Well, that was strange...

[Crash Cash]

So since this is extra-weird and complicated (and I was the projector geek in grade school) I've even got visual aids!

It was a dark and stormy night (really!) and just tailing into a drizzle after an hour of rain, and I was heading home about 8pm.

You'll notice Alafaya has 5 southbound lanes (A-E) with 2 left-turn lanes (D-E) separated by a concrete median between C & D.

I'm trucking down C, which is strangely empty, and all the cars are in B. Now, it's soaking wet and some dickwad is sure to pull out into my lane, so I'm only going 40-45mph, with my hands on the levers. Sure enough, just as I get to where the right turn lane starts (about where the red car is) some ******* pulls from the right turn lane, cutting off another car, into my lane.

...and comes to a FULL STOP with his turnsignal on!! In the RAIN! The ****** is trying to make a left turn from the through lane!! GAAAHHH!! IMAGONNADIE!!!

So I grab everything, step on everything, the ABS goes into full growl and I somehow manage to stop about a yard from her rear bumper. I'm shaking so hard I can feel my thumb jiggle while I flip on the highbeams and hold down the horn button. I'm terrified some other yahoo is going to rear end me, not realizing I'm completely stopped. People go about 55-60 through here, no matter how dangerous that is.

Finally he pulls his thumb out of, well, where ever it was, and gets a move on, at about only 25mph. He eventually gets up to speed, and I got off the horn. He's still not going very fast, but I can't pass him because I don't know what his deal is, and it's only a block to my left turn to get home.

We get to my left turn, and I pull into the turn lane, then he does as well! So I'm sitting there behind him at the light, still with my highbeams on.

The light changes, and we go into my subdivision, still going really slow. Just as I get to my street, he stops. I stop too, because now I really don't know what's going on, and then Snoop Dawg himself gets out of the passenger side, and schleps over to the driver's side. They screech off, and I finally get to go home. Alrighty then.

Well, that was a lot of fun and excitement, and I hope you guys enjoyed hearing about it, as much as I did doing it.

 

[Aasland]

Huh. Wierd.

Like that time I were on 23rd ave in NW Portland waiting for some girl to figure out parallel parking. makes 3-4 attempts at it .. pulling, in, out, my wife and I are laughing ... we have plenty of time, and they had plenty of space ... then both driver and passenger doors open, the girls swap places (it was early and they didn't look intoxicated), and then ... the new driver is also makes several attempts, once even up on the curb, before driving off, probably too embarrassed to get out of the car at that point (and we got the parking spot).

 

[Geezer]

Well, maybe the driver was a learner. Either that or too stoned to know what he was doing.

 

[saxman]

The carelessness and lack of courtesy of other drivers never ceases to amaze me.

With my bike it's like I hope for the best from others, but expect the worst.

Good thing you were defensive - I always cover my levers approaching intersections and "plan" for a way out

if something crazy should happen.

Guess that's why I try to limit my urban bike riding these days - seems anybody can get their driver's license

out of a Cracker Jacks box.

One of my ongoing pet peeves - During winter driving (car, not bike) after the roads are "sanded"

- you call it sand, I call it gravel- after passing you, other drivers, even when the road is clear ahead

for miles, will pull back into your lane when they're barely past you, and as they cross the center line

they'll spray up rocks/**** into your grill and windshield like they are doing you a favour.

And don't get me started on people who haven't got a clue on how to merge into moving traffic. (Ahh, no, Gertrude, merging from a dead stop into fast moving traffic with your wheezy Toyota Corolla ain't the way to do it. . .)

Anyhoo. Glad you got through it.

 

[Bungie]

Traffic Lesson Numero 2: If theirs an empty lane, or a gap in traffic, some arsewipe will fill it as quickly and hastily as possible.

A buddies ex-gf, who'se a real sweety, just finished her bike course and got herself a 250 Ninja. I gotta say chicks on sportbikes! Anyway, I caught up to her in traffic (Lesson Number 3, always go slightly faster than traffic) and watched her. She rides fine, but she missed so many 'cues' that put her in harms way it was scary. At one point, their was traffic merging from the right. Her left lane was clear, instead of switching lanes to give them room, she slowed down to let the car to the right of her in, problem was their was 5 cars behind that one, all trying to get in. The guy behind the first guy was pissed and cut in behind her so close I think I stopped breathing for a sec. I passed her, pulled in front and at the next set of lights gave her a 'hey, follow me'. So we stopped and chatted for a bit.

I didn't say a word about how poorly she reacted traffic. I ended up offering to take her for a ride on the back of Feej with the Intercoms to give her a lesson in reading traffic. I hope she takes me up on the offer.

I avoid urban riding now whenever possible. It's just safer that way.

 

[SnowAviation]

Dude, you saw Snoop Dawg and didn't get his autograph?

WTF?

 

[kolonial72]

Sorry to hear about your AIDS, but I'm not sure what that has to do with ABS.

Oh wait, I just re-read the original post. Geek.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Traffic Lesson Numero 2: If theirs an empty lane, or a gap in traffic, some arsewipe will fill it as quickly and hastily as possible.

So true. And to many drivers, a spot occupied by a motorcycle comes into the category described above.

As for getting the license from a Crackerjack box, yes maybe. But why even bother opening the box? License and insurance appear to be optional in many cases.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

...from a Crackerjack box, yes maybe. But why even bother opening the box? License and insurance appear to be optional in many cases.

Insurance Means -- No Consequences

Just do whatever-the-hell you feel like -- it'll be paid for by the insurance company.

