| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
Yep, we get them by the dozens in Central Florida, especially in the winter. Some are easily identified by the out of state plates or the generic white rental cars with the June expiration dates and others blend in. They are lost, confused, may not speak the language, are afraid of traffic and merging, are preoccupied with visiting the theme parks and with junior's tears over the cheeseburger that just fell on the floor of the rental car. They are not paying attention to other traffic including or maybe especially motorcycles. I've started a list of particularly offensive jackwagon behavior by these drivers. As a rider, this is stuff that propels my blood pressure into the stratosphere: 1. Smoking a cigarette and flicking ashes out the window. I hate the smell and I don't particularly care for my gear and or bike getting burn holes. 2. Lane changes without a head check or signal light. Dangerous and inconsiderate. 3. Soccer mom in the SUV texting or applying makeup or being on the phone. Not paying attention and whole lot bigger than me. Scary. 4. Not pulling up far enough so I can pull up far enough to get out of harms way or pulling too far into the center so your front end impedes the traffic lane and the truck that just cut me off has to swerve into the next lane to avoid crashing into you. It's your responsibility to know where your car begins and ends. 5. Not using a controlled intersection. No need to force your way into traffic when there is a traffic light a 1/4 mile away. 6. Backing up on the interstate. If you missed your exit, safely go to the next one, turn around and try try again. 7. Not giving me the right of way because you are bigger. You suck. 8. Drifting into my lane. Frequently found with #3. 9. Flashing your high beam/low beams in an attempt to get me to flip over to low beams. I am perfectly within my legal rights in this state to have my high beams at all times to increase my odds of being seen and making it home safely to my family. If it is safe, out of courtesy, I will flip to low beams momentarily, but if not, sorry, you'll have to live with the inconvenience of my high beam for a few seconds. 10. Not following the traffic lanes in parking lots. "Oh those silly things, they must have painted them for someone else. I'll just haul butt diagonally at 20 mph faster than the posted speed limit!" Rant off. These are just a few that I've encountered recently. What are some jackwagon behaviors you find particularly irritating and/or dangerous? | ||
| Brucespoint |
It'll take a Whole Thread to Contain This! Thank You! Did my "A" school for the USCG just across the Yorktown Battlefield... People All Over the Area roads would just STOP, in the Middle of the Road & Point " Look Mable, George Washington Squatted There & Left a Stinky One." Lost Two Friends that way, One on a H750. Like the Japanese way of Looking at it... If you Say You didn't see the Motorcycle, they say Why Wern't YOU Looking, & KiLL their License To Drive. NOT a "Right" Dammit! b. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Had one today - again. Pulled right out in front of me on a divided 4 lane. Apparently they were afraid of that vertical pedal on the right. I downshifted from sixth to SECOND (I was on the CR, with the high beam on because it was daytime), planted my thumb on the horn button, and was hard on the ZTL2 so I didn't park in their truckbed. They finally pulled to the right (did I mention they merged directly into the passing lane?)...and gave ME the finger out the window. How *dare* I be riding a motorcycle along the stretch of highway where they wanted to poke along and enjoy the scenery?? Grrrrrr oh yeah...bright sunny day, excellent visibility, little to no traffic, intersection with over 1/2 mile sightlines to oncoming traffic. This wasn't a case of "I didn't see the motorcycle"...it was a clearcut case of "I don't f(*@ing CARE about the motorcycle". (Message edited by ratbuell on January 07, 2012) | ||
| Brucespoint |
Knock on Wood... Only Tickets I Ever Received Were NOT when out Having Fun, but Just trying to Stay Alive on the Freeway! People Park Right On You, High Vis, Loud Pipe... Look Right THROUGH You. My Outlook is the Best Defense, is a Good Offense. Never Give the suckers a Chance to Hit You. Took Care of the Hells Angel Guy who Grabbed the Drivers Throat passing thru the Car. Sonny Barger came to visit regularly. Said He Thought NOW, that Helmets were a Good idea... But He was Totally a Best Defense type. b. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Sorry to hear about your friends. "NOT a Right" You are so correct, brucespoint. People take driving for granted, until they are at risk for losing the privilege. That brings up an interesting point regarding tourists from other countries: If they are from a culture where penalties for hitting a rider are severe, and they have a heightened sense of awareness of motorcyclists, that is a good thing for those of us riding among them...provided they are decent drivers with a good sense of direction to begin with. | ||
