What is the worst thing you have seen a cager do?

[gregory]

I know we have all had the guy/gal next to us on the phone, texting, makeup, reading the paper, ect. I actually had a woman in a explorer knitting on a main city road (Golf Links in Tucson to those who know) during evening rush hour. The other day, a guy eating fried eggs off of a plate with a fork in morning rush hour on the same road. (Posted speed for this road is 40-45, typical speed is 50-65) What's the worst you have seen?

Greg

 

[madmike2]

I drive for a living, there isn't much I haven't seen done in a 4-wheeled conveyance: oral sex, exhibitionism, eating, drinking adult beverages, reading, applying makeup/shaving, getting dressed, working on a laptop, waiting until the last moment to veer across 3 lanes to an off-ramp, generally being unaware or stupid, etc., ad infinitum.

Unfortunately I'm not amazed, shocked or awed by much human behavior while driving their vehicle. I'm occasionally surprised but even that is a rare occurrence because I do my best to remain vigilant and aware of those around my vehicle, whether at work or on my motorcycles.

 

[Toecutter]

Randomly blowing stop signs at full speed. Sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they don't. Then, we get called to clean up the carnage. Seen it dozens of times. Usually, they're drunk, sometimes, they're not.

Not long ago, saw one do it about 1/4 mile ahead of us, in the engine. The car went through a controlled intersection at about 50 mph, after dark.

Not much you're gonna be able to do if it happens when you're also in the intersection, especially around here with orchard right up to the corners. No sight lines, so other than slowing way down, which I do when on the bike, it's just a dice roll....

Cagers are our kryptonite. Act accordingly!

 

[skifrik]

I see people reading books and newspapers while driving. I'm sure there's alot worse than this, but to me that is just asking for trouble.

 

[Silver Penguin]

After a random lane change (into the lane that we were riding in) a cell-phone wielding cager received a two-bike escort, at a little under the speed limit for a while. Reasoning that she 'Just Didn't See The Bikes', we let her see us very clearly for a mile or so. After that, she caught us up at the next light and told Andy that the next time she ran him off the road, she would kill him.

Wouldn't you just like to take away their weapon for a moment, put them into their cubicle / board room / living room and ask the person WTF? What were you thinking? Just what was it that made you think a boneheaded move such as ABC was the right thing to do?

Jill

 

[Knifemaker]

Worst thing I have seen a cager do?

Actualy hit a motorcyclist. ******* did the classic "left turn in front of oncoming biker" Big *** Harley touring bike bent badly, rider flipped up on the cars hood, after going through his windscreen, broken leg and collarbone, mild concussion (was wearing a 3/4 helmet) , and even badly hurt stayed awake long enough to cuss out the cage driver..

Who claimed he did not see him .....

(The Harley was running a headlight and two Big driving lights , it was not dark out yet)

But, I have seen cagers working on their laptops on the seat next to them, texting with both hands and steering with forearms, driving 70 mph on the highway and spending several SECONDS seaching for something on the back seat.

It has gotten to the point I am no longer surprised anymore at the **** they do....

KM

 

[Braenen]

A driver in a beat up POS pickup truck driving at 80 mph on 285 passing me on the left side screaming loud enough for me to hear him over my sterio, slow down to my speed, pull out a stainless steel revolver, point it at me will still screaming, cut in front of me and 4 other lanes of traffic and turn off on the exit to interstate 400.

I have no idea what his issue was. No police were in the area.

 

[James Burleigh]

This post seems to come up again and again. I suggest it go under NEPRTs.

 

[JRO]

The worst thing I have seen an automobilist do...

It wouldn't count, because I wasn't on my bike.

However, whilst riding, I can tell you the worst thing I've seen 'em do, and the thing I hate most. The worst thing I've seen them do, is the same thing we've all seen, many times - almost kill me.

The thing I hate most, is when some silly sonofabitch or defective split-tail nearly runs my *** over or pulls right out in front of me, and then smiles and waves at me. Just what the hell is it about these rectal abortions that makes them think that once they've almost killed me, and they realize it, that now we're friends. Is there something I'm missing, here? Does nearly smearing my *** all over the roadway constitute an amiable introduction to these people, or do they just have a smooth area to their frontal lobe? Of all the people in the world, those who practice this curious, abominable behavior, really piss me off.

Two such examples from this year...

