Pushed off highway today

[Salish1300]

Doing my daily commute here in Seattle on I5 and cruising along in the fast lane in normal traffic. I'm in my bubble, with space in frton, space behind, and no one to my right. All is well.

Suddenly I see a car coming from 2 or 3 lanes over and directly at me. Changing all the lanes at once, no pausing. Like I'm not there. I lay on my OEM horn, and am forced to move over onto the shoulder. Luckly, the shoulder was open and had nothing blocking me. I accelerated forward and got around her. I didn't have time to merely accelerate, despite the speed of the FJR, because she appeared out of my peripheral vision so suddenly. Fortunately too, the edge was not a 2-3 inch death trap.

The cars around me honked at her too. She put her hands up to say "I'm sorry". Oh well.

Happens all the time. No matter our precautions and diligence, we face these hazards. And most of us survive them to tell the tale...to ride another day. I'm a big fan of Hough's books, and the job he does of helping us put the odds in our favor. But they are still odds!

 

[gregory]

Glad your OK, Ditch the OEM horn and install a set of https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067BWBI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plug and play.

Stay safe out there!

 

[Pterodactyl]

Move.

 

[user 6393]

I hate riding/driving in your neck of the woods....HATE

Norm and I had the same thing happen on the way to OR a couple years ago, going thru Bellevue.

Male driver...****, whatever you wanna call him..........

Glad you are ok!

 

[Fly Bye]

We know the risks we take when we dawn our gear. All we can do is ride on the defensive side, eyes on the swivel, look for an escape route and ATGATT.

I am glad you came out of this Ok.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Was turning left in Hamilton, Alabama, Saturday, looking for the Post Office and Big Money Rally bonus FP021. Teeny, tiny town like where I grew up.

Traffic light, got my green arrow, and watched a kid in a pickup truck turning right from the opposing approach. He was talking on his phone, one hand on the wheel, looking away from the intersection, and headed for the same piece of empty air that I was. I had the green arrow, he was turning right on red. I leaned on my LOUD horns; no reaction.

Goosed it a little to make sure I got there ten feet before he did, and extended first a fist, then a birdie, all the while gesticulating like a lunatic. He slammed on brakes and dropped his phone. Caused me to drive right by the Post Office, that *******.

Really slow speeds and I saw it coming, but Jeez-oh-Man who taught these people how to drive?

..................................................................

Glad you're OK, Salish1300. May the Force continue to be with you; seriously.

 

[dcarver]

Escape routes are our friends...

 

[Chiefblueman]

Makes me wonder how the highly trained NW driver/cell phone jockey will handle lane splitting if enacted here.

More and more I see people making desperate maneuvers to make their turn / exit rather than safely take the next exit or turn. I don't commute often. I choose not to compete with folks with cell phones, coffee, distracting dash displays, breakfast, etc., all in a big ass hurry to occupy the next 15 foot opening in traffic so they can beat the next guy to the finish line, frequently in the dark and rain.

Glad you're OK. Be careful out there!!!

 

[stevec677]

Hi-viz clothing helps. I added a hi-viz orange vest to my gear about 2 years ago when I almost got run off the New York State Thruway. I might look like a fool, but people definitely notice me more.

 

[bluesdog]

Good skillz, brother! Glad you managed to avoid the idiot.

Years ago I had a close call with a semi flatbed that moved into my lane from the right. The driver didn't shoulder check -- I was a little over midway and could see the lower left of his head. There was just enough room in front of me, so I dropped down and nailed it.

Now that I'm remembering it, I can still see the edge of that flatbed coming at me

Stay safe!

 

[Salish1300]

Thanks for the well wishes all. I do put as many odds in my favor as possible, including wearing a full neon yellow Scorpion suit and ATGATT. I'm a veteran urban commuter, in every city on the West Coast. Grew up in Los Angeles, practically lived on a freeway. Still consider riding my motorcycle to be far safer than riding my bicycle. Can't tell you how many near death experiences I've had on my bicycle. Portland, bicycle heaven and all, was the worst!

Escape routes are indeed our friends! I keep them near at hand.

I'm going to look into the aftermarket horns. Since I love the look of my bike, any upgrade will need to fit out of view. I also need to get the mirror extenders as I have to shift my arms and shoulders to see behind me and getting rear ended is evidently one of the most common accidents.

I don't want to live a risk free life. I sail in bad weather, kayak in storms, backpack alone in Grizzly country, and so on. Carpe diem. Yet I am alive today, like you all, because I have no death wish, and put the odds in my favor just enough. May we all keep doing so until the curtain falls.

 

[roger dodger]

High Vis helmet and Fire Engine Red bike and they still don't see you!!!

Aftermarket horns and they still won't hear you !!!