| Brucespoint |
Thank You, Belinda Life Happenz. Thing is ANY "Touristy" Area is Going to have Extra Danger, specially if scenic... People start coming from the childlike Gimmee phase, stop thinking... Certainly happens to Riders Too. Took a friend up to Big Sur, Laguna Seca to watch King Kenny & Freddy Spencer on the NSR 500... He got So Wrapped into the Scenery he Rode Off the Corner! Luckily, one of the Inside Curves... That Awe Spot is Way Cool, but Out of Yourself Not the Way to ride a Bike. b. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
And, yikes Ratbuell, that sucks because that is nothing but sheer apathy on their part but at least you were able to get on the binders. Scary thing is if they did it deliberately, who knows how far people like that are willing to take it if it turns into an altercation. IMHO one fringe benefit of putting more informed motorcyclists on the streets is they become more motorcyclist aware and hopefully more considerate drivers in the car. | ||
| Portero72 |
'Smoking a cigarette and flicking ashes out the window. I hate the smell and I don't particularly care for my gear and or bike getting burn holes.' I'll add to that 'Tossing cigarette butt out the window.' As if, somehow, it is NOT garbage. Roadways are lined with them. Filthy trash tossed out by irresponsible people. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I'll never forget the day I got lucky with a butt. Out the window it came, and got caught in the vortex/void between me and my windshield, just sat there kinda floating around on my tank. I grabbed it. Pulled up next to the offending car (they were in the left lane, naturally), got closer than I probably should have, and flicked it right back in their passenger window. Used a finger to tell them "hey - you're number one in my book", gave the right hand a twist, and left them hunting for the cigarette. I should probably try being nicer on the road, but...what's the old quote..."I wouldn't be so paranoid if everyone wasn't out to get me". That's how I feel on the main roads around here. Back roads, we tend to get more locals and less commuters (we get a lot of DC commuters up here) which is nice because it lets me concentrate on avoiding the deer. But the main roads? Argh. | ||
| Portero72 |
Rat- How deft was that? Well done, sir!  | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Saw an old guy in Naples yesterday who was having trouble figuring out how the gas pump worked. | ||
| Motorbike |
I did my first stoppie when a Somali gal stopped in front of me in the center lane of three. She could not make the exit ramp because of traffic so she just stopped. I was doing about 60 on the XT when I realized what was going on. Damn, that front brake works! I was able to let off the brake and swerve to the left lane, which was open, fortunately for me. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Yeah, definitely a pet peeve, irresponsible cig smokers and the roadside trash they leave behind = disgusting. Never had a butt land on me or the bike, not sure how I'd react, but would not be a happy time for sure. I don't think I'd ever get away with tossing a butt in someone's car. They'd chase me down and kick my A*& for sure. Three times I've been a little spooked by potential road ragers in a car: riding around on Long Island with my L.I. buddy and observing the aggressive gestures exchanged between him and other drivers on several occasions which seemed to be the norm, riding in Atlanta with my friend and her husband and observing him get into a yelling match over a parking spot at Little Five Points, and finally, driving in East Orlando with my Puerto Rican friend, who got into a yelling match en espanol over a parking spot with another Puerto Rican guy. Each time I was sure I was gonna end up a goner or at least on the news. I don't poke the bear, especially when it's just me on the bike, and I'm not packing. U never know whats going thru peoples minds, and I've got that self preservation thing going on. | ||
| Brucespoint |
Burning Buttz!  I lived in the San Diego Backcountry 25+ years, Burned out 2x, 03 fire, 16 dead, 16 BiLLiON $$$. burned Almost to the coast, 6 months later they vote Down a 3/4 cent local sales tax... I Left, Who Needs Neighbors like That.  I chase drivers Down out there who toss Live butts & Read'em the Riot Act... But Then, My Work is Bouncer in the Loony Bin, So I have Practice at that! Damn Good too, All Aspects. Never Can fully Trust People, unless you've known them a looooong time, even then... Everybody has the Right to Go South Now&Then... Trust other Drivers??? That's Nutz! b.  no, that Nuk*ng Futz! (Message edited by brucespoint on January 08, 2012) | ||
| Babired |
