Lost my cool today for the first time on the bike

[azkaisr]

So I am riding from the house to work this afternoon along a stretch of road here that merges from 4 lanes each direction into two freeways. Driving East on this road, the left two lanes pass under I-10 and become a local freeway, and the two right lanes pass over to allow access to either side of the 10.

 

So I am in the 2nd to right lane getting ready to merge onto the 10 West when I notice a Nissan Altima coming up behind me at about 100 mph. Not kidding here. In front of me is another car in the lane which is normal as about 75% of the traffic on this road takes the same route to get into Phoenix proper. I see that it is a woman about 40 talking on her phone in the Nissan and she is not paying attention to her surroundings. How can I tell all this. Becase she is about 3 feet behind my fron mirror.

 

She then proceeds to cross the single white line to my right into the lane that is designated to go East on I-10 and then tries to accelerate and get in between me and the car in front of me while not running into the concrete divider that is approaching us where the lane I am in climbs up over the freeway. She misses me by less then a foot. I am tweaked but back off knowing that it does no good to get mad. So we get on the freeway, and I head over to the HOV lane. Since she can't use it, I pass her. All of a sudden, I see her behind me on my right and she comes into my lane again missing me by about 2 feet this time. Total illegal pass. She used the space between the left lane and the HOV lane as her own lane.

 

As she got stuck in traffic I passed her again. I admit that I expressed myself rather ungentlemanly like to her. Had I not had the Situational Awareness to see her both times, I think I would have been hit. I really have been trying to keep a little more distance between cars which is interesting because some cages see that as their spot to get to. Urban driving is just stressful some days.

 

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

Kaisr

[Paul Mihalka]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

Kaisr

Plenty. I expect cars to occasionally move into the "empty space" I leave. It is a small price to pay for braking distance and mostly to watch what is happening behind me if I have to slow down or stop. On freeways if I get on but I am going to exit again within 4 or 5 miles, I stay in the right lane. If traffic is tight and moving around or under the speed limit, I filter over and stay in the left lane. This way I get cut off only from one side. Patience is the name of the game. (By the way, where is Patience?)

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Plenty. I used to keep it tight but now, in freeway traffic with its fits and starts I just don't fight it any more. Used to be we could get away with a bit of tail gating cause our bikes stopped better than cars. It is not really true anymore. There may be no more than a 10 foot difference in stopping prowess and with some cars, it is on their side. Also, don't forget the asshat in the pickup truck behind you who will be 30 feet or more past your squashed self before he finally stops.

 

I actually employ 3 different strategies depending on traffic conditions.

Light to moderate - move through at speeds about 5 - 10 over the pattern using whatever lane is most suitable for the upcoming situation.

 

Medium heavy - ditto and I'll split (regardless of the local law) when appropriate.

 

Heavy - Just slow down and go with the flow. I tend to run in the right lane in the stop and go stuff unless there is an HOV lane. Moves just as well and, during the ebb and flow it is easy to move from lane to lane or dive for the shoulder if needed.

 

PS - I would have had a mirror for a reminder from the lady in the Nissan.

[Effervescent]

I'm a lil'confused. Did you nearly hit you, missing by a foot, at nearly twice the speed limit?

 

-Eff

[AdventurePoser]

Hi Kaisr,

 

I do battle on the CA freeways on a regular basis, and my formula is that I don't have one...as soon as I merge, I try to grow about five more sets of eyes, and give as much space cushion as I possible can.

 

For me, it's thinking like a rider, not a driver. I change lanes and speeds regularly to make sure I am in the safest situation I can be in, as opposed to driving where we have the tendency to just follow the flow.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

 

Steve

[Bud]

First of all, Congrat! You saved your life more than one time on a single ride.

 

I often find anger to be my response to fear when someone else puts me in a situation where I could die. I think it is OK to be pissed off.

 

The key is what you do next. Take her mirror off? Flip her off? Call the cops and report it?

 

I don't know. Maybe all of the above.

 

What you did do was learn from the experience. I doubt that her brain registered you were there. You just didn't exist. OTOH Maybe she hates bikers and was trying to get you.

