Respect from cage drivers

[omar]

Hey thanks! Looks like a great community...
I've been going crazy looking for my first bike
anyway, that's for another thread

Good first post.

Welcome to the TMW omar.

[Natlancaster]

This is a short narrative of what happened to me about a month ago while on a ride on my ZX-12R.

Sat about 7 or 8 of us headed out from the Conoco to Evergreen and Cen city to peak to peak.
Before Idledale several guys got 1/2 mile or so ahead-lot of traffic. After Lair of the Bear park I and 3 others came up on a toy pickup. After awhile , I had an opening and pulled out to pass- the driver extended his entire arm and waved with 1 finger. I returned the greeting as I pulled back in front of him. A short time later,he came up behind me very fast and slowed less than a length back. I moved ahead. Coming into Kitteridge he drove up behind me very fast-I slowed to let him by.(later the guys told me he locked up the rear tires stopping-they did not know what was happening)and he appeared to stop in the road. I kept moving and at that time he was along ways back. I mistakingly thought he was through. About the center of Kitteridge where the road bends left,he suddenly appeared in the left oncomming lane beside me partially straddle the center double yellow. I slowed as did he and he turned right toward me . I moved right as far as i could before he hit my left bar end with the side of his truck. I had about 3 tank slappers(50-60') then the front washed out and we went down an slid appx 40-50 feet,Just short of a parked truck.
He pulled into a station just up the road and wanted to fight 1 of the guys that followed him.
We did have a lot of words and it took all the willpower I had to not do what I really wanted to.
The lead guys came back and thats when we found out he tried to force them over when they passed him. The State patrol believed them and took some statements.
I just have some sore upper back and shoulder muscles and slightly strained wrist.
All the gear was damaged-but it worked.
The sherrif hung around just up the road until all of us were ready to leave. Bad a?s bikers we were.
I was told by the patrol if we were on Harleys they would not have left at all Badder a?s bikers.


The toyota truck driver got a ticket for careless. never did find out what his motive was.His ins has settled on all but the injury side. The bike was almost totaled- I collected and sold it to a salvage dealer. Going shoppin for new gear Friday at a special local sale.

I have a ZX-14 on order.

Nat

[CNF2002]

Sounds like assault with a deadly weapon to me. It amazes me how much people can get away with in their cars. He intentionally struck you with his car with the intent to cause injury. I don't get it.

[Natlancaster]

The local sherrifs that responded would not even listen to me as I asked to file charges. They said it was an accident and the StatePatrol would handle it. They did tell me that waving back to the perp(he waved first) was inciting and told me it was against the law when I threatened to remove his face from his head after he crashed me. The Patrol was cool and was a biker(harley) and understood. He couldn't do more as he did not witness the incident.

Glad the guy wasn't armed.

Nat

[sapaul]

Shocking, this guy is fooking mental and is suffering from an insiduous disease. The problem being that it is spreading. This guy is suffering from too much tv and playstation and cannot seperate fiction from fact. What happened to you was attempted murder pure and simple. The guy should be taken to the back of the barn and the same should happen like any sick animal.

[Venarius]

Its on both sides, I've had many close calls on the bike, and wanted to kick many a mirror, but I've decided its not worth it if they decide to retaliate with their car.

But I've also seen the cager side. There was once when I was in my car in the fast lane and a harley comes up behind me. I put my blinker on, and get over, and just as I start to cross the white line the harley decides to change lanes too, no blinker mind you. Now we are both in the middle lane, and he starts ridin my "O Ring" like I cut him off or something. I switch to the slow lane, he speeds up and gets in front of me. I switch back to the middle lane, he speeds up and gets in front of me, and lays on his brakes. at this point I'm pissed. I put my blinker on like I'm going to the left lane, start to turn, and as anticipated he swerves over to block me. So I swerved right back into the right lane and sped away from him.

I'm thinkin, if only he knew that I drove a motorcycle. I was concious of him and moved out of his lane (blinker and all) and he still treated me like an ignorant cager.

But, I've got many more cager horror stories on my bike than vice versa...

[SuperRookie]

Wow you guys...