oh man I've always had a fantasy of catching the butt and flicking it back at them, but that will never happen!  One of my last Rider's Edge classes I had a pack of guys totally loaded up with tattoos. 3 of them had full sleeves, one had the word EVIL stamped across his knuckles and another had a perfect set of eyes with eyebrows on the back of his bald head. One guy was from New England and made the observation that up in Mass. everybody drives aggressivly but they are all from the same area so traffic seems to flow. Down in my area Washington DC and Baltimore metro folks come from all over the states and other countries so you have different learnings on how to drive all meshed together. What makes driving so difficult in my area and sounds like down in Florida too! | ||
| Motorbike |
You should try driving around Rochester,MN. We get people from all over the world coming here to the Mayo Clinic. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
I'm with you on everything except #9. "you'll have to live with the inconvenience of my high beam for a few seconds" Isn't that the senior citizen capitol of the usa?? High beams = PAIN!! (90% senior citizens = glasses, cataracts, generally poor eyesight) Your blinding those poor seniors for more than a few seconds. I hope you don't have HID's. | ||
| Uly_man |
"These are just a few that I've encountered recently. What are some jackwagon behaviors you find particularly irritating and/or dangerous?" Tltwistygirl. I do understand where your coming from but? On a bike with the right handling, power and road position you should never have a problem. Allow for those who are not safe so that you are. Its all very well being right but does not help much from the grave and if that dont work just piss in there ear. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
I parked my bike in a Staples parking lot, in a shopping center, directly out front the Staples was a stop sign, so motorists could yield to pedestrians. I looked as I got closer to the road and saw no one coming or going, or was 30-40 feet way when I looked. I still had my bright green olympia vest on AND my flip up helmet (although that is black) As I stepped out onto the roadway a white worker van ran almost clipped me as he drove right thru the stop sign. I saw the guy driving,..he was on the phone. He didn't even look. | ||
| Brucespoint |
Xdigitalx... Had the Exact same thing happen in the parking lot of a Mega store, Only the Guy,(an F-14 pilot!), Turned left, distracted by Wife&Babe, a & Drove right up&Over Me & my Bike! Never hit the Brakes... Talk about somebody NOT wanting his Boss to Know! Everybody Brain farts from time to time... It's those who Repeatably do so that should be Off the Road. Trust NO other Driver. b. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"I was doing about 60 on the XT when I realized what was going on". Similar thing happened to my better half on the XT although it was a snowbird who drifted three lanes over with no signal light, then stopped. He also experienced his first XT stoppie. "One guy was from New England and made the observation that up in Mass. everybody drives aggressivly but they are all from the same area so traffic seems to flow" Seemed like that on Long Island and in dirty Jersey as well. The propensity for exchanges of "NY hellos" (aka you're number one) was stunning. People chase you down and shoot you in places I've lived for less than that. "Down in my area Washington DC and Baltimore metro folks come from all over the states and other countries so you have different learnings on how to drive all meshed together. What makes driving so difficult in my area and sounds like down in Florida too!" Yes indeed! It is an international melting pot, especially on the south side of Orlando. The traffic over the holidays was horrible, themeparks were at capacity! Since our public transportation system is not on par with that of some other metro areas, EVERYONE has a rental car to get around in. "We get people from all over the world coming here to the Mayo Clinic". I imagine the common thread is minds being other places than on the road. On a much smaller scale, traffic near our local hospital sucks and not because of any road design issues. As many of us know, medical problems are big ugly things to have on your mind. "Isn't that the senior citizen capitol of the usa?? High beams = PAIN!! (90% senior citizens = glasses, cataracts, generally poor eyesight) Your blinding those poor seniors for more than a few seconds. I hope you don't have HID's." I don't have HID's but that is another consideration and thanks for bringing that to my attention. I would not have thought of that. I minimize my riding at night because it is a risk I'm not always willing to take. Anyway, most of those retirees are probably home at Del Boca Vista well before nightfall after enjoying their early bird specials! Except for the wilder "Village people" who are yukking it up at their "key parties". I hear they tend to get around using golf carts and are mostly on the little cart paths next to the golf courses, not on the highways. "Its all very well being right but does not help much from the grave." Yes, I'd much rather be wrong than dead. |