 

Good advice above from those much more experienced than I.

 

Glad you made it.

[AviP]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

Outside metro areas, I generally keep about 5 car lengths or more on freeways.

 

Inside metro areas, the gap varies from 1-3 car lengths but it's always behind and to the side of the car (not directly behind). This way I always have an escape route (via lane splitting) while riding aggressively (it's NYC).

 

The way I avoid getting into road rage is by identifying the demographic of the offending driver and updating my mental database of potentially dangerous drivers. Usually, it's Asian (especially women), women on cellphones, off-the-boat Spanish.

[azkaisr]

I'm a lil'confused. Did you nearly hit you, missing by a foot, at nearly twice the speed limit?

 

-Eff

 

Sort of

[NEOHMark]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

A lot. Much more than I'll leave in the cage. If someone takes it - so be it. I just back off that much farther. Usually, when it's REALLY busy on the freeway, people around me will see what I'm doing and leave the space alone. Not alway, but a surprising amount of the time they do. But I usually stay right during those times - like Ed.

 

FWIW - I probably would've done the same thing to that bitch.

[Kraynak]

Wow, you must have a different perspective on losing your cool. I'm impressed you kept your cool in my book. I would have slowed down while she was stuck in traffic and pulled up to her driver's side window and flipped up my HJC and spit on her.

Gotta watch it though you could get arrested for that,don't ask me how I know.

[RFW]

That is not really "losing your cool". Losing your cool, is stopping in front, walking back, grabbing the cellphone and throwing it as far as possible, as I am embarrassed to say I once did to someone who nearly mowed me down folloed by nearly mowing a pedestrian down.

[BFish]

losing your cool is ok IMO. losing your life is not. you did great on both counts, but it's too bad she didn't suffer some consequences.

[shatzbot10]

"...you could get arrested."!!!???? Here in Texas, you could get SHOT!

You're in Texas. Everybody has a gun! My FLORIST even has a gun! The Michael Cain character, "Miss Congeniality"

[Warren_H]

When I spot someone driving erratic I assume they're drunk, drugged or stupid and get as much space between us as fast as possible. I've even moved to the paved shoulder to let them pass. I assume that anything I'd do to retaliate would be reported by someone with a cell phone.

[JoeV]

Glad you didn't get hurt.

 

 

Maybe she was on the phone with the guy who just dumped

her so he could spend more time riding his motorcycle!

[W8NONU]

Hey Tom,

 

Glad you didn't get smacked by the inconsiderate driver. Stupidity usually gets my blood pressure up pretty quickly. It is difficult not to get ticked at people like this, but there usually isn't much that can be done about it without putting yourself in danger.

[Carnadero]

Losing your cool, is stopping in front, walking back, grabbing the cellphone and throwing it as far as possible, as I am embarrassed to say I once did to someone who nearly mowed me down folloed by nearly mowing a pedestrian down.

I'd have paid to see that. Some of these cell phone yakking motorists deserve to be run off the road.

[SNC 1923]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

The only time this is an issue is when I drive down to LA. I can't leave more than two car lengths for the just the reason you pointed out: someone in a cage jumps in.

 

When I ride in a group (4-10 bikes) it's routine for a car to break into and drive along with a group of bikes riding in staggered formation.

 

It's totally unbelievable, but it happens nearly every time we ride.

[rrrich]

I like yer idea of carrying a big ol beat up nut in yer tank bag to accidently toss over yer sholder on bu*t-h*les like this.

 

Ripping off a mirror is a perpetrated and observable act of violence whereas loose stuff on the road gets accidently kicked up all the time, right?

 

[Blue Beemer Dude]

The way I avoid getting into road rage is by identifying the demographic of the offending driver and updating my mental database of potentially dangerous drivers. Usually, it's Asian (especially women), women on cellphones, off-the-boat Spanish.

 

Ahhhh... my latest incident involved old woman white trash. OK, she wasn't that old.