Cagers are DRUNK w/ apathy, and don't respect you!!!

Always leave yourself an EXIT, only YOU can save You!!!

 

[Tyler]

We know the risks we take when we dawn our gear. All we can do is ride on the defensive side, eyes on the swivel, look for an escape route and ATGATT.
I am glad you came out of this Ok.

^^^^ This. Every time you swing a leg over, you're taking a risk and the only person that is truly in charge of your destiny is you. Expect the unexpected, anticipate it, have an escape pre-planned before you even need it, wear the best gear you can all the time. Be diligent in watching out for yourself cause no one else is gonna do it. It's become a game of mine... the "guess what s/he is gonna do next."

 

[Salish1300]

My strategy, which I believe has saved my life several times, is to really act as though every single car on the road is actively trying to kill you...Really clearly and absolutely TRYING to kill you...but...they are clever *******s, and don't always want you to know it and so sneak up on you. That is what saved me today. Even though I was in my bubble zone, I was paying attention to that right side because it is the greatest risk when in the fast lane. That particular lady just got lazy in her attempt to kill me and telegraphed it too much!

 

[rogdeb]

I'm fortunate to have Deb as my pillion and as my second set of eyes. We're in sync as to what's happening to the left and right of us and she knows what to look for, sometimes before I do.

Glad you made it unscathed Salish.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Hi Viz???? The bike is already RED how the hell can you miss that. You could have been in flaming orange and the bitch still would have pushed you off the road. What saved the OP's ass is paying attention to his surroundings.

Just my opinion,

Dave

 

[Panman]

Seattle is a tough city to ride in, narrow lanes if you can see them in the wet, drivers that think you owe them and Starbucks Coffee drinkers that are worst than most meth heads not to mention the all texting & cell phone conversations. We have some serious road issue here in the Nor Wet with the Mountain's, big Ass Lakes, the Puget Sound and some Dam poor planning! Here we plan to make money not be safe.

Dad still lives in the house he bought in 1960 in West Seattle and all my siblings still live down there. He gives me crap that I don't come down often enough, he tells me "you **** head, it's only 60 miles"

I say that with a smile.

Salish, Keep two down and I like that you ride like everyone is trying to kill you!

 

[RJAMT]

Was turning left in Hamilton, Alabama, Saturday, looking for the Post Office and Big Money Rally bonus FP021. Teeny, tiny town like where I grew up.
Traffic light, got my green arrow, and watched a kid in a pickup truck turning right from the opposing approach. He was talking on his phone, one hand on the wheel, looking away from the intersection, and headed for the same piece of empty air that I was. I had the green arrow, he was turning right on red. I leaned on my LOUD horns; no reaction.

Goosed it a little to make sure I got there ten feet before he did, and extended first a fist, then a birdie, all the while gesticulating like a lunatic. He slammed on brakes and dropped his phone. Caused me to drive right by the Post Office, that *******.

Really slow speeds and I saw it coming, but Jeez-oh-Man who taught these people how to drive?

..................................................................

Glad you're OK, Salish1300. May the Force continue to be with you; seriously.

My mom DID grow up there! Haven't been back in nearly 20 years though.

 

[hillbilly1]

Ever heard of the five keys to safe driving?

Aim High

• "Aiming high in steering" is the first principle of the Smith System. A driver who "aims high" looks far ahead and further than the drivers around him. Knowing traffic conditions up ahead keeps a driver alert to possible slowdowns. A driver who is aware of slowdowns or accidents can avoid rear-end collisions and warn drivers behind him of slowdowns by tapping his brakes.
  

Get the Big Picture

• A driver who "gets the big picture" is aware of her surroundings at all times. This principle teaches drivers to be aware of how closely they are being followed and whether any driver nearby is driving erratically. Awareness of these things allows a defensive driver to anticipate the mistakes of other drivers and to position herself accordingly.
  

Keep Your Eyes Moving

• This principle of the Smith System asks defensive drivers to be more aware of driving conditions and surroundings than other drivers on the road. Drivers who keep their eyes moving constantly take account of traffic conditions, driver behavior and road conditions.
  

Leave Yourself an Out

• The fourth principle of the Smith System is the "leave yourself an out" principle. Drivers who leave themselves an out make sure they are not following too closely in anticipation of slowdowns. Drivers who leave themselves an out also avoid being surrounded by other drivers by choosing outside lanes.
  

Make Sure They See You

• The "make sure they see you" principle prevents possible accidents by making others aware of their surroundings. Ways to make sure other drivers see you include avoiding driving in another driver's blind spot and making use of headlights, signal lights and horns.
  

Read more : https://www.ehow.com/info_8003043_list-five-principles-defensive-driving.html