Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Seeing as how we have many locations on the forum, just thought I would ask if the cage drivers give you any respect on the road. In SA they will move over for groups but will stubbornly stick to their lanes for single bikes or more commonly, do not even know your there because they do not know how to use mirrors. We do also get some idiots that try to stop you lane splitting in slow traffic by sticking the front of the car close to the next one. Must be terrified we get to the pub before them.

Usually cars are more willing to move over for my bike than my truck. Those that don't are usually surprised to see me passing them on the stripes.

I haven't done a lot of highway driving this year and my bike is too small to do too much passing anyway. I ride almost daily in crowded city traffic though. My complaint is that people pull out in front of me when I know they've seen me - "oh, it's just a motorcycle so it's ok for me to pull out in front of him". Lane splitting is currently illegal in Wa. state though I've heard there's a provision in a current bill that might allow it. I doubt I'd take advantage of that at speed though. I don't like the idea of getting crunched under someone's tires if they weren't paying attention. I would take advantage of it under 30mph or so. That would come in handy in stop and go traffic. My bike is small, but there still aren't many cars I can't beat to the next light if I'm trying.

I've noticed more than a few times - I'll be boppin' around out in the country and there will be a cage waiting to turn out from a side road. In my mind I'll think that they're going to pull out in front of me, and while there would be time for them to do it, they'll have to really get on the gas to keep from interrupting my ride. And then... they'll wait. Even what seems to be a significant amount of time. When this happens, I always remember to flash a peace sign to them. They could have gone, with relative safety, but decided to wait for me to go by first. That's cool because it saves me from having to pass them down the road.

Cheers,
Loonette

Around here it is mostly a 70-30 split . With the 70% belonging to the unconcious drivers .
The ones I really hate are the ones that tail gate . Time to refill my vest pockets with ball bearings .
I was tooling thru town a couple of days ago and had a middle age matron riding right up my tail pipe . I gave her the slow down hand signal thinking she was certainly of an age to have learned all the hand signals . All for naught .
Finally I had to get aggresive in my mirrors while using the hand signals so that I knew she knew I saw her and she backed off . I was to the point that one more time and I was going to get off the scoot at the next red light and read her the riot act and I think she could sense that .
Finally alls well that ends well .
Regards, Wizzard

Maybe it's because we have an H-D factory here, but there are lots of bikes and the cagers all seem to be aware of us.

I haven't had much trouble, except for the same person with a black Suburban who has multiple time run a stop sign (from my left to my right) while glaring at me as I approach. I know he is doing on purpose. I am not sure what I am going to have for him. I am really mellow to cagers that make mistakes, but this guy needs an attitude correction.

On the other hand, I've had a semi slow down and block traffic for me, then wave me in front of him, when merging onto the highway. Pretty cool!

Have not been getting much respect from the cagers lately, here. They rather be a bother and get in the way, checking the mirror to see if they up set you. Then the others just drive around in there own world not looking where they are going or check to see if anyone is beside them or anywhere around them. I was stopped at a lighted cross walk a few days ago for a person to cross the road and the guy behind me was in his own world, as I noticed this and the fact he wasnt slowing down but speeding up, I went through the walk before the person had gotten half way accross the road. The car did stop half way in the cross walk, glad I moved. What I have also noticed is that cagers with cell phones are the worst of them all. Too busy talk to even notice they are not staying in their lane or not signaling or paying any attention to whats going on on the road.

Yep, cagers on cell phones are the biggest danger on the road. Seems talking is more important to them then driving safely. It was bad enough before the advent of cell phones but now watch out. If I see a cager talking on a cell phone I try to get away from them as quickly as possible.

I have had driver's share lanes wth me and pass me just because I decided to slow down when the light turned amber rather than speed up.

I must say I slip into super paranoid mode when Im riding my bike at intersections. I've had enough close calls in the space of two months. One guy shared a lane with me on the highway, one old lady ran a stop sign, one tried to race with me and cut me off trying get ahead of me before the right lane ended. One dude on a cell phone ran a red light, good thing I was slow to start.

And I must say this happened in Pittsburgh. Which is why I hate it here. Cant wait to get back to my small town.

Kar_The_Terrible wrote:

Cant wait to get back to my small town.

Guess it depends on what you mean by a 'small town" I'm in a town of 50,000 and have all the same issues you just described. Of course, in the nearby "really small towns" of 500 which only have one intersection you might not have them.

I accept the fact that many cagers are just blind to bikes. The ones that I have trouble with are the ones who intentionally do stuff. that look right at you and cut you off .. or move into your lane... and then laugh.

Then you have those that go out of there way for ya. and that is so wonderful to experience. I'd say they're 15% here.