 

So I'm out riding on a Sunday with my sweetie on back, and I'm at a "T" intersection. I stop at the sign, and I see traffic to my right approaching. I want to turn left, so I wait for the car, a white Crown Victoria. It starts slowing, so I wonder, is it turning? But there's no signal, so I just sit and wait. And wait. And finally she starts turning, this old ugly woman with her fluffy white dog in her arms. So I honk the horn to express my displeasure. She stops the car in the middle of the intersection and starts screaming at me. "WHAT THE F*CK IS YOUR PROBLEM?" I wasn't quite expecting that, so I was a little stumped. WHAT THE FU*K IS YOUR PROBLEM? she continues screaming at me. I decided that at this point, she is probably not going to be receptive to my suggestion that in the future she should consider using her turn signal, so I gave her a friendly wave and took off.

 

On the same ride I encountered two other morons, one who stopped in the middle of the road for no apparent reason who I thought was turning (since they had no turn signal on) but instead just sat there until I pulled up and blew the horn at them, and then another moron who swerved wide on a turn into my lane. My lane. MINE, MINE, MINE!

 

Assholes. That was the end of the ride, I went home. Sweetie asked me just I was thinking of, blasting at the woman. "You know perfectly well why I honked at her", I said. "I didn't figure it out until later, but you knew she was turning." "I did not." "You did, you did, you just wanted be mean. Scared that poor little dog." "I did not know that the stupid ugly bitch white trash was going to turn, and I wasn't going to take a chance and pull out in front of her with you on the bike. We waited there for five minutes."

 

Etc.

 

Some days, I just want to stay home and not go anywhere.

 

Michael

[AdventurePoser]

I did not know that the stupid ugly bitch white trash was going to turn, and I wasn't going to take a chance and pull out in front of her with you on the bike. We waited there for five minutes."

 

Etc.

 

Some days, I just want to stay home and not go anywhere.

 

Michael

 

Wow, Michael,

 

How did you really feel???

 

Steve

[TN_R_Girl]

In the interest of fair play here ... let me cast my vote for most hated drivers being teenage boys who think they are cool and shouldn't get passed by anyone, much less something on two wheels

 

I watched one of my buddies make a clean pass on a big SUV Sunday morning, only to have the jacka**es speed up to almost 80 on a 2-lane country road to catch him. As if that wasn't enough, they then decided they would try to pass him coming up on a blind turn!!!

 

My buddy simply opened up the throttle and quickly got in front and away. Me and the other rider in our group backed WAY off to give these kids plenty of time and space to let their testosterone levels return to "normal." When they pulled onto a side road, I seriously thought they might be getting ready to get back on behind us and start the game again.

 

Perhaps the scariest thing to me is that, in my experience, this is not a particularly isolated incident. So, yes, there are plenty of stupid women drivers out there. But I'd remind you that they have plenty of male counterparts.

[azkaisr]

In the interest of fair play here ... let me cast my vote for most hated drivers being teenage boys who think they are cool and shouldn't get passed by anyone, much less something on two wheels

 

I watched one of my buddies make a clean pass on a big SUV Sunday morning, only to have the jacka**es speed up to almost 80 on a 2-lane country road to catch him. As if that wasn't enough, they then decided they would try to pass him coming up on a blind turn!!!

 

My buddy simply opened up the throttle and quickly got in front and away. Me and the other rider in our group backed WAY off to give these kids plenty of time and space to let their testosterone levels return to "normal." When they pulled onto a side road, I seriously thought they might be getting ready to get back on behind us and start the game again.

 

Perhaps the scariest thing to me is that, in my experience, this is not a particularly isolated incident. So, yes, there are plenty of stupid women drivers out there. But I'd remind you that they have plenty of male counterparts.

 

Oh I hear you sister! Not saying that idiots are limited by gender here. Just so happened this one in my story was a woman.

 

Kaisr

[knuc]

Hi Kaisr,

 

I do battle on the CA freeways on a regular basis, and my formula is that I don't have one...as soon as I merge, I try to grow about five more sets of eyes, and give as much space cushion as I possible can.

