I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who get into situations like this and fail to call the police during or after the event. Someone who deliberately tries to force you off the road or wreck you can be charged with a number of criminal offense, including attempted murder. The world is filled with idiots, the mentally ill, drunks, morons and creeps. Every now and then you will run into one and it isn't always when you are on a motorcycle.
About a month ago I was going west on I40 to Rocky Mount, NC. I was running about 5 mph over the speed limit when this guy with a female passenger pulled up behind me so close that I could not even see his grill in the rear view mirror. The left lane was completely open, traffic was practically nonexistent - he could have easily passed me. I moved into the left lane and he passed me. A few minutes later I passed him after he dropped his speed to around 15 mph under the speed limit. I then moved into the right lane and continued at 5 mph over the speed limit. About ten minutes later he was back on my bumper again.
I tapped the brake pedal just enough to activate the brake lights. He slammed on his brakes and almost wrecked his Lexus SUV. A few minutes later he passed me in the right lane again. I got a loot a him this time. If you remember Les Nessman from WKRP in Cincinnati, this guy could have been his twin brother. He refused to look at me. This time he took the next exit and that was the last time that I had to deal with him that day.
It was pretty early in the day for anyone be be drinking, but mental health issues are there 24/7.
I live about 35 miles northwest of Charlotte. In the last couple of years I have had more than a few white riders tell me that they have had issues with black men driving cars harassing them. One fellow who rides in Charlotte regularly said that he has had issues with black pedestrians throwing things at him. I have been told by people in the black community that it is common to associate white riders, particularly Harley riders, with being anti-black. I would not think that this would apply as much to BMW riders, but who knows. With race relations in America at a modern-era all time low, you have to at least be conscious that the guy who is threatening you in his car may have a grudge against you that you of which you are totally oblivious.
I carry a gun. When I am on the Blue Ride Parkway, I make sure that I have a gun that can drop a black bear, if needed. Though I suspect that if I ever needed to use a gun, it would be against a human and not an animal. In the situation that you described, a gun would be the very last option that you would want to employ. In most cases, my R1200R is going to be able to outrun most cars on the road. In traffic, you should be able to lane-split or ride the shoulder to a safe place where you could call the police. If you let people get away with doing this sort of thing, threatening your life and safety, without any repercussions, they will just keep doing it.
Unfortunately, there are situations that are so threatening that your only option is to use deadly force to defend yourself. We live in that kind of world.
Pete
About a month ago I was going west on I40 to Rocky Mount, NC. I was running about 5 mph over the speed limit when this guy with a female passenger pulled up behind me so close that I could not even see his grill in the rear view mirror. The left lane was completely open, traffic was practically nonexistent - he could have easily passed me. I moved into the left lane and he passed me. A few minutes later I passed him after he dropped his speed to around 15 mph under the speed limit. I then moved into the right lane and continued at 5 mph over the speed limit. About ten minutes later he was back on my bumper again.
I tapped the brake pedal just enough to activate the brake lights. He slammed on his brakes and almost wrecked his Lexus SUV. A few minutes later he passed me in the right lane again. I got a loot a him this time. If you remember Les Nessman from WKRP in Cincinnati, this guy could have been his twin brother. He refused to look at me. This time he took the next exit and that was the last time that I had to deal with him that day.
It was pretty early in the day for anyone be be drinking, but mental health issues are there 24/7.
I live about 35 miles northwest of Charlotte. In the last couple of years I have had more than a few white riders tell me that they have had issues with black men driving cars harassing them. One fellow who rides in Charlotte regularly said that he has had issues with black pedestrians throwing things at him. I have been told by people in the black community that it is common to associate white riders, particularly Harley riders, with being anti-black. I would not think that this would apply as much to BMW riders, but who knows. With race relations in America at a modern-era all time low, you have to at least be conscious that the guy who is threatening you in his car may have a grudge against you that you of which you are totally oblivious.
I carry a gun. When I am on the Blue Ride Parkway, I make sure that I have a gun that can drop a black bear, if needed. Though I suspect that if I ever needed to use a gun, it would be against a human and not an animal. In the situation that you described, a gun would be the very last option that you would want to employ. In most cases, my R1200R is going to be able to outrun most cars on the road. In traffic, you should be able to lane-split or ride the shoulder to a safe place where you could call the police. If you let people get away with doing this sort of thing, threatening your life and safety, without any repercussions, they will just keep doing it.
Unfortunately, there are situations that are so threatening that your only option is to use deadly force to defend yourself. We live in that kind of world.
Pete
Yes, alot of good replies here, from staying away--- I tried to get off the road as soon as possible, and there he was again--- yes I should have ignored him, yes, I should have called 911 from my headset. Yes, we are lucky no one got physically hurt. I F'd up this time--- actually the this was first time in some thirty years of being riding.
Thanks