What's your strangest or funniest interaction with a motorist?

[Bobmws]

I pull a Bunkhouse camper with the bike and it's equipped with a swivel hitch. The ball coupling usually gets and stays cocked to one side. I've had a number of well meaning folks tell my trailer hitch/tongue is broken.

 

[shortythorne]

My husband (Paul) & I were out for a day run in northern MS and stopped for gas at a small store. There are only two pumps... Paul is in front of me, and we are at the same pump, because we don't pump gas separately. Just shortly after we begin pumping, here comes three straight pipe, obnoxious Harley's, and one of them (who I see is female) wobbles up right behind my bike with her front wheel to the inside of my rear wheel! I nod at her, as they really like to be acknowledged. Of course they have ATGATT including the t-shirt under a thin leather vest, blue jeans, and a beanie helmet. To give you an idea of the combined mentality of this group, one of the three asks his buddy, "what is the difference in the gas with Ethanol and the other?", and his buddy says one has it, the other doesn't". Anyway, I am sorta ticky about "my space" especially regarding my bike, and I just look at her with a bewildered, questioning glance which apparently went right over her beanie. I am starting to wonder if she is trying to "start something" or is she just an idiot. I still can't figure out why she pulled up so close to me when she had the entire rear pump space? The whole time we are pumping our gas, I am wondering how I am going to push my bike to an upright position with her wheel inside mine (I don't put my bike on the CS to fuel, as it has been lowered and is a bit of a pain). So I put on my "sweet face" and ask if I need to move up a little for her? This is NOT what I am thinking, but I'm really trying to be nice. She says, "oh no hun, your just fine" At this point,I am thinking what my chances would be if I pushed her bike over, jumped on mine, took off and waved as I sped off? They say wisdom comes with age, so since I didn't do what I would have 30 years ago, I simply say, "well, HUN, I'm afraid your going to have to move back a little, because I can't push my bike upright until you do." To which she replies "Oh", and finally she backs it up a little. I just ride off shaking my head and glad to be AWAY from them.

 

[paul_f]

Missed Breakfast

A few years ago I pulled into a small town around 10:30 for breakfast and parked in front of a restaurant. As I began to read the menu in the window, a couple came up, looked at my license plate and told me not to go in there, but rather, go to the restaurant across the street. They just finished a delicious breakfast there and the special was a deal not to be missed.

Then they proceeded to talk, and talk, what seemed forever, before driving off. I entered the establishment that they had recommended and ordered the breakfast special, only to be told that the special ended at 11:00 a.m., 10 minutes earlier! The regular menu breakfast was good, but certainly not the bargain that couple had been so effusively endorsing.

 

[paul_f]

My Super Bike

I once pulled into Springfield MA for gasoline. Before accepting my credit card, the cashier asked to see my driver's license for ID. Upon seeing that I was from Canada, he commented that I must have bought the bike in the US and was returning home with it. When I corrected him and informed him I had ridden the bike from Ontario to Boston and was now returning home, he found that difficult to believe that such a trip could be done on a bike. He locked the store and came to the pump to examine this super bike ('87 K100RT) that travel such distances.

 

[c4golf]

Ego busted!

I've had my K1600 for a little over a year now, but back when I only had it about 2 months, I pulled up to a stop light in the left turn lane to get on the highway. I notice a car pull up on my right, (2 turn lanes) a quick glance over and I see it is an attractive 20 something woman in a tank top in a low slung sporty car. Not trying to be "the creepy old perv" i turned back to look forward. My ruse for looking again was to check the opposite light and see if it was turning yellow, she was looking at me with a pretty big smile. I'm a happily married man but nothing to look at so my "feeling good" ego was a little pumped up. A little smile back and then all of a sudden, BOOM, her Dad I assume leaned forward from the passenger seat (I didn't see him obviously) and says " Hey, is that the new 6 cylinder I heard about?" I said " uh, Yep, sure is" Luckily the light changed and I sped off. As I recounted my tale to my wife she giggled and said "You wish"

 

[henzilla]

I don't recall posting this before....
We were fueling and H had topped off and went inside the store. A couple of guys at the next pump walked over to look at the bikes and comment on the TX plates. They asked if we rode all the way from TX and I said yes, except we pushed them a little of the way

When H walked out and started gearing up, they kept looking back towards the store. Then one of them asked her where her pilot was
He said that her bike was too big to be hers. I cranked my bike and rolled away before she popped them upside their gray heads. We laughed later.

