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A Confrontation

bmwgsrider

Member
This evening, I had to run an errand and decided to ride my bike...

I started to pass a car that was driving in the left hand lane and as I started to pass in the right hand lane the car proceeded to come over into my lane. This individual did not look (no turning of the head...no turn signal) and started to move into my lane. As the car was coming over, I moved over to the shoulder as I was putting on my brakes to where I could move behind the car. After the car was fully in the right hand lane, I made a point to make him see me by zipping past him and moving over in front of the vehicle as I was watching my mirrors to see what the vehicle would do and it slowed down. I continued to watch my mirrors the vehicle turned into a movie parking lot. I decided to turn in the next driveway to enter the movie parking lot as well to talk to this particular individual to see why he almost hit me let alone if he even realized what he almost had done as he seemed oblivious. I watched where the vehicle was going and when he turned into a lane I turned into the same lane and headed right towards the vehicle to where the individual had to stop.

As soon as the vehicle had to stop because I was blocking him, the guy quickly opened the door and half in and half out of the car he quickly said, "What do you think you are doing?" I said back, "What do you think you are doing?" "Did you realize back there that you almost hit me when you changed lanes?" I told him I was in the right lane when he came over which he started to deny that he never came over into the right lane... he denied the fact that he did not almost hit me... he said that he did not see me and that I came out of no where when I went in front of him. I told him that I did not come from no where as I was right beside him when he came over into my lane and that he needs to be more careful and start looking to make sure that he isn't going to hit anyone just like he almost did to me. He proceeded to tell me you see this cross bar pointing to the front windshield cross bar stating that there are a lot of blind spots and I told him that he needs to start looking better while driving to where he won't hit anybody. He tells me that if I don't want to be hit than don't ride a motorcycle... he said that all motorcyclist will get hit and that I have no right to be riding one. The more he was talking the more pissed he was getting. I told him that I am just making him aware that he almost hit me and that he needs to be more careful and start looking... and I also told him that he should not be driving because he is going to hit and kill someone someday because he is oblivious to his actions and at that point I drove off.

He knew I was a female. I was wondering that when he was starting to get really pissed if he was going to actually walk up to me and my bike and either push me or hit me. He was not alone in the vehicle as his wife/girlfriend was sitting in the passenger seat and did not say a word during this incident.
 
I appreciate and admire your courage to speak your mind. But please be careful. You never know who is going to come out of the car and whether they intend you harm. We have enough nuts out there that confronting an irate motorist is always a risky issue. it may have made you feel better to voice your concerns but that driver will probably not change their behavior and you put yourself at risk. Just be careful.
 
Although it may have made you feel better, it was a waste of time and energy. He obviously didn't see you to start with. It was not intentional. Is he a bad driver? Maybe. Will you teach him a 'lesson' during a parking lot confrontation? Never. First of all, he sees you as the aggressor in the situation because he has no idea he cut you off. Best choice would have been to drive on and accept it.

My philosophy for road manner is this. If we all drove like we act when we are pushing a shopping cart in Wally World, the highways would be a courteous place. I can't imagine any one chasing another shopper through the store and confronting them because they cut them off or bumped into them in the produce section. No, quite contrare, (sp? I don't speak french) we use manners and wave other shoppers past, we exchange pleasantries, (Go ahead..no you..thank you..Im sorry am I in your way...no take your time...thank you...) You get my point...

I'm glad you're ok though.
 
Almost pointless...

It is almost impossible to resist the urge to lay on the horn, or maybe award them "digital recognition". Have been riding street bikes over 30 years, and it almost always turns out bad at best, physical at worst. You really do have to assume, especially when passing on the right, that the idiot is going to come over. Quite often if i get on the horn early, they will see you, and sometimes be visibly horrified about what they almost did. I really wish there was a simple hand signal for " I'm OK this time, but be more damn careful!!" I try my best to get in their mirror zone before passing. The pulsing headlights really do seem to help, both with the blindspot situation, as well as discouraging left turns into your path. The car driver is much more often at fault, but that is cold comfort when you are on the ground in pain. You can really be "dead right". Glad you made it home safe.
JimBob

1980 BMW R100RT
1968 BMW R50/2
1978 Yamaha SR500
1971 Rokon RT-140
(and my wife's Honda Airblade in Vietnam)
 
It is almost impossible to resist the urge to lay on the horn, or maybe award them "digital recognition". Have been riding street bikes over 30 years, and it almost always turns out bad at best, physical at worst. You really do have to assume, especially when passing on the right, that the idiot is going to come over. Quite often if i get on the horn early, they will see you, and sometimes be visibly horrified about what they almost did. I really wish there was a simple hand signal for " I'm OK this time, but be more damn careful!!" I try my best to get in their mirror zone before passing. The pulsing headlights really do seem to help, both with the blindspot situation, as well as discouraging left turns into your path. The car driver is much more often at fault, but that is cold comfort when you are on the ground in pain. You can really be "dead right". Glad you made it home safe.
JimBob

1980 BMW R100RT
1968 BMW R50/2
1978 Yamaha SR500
1971 Rokon RT-140
(and my wife's Honda Airblade in Vietnam)


There is and it does not stand for your #1. Works for me anyways...:thumb
 
Close calls are great learning experiences! What did you learn?

Tom
 
It used to be scenarios like this would result in at very least getting the drivers attention so I could flip them off.
Later I got philosophic after several occurrences and thought, "what does this prove, what does this change?". I did survive, obviously, which is the point of the game.
I ride like everything on the road has the potential to kill me. Maybe that's a little over-the-top but I am always scanning for threatening situations.

Now on the backside of these kinds of events I find that I shake my head, chuckle to myself and shake it off.

It's not worth it.

I'm glad that this did not escalate into ugliness.
 
