Good thing I said my prayers.

[garyahouse]

You never know what's gonna happen when ya hop on the bike for what should be a routine ride home from work. I was heading east on SR52, on my way home for supper after getting my hair cut. I was busy reviewing my day at school and planning what I'd be doing tomorrow. I was perhaps a mile from the barber shop, tooling along at about 50 on a 3 lane divided hwy. Guy in a white Chevy S10 on my right in the center lane going perhaps 1 mph slower than I was... began crowding the white line that separated us. My front wheel was roughly even with his rear wheel, and sure enough, within a couple seconds, he started coming across the line into my lane. I caught this in my fringe vision as I wasn't looking at him: I was looking straight ahead. In that split second, I decided to be proactive and hit the brakes just in case. I scrubbed off perhaps 10 mph, and sure enough... he kept right on coming until he was fully in my lane. About 2 seconds later, he sticks his hand straight up out his window and waves.

Apparently he discovered what he'd done. So I smiled, and waved back at the man, and continued on my way home.

Now what just happened?

First, I'm wondering: with my Staintunes blasting, how was it possible that he didn't hear me? Obviously, he had his window down. Then I'm wondering how it was that he didn't see me approaching, I had the Krista's set at about 2/3 brightness, they should have gotten his attention as I was coming up on his left.

I'm not the only one who was fortunate today. I could have been typing out this post from a hospital bed. Once again, I'm feeling very thankful. I'm thankful that there's a certain young man who drives a white Chevy that's not going to have to try to live with the fact that he put somebody in the hospital today. I'm thankful that I did remember to keep my eyes on the road and to be aware of the vehicles around me. And I'm very thankful that the Good Lord saw fit to keep an eye on me: therefore today was nothing more than a close call.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Tyler]

I did remember to keep my eyes on the road and to be aware of the vehicles around me.
Gary

darksider #44

That right there is why you're still here...

 

[Bustanut joker]

I did remember to keep my eyes on the road and to be aware of the vehicles around me.
Gary

darksider #44

That right there is why you're still here...

And still another reason to shave yer head at home.

Glad to hear you was on the Ball Gary

 

[08FJR4ME]

Things look closer than what they really are on most right hand cager mirrors. You may have been in his blind spot. I also think the loud exhaust sound is mostly deflected behind the rider. He may not have heard you also. Good for you on being nice about it. My New York Driver last week got the #1 sign for neerly taking me out and no i wasn't smiling.

Dave

 

[Surly]

Glad all is well. Just imagine trying to cut your own hair after that sort of close call, out with the number 1 clippers.

 

[wfooshee]

Things look closer than what they really are on most right hand cager mirrors. You may have been in his blind spot. I also think the loud exhaust sound is mostly deflected behind the rider. He may not have heard you also. Good for you on being nice about it. My New York Driver last week got the #1 sign for neerly taking me out and no i wasn't smiling.

Dave

Guy was on his right, so it would have been the left mirror for the pickup driver. Still, depending on left or right side of the lane, front wheel even with their rear wheel very well could be blind spot.

Most drivers adjust their side mirrors incorrectly, thinking they have to see part of their own vehicle "as a refernece," which narrows the view in the mirror to much less than what it should be. Even so, I'm not sure why a little turn of the head is such a foreign concept. Not to mention, checking the space before moving into it, not during.

In that riding situation, I look at those mirrors and check if I see a face there. If not, I know I'm not visible and I move away accordingly.

 

[Chuck35]

I also cut my own hair, and try to ride as if everyone else on the road is actively trying to kill me. I plan to make it as difficult for them as possible. Avoid their blind spots, try not to get crowded...

Glad you are OK Gary!

 

[Bugnatr]

I'm thankful that I did remember to keep my eyes on the road and to be aware of the vehicles around me. And I'm very thankful that the Good Lord saw fit to keep an eye on me: therefore today was nothing more than a close call.
Gary

darksider #44

Gary, that commute **** is almost as dangerous as riding in deer country. Do your best and give thanks when you can.

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

Right there, ladies and gentlemen, is empirical, real-world data proving that "Loud pipes DON'T save lives".

Glad you're OK, and no, I would not have been as kind to the pickup driver.

Whenever I'm passing somebody on a multi-lane road, I speed up and get through that blind spot as quickly as possible. (Pssst.....the FJR is good at that).

 

[RossKean]

Right there, ladies and gentlemen, is empirical, real-world data proving that "Loud pipes DON'T save lives".
Glad you're OK, and no, I would not have been as kind to the pickup driver.

Whenever I'm passing somebody on a multi-lane road, I speed up and get through that blind spot as quickly as possible. (Pssst.....the FJR is good at that).