 

For me, it's thinking like a rider, not a driver. I change lanes and speeds regularly to make sure I am in the safest situation I can be in, as opposed to driving where we have the tendency to just follow the flow.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

 

Steve

 

Yep I ride like that as well, Its all about position, sometimes I keep plenty of space (more so for the knucklhead behind me)Other times its up closer,whatever puts me where I want,speedup (blindspot coming up) or slow down (cronic lane changer ahead),Mostly I ride just a bit faster than flow, it gives me the control of where I want to be and keeps me alert!

[CraigC]

Tom,

 

Happy to hear you survived your near death experience. No doubt there will be other near misses given the stupidy of drivers in the Phoenix area. As you know there have been way too many motorcycle accidents the last few weeks. One of our school bus drives was killed while riding his bike to work (only 19 y/o) a couple of weeks ago...a driver (uninsured) made a left hand turn against the light. The kid was only a few blocks away from his job site.

 

My solution...always ride out of town...I avoid riding "in" town.

[Carnadero]

My solution...always ride out of town...I avoid riding "in" town.

Seems like that's always the case - the motorists most likely to exhibit the worst dumbassery are typically concentrated in urban and suburban areas.

[CT_Rider]

Get this. Yesterday my wife drove me from New Haven to Danbury to pick up my bike from Cliff's BMW. She followed me back (about 50 miles). She was following me at a good distance. After passing a few vehicles I pulled into the travel lane. A big 'ol Suburban passed her on the right and came flying up on my ass really freakin' close. I kept my cool and just put my left hand down to signal to back off. The truck did backed off a bit but my sweet and very beautiful wife did NOT keep her cool and took that space to pull our Toyota into the gap and slam her brakes on in front of the Suburban. You can piece together what happened from there. I just saw them all shrink very quickly in my mirrors. God, I love her. So I think we should all travel with "Support Vehicles" (crash bars could be optional)

[PaulBach]

Two seconds - at least

[CoarsegoldKid]

Seems like that's always the case - the motorists most likely to exhibit the worst dumbassery are typically concentrated in urban and suburban areas.

 

Having spent 38 years driving/riding the Los Angeles maze and 2 years in the Sierra foothills I can safely say higher concentrations of people equal higher concentrations of brainless driving.

Always ride your 2-wheelers like you're a target in a video game. Everyone is out to get you. They come from the sides, back and front. Next thing you know they'll come from the sky. You must grow eyes in the back of your head and remain at a high concentration level to stay safe.

 

What I have noticed in the last 5 or so years is a form of driving I call the "NASCAR mentality". I swear there's a big check, and a hot trophy girl somewhere ahead and idiots are racing/drafting/passing their cages to get to the imaginary finish line, work or shopping. In the end they are only a few seconds ahead.

Up here in the hills I can relax a bit but the NASCAR schooled drivers still exist.

[BUMWA]

Glad you kept your cool, really. Recently, in the Catskills, I casually passed an older Acura driver on a Rt 214 straightaway, and then eventually caught up to a group of Harley guys stopped at the Rt 23A T intersection. I kept to the right and let them all turn left, in clumps of 2 or 3, and then noticed that this old guy had now pulled up on my left. So, as last rider, with my left signal on, I proceeded to turn left too--and so did he. But, he veered wide and to the right--to run me into the ditch. What he didn't count on was my ability to anticipate this, stop short and cut quickly behind him, while he was still headed for the ditch! I pulled up beside him on his left and screamed into his open window: "You're a murdering fu...n a..hole, and I ought to call the Troopers."

 

He was truly startled and almost went into the ditch! He was expecting me to be in the ditch somewhere down beneath his right door. Wish I had my old heavy boots on, I would have creased his left door for him.

 

Moral of this story is reactionary rage doesn't belong to any age or gender. In fact, beyond the Monster Truck Morons, I would say the next most dangerous class of nuissance drivers are agressive FEMALE drivers, as you have seen.

 

I now wear a saftey yellow-green jacket all the time, and never assume anything.

[Paul Mihalka]

"NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING" That is the key word.

[TN_R_Girl]

Oh I hear you sister! Not saying that idiots are limited by gender here. Just so happened this one in my story was a woman.

 

Kaisr

 

Thanks brother!!