Case #1. I'm cycling along on the divided bypass around town, doing a reasonable 65mph, with no other traffic around, when this low-born, short-sleeve type with his sunglasses on zips his Aerostar out from a side road in front of me, angles across the next lane - giving me no way out - so he can pull a U-turn. He saw me clearly. I could see that he saw me clearly. He could see that I could see that I saw him seeing me clearly. He stomped the accelerator to pull this ****, quite aware that I would have to emergency brake (or something), to avoid him. He knew he was endangering me, and I could tell exactly what he was thinking: "Aww... It's just a bike." He's going to pull out anyway, because he wants to get across and turn around, right now, and some little bike can just look out for itself. He saw me brake like a madman to avoid slamming into him - never took his eyes off of me. Then, while making his U, he smiles like I'm his long-lost brother, and waves like his cruise ship was coming into port.

I don't give in to road rage, but death by slow asphyxiation is too good for some people.

Case #2 This bimbo in her new, blue Altima (isn't it wonderful that some ***** can save gas and still find comfort in a foreign sedan?) decided to absent-mindedly change over into the left lane. I just happened to be in the lane she wanted to slide over into, slowly overtaking her. She didn't see me - I'll give her that. Of course, that's because she lacks the brainpower to drive and look into a mirror at the same time; unless she's checking her hair, that is. It was a quick, close call. The car following me precluded me from braking, and all I could do was swerve. Bimbo Babe still almost got me, but realized I was there at the last instant and ****** back into her lane. I'm sitting beside her at a red light less than a minute later. She looks at me in a mild chagrin; she knows she almost hit me. She smiles, as if we were teenagers and I was her prom date, and (from just three or four feet away) waves like I was here to pick her up.

Yeah. I would have liked to have picked her up and sold her *** to a Mexican street gang. Fortunately, there aren't such in my part of the country. Just a thought...

Oh, well... I've had it happen other times. Most riders probably have. Still and all, I really do hate those rejected specimens of humanity who think waving and grinning at someone they nearly squashed, is a good way to make friends and meet people.

 

[gregory]

The worst thing I have seen an automobilist do...
It wouldn't count, because I wasn't on my bike.

However, whilst riding, I can tell you the worst thing I've seen 'em do, and the thing I hate most. The worst thing I've seen them do, is the same thing we've all seen, many times - almost kill me.

The thing I hate most, is when some silly sonofabitch or defective split-tail nearly runs my *** over or pulls right out in front of me, and then smiles and waves at me. Just what the hell is it about these rectal abortions that makes them think that once they've almost killed me, and they realize it, that now we're friends. Is there something I'm missing, here? Does nearly smearing my *** all over the roadway constitute an amiable introduction to these people, or do they just have a smooth area to their frontal lobe? Of all the people in the world, those who practice this curious, abominable behavior, really piss me off.

Two such examples from this year...

Case #1. I'm cycling along on the divided bypass around town, doing a reasonable 65mph, with no other traffic around, when this low-born, short-sleeve type with his sunglasses on zips his Aerostar out from a side road in front of me, angles across the next lane - giving me no way out - so he can pull a U-turn. He saw me clearly. I could see that he saw me clearly. He could see that I could see that I saw him seeing me clearly. He stomped the accelerator to pull this ****, quite aware that I would have to emergency brake (or something), to avoid him. He knew he was endangering me, and I could tell exactly what he was thinking: "Aww... It's just a bike." He's going to pull out anyway, because he wants to get across and turn around, right now, and some little bike can just look out for itself. He saw me brake like a madman to avoid slamming into him - never took his eyes off of me. Then, while making his U, he smiles like I'm his long-lost brother, and waves like his cruise ship was coming into port.

I don't give in to road rage, but death by slow asphyxiation is too good for some people.

Case #2 This bimbo in her new, blue Altima (isn't it wonderful that some ***** can save gas and still find comfort in a foreign sedan?) decided to absent-mindedly change over into the left lane. I just happened to be in the lane she wanted to slide over into, slowly overtaking her. She didn't see me - I'll give her that. Of course, that's because she lacks the brainpower to drive and look into a mirror at the same time; unless she's checking her hair, that is. It was a quick, close call. The car following me precluded me from braking, and all I could do was swerve. Bimbo Babe still almost got me, but realized I was there at the last instant and ****** back into her lane. I'm sitting beside her at a red light less than a minute later. She looks at me in a mild chagrin; she knows she almost hit me. She smiles, as if we were teenagers and I was her prom date, and (from just three or four feet away) waves like I was here to pick her up.

Yeah. I would have liked to have picked her up and sold her *** to a Mexican street gang. Fortunately, there aren't such in my part of the country. Just a thought...

Oh, well... I've had it happen other times. Most riders probably have. Still and all, I really do hate those rejected specimens of humanity who think waving and grinning at someone they nearly squashed, is a good way to make friends and meet people.

