Nearly got a hood ornament today.

[Guest]

Out at lunch time for a run to the post office in the van. Coming back at a sedate 30 mph on a two lane city street approaching an intersection. Nobody in front of me and a green light showing. Opposite me a guy on a metric cruiser waiting to make a left.

For some reason he waits until I am just about to enter the intersection before he goes. Missed his a$$ end by inches. I'm too stunned to even hit the brakes and roll on through. I did not expect him to go.

Now we always blame the cagers in these left turn scenarios but idiot bikers can cause it too if this clown is any example.

A second slower on his part and I'd have gotten him.

On the bike, I always cover my levers as I come up on an intersection. I guess I need to cover the brake in the van now as well.

Glad I missed him.

I usually say ride safe but this time, "drive safe".

Cheers,
Spyug.

[tkent02]

Could have become a hood ornament yesterday....

Turning right, in traffic yesterday, in Scotland so that's like a left turn for you normal folks. One oncoming car stopped to let me turn, the next two stopped behind him and the third accelerated and went around them all. I'm on a tall bike and could see him coming, and had plenty of time before the fast car got there so I went, not wanting to get rear-ended sitting in the middle of the road any longer than I had to. Like I said, plenty of room.
Got me to thinking though, on a low sportbike with poor visibility, and with less experience and less pessimism someone could have turned a wee bit later and gotten killed. I wonder how often this happens?
Y'all be careful out there.

[t3rmin]

Man it's dangerous when people blast past other cars piled up waiting for a left turner. I'll do it if there's nobody else waiting behind the turner and I've got good visibility, but you just can't go around a whole line -- gotta wait.

[Regis]

Spyug, I hear you about not even trusting other motorcyclists. When my sigother and were cruising out in the open desert, a small group of sport bikes pulled up hard and fast at their stop sign on our left. They looked young and an instant assessment in my brain said "don't trust em", even if we had the right-of-way.

We slowed and I covered the brake lever. They stayed put, and then went to their right or going the opposite way of our direction. We sure couldn't tell which direction they were going to go, thus the doubt and the way they pulled up, plus the bikes (young squids + sport bikes = ?)

[Ironriot]

I've yet to have any one on a bike pull out RIGHT infront of me in an intersection like what happen to spyug but people in cars do it all the time. Its annoying as sh!t and one of these times I'm just gonna plow into them. My right of way anyways. But yeah I can't imagine someone on a bike making the decision to go. Thats so stupid

[ScottMc1100L]

I've yet to have any one on a bike pull out RIGHT infront of me in an intersection like what happen to spyug but people in cars do it all the time. Its annoying as sh!t and one of these times I'm just gonna plow into them. My right of way anyways...

I love the j-a$$es who sit across the intersection from you at a red light, who are taking a left, and have their wheel cocked so that the second the light drops they GO, and the two or three behind them mysteriously seem attached, don't even look, and go along with their... "leader".

[Ironriot]

I love the j-a$$es who sit across the intersection from you at a red light, who are taking a left, and have their wheel cocked so that the second the light drops they GO, and the two or three behind them mysteriously seem attached, don't even look, and go along with their... "leader".

Two or THREE? Geez thats worse than down here. Usually its just one @sshole that'll haul ass through the turn to try and beat you

[spyug]

I got to thinking about it quite a bit last night. Replaying the videotape in my head, I think he actually started to go when I was way back of the intersection. He may have stumbled a bit ( grabby clutch or carb bogged) paniced as he moved forward and "floored" it to get out of the way. Whatever, he should have stayed in place until I passed.

The thought of hitting him or any biker gives me the willies. In my pre-biker days I might have been upset but shrugged it off on the stupid biker but now as a rider myself I can only imagine how awful that would be.

Lets hope I don't see that again anytime soon.

Ride & drive safe all.
cheers,
Spyug

[ironb12s]

WE have our moments, just like cagers.

Not too terribly long ago I nearly made an indelible impression on an SUV with my Bandit. Just blithely cruising along on a rural road (144) in North Central MD, at the optimum cooling speed (60) on a 40 limit. Coming up on a stop sign that I didn't see until I was right on top of it, and the SUV with the ROW barreling thru the I/S. Did a stoppie without thinking about it. Didn't even downshift from 5th, it happened so fast. And ever, so EVER alert, after.:shock:

Yep, I'm ATGATT like many others here, but inattention/distraction is universal. Also, an MSF Instructor in need of recertification.

"Me life passed before me eyes...it was really boring."