[wilsons]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

Kaisr

 

As much as I possibly can. all around me, front, back, and sides, but thats kinda hard to do in rush hour but any other time

[leikam]

What space do you all leave in major traffic between you and the car at say 40-55mph on a freeway?

 

I was going to say "6 inches and up" which is true on the freeways here, but Avi's reply made me realize that that's only one dimension and probably not the one you had in mind. I usually ride on the edges of the lanes so there might be a few inches laterally, but even in heavy traffic I often have an excellent forward view and am not shy about putting myself in better surroundings.

[Green RT]

My solution...always ride out of town...I avoid riding "in" town.

That works if your riding is recreational. It doesn't for those of us that use a motorcycle for all our transportation needs.

[flyingreg]

Tom,

 

Give 'em all the room you can. Ed's approach is a really good one for light, medium, and heavy traffic.

 

As a common practice, I put as much distance as I can betweeen me and dangerous morons as quickly as I can whenever one is near me. That usually means me backing off. Some of these morons may take your actions as a challenge, so give them space. Same holds true when driving as well. There are too many morons out there with their head up their ass that think they have exclusive rights to the roads.

 

Just remember this, It will make no difference to anyone that you were in the right, when you are dead. Words to live by buddy.

[Carnadero]

Up here in the hills I can relax a bit but the NASCAR schooled drivers still exist.

OT: Ever seen Richard Kiel running around out that way? last I heard, he lived somewhere nearby there.

[Matts_12GS]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

[myshkin]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

 

Not if you have a hot temper.

[Matts_12GS]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

 

Not if you have a hot temper.

 

Depends the recidivism rate is pretty low, yours and theirs....

[mrduck]

but my sweet and very beautiful wife did NOT keep her cool and took that space to pull our Toyota into the gap and slam her brakes on in front of the Suburban.

Atta girl, my kinda woman

[Carnadero]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

In a few of the worst cases I've seen, I'd be hard-pressed to say that such a response would be inappropriate....

[Eastinbmar]

(By the way, where is Patience?)

 

In PA, about 60 miles east of Uniontown. But I've never been there......

[Green RT]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

In a few of the worst cases I've seen, I'd be hard-pressed to say that such a response would be inappropriate....

 

I think we need to be careful to distinguish between fantasy and action. I often have the same fantasy. It is very satisfying to think about just blowing away some of the jerks that one occasionally encounters. However, to actually choose to act on that fantasy would very likely create some life altering changes in one's own life.

[Matts_12GS]

Dude, get a @$%@$$% grip.... What has the world come to when you actually have to make that kind of comment?

[Green RT]

Am I to understand that your post with the glock photo attached was not intended seriously. That is actually encouraging. It wasn't obvious to me.

[cavscout]

I realize that the glock photo was pretty tongue in cheek, but it does raise the interesting, IMO, question of what you all think of carrying while riding, especially on long trips...not for dealing with idiot cagers, but general protection.

 

I personally carry whenever I legally can.

 

An armed society is a polite society...???

[Les is more]

But then this is not a post about firearms.

 

I suggest a search. Your question has been pretty thoroughly discussed and debated more than once.

[BFish]

Am I to understand that your post with the glock photo attached was not intended seriously. That is actually encouraging. It wasn't obvious to me.

 

I'll vouch for Big Matt....we gave each other man hugs at biketurkeyfest. he wouldn't need a firearm to defend himself anyway. he resembles your typical NFL tightend (tightend is a position not a body part...do not read into this anything more than that).

[flyingreg]

I think this is the answer, although I wouldn't advocate it for everyone.

Your answer to inattentive or otherwise poor drivers is a bit extreme, don't you think. I work in a place where I am surrounded by murders, thieves, and every kind of criminal degenerate mind. And I am yet to form the opinion that those that inconvenience me, or disrupt my life should be shot.

 

I have found it is much better to give the test tube babies space and move on, rather than blow a gasket over it. Unless their actions are intended to do me harm, I am content with letting go of the bad feeling and moving on.

 

Rage can be a dibilitating emotion when unchecked.

 

And I didn't take your post as being ALL tongue in cheek. There is a thread of seriousness in every uttered thought.