I had a guy in a small truck do the case b on the way to work. He actually followed me into the parking lot to apologise for almost killing me. Said that he was an x-rider and genuinely seemed upset about his actions. First and only time so far.

Greg

 

[radman]

Often, insert the key into the ignition. Downhill from there.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I had a hard time thinking of just one because I see so many people doing so many stupid things. One of the ones that stands out though is the ***** that tried to drive his Durango OVER a police car stopped in front of him. There had been a long pursuit which started when he tried to run over 2 or three cops, while threatening suicide. A PIT manuver finally got him stopped, but when he realized he could not go backwards over the unit behind him, he decided to go over the one in front. His front bumper made it all the way to the top of the car's windshield. When we finally extracted him from the Durango, he had a good sized knife sticking out of his chest because he had been stabbing himself with it. I guess he was serious about the suicide thing.

 

[Spook]

no one in this town seems to know that when you turn right on to a four lane street you turn into the right lane not the center lane.

 

[Tenchi]

Worst thing I've seen a cager do? I had to think real hard about this, but I think the worst thing that I've seen someone do was pull out blindly from a stationary lane into an active lane without looking. It happens so frequently it's unbelievable and it's incredibly dangerous. That or door prizes, but unless your a bicyclist like I am you shouldn't be riding that close to cars anyway.

I basically do not commute on 4 wheels anymore - I'm either on my bicycle, on a motorcycle or in a bus. There's a major bicycle route out the front of my apartment, a bus stop and a Starbucks. This provides all sorts of hell right there. This morning, while waiting for the bus while the bicycle's in the shop, I watched a pickup just pull out straight in front of another car. He looked over his shoulder - AFTER he pulled into the lane. I'm noticing this a lot in Seattle - people will check their blind spot after completing half the merge. I could hear the ABS working in the other car as he swerved into the turning lane to avoid the pickup, which just kept going.

I've been inspired as a result of this to buy a helmet cam as a result. I don't want anyone getting away with it if they do stupid sh*t like this.

 

[stellarsteve]

Wearing a helmet cam is a good thing to do. Wonder if anybody has caught footage of these stupid stunts while recording a ride? I remember one where a cager tried to race ahead of a couple of guys where a right lane ends and it merges into the left lane.

 

[isuace]

The dumbest thing I have witnessed (twice) was people turning left or pulling out in front of me, seeing me, and freezing up and hitting the brakes. The first time I was coming down a long hill in rural Iowa and saw a guy in a red Cherokee on my right sitting at a stop sign. I got a funny feeling about it so I started slowing down. Just as I was afraid of, as soon as I got close to him he pulled out to go straight across, saw me, freaked, and hit the brakes. I hit my brakes, and locked up the rear (on my 97 shadow). All I can remember is seeing his front fender, last second I thought to myself "I can still make it around him". I let off the brakes and managed to make it around the front of his vehicle, outside of the white line....of the left lane on a two lane road....while screaming at him "Jesus ******* Christ". To which he replied sheepishly "Sorry....".

Second time was in town (Ames, IA). 4 lane split road through the middle of town, some joker turns left, sees me and another guy, hits the brakes. Me and the other guy both hit our brakes and luckily stop in time, and I'm just laying on my horn. The guy eventually comes to and gets the hell out of the road.

 

[Surveyor 1953]

A CHP motor officer wrote that he had a woman pull out right in front of him and forced him to go down. He slid on the crash bar, brought the bike to a halt, turned around, caught up with her and pulled her over.

When he asked if she’d seen him, she replied yes she had, but didn’t know he was a cop. Ka-Boom!!

Now you can understand the mindset of some of our 4-wheel ’friends’. Ride Aware.

 

[RiderJoe]

This happened a few years ago on my busy morning commute to work on a two lane road, separated bw double yellow line. The lady on front of me was driving (weaving) at 35 mph in a 50 mph zone. She was using an eyelash curler, then applying eyeliner makeup while looking at her face in the rear view mirror bent towards her. She got pissed off at me when I honked my horn at her (showing her response by giving me the bird), then she continued to calmly apply her makeup. I did admire her talent for multitasking, but wow!

 

[harper]

You guys must be cagers with reaction times like that. This thread was 14 years old.

 

[rbentnail]

You guys must be cagers with reaction times like that. This thread was 14 years old.

Yeah, but a lot more incidents since this thread was new.

Little convertible something-or-other in the left lane wants to exit right so he whips it hard. Right under an 18 wheeler trailer. Got run completely over by the trailers' rear wheels.

If they don't see a tractor trailer you can bet they don't see you.