If you're lucky, you may even come out ahead on the deal...?! :blink:

 

[FJRBluesman]

CC - Glad you're ok. That even scared me! That totally sucks, I would expect that out here in Cali not where you're at.

I know you were pissed, but be real careful about following, antagonizing, etc, ya never know how crazy/stupid/high, etc, they are and it could get real ugly. Like MM2 always says, better to just walk (or ride) away....

 

[Crash Cash]

Traffic Lesson Numero 2: If theirs an empty lane, or a gap in traffic, some arsewipe will fill it as quickly and hastily as possible.

A buddies ex-gf, who'se a real sweety, just finished her bike course and got herself a 250 Ninja. I gotta say chicks on sportbikes! Anyway, I caught up to her in traffic (Lesson Number 3, always go slightly faster than traffic) and watched her. She rides fine, but she missed so many 'cues' that put her in harms way it was scary.

jpeg?? Seriously though, I was expecting just that, but I was not expecting the complete and total stop.

So have you ever ridden with someone and done "oh that driver's going to cut you off. watch out, he's gonna do X" and have them go "how the hell do you figure that out so far ahead of time?"

I've done that with a friend that wants a bike, but she's totally inattentive to the world around her, and she still didn't get a clue. If she gets a bike, I guarantee she's going to own someone's bumper within a month.

Dude, you saw Snoop Dawg and didn't get his autograph?

WTF?

You know... that's exactly what I was thinking on the bike... "Snoop! Dude! can I get a writin'?" but he looked like "when I get back in this car, I'm gonna SMACK da ***** into the passenger seat!" so it was not a good time.

I know you were pissed, but be real careful about following, antagonizing, etc, ya never know how crazy/stupid/high, etc, they are and it could get real ugly. Like MM2 always says, better to just walk (or ride) away....

Yeah, that's what I was worried about, but they made the exact same turns I needed to make to get home When they stopped, I know where 3 OC Sheriffs and a FHP trooper live that I could run to, if it got bad.

We get so damn many tourists-without-a-clue here in Mouse-witz/Duck-au that I don't really get mad anymore, I just shake my head. A lot of them are from England, so sometimes they even end up going the wrong way down the road.

 

[Checkswrecks]

HateItWhenThatHappens and ColorMeGone

Really glad you're OK, but every damn time I've gotten into some strange situation like this, there just has been zero postive outcome to sticking around. Pulling into the neighborhood behind him, I would not have been surprised if Snoop pulled out a gun because you were following him in a way that his stoned mind thought was threatening. Heck at that point, he may've just slammed the car in reverse.

 

[Crash Cash]

HateItWhenThatHappens and ColorMeGone

Really glad you're OK, but every damn time I've gotten into some strange situation like this, there just has been zero postive outcome to sticking around. Pulling into the neighborhood behind him, I would not have been surprised if Snoop pulled out a gun because you were following him in a way that his stoned mind thought was threatening. Heck at that point, he may've just slammed the car in reverse.

Yeah, but what do you do when you're just trying to get home? I got into the left turn lane at the light long before they did. There's not another route in. Not much of a choice there. I did try to stay off his butt as much as possible, but he was going really slow.

 

[madmike2]

That's an every day experience for me. Remember Art Linkletter's "Kids Say The Darndest Things"? Welll....adult drivers DO the darndest things! I've learned to expect the absolutely unimaginable....and it happens. :-0

I will say that it makes me very wary and suspicious when riding and that attitude serves me quite well.

So have you ever ridden with someone and done "oh that driver's going to cut you off. watch out, he's gonna do X" and have them go "how the hell do you figure that out so far ahead of time?"

Yep....most family members don't want me to ride with them because I'll suggest they not do what they're about to.....either offensively or defensively.

 

[allrider]

I read something from the insurance institute that said if you see someone do something stupid, 9 times out of 10 they will do something else stupid. They didn't say it exactley like that but you get the idea. The moral is: Don't be there after you see the first act of stupid. Run Forrest Run.

Stupid is as stupid does...

 

[madmike2]

Yep...I give them 1 stoopid act for free. We all have those moments. On the second stoopid performance/decision, I evacuate their immediate vicinty. On the bike I'll find a safe zone, usually ahead of them. In the work truck, I'll change lanes and slow down....even take an off ramp just to not be around them.

I do not need or want to be part of the carnage or a "first hand" witness.

 

[user 27261]

We get so damn many tourists-without-a-clue here in Mouse-witz/Duck-au that I don't really get mad anymore, I just shake my head. A lot of them are from England, so sometimes they even end up going the wrong way down the road.

I've lived all over the place but Orlando was the scariest place to ride. There just wasn't any predictability to the driving.

 

[wheatonFJR]

...I avoid urban riding now whenever possible. It's just safer that way.

That's why I don't commute. I want to be alive to do bike trips.

 

[mcatrophy]

...

We get so damn many tourists-without-a-clue here in Mouse-witz/Duck-au that I don't really get mad anymore, I just shake my head. A lot of them are from England, so sometimes they even end up going the wrong way down the road.

As one from England, I have driven a car in Orlando commuting between a motel and an office when working there for a few weeks. More than once, when turning left on a multi-lane crossing, I've nearly (but not quite) gone to the left side of the road I was turning into. We simply are not used to so many lanes on each side, it seems like half a mile to the right (wrong for us) side.

That doesn't excuse anyone.

We occasionally get someone driving the wrong way on a motorway here. It's usually an oldie* who's got confused in the dark. Scary to say the least, driving into oncoming traffic that's traveling at 70 (or, often, well over).

They usually give up their licence voluntarily.

*Definition of "oldie": Someone who's at least five years older than I am. Which is pretty old.