 

[GeorgeR1200RT]

Back in the late 1970's I was on my R75/5 in a small town in LA (Lower Alabama).

This was before self service and they still pumped the gas into your vehicle...most attendants handed a motorcycle rider the nozzle out of courtesy.

A young man came out to serve me and said in a deep accent..."What the hell kind of motorcycle is that?"

I told him a BMW, same as the brand of cars. He gave me a blank look that showed he had never seen that make of car either.

Had a nice talk, but could have used an interpreter for some of it.

 

[PGlaves]

I left work a little early on a Friday afternoon to ride the 250 or so miles to the Husker Rally at Franklin, Nebraska. I was riding my venerable K75, Old Smokey, which at the time had about 200,000 miles on it. About halfway there, in northern Kansas, I stopped at a convenience store to fill with gas and grab a slice of pizza.

A couple rolled in on a newish bright yellow Goldwing, towing a matching bright yellow trailer, with a cooler painted yellow, to match the bike and the trailer and the jackets the man and women each wore. The combined weights of the two had to be something north of 600 pounds. Before he was totally stopped she stepped/stumbled off the bike and quickly duck walked to the bathroom. Then she went to the pizza counter. While he was waiting for her to return with their plates of pizza he took off his yellow helmet and sauntered over to look at my bike. He glanced at the odometer and then asked, "How did you put so many miles on such a little bike."

Given the situation I was polite, and just shrugged a non-committal type answer.

 

[SCOOTERRATON]

Yes...I am a scooterist and have about 50K miles on 650 scooters and probably another 20K or so on vintage scooters. I'm at about 18K on my C650GT. I was at a light getting ready to take the ramp onto I-95 on the GT and a GWing pulled up next to me. "You take that on 95?" "yeah" "Can you keep up with traffic?"..."yeah" "How fast can it go?" "110"..."oh"

I get the same reaction when I tell them my 67 Vespa GT will cruise at 70!

 

[gfspencer]

I used to have a Ducati Paul Smart Sport Classic. One Sunday afternoon I rode to a state park where lots of motorcyclists congregate. I was sitting on a rock wall with my bike in front of me when a Harley rider walked over to look at my bike.

His first question was, "How old is that bike?'

I replied, "It is brand new."

He thought a minute and asked, "Why would you want to buy a new bike that looks old?"

"Really? You're riding a Harley and you are asking me that question??"

He just turned around and walked off.

 

[AirBender]

Good thread!

 

[JDOCKERY132445]

Blue Ridge Parkway, 1970

I was a student at Appalachian State University. I owned a purple Triumph Trophy 500. As some of you know, the Parkway weather can be very different than the surrounding country. I encountered a rain/sleet/snow storm and decided to stop until it passed. A woman stopped to see if I had a problem. I told her I was waiting out the storm. She invited me to ride home with her and have lunch. I am not shy; so off we went. Her husband and kids were not surprised she had brought a wet motorcyclist home for lunch. After lunch, her husband said the storm was not isolated and that he would take me and my bike into Boone in the back of his truck. It turned into a lasting relationship and he allowed me to come hunt on his farm whenever I wished.

 

[AKsuited]

I had an older gentlemen ask what kind of Harley is that, looking at my K75.

Another time a couple of young guys pointed at my K75 and found something hilarious. I don't think it was me, they seemed to be looking at the BMW roundel on the gas tank.

At a poker run, there was a bike show afterwards. My K75 won "best Japanese bike."

Harry

 

[Cal]

About 12 years ago, I was getting off my 1974 R90/6 when an old gentleman with a European accent approached me. He proceeded to tell me he used to have a bike like mine, I said great. Then he told me, his had had a sidecar and a machinegun, I proceeded to laugh and asked him why didn't he keep it after the war, Well the US Army took it away when he surrendered.

His last comment was that his job was to find the enemy and then to put the motorcycle on reverse, his gunner would lay down machine gun fire and they would get out of there. The thing that struck me the most when he said this last comment, that old man had the biggest grin in his face.

 

[t2moyer]

We weren't on the bike, but my son and I stopped at a red light near the beach while on vacation. We pulled up next to a young lady, maybe in her early 30s, who was talking on a cell phone and very animated with her hands. We took off from the light and it was obvious she had no clue what was going on around her - tailgating the car in front, drifting into our lane, etc.

