garyahouse
newbs need the forum
Ha. Thanks for the response. A huge wake up call to anyone who'll take the time to read your post. As a matter of fact, your post should be mandatory reading for every motorcyclist. Come to think of it, EVERY little old lady is SOMEBODY'S mother, is she not? And so we feel like we ought to treat them differently just because they happen to be our own. Doesn't sound to mature, to coin your words, does it?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.
Granted, they don't think sometimes. Yeah, I know, they brag and brag that they haven't been in an accident in 40 years, but I would ask: BUT HOW MANY HAVE YOU CAUSED? It's so common that people who cause close calls or even accidents behind them don't even know that they did? Years ago, in the Toyota, I had a lady yelling at me after she hit me in the rear end. According to her, it was my fault because I was on my cell phone when she hit me at the stop light. Let's see: I was stopped at the light because I was on my cell phone, or was I stopped at the light because the light was red? I"m so confused. One thing's for sure, gramma was. Anyway, no damage, so I let her go. She was still howling over what an idiot I was when she got back into her car. Me? I never raised my voice. But the world is full of people who are full of themselves.
And you spoke of being mature enough. If that means being old, I am guilty as charged. But I guess I look at it this way: I ride a motorcycle. Many people get by just fine most of the time by just glancing around a little as they drive, their fringe vision picks up the cars they wanna avoid. It does not, however, pick up the occasional MC very well. And once in a while, that occasional MC... is me. I've learned to expect it. The Lord's given me the tools to avoid accidents. If I use them wisely and consistently, I'll do just fine. Remember, close only REALLY counts in horseshoes.
Gary
