Got passed by a squid in my lane!!

So here's the situation...

I'm on the interstate approaching my exit a few days ago, travelling about 72-73 (speed limit 70) MPH in the right lane. I'm 2-3 sec. behind a car but see no need to pass since my exit is maybe 1/2 mile ahead. Traffic is light and there is only one other car in the immediate area...in the left lane just off my rear wheel, and we're all travelling the same speed.

In my mirrors I see a sportbike gaining on us. As he approaches, he does the left-lane, right-lane, left-lane impatience shuffle looking for an area to pass. Since the car to my left is off my rear wheel and not passing me, there's no room around. I'm riding in the left track of the right lane approaching my exit.

I check ahead to keep an eye on the guy ahead of me and...WHOOSH!!! the sportbike passes me in my lane to the right of me, goes into the left lane around the car ahead of me, then back to the right lane, brakes hard, and takes the exit!!!

Of course, I ended up directly behind him at the stop sign at the top of the exit ramp anyway. I was tempted to ride up next him and kick him over, followed by whatever other physical torment I could unleash, but just shook my head and went on to work.

I'm okay with lane splitting, and I'm okay with lane sharing with another motorcyclist that I know and trust, but I was really pissed off. A quick clipping of my bars and I would have been under the wheels of the car beside me.

What an idiot! I'll probably go to jail the next time I catch up with a guy like that so quickly. What would you do?

RTFlyer said:

What would you do?

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I'd let him go, although 20 years ago, I might have killed the bastid.

I certainly would have admonished him at the light. He put your life in danger, big time. A few words couldn't hurt, if done in the right manner. Education in sharing the road comes in many ways and forms.

"Passing me on the right was a dipsh*t move, a$$hole" was the first thing that came to my mind...
Probably followed by a suggestion to insert his **** into his tailpipe. But, hey I'm getting older and more mellow now. I like the 'push it over' and see where that leads idea.
Education comes in many forms, and not every donkey responds well to the 2by4....

Happened to me a few years ago. Took down the plate and asked the police to have a chat with the rider.

The few times this has happened to me (someone trying to pass me in My lane) if I have enough lead time (and I mean Lots of lead time!) IÔÇÖll plant myself dead center (assuming they are not coming up to fast or it would put either of us in any danger) so they have to slow down and wait for a legal passing section, if not I just give ÔÇÿem the one finger salutationÔǪafter they have passed. So far its only been like three times in the past 11 years, prior to that I donÔÇÖt think it has ever happened.

Something else similar just happened to me, luckily at very low speed/stopped at 4 way. A sporty rider came up behind me as I was coming down to a 4-way stop. I expected him to stop Behind me, but instead he come up parallel to me at the stop. Huh? I don't know you, why are you Right Next to me? There were cars all the way around and the guy across from us was getting ready to turn left, but seemed to hesitate; like sometimes happens when all four ways have traffic that arrived at about the same time. In cases like that I'll often waive the one turning to proceed, just to get things moving again and ensure I don't get in their path as they decide to go, after I have started moving. Well I did, and the sporty guy then decides to take off ahead of me thru the intersection even thou he saw me waive the guy thru. Came Very close to being hit, would have too had the truck not stopped. As I see it, the truck had the right of way having started out first, why "sporty" couldn't have waited for a second is beyond me, and what Was he doing in my lane, anyway? I almost caught up with him and stopped him to explain he had no right to be in my lane next to me, even at a stop and detail his general stupidity but figured it wouldn't do any good. Young folks ... whatcha gonna do?

RM

One day they will learn

You did the right thing resisting the temptation to kick him over.
I usually just shake my head or raise my hands in a WTF was that motion.
For some the road is their race track and they have to have the pole position, hopefully they will live lone enough to learn it's no worth the risk.
When others are acting stupid it's dangerous to attempt to correct their behavior by making it difficult for them to pass (centering yourself in the lane or closing any gaps) just let them go.

41077 said:

You did the right thing resisting the temptation to kick him over.
I usually just shake my head or raise my hands in a WTF was that motion.
For some the road is their race track and they have to have the pole position, hopefully they will live lone enough to learn it's no worth the risk.
When others are acting stupid it's dangerous to attempt to correct their behavior by making it difficult for them to pass (centering yourself in the lane or closing any gaps) just let them go.

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Yeah, you're right and usually I do, but there have been one or two time when I'm carving corners on narrow roads and I see someone coming up behind me driving "sporty" and in a manner that says to me I should not trust their skill set enough to let them by in the same lane i.e. not following a good line but rather all over the road then as soon as I can I'll pull over/slow way down and let them by as I rather not have them on my tail. Its not a "teach them a lesson" thing but rather self-preservation, I don't want them sliding out to my inside and taking me with them! there are now certain roads I avoid during mid-day hours some have gotten so bad in my area.

RM

41077 said:

You did the right thing resisting the temptation to kick him over.
I usually just shake my head or raise my hands in a WTF was that motion.
For some the road is their race track and they have to have the pole position, hopefully they will live lone enough to learn it's no worth the risk.
When others are acting stupid it's dangerous to attempt to correct their behavior by making it difficult for them to pass (centering yourself in the lane or closing any gaps) just let them go.

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But he would have simply thought/explained that he could do that because of his immense skill level. Most people's perception of their own skills is pure fiction.

Three thoughts. The first is that he shouldn't have passed you on the right in your lane. Particularly since you didn't waive him through, and he was exiting in a matter of seconds.

