or mebbe just touch the brakes a tad to scare the sheiss out tailgaters. Then a few years ago I had a couple of close calls; I lifted my foot from the gas of my minivan when I had some butthead tailgating me. Turned out there was a serious mental case behind the wheel of that jacked-up 4x4; he passed me sideways on the shoulder of the beltway and then slammed on his brakes and jerked the wheel, blocking two lanes of traffic, I swerved around him and so began a high-speed chase that lasted 5 miles or so and ended when he tried to force me off the road. I rolled down my window and pointed my Python at him. He left in a hurry.

A year or so ago, I was riding to work. A fellow ran a stop light and nearly mangled me. I had the audacity to beep my pathetic horn at him as he breezed by scant inches from my front wheel. Screech of brakes and blue tire smoke, the clown spins the wheel and does his best Hollywood stuntman imitation spin, and tries to run me down AGAIN….. I was riding a GSXR at the time, so I left him in the dust in a hurry.

But those to incidences pretty much cured me of the need to make on the fly comments about other folk’s driving. There’s just too many people driving “on the edge” for me to wave my middle finger. Even if I’m within my “rights”, I’m still wrong to provoke these idiots. I shudder to think what my life would be like today if I’d had to shoot that crazy man in the 4x4. The hundreds and thousands of dollars defending criminal and wrongful death suits. Waiting for the outcome of investigations and grand juries. NO THANKS..

I spent a couple hours stall in traffic Friday afternoon, listening to metro traffic control describe fatal accident and a road closing near my house. Grabbed the paper Saturday morning to see this on the front page:


and this story: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi...08/04_26-48/TO


We'll see what the investigation brings, but I'll make a bet the guy in the Contour will be charged with manslaughter; even if he isn't, he'll be sued till Kingdom Come, and even if he prevails, the legal costs will be staggering.

Watch out for the crazies....being "right" won't help you. ESPECIALLY on a bike.

[marko138]

We've covered our fair share of fatal accidents up here in the last 48 hours. One of them involving a Hyabusa.

[azoomm]

Yeah, I used to be an angry human - both behind the wheel and not. When someone tells me that people can't change I can laugh... because I have.

You are quite right, it's just not worth it.

[Mr Lefty]

I've slowed down ALOT in the last 2 years... dunno why... wasn't any one close call... I've been chased, told I was number 1 in several states, had bottles thrown at me, and completely run off the road several times... all due to soemone doing something stupid and me letting them know about it.

but as I said... I've slowed down... and with that... I've relaxed... I guess in the slowing down it's taken that edge of trying to get there in a hurry... so I'm calm.

It's helped my riding (when I get to ride that is) too... while driving slow I've been able to really watch peoples manerisms... and play a game with myself... I try to predict what that person is going to do next. I've gotten pretty good at it... and it's really taught me to watch the people in the vehicle... not just the vehicle.

I still ride faster than traffic... but that's more because wanna be seen... and if I'm moving faster than the traffic I have less of a chance of getting hit from behind by some blind idiot.

[Captain Morgan]

Can't get to the article. I get an error message when I try to open the link or paste it into the address bar. Can ya copy and paste it for us?
Thanks

[Mr Lefty]

editoh and the link doesn't work for me!

[OTB]

Try This

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi...8/04_26-48/TOP

[Mr Lefty]

yeah that worked... fuck... all that shit with a baby in the car... insane.

[Captain Morgan]

Originally Posted by OTB

Try This

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi...8/04_26-48/TOP

Thanks. Yep, someone will probably do jail time for that one. The driver of the contour may have been pissed about being tailgated, but that doesn't make it right for him to slam on the brakes. I've brake checked people before, but don't do it any more. Of course, by brake check, I mean that I've tapped the brakes to light them up, not full out stomp on the brakes right in front of someone. These days, I just move over as soon as I get the opportunity. They aren't going to push me out of the way, but I do try to be considerate of those moving faster than me.

[Trip]

I have started to slow a lot in my cage as well. I now drive about 5 over and thats about it. I use to be a lot faster and just had a lot of close calls. I have made some stupid moves and had some people do some stupid things to me. Been chased, never chased anyone, and just had all kinds of road rage incidents. I just try not to use high traffic roads on the bike. It's totally not worth it. That's why I started riding track more. You still have stupid things happen out there though. Mr. Straight Line Queen still exists on the track, just got to learn to pass on the outside with those fuckers.