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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:18 pm
by CNF2002
ZooTech wrote:Devil's Avocate here...
First off, her response after the fact was downright unnecessary and childish, so don't think for a second that I'm defending her threatening reaction to what happened. BUT...I can't help but wonder, CNF, if you only looked in your mirror long enough to see if someone was in the next lane and where, without pausing long enough to notice if she was gaining on you at all. I get this all the time whether I'm in the cage or on the bike. I'll just be cruising along, minding my own business (in the left/passing/fast lane) and just when I'm about to overtake some "slow and easy wins the race" kinda guy following a semi or whatever, the guy jerks his car over into my lane and proceeds to pass the semi (or whatever) at 1mph faster than it's going, causing me to literally hit the brakes. This happened to me last summer in my Stanza while I was on my way home from work. The freeway was relatively empty, save for a late model Honda Accord following a semi about a quarter mile ahead of me. I was running 75mph with the cruise control on, just listening to music. When I was about two car lengths away from overtaking said Accord/semi combo, the Accord driver decides to jerk over into my lane and proceed to pass the 65mph semi @ 66mph. I had to hit my brakes to keep from rear-ending the guy, and ended up riding his "O Ring" so he couldn't play it off like I wasn't there. Little did I know the freakin' State Troopers had an airplane in the sky that day and I ended up with a $103.00 ticket for "Unassured Clear Distance".
Moral of the story is, take the time to notice if the vehicle in your mirror is gaining on you at all. If you had simply waited 2-seconds longer to change lanes, the lady probably would have been past you by then and this never would have happened. It's easy to lay the blame on her, especially since she was a jerk about it, but you may very well be guilty of the "Me first" syndrome in this scenario.
Nope, I did not notice her gaining any speed. Could that have been a mistake? Possibly...honestly, I was in the middle of rush-hour traffic, in the right lane, folks were merging like crazy and I wanted to be in the middle lane quick. So I looked in my mirror, saw plenty of room to merge, and I did it.
The car in front of me was about as far as the car in the other lane. So if she WAS gunning it before I merged, she would have ended up tailgating that guy pretty quick. Could that be a possibility? Sure.
Cutting people off is sometimes an honest error. If that had been the end of it, fine. My mistake, sorry lady.
Does that mean she needs to use her vehicle to 'teach me a lesson' and threaten my vehicle, my life? I don't think so. Even if I had cut her off on purpose, revved my engine and flipped her off while standing on my bike and smacking my butt at her, that doesnt give her the right to behave as she did after the incident.
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:21 pm
by ZooTech
CNF2002 wrote:Does that mean she needs to use her vehicle to 'teach me a lesson' and threaten my vehicle, my life?
No.
CNF2002 wrote:Even if I had cut her off on purpose, revved my engine and flipped her off while standing on my bike and smacking my butt at her
Okay, well, maybe!
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:26 pm
by jmillheiser
Most common stupid cager trick here is merging into you when they pull off an on ramp. Makes me glad that the CX500 has good acceleration from 60-85mph I can get out of their way quickly. They usually merge directly into the left lane as well instead of merging into the right lane.
we also get lots of the "pass the semi at 1mph faster than the semi" types.
I have also had combat SUV drivers riding my "O Ring" when im passing a semi (im passing probably a good 15mph faster than the semi), they usually shoot past me at 95-100mph the second I move over to the right lane, apparantly 80mph is not fast enough.
One thing I have learned about highway riding is the best place to be in relation to a semi is in front of it. if your behind it you get his wind buffeting, and beside him you run the risk of him not seeing you and changing lanes.
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:31 pm
by camthepyro
What? You're only going 80mph? In a 65mph hour zone? Are you f-ing crazy? You deserve to be rammed off the road with my SUV..... OF DEATH!
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:38 pm
by jmillheiser
correction. 80mph in a 75mph zone. 95 seems to be the normal cruising speed of the SUVs
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:46 pm
by camthepyro
Ha! Even worse! In that case I'd ram you off the road with my SUV... OF DEATH! Then, stop, and back over you again.
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:19 pm
by jmillheiser
Dodging cagers is an essential skill on the roads here LOL.
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:44 pm
by Kal
CNF2002 wrote:Does that mean she needs to use her vehicle to 'teach me a lesson' and threaten my vehicle, my life? I don't think so. Even if I had cut her off on purpose, revved my engine and flipped her off while standing on my bike and smacking my butt at her, that doesnt give her the right to behave as she did after the incident.
Am I the only one who must_try_this???...
Glad you dodged the bullet on this one, it probably won't be any comfort at all but it's a worldwide thing - some people are just savages with no self control.
Much as we'd like to believe that we exported them all to the colonies I'm afraid they are everywhere... 
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:23 pm
by MrGompers
jmillheiser wrote:
One thing I have learned about highway riding is the best place to be in relation to a semi is in front of it. if your behind it you get his wind buffeting, and beside him you run the risk of him not seeing you and changing lanes.
Interesting observation. I'd rather have the semi or bus or (insert other large vehicle here) in front of me. Reason is if I have to hit the brakes I can stop a lot quicker than that large vehicle can & don't want that guy running me over.
I don't have a problem with wind if I'm behind. I have a problem with wind if I'm on the side of the semi.
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:10 am
by pinger05
[/quote]
Glad you dodged the bullet on this one, it probably won't be any comfort at all but it's a worldwide thing - some people are just savages with no self control.[/quote]
Definately worldwide. On the Autoban there are places were there is no speed limit. In those spaces there is a advised speed of 130kph (80ish MPH). In those zones I try to stay on the right side of the road at all times. You never know when the soccer mom is gonna cruze by at 190kph in her Audi.
Passing in the no limit zones is dicy. More than once I accidently cut in front of some high end pasta rocket. They like to get right on your tail and flash their high beams. Espically went they see the American version of the German plate. I think that is similar to waving a red cape to a angry bull.