Those are some really outrageous stories...There are some really whacked people out there apparently...this we already know. From the stories of incidents and near misses I can't even begin to understand the mentality that would drive someone to intentionally attempt (and sometimes succeed) at causing injury or damage to someone on a bike. Ordinarily I'd like to think I have more faith in human nature than that, but reading more and more stuff like this won't allow me to.

I do think that there somewhat of an element of envy involved...maybe that's my personal opinion because, to me, motorcyclists have always been a cool lot. When driving I've been hi-beamed and my reaction has always been "sh*t, I'm daydreaming in the passing lane, let me move over" ...or "ok, I'm doing 85, you wanna pass and go faster, be my guest"...it's never been, nor will it ever be a big deal to me to let someone pass.

I can't remember a time (even long before being bike-smitten) that I wasn't aware of and respectful to bikes on the road...Too many people with small minds, full of self-hate and self-loathing...going thru the motions of their meaningless miserable existences will always be around to try and make you stoop to their level. Don't let the basturds* get you down.

With the level of concentration and focus it takes to ride safely and well, it's maddening to have to deal with all the pr*cks on the road...especially the one's who are acutely aware of their own presence.

And still, I'll ride (eventually, when I get that Kawa Ninja 500 in the Springtime )

Meantime...y'all stay safe...keep ya tempers to a slow simmer and keep them things shiny...ya know?

[sv-wolf]

I've never had anything as serious as this happen to me, but I did witness something pretty scary that happened to a work colleague many years ago in Manchester. Patrtick had just collected his bike from up the road after work and was riding back past the office entrance as I came out. Just as he passed me, a car shot across three lanes trying to hit him. The driver was screaming at him. Pat swerved to avoid a collision and another car had to take avoiding action also. A little further up the road the crazy driver had to stop behind other traffic at the lights. Pat rode up beside him and started giving him a mouthful. By the time I'd caught up with them the driver was out of his mind and shouting at the top of his voice. It was all hate stuff directed at mortorcyclists - I'll kill all you fu++ing bastards, is one phrase that I remember. Pat got his number and called the police. It went to court. Another pedestrian and I went as witnesses. They guy got a fine and a bollocking and that was it.

The worst I have had is the odd nutter with a chip on his shoulder who will pull out in front of me to prevent me passing. If I am positioning to overtake or filtering up between lines of traffic my experience seems to be very much the same as most other riders I talk to round here. A large number of drivers pull over to let me by, and a much smaller number deliberately try to block my way. Riding in London, the number of blockers is higher. The trouble is, it only takes one nutter to put you in a wheelchair for life. Doesn't bear thinking about.

[oldnslo]

My only experience with a hostile cager was many years ago, when I was riding the 900 Ninja. I did a simple pass of a minivan on a two-lane road, and that was it, until I felt the van about 3 feet behind me. No problem, just kicked down a gear and left him behind, never to be seen again. He never knew about the .357 I was carrying, and could have used on him as I lay in wait up the road......some cagers are incredibly stupid, particularly here in the US. Many of us carry weapons, but cagers are generally unaware.

[sapaul]

I've never had anything as serious as this happen to me, but I did witness something pretty scary that happened to a work colleague many years ago in Manchester. Patrtick had just collected his bike from up the road after work and was riding back past the office entrance as I came out. Just as he passed me, a car shot across three lanes trying to hit him. The driver was screaming at him. Pat swerved to avoid a collision and another car had to take avoiding action also. A little further up the road the crazy driver had to stop behind other traffic at the lights. Pat rode up beside him and started giving him a mouthful. By the time I'd caught up with them the driver was out of his mind and shouting at the top of his voice. It was all hate stuff directed at mortorcyclists - I'll kill all you fu++ing bastards, is one phrase that I remember. Pat got his number and called the police. It went to court. Another pedestrian and I went as witnesses. They guy got a fine and a bollocking and that was it.

The worst I have had is the odd nutter with a chip on his shoulder who will pull out in front of me to prevent me passing. If I am positioning to overtake or filtering up between lines of traffic my experience seems to be very much the same as most other riders I talk to round here. A large number of drivers pull over to let me by, and a much smaller number deliberately try to block my way. Riding in London, the number of blockers is higher. The trouble is, it only takes one nutter to put you in a wheelchair for life. Doesn't bear thinking about.

This is really scary, people are going mad out there, maybe I should go to therapy.

Nah puck it, I'm keeping the bike, maybe get another one