But secondly, had I been you, I would have moved to the right track of the lane and waived him through. Granted he was being a squidly ass since he was about to exit. But I consider it an act of courtesy for a motorcycle going slower than an approaching motorcycle to move to the right and let the faster bike through. I also tend to consider it an act of discourtesy not to let the faster bike through. I can see why you may not have done so with the exit coming up, but it would have cost you nothing to ease into the right track of the lane and waive him past. I'm not trying to slam or flame you, but you asked what we'd have done, and that's what I would have done.

Finally, you did the right thing at the stop sign. Life's too short to make an issue of it.

mistercindy said:

Three thoughts. The first is that he shouldn't have passed you on the right in your lane. Particularly since you didn't waive him through, and he was exiting in a matter of seconds.

But secondly, had I been you, I would have moved to the right track of the lane and waived him through. Granted he was being a squidly ass since he was about to exit. But I consider it an act of courtesy for a motorcycle going slower than an approaching motorcycle to move to the right and let the faster bike through. I also tend to consider it an act of discourtesy not to let the faster bike through. I can see why you may not have done so with the exit coming up, but it would have cost you nothing to ease into the right track of the lane and wave him past. I'm not trying to slam or flame you, but you asked what we'd have done, and that's what I would have done.

Finally, you did the right thing at the stop sign. Life's too short to make an issue of it.

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In retrospect, I thought of the same thing. But just like that snappy comeback that eludes us at the moment, not till much later.

I guess it never occurred that he would do something so ridiculous, and I knew that I was exiting in a matter of seconds, that he would then be able to go on his merry way. I couldn't have dreamed that he would want to pass me on the right (which would have put us two abreast with a car off our left and squeezed me to the shoulder), then swing into the left lane to pass another vehicle, then exit from the left lane in one motion. Not to mention...there was a car directly ahead of me so there was really nowhere for him to go (safely) once he passed me. That's kind of like letting someone play-through on the golf course. What's the point when it's backed up ahead of you and you're waiting before every shot?

I also use the WTF palms-up shrug instead of the one-finger salute with motorists occasionally. I think it gets the point across just as well.

I had a similarly baffling situation happen. I was on a 35 mph road in a fairly densely populated area, although there was little traffic at the time. I was passed in my lane by a cruiser going probably 80mph. Didn't even see him coming.

But, when I think about this "my lane" stuff, I just remember that I'm from the midwest. In NYC or... Shanghai or Delhi, that term would probably be a laughing matter.

Yeah..."my lane" doesn't really exist in some situations...but if I had eased over to the right anticipating the exit at the wrong time...probably bad for both of us. I guess it's just my sense of self preservation that that makes me so irritated over the whole thing.

mistercindy said:

But secondly, had I been you, I would have moved to the right track of the lane and waived him through. .

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Thank You

I will never understand the mentality to purposely block or hold up another rider.

I see them coming a long way back and I then get into position to let them pass. I move over, or I move up, or back to allow them room to make a safe pass.

Bottom line, I treat them exactly how I would like them to treat me when I'm moving faster than they are and I approach from behind.

From the time he actually reached me to the time he passed was maybe 5 seconds; ten at the most. In no way was I intentionally blocking him. I couldn't pass safely either.

I have no problem with allowing others to pass. I normally wouldn't have been riding at the speed limit there. It's a long, flat elevated roadway over a channel and some flood plains.

Sure, if I have open road in front of me and a faster rider behind, I'll pull to the right and waive the faster bike through, but that wasn't the case here. The OP said he was trailing the vehicle in front of him at near minimum safe following distance, so he wasn't delaying anybody.

I wouldn't invite some stranger squid of unknown riding ability to share my lane when I'm keeping up with traffic and he's got nowhere to go. That would be like inviting the golf foursome behind you to play through in some misguided notion of courtesy while you are already waiting on the foursome in front of you.

RTFlyer said:

What would you do?

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I'd get over it, and live to ride another day.

What an idiot! I'll probably go to jail the next time I catch up with a guy like that so quickly. What would you do?
__________________
Larry Davis
Cape Girardeau MO
R1200RT, R75/7, 545i

I would put up your bail money!!

Then get you into witness protection program.

41077 said:

.... hopefully they will live lone enough to learn it's no worth the risk.

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Hopefully they will die before they pass on their defective genes.

SPOKESMAN said:

Sure, if I have open road in front of me and a faster rider behind, I'll pull to the right and waive the faster bike through, but that wasn't the case here. The OP said he was trailing the vehicle in front of him at near minimum safe following distance, so he wasn't delaying anybody.

I wouldn't invite some stranger squid of unknown riding ability to share my lane when I'm keeping up with traffic and he's got nowhere to go. That would be like inviting the golf foursome behind you to play through in some misguided notion of courtesy while you are already waiting on the foursome in front of you.

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The OP didn't say anything about "trailing" a vehicle at "near minimum safe following distance." He said he was riding 72 to 73 MPH and two to three seconds behind the vehicle in front of him. That's a distance of between 70 to 100 yards. Its more than plenty of space for a passing motorcycle and isn't what most people would describe as "trailing" somebody. I've passed bikes and let bikes pass me many times under far less desirable circumstances. The two would "share" a lane for the fraction of a second it takes for the faster bike to pass. It sounds like a very ordinary circumstance of one bike wanting to pass another on a highway.