My son (who was about ten y/o at the time) just stared out the window at her to see if she would notice. This went on for several red lights. When she finally looked over at him staring, she quickly gave him the finger, again in a very animated fashion.

We both started laughing hysterically and without warning, Grayson put both hands to his ears, stuck out his tongue and gave the universal nanny-nanny-boo-boo to her. She changed hands with the phone and gave him the other finger. We laughed for several traffic lights and went on about our day. Good times!

Now that he is driving, I try not to encourage the fixed gaze into other cars and certainly no hands to the ears.

 

[mylanc]

I was a student at Appalachian State University. I owned a purple Triumph Trophy 500. As some of you know, the Parkway weather can be very different than the surrounding country. I encountered a rain/sleet/snow storm and decided to stop until it passed. A woman stopped to see if I had a problem. I told her I was waiting out the storm. She invited me to ride home with her and have lunch. I am not shy; so off we went. Her husband and kids were not surprised she had brought a wet motorcyclist home for lunch. After lunch, her husband said the storm was not isolated and that he would take me and my bike into Boone in the back of his truck. It turned into a lasting relationship and he allowed me to come hunt on his farm whenever I wished.

Kismet! Nice story.

 

[MTHelmet]

The 1973 Labor day week end. The heat was climbing as we were headed N on the Inter state. Riding side by side, he on the out side and I next to the other N bound lane. Going about 75mph.

I looked to my left and a sedan pulls up, girl in back, guys up front. They look at us and wave. The she holds up BOTTLE JACK DANIELS. I nod to my buddy, He gives a thumbs up. The car starts to pull away. Then slow till we catch up.

T he lady next to rolled down the window and hold up a large cup, as offering me a sip. I nodded OK. she hold the cup out the window. I move over and take the cup. After a couple of sips, I hand it to my buddy who finished the drink. handing the cup back the driver floored the car an speeded off.

At the next fuel stop we talked how we would have explained it to a police office if we were stopped.


On another trip we went into town for supper. The road was down hill, with a hard crown. e were walking to the dinner, when this sidecar rig pulled into the curb. Rider, wife and 3 kid get off and go inside.

Then some other riders park so the rider would need help to push the rig out. Most did not know it had reverse.

When the rider and his family came out , they all climbed on the rig. Looking around he waved to the crowd, then started the bike, reached down with his right an did something no one could see what. Then he back out and drove..

 

[pdxelizabeth]

I've had a couple funny ones....

1. Not commuting, but I had just pulled into the Target parking lot for the weekly Target run. I was parked next to an SUV and a mom was unloading her kiddo. They watched me get off my F650GS and as I pulled of my lid, the mom exclaimed "Whoa...Lady rider! Rock and Roooooool!' and gave me a big thumbs up. I started laughing because it was the complete opposite reaction from what I was expecting. Her kid just stared ad me and my bike, and as they walked off to the store, he said, all shy, 'Rock and Roll rider!' I still grin when I remember that.

2. I wear a grey 'stich two piece and have pretty short hair, so I don't look too much like a female while I'm on the bike. I pulled into the gas station on my way to work (here in Oregon, all gas stations are full serve by law, but bikes usually get a pass and get to pump their own), and before I pulled off my lid, the attendant said 'Hey sonny, you got it ok?' I pulled off my lid and said yep, thanks. The look on his face was priceless when he realized I wasn't a sonny. I stop pretty regularly at that station, and he usually comes over to say hi ever since, and occasionally tells his other regular customers how cool he thinks my bike (he usually sees me F800GT) is.

 

[W7lej1]

Missed opportunity!

A couple of years ago, it was afternoon commute time, and I was on my way home on my RT. As I approached a red light, I checked my mirrors as I was taught in MSF school, and noted a white Gold Wing closing in on my right side. As I stopped, he pulled alongside on my right - a little uncomfortably close - and motioned for me to raise my visor. I did.

"Where WERE you this morning?" he asked, seemingly indignant.

"Excuse me please?" (I've never seen the guy or his bike before.)

"We could'a both called in sick and gone RIDING!"

Marty

 

[Wethead]

I saw a state sign once, which BTW, it was a state Hwy sign...those green signs that give directions and stuff. It said:

KEEP YOU EYES ON THE ROAD AND YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR APPS.


I totally support that