| Author | Message | ||
     Fltwistygirl |
No, not Ulys, silly. Distracted drivers. They literally are everywhere, usually breaking the law and sometimes ruining our day. Obviously something inspired me to start yet another thread on this topic so here is today's story: Awoke to another beautiful, cusp of autumn morning and decided to knock off errands on the XT since it seems to be running the best it has in a while. For a change of scenery, and to avoid the college students who are moving back in droves, and also to avoid possible road closures in town for this weekends bicycle race, I opted to go north and take care of business in Wyoming, away from heavy traffic and chaos in FOCO. So I geared up, fuelled up, grabbed a cooler for groceries, and headed north on the slab. Just after crossing the border, traffic and the wind started picking up. I slowed a little, positioned myself in the middle lane, and expected cars to merge into the far right lane, at least initially. I did a quick headcheck to see what was in the left lane-still heavy traffic. Overall, people were merging smoothly, except one person who was in a Buick. Now any of you who have ridden/driven a lot in city traffic or who have read and agree with some of Pat Hahn's (or other m c safety authors) books probably can attest to the potential value of stereotyping cars/drivers to help you anticipate jackwagon maneuvers and save your own skin. Well, I was making mental notes about this Buick (which we avoided like the plague in Florida because everyone's grandma drove one...and usually not well) as I gave myself a bigger space cushion: Temp tags so the person was most likely in a new to him car, inconsistent speed so probably someone who was uncomfortable merging into traffic OR was *distracted*, and as I got closer to the drivers window, I noticed that his nose was buried in his smart phone! At that second I got on the brakes hard and caught myself saying "what the...?" in my helmet. HE HAD NO INTENTION OF STAYING IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE ON INTO MY LANE!! HE HAD NO IDEA I WAS EVEN THERE!!!!! I was shocked he had the ability to even see the road he was merging onto with his nose so deep in his phone screen. After my hard braking, he was then directly ahead of me, but my exit was coming up. Part of me wanted to follow him and inform him of what was going on in the reality that existed outside his smartphone in traffic on the highway, but I felt it was a better choice to just move on, stop to catch my breath, drink a water and regroup. In retrospect, I am thankful that I do use these clues about other cars/drivers to help keep my hide intact. I am thankful that my bike is equipped with good brakes and that I practice using them often, but still I feel, not often enough. What stereotypes do you use to predict bad behavior in traffic? What else can we as motorcyclists do to combat this epidemic of texting and driving? | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
blue hair - beware After 9pm on weekend and expect they're all driving drunk. If I'm on the road then everyone else is out to get me. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on August 23, 2013) | ||
| Dmcutter |
I just assume everyone in a car is an idiot, which is generally borne out by my many years on motorcycles and bicycles. No one has any clue about minimum safe following distances-they obviously have no clue about how long it will take their car to stop. And no offense to the OP, but I have observed that young women in little shitbox econocars seem to think they are the best drivers and have to be somewhere the fastest. | ||
| Satori |
Well my observations personally. Mini Vans either piloted typically by a distracted parent, or a grandparent. By personal observation, also hummers h2's and h'3 both have dismal vision from within, making it hard to be good drivers. And yesterday I read an article where a study showed the two worst offenders for traffic infractions were BMW drivers and wait for it.... Prius drivers. | ||
| Uly_man |
"What stereotypes do you use to predict bad behavior in traffic?" There are NONE and other motorcycles and bicycles are just as bad as everyone else. "What else can we as motorcyclists do to combat this epidemic of texting and driving?". In this and all cases put a big space between you and every thing else. Use the power of the bike to keep you away from things. Do not assume anything. Trust no one and that includes the other people you are riding with at the time. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"blue hair - beware" I like it. Concise and, unfortunately, usually true. "And no offense to the OP, but I have observed that young women in little shitbox econocars seem to think they are the best drivers and have to be somewhere the fastest." None taken. Living in a college town, I've observed the same. If the car has plenty of stickers on it, sometimes the driving seems even worse. "And yesterday I read an article where a study showed the two worst offenders for traffic infractions were BMW drivers and wait for it.... Prius drivers." I'm not surprised and I'd like to see that article if it is online. The other group I'd add is Volvo XC 70 or XC 90's, especially if they have a bike rack on the back or Thule-type case on top. I often see the drivers of these vehicles dealing with a carful of kids, yakking on the phone or texting. Be careful out there, y'all. | ||
| Satori |
Here you go Fltwistygirl http://money.msn.com/now/post--wealthy-prius-drive rs-can-be-huge-jerks Had to dig to find it today, enjoy. | ||
| Uly_man |
It may seem a little harsh but the only concern I have while riding a bike is my OWN safety. At the end of the day I would rather, if I had to choose, be given a medal in my hand than have one posted on my grave. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks for posting that article Satori. Interesting study for sure and I'm not a bit surprised by the results. "It may seem a little harsh but the only concern I have while riding a bike is my OWN safety." I agree, Ulyman, because few others on the road give a rat's behind about our safety. The name of this game is self-preservation. Anything we can do strategy-wise to stack the odds in our favor so we come home intact from each and every ride is a good move. And I think that as a group, we motorcyclists have a unique perspective of other vehicles because we've got more at risk to lose should something go wrong. B. | ||
| Dmcutter |