Your reaction while understandable was ill conceived. I know because I have been equally as foolhardy. Things to consider: some people carry guns and some of them are idiots who relish the opportunity show them off. Additionally, the other guy could have made a case that you assaulted him. I am not a lawyer, but just placing someone in fear by your aggressive actions is enough. The charge would have been bogus but could have taken much time and money to resolve. I think most of us who have advised against confronting traffic miscreants are old coggers who made the same mistake when we were younger and dumber.

I do admire your moxy.
 
Now on the backside of these kinds of events I find that I shake my head, chuckle to myself and shake it off.

It's not worth it.

I'm glad that this did not escalate into ugliness.

+1 :thumb

Back in the 70's I stopped using my car horn after honking at others three times within one year. Each time, the driver got of his car and wanted to punch my lights out. I was in the right in each case, but so what; they were all bigger and angrier than me.

On the bikes, I try to anticipate and avoid situations and will use the bike horn if necessary as a warning to others, with no accompanying gestures or vocals. It seems that with so many nutters out there, why chance an encounter with a deranged individual?
 
My way of thinking about it, most people are a bunch of f----- idiots. They don't care and the rules of the road are not being enforced anymore. Remember when we were younger, always saw commercials about being considerate and courteous on the road? Not anymore. The new generation of inconsiderates are not even taught to drive in the right lane and reserve the left for passing/fast traffic. That was for safety sake, not to pass on the right. LEO don't enforce this anymore and driving out there is a free for all with little or no rules. Great. Maybe the AMA could start raising cain about this, it is insanely dangerous for riders.
 
Additionally, the other guy could have made a case that you assaulted him.
.

Unfortunately, this is very true. In my state, for a crime to be committed, one of the 'elements of the offense' is intent. In this case, the original driver of the vehicle had no 'intent', so the most he could be charged with is an infraction; a traffic ticket.

The motorcyclist however, showed clear 'intent' by 'stalking' (lawyer word) the car driver and 'confronting and speaking to him in a face to face manner in such a way that would cause alarm to an ordinary and reasonable person" (more lawyer words). That is a classic text book assault, or at very least, peace disturbance in the state of Missouri. That would be a misdemeanor, meaning court, lawyers, fines, and probation! :nono
 
Olsensan's got it right on; there just is no other explanation. They do NOT care, and that's a polite understatement.

Maybe North Carolina just doesn't have traffic like a "big city" or a huge metropolitan area; but not only is it legal to pass on the right when you have parallel lanes moving the same direction, but it's often quite necessary. Many cagers occupy the #1 lane and truly just don't give a rodent's rear that they are driving illegally - they are obstructing other traffic, and they are not yielding their position to permit "legal" passing.

Just because a person has a license (and accept that many do NOT) does not make them a competent driver. While renewing at the local DMV, I have witnessed non-English-speaking people get actual help answering the exam questions from their buddy; and I have witnessed people with the Drivers Manual on the table with them as they took the written exam, and then argue with the examiner that it was OK to do so. Yes they should have been failed on the spot, sorry try again in 30 days, but they were allowed to continue and pass.

Did you live through it? Great. Time to get over it.
Did you learn something from it? Even better; you're prepared for next time. And there WILL be a next time. Some of those clowns pull this (stuff) on purpose - they know exactly what they're doing.
We cannot and must not ever ride in "drone mode" as the cagers do.
Orange Alert - all the time. Prepare, perceive, evade, and live.
 
Glad you're okay.
+1 on the Stebel horn. I bought and installed one this summer and found the need to use it more than once in some scenarios like you described.
 
Glad you are OK

Be careful out there. Many drivers are dangerous, I just give them a wide berth.

IMHO, confrontations with bad drivers aren't worth the risk of an assault.
 
Get a Stebel airhorn and use it every time someone pulls a trick like that on you. It'll scare the hell out of them. It'll make them aware that you're there... ;)

http://youtu.be/k4roQfeSTsE


+1

I use mine in Scottsdale, AZ all the time. There, it's all BMW and MB SUV's seeing nothing but large screen NAV screens on their dashboards. They are oblivious to anything but the Stebel.

FYI, I leave my Walther 9-clip at home. It brings nowhere near as much shock as the Stebel air-horn.

BTW, 'twasn't easy fitting that big horn into the tiny R1200S fairing. But it was completely worthwhile.
 
I try to NEVER drive on the side of ANY VEHICLE. Either fully in front of or fully in back of a vehicle. Then if it's safe I make a clean,fast pass.Drive the other drivers mirrors minimum and keep in full view preferably.A motorcycles main advantage is,speed/quick excelleration, and the ability to change direction quickly.Stay out of the way,get out of the way,watching preferably out of your rear view mirrors. :thumb

Usually if you have to use your horn it's already to late.

+1

Even if I'm in a line of traffic, I'll slow a bit to allow the vehicle in front of me to clear the slower vehicle before I begin my pass. Then, I flash the brights, position myself as far from the vehicle as possible, and accelerate on around. This is especially true of trucks!

Tom
 
Do NOT pass on the right. It is asking for disaster; no matter whether you are in a cage or a bike.

You talking safety lane right or right travel lane?

Kind of have to pass a left turning vehicle ahead on the right...at least I do:dunno Or someone traveling below the posted limit in the fast lane...I'm gone!
 
Nothing can be worse than the traffic in Africa. Don't go out there at night! The roads are bad enough as it is, but at night there are unlit donkey karts, pedestrians and loose animals out on the road.
Drivers licenses are bought, not awarded after a test. People just go out and see how it goes. Fortunately they don't go very fast, but they do make sudden turns without indicators (which probably don't work anyway) or looking in the mirrors (if present/not broken).

After a couple of weeks in Africa, I think traffic in the US of Europe is not half as dangerous as over there.
 
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