+1

In any situation, I remain very much aware of blind spots for the drivers in front of me or beside me. When passing (even on a multi-lane road), I maintain a safe following distance and pass quickly. NEVER hang out in a potential blind spot. Of course, you always work on the assumption that the other driver can't see you or is distracted by a phone call or important text message.

 

[Falko]

You have two misconceptions in your post.

1. Drivers pay enough attention while driving and before a lane change to look in their mirrors or notice other vehicles around them. Loud pipes, glaring lights, rabid cocaine addicted zombie monkeys on fire riding pillion, people don't notice ***** on the roads today. Surprised this guy actually looked in his rear view.

2. The guy would have given a damn about some stupid motorcyclist that he just ran over. MC shouldn't have been on the road anyway, they're death traps....

As stated by others, stay out of the blind spot as much as possible. My commute is such that you don't have room to chose where you place yourself. If I am in a blind spot, I look at the mirror of the car and position myself until I see the person's face. Sometimes it puts me a little closer to the car than I'd like, but I stay very vigilant of that person's actions.

Stay safe out there, they all want to kill us....

 

[Geezer]

I have learned that many drivers prefer to simply crowd the line before a lane change rather than use the directional signal. It was his way of letting you know that he was going to change lanes in front of you. He saw you, knew you were there, gave you the line crowding signal, and then thanked you for giving him a little more space.

 

[lnewlf]

Hey pal, you were warned that CTs ain't safe...

 

[wheatonFJR]

Hey pal, you were warned that CTs ain't safe...

That's why he was prayin'...to counter act the blood drinkin' car tire usage.

 

[DennisJ]

I try very hard to avoid riding next to any vehicle to avoid just this type of thing. Every once-in-a-while I'll catch myself slowly edging past someone and promptly accelerate until I am even with the driver's window at least, preferably ahead of the car and then resume speed. My nerves go all tingly until I do.

 

[garyahouse]

Today I was riding home, running down many of the same roads. I'm a lot like many of you fellers. I'm usually aware of blind spots and normally don't ride along next to other cars as I was doing yesterday. I've been at this stuff since 1966 and you'd think I'd have it down by now. I have lectured many about the dangers of blind spots. I would have written the same things most of you just wrote... had someone posted up what it did. Day after day, mile after mile, I try to ride by a well ingrained set of rules, one of them being to never get caught in a blind spot. So what's the deal? Well, here it is: Day dreaming. Just as simple as that. Not only DID it happen to me, but it can just as easily happen to any one of you fine fellers. Let's all beware of this one truth. We know HOW to drive. We could give great advice to anybody who'd listen. However, there are times when we're not as good-a driver as we think we are. We all daydream once in awhile. It may be rare, but it does happen.

I am living proof. And I'm extra happy about the "living" part of that statement.

It's good medicine to talk about this stuff once in awhile.

Stayin' on yer toes keeps ya off'n yer back.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Chuck35]

Today I almost got creamed by a driver that wasn't looking. Luckily I was atgatt.

Ohh, did I mention I was walking across a parking lot?

I had just fueled up and was leaving the store walking to the bike. I was about to step in behind a car that had passed in front of me when he stopped and backed up, then stopped where my lifeless corpse would have been were it not for my superhuman catlike reflexes.

Luck helps to

He never knew I was there, white helmet and hi viz suit....

 

[bwv]

I am not mature enough to react as calmly as you did Gary.

Good for you and your skills in not allowing yourself to experience a "real close one"

I'm betting that, as you possess such a great attitude, as exhibited in this situation... you probably already had some good Karma coming your way

I got one for ya...

Picture this...

Small town (main street is a mile long), Upstate NY, Stamford...

Pouring rain... I leave work on my KLR, going up main street... a small brown car in front of me, doing about 20, right turn signal goes on...driver pulls off the road as if to park... the driver got down to a very slow roll, and then, with the right turn signal still on, I notice the brake lights go out, the car speeds back up, pulls (left) back out into the road, just to hop past another parked car, apparently to get to the spot in front of that other parked car...closer to the library...

I had almost started to roll past, when i saw the brake lights go out...so grabbed a handful of brakes (not all that much on a KLR)... and pressed the horn button longer and harder than ever in my life... I slowly drove past the now stopped car screaming all manner of nasty explicatives... .and just as i get ready to show the driver shes #1... i mean..it took all i had not to kick a door panel in on the way by... i look down.

It was my Mother.

I almost flipped off my own mother...

I called her later to tell her she almost damaged me... she said to me "i was wondering who the crazy on the bike was in the rain... well your horn works"

She said didn't see me til i was next to her with the horn blowing.

Once i told her what she did, she realized it to be true, said she was just trying to stay a little drier, never saw me... and felt terrible.

 

[Patriot]

what is it with the lack of turn signal use these days...I note it every day because I'm OCD signaler addict