When I got my current Uly at the beginning of the year, I had been motorcycleless for 3-1/2 years. I bicycle about 4 days a week on some very busy roads but I generally don't feel that exposed because I'm going slow enough, compared to traffic, to be an annoyance and so people see me and generally avoid me. (I have been hit twice in recent years, one sideview mirror in the left shoulder/arm, and one idiot in a minivan that turned left across traffic in front of me...okay, he didn't hit me, I t-boned him). But on my motorcycle, at the same speed as traffic, I feel invisible. I've made eye contact with drivers and they still turn left in front of me. Unreal. The first day I rode this bike to work and came home at rush hour on the busy loop around town, I have never felt so exposed or vulnerable in all my life. I could look down into cars and see the idiots with their noses plastered to their phones, a lot more of that now than 3-1/2 years ago. I was so paranoid that I almost decided I was done with motorcycles. It took me a little while to get my traffic mojo back and start riding offensively again-putting big distance between me and all the cars, always scanning and seeing where my outs are. You're right, we have an awful lot more at risk if something goes wrong. | ||
| Luftkoph |
I'm calling the ACLU, you young lady are profiling. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Ribbons of any color on the back of the car. Yellow, pink, plaid, doesn't matter. When I was teaching my kids to drive, the first thing I taught them about situational awareness was "bumper stickers indicate idiots." | ||
| Luftkoph |
It has been talked about before,but why not have phones disabled after they determine a certain speed, except for 911, I know its our right to be able to talk on a cell phone,just as it is to consume an alcoholic beverage,but not while driving. I drive a truck for a living and from an elevated seating position you can not believe the amount of this I see every day,especially in the states,although I drive 95% of the time in northern Timtario and the canadian drivers are a better class of drivers without a doubt,I'm sure a lot of Canadians will laugh at that,but I don't go to Toronto,so take that into consideration before ye judge me to harshly,eh | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
"I could look down into cars and see the idiots with their noses plastered to their phones, a lot more of that now than 3-1/2 years ago." It seems that way to me as well. It's quite ironic, as more states seem to have passed laws against distracted driving in recent years. But they seem to not have teeth. With the studies that have come out showing that distracted driving is as or more dangerous than driving under the influence, I am shocked that more campaigns to turn distracted drivers in, much like turning drunk drivers in, have not been formed. That would keep the LEO's busy for sure. "I'm calling the ACLU, you young lady are profiling." That's true!  "Ribbons of any color on the back of the car" Agreed! One of the most dangerous drivers I ever met had about seven on the back of his cars. He has battled narcolepsy and it's amazing/scary that he still holds a valid DL. He's crashed three cars since we've known him; once while on the phone and twice while falling asleep. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
My wife and I own two Prius (Preii?). Where I ride my ULY pretty quickly most of the time, I drive the Prius cars pretty slowly. Probably get in faster drivers' way. Too fricking bad I say. It's all about mpg when you are behind the wheel of a hybrid otherwise what is the sense of buying one or two in the first place. My 04' Prius is like the 06 ULY in that it was built to last and is as tight, just like the ULY, as the day I bought it back in Jan 2004. | ||
| Goodburbon |
A pickup truck pulled out in front of me today. Luckily I saw him and knew he was pulling out before he did. What I didn't quite Anticipate was him seeing me and stopping completely across the lane...and staying there for me to eventually have to drive around. I voiced my displeasure with my throttle. My wife who was on the back didn't appreciate the wheelie...but it felt pretty sweet. I wasn't mad because it was just an old guy in a cage doing what they do. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Don't just pay attention. Pay enough attention for the other guy...and for the guy behind him. Learn to predict their behavior. Plan for the worst. Expect it. And...you'll be better able to avoid it. Is it fair? No. Does it make you tired by the end of a ride? Yep. But I'll take my own bed over a hospital bed any day (and I've spent plenty of time in both...so I know the difference!). | ||
| Buewulf |
Three years ago, I did something I thought I would never do: I stopped commuting on my motorcycle. I have lived in many cities large and small on two continents over the past 20 years, and my subjective observations have lead me to believe that Houston, TX - my home for 5 years now - has the worst drivers of anywhere in the developed world save for Greece. I commute about 25 miles one-way. I see at least 3 accidents per week - usually rear-end collisions on sections of the freeway where 80mph traffic routinely comes to a stop for some gridlock action. I have nearly been rear-ended several times myself and have found myself squeezed between two vehicles more times than I can count on two hands as people aggressively jump into lanes they think are moving 1mph faster than their own. I have watched the number of accidents and especially near-accidents grow over the years as smartphone use has evolved. A very disturbing percentage of drivers I pass are using them. The real kicker, though, is the amount of debris there is on the road here, a problem amplified by the fact that you typically can't see the obstacle until the vehicle directly in front of you either darts around it at the last minute, straddles it, or launches it at you after a failed straddle attempt. We aren't just talking your almost daily encounters with tire carcasses either. I have taken evasive maneuvers to avoid power tools, 2x4x8's, tool boxes, coolers of varying sizes, a slew of screwdrivers that apparently were being stored in an orange 5-gallon bucket, two bicycles, three drive shafts, countless bumpers, two stalled vehicles, two out of control vehicles, lots of other things I can't recall at the moment and my favorite - a huge mangle of scaffolding that came flying from beneath a semi as he failed to avoid it. It totaled the two vehicles directly behind and to the right of me. Had I not been in the far left lane with room to act (the shoulder), I wouldn't be around to bitch about this right now. I still occasionally ride the bike to work. And each time, I get at least one reminder why I don't do it any more. | ||
| Sagehawk |
Amen to that buewulf! Almost got rear ended in mazda last saturday after work. Three cars behind me played tag tho. Tween those type folks and the heat, its easy to choose the mazda. | ||
| Goodburbon |
Heat, humidity, idiots on the road, afternoon thunderstorms. There are many reasons to not ride in Houston and I don't blame you one bit. |
