what would you have done?

[SeanMora77]

Recently I took the 850 out to stretch it's legs on some scenic country roads in the town I live in. I came to a stoplight and creeping up behind me I see a black Honda civic, and I don't think much of it. I hear this moron start revving up his engine, surely prodding me to wheelie or burn out. I just ignore it. This red light feels like it's taking forever... Well, some harmless revving becomes a much more serious display of doing a brake stand. This idiot is directly behind be, smoking his tires and the only thing saving me from being killed is his foot on the brake. After what feels like an eternity at this point the light turns green and I blast off leaving this pinhead in the dust. Now, as for the fact that I made it home safely to my wife and son I am happy. There is this deep seated sense that I should have yanked him out of his car and beat the snot out of him that I am somewhat regretful I didn't do. Fact is, he was in a car and I was on a bike. He wins. What would you have done in this situation?

[BigD_83]

I'm not sure there is much more you could have done except tolerate it.

Maybe one could pull off to the side, but there still would be an idiot smoking his tires behind and just to the side of you. Wouldn't take much for the vehicle to pull drastically hard right and knock you off the bike.

Not having been there, and from the comfort of my computer keyboard, I think I might have given serious consideration to turning right on the red, or running the light to put distance between myself and the idiot.

[simon kuether]

Probably , would have done the same as you did .
Can't do much else .
Most of us would have a similar story .

Cheers , Simon .

[Tamara]

I probably would have either done a right on red or blown the light just distance myself from the loser.

[eddie21]

I'm not sure there is much more you could have done except tolerate it.

Maybe one could pull off to the side, but there still would be an idiot smoking his tires behind and just to the side of you. Wouldn't take much for the vehicle to pull drastically hard right and knock you off the bike.

Not having been there, and from the comfort of my computer keyboard, I think I might have given serious consideration to turning right on the red, or running the light to put distance between myself and the idiot.

I concur with this. With some knob doing a smoke show directly behind me the best thing to do would be to get the hell out of the way of such a dummy. If it is safe to do so, break a traffic law to clear yourself of danger. I'm pretty sure you'd get away with it as the smoke show moron isn't being bothered by the law. Yeah, it would be nice to tune up the goof but you can wind up in way more trouble than you bargained for, I know a guy who is still paying for being the aggressor in a 'road rage' issue. Morally he was justified, legally he is in big poop trouble! Plus, you are in the States... guns.

[earlfor]

I would have turned right on red or gone through the red light. After that, I would follow the SOB and get his license number and call the cops. After that, he has to stop eventually. Maybe by that time I would have cooled down or maybe not.

I might have got off the bike and asked him is there was a problem.

[mike10]

I think I would have got out of the way somehow. I'm spooky about people behind me. I was hit from behind once. Spooky about confronting someone who is clearly a Buttface also. The Guy that hit me acted like he couldn't give a crap less that he could have killed me. Even the CHP there got that impression from him.

[sedelen]

I either would have gone through the light, or just pulled over to the side of the road and let him have the lead. Probably the latter. I deal with stuff like this all the time, just as soon not have to deal with at all. Besides, you don't know who you're dealing with.

[rustybronco]

Pulled out a gun and shot him...


Kidding!

I would have pulled right turn, waited to got behind him, got his plate and called the cops.

[Flaggo60]

I think, sensing that kind of danger, I would have pulled off to the side and let him go by when the light turned green. Then I'd probably look at him like the moron he was I think, depending on what kind of a creature I saw from the safe side of the road. May be best to leave him to whatever hell is going on in his mind....

[chuck hahn]

Just put it on the side stand and step off..stand there and look right in his eyes. Bet he wouldnt get out and just drive around you. Puzzys will be just that when they are challenged.

[chuck hahn]

Helmet cam would have been way cool to catch the guy. Glad you got home unhurt.

[GSXR7ED]

Replies

Recently I took the 850 out to stretch it's legs on some scenic country roads in the town I live in. I came to a stoplight and creeping up behind me I see a black Honda civic, and I don't think much of it. I hear this moron start revving up his engine, surely prodding me to wheelie or burn out. I just ignore it. This red light feels like it's taking forever... Well, some harmless revving becomes a much more serious display of doing a brake stand. This idiot is directly behind be, smoking his tires and the only thing saving me from being killed is his foot on the brake. After what feels like an eternity at this point the light turns green and I blast off leaving this pinhead in the dust. Now, as for the fact that I made it home safely to my wife and son I am happy. There is this deep seated sense that I should have yanked him out of his car and beat the snot out of him that I am somewhat regretful I didn't do. Fact is, he was in a car and I was on a bike. He wins. What would you have done in this situation?

I can't, [for the life of me] understand why people feel the need to challenge a motorcycle. Had a situation on my first bike where a CTS came up beside me on a straight-away and revved...then they got in front of me and put their hazards on and started swerving within the lane. I laughed and shook my head "No" so they could see me in their rearview mirror. They persisted but I still shook my head "no".

This went on for a bit, then on the next signal they turned right. For good reasons, as indicated below, I will not confront an idiot cager who is trying to entice me into a silly game...

I probably would have either done a right on red or blown the light just distance myself from the loser.

I have done "the blast" but sometimes I'll get the odd CTS driver who didn't like being overtaken and can keep up.

Plus, you are in the States... guns.

This...

I think I would have got out of the way somehow. I'm spooky about people behind me. I was hit from behind once. Spooky about confronting someone who is clearly a Buttface also. The Guy that hit me acted like he couldn't give a crap less that he could have killed me. Even the CHP there got that impression from him.

And this...

I either would have gone through the light, or just pulled over to the side of the road and let him have the lead. Probably the latter. I deal with stuff like this all the time, just as soon not have to deal with at all. Besides, you don't know who you're dealing with.

And also this...

Helmet cam would have been way cool to catch the guy. Glad you got home unhurt.

People nowadays have the capability to record everything...ever want to explain a decision made to a judge? (I'm asking in general)

Yes, I'm glad OP got home safe and calmed down to tell this story.



Ed

[eil]

In my experience, there are three kinds of bad drivers:

1. Ones who don't pay attention to the act of driving out of sheer cluelessness. They talk/text on phone while driving, don't look before changing lanes, etc, but don't generally mean any harm.

2. The ones who do pay attention, but just don't care. These are the ones who pull out in front of you after they've guessed that you have enough space to brake for them, try to merge into you when they know full well you're there, and so on. You're occupying the space that they want to be in, and they expect you to get out of their way.

3. Those who actively seek confrontation on the road because they think they have something to prove. Tailgaters are the most typical sort around these parts, but you also on occasion see someone trying to intimidate or actively harm another driver. Like the goons who actively try to make motorcyclists crash.

From your description of events, I think the guy you encountered probably falls in category 3. I don't think he was trying to race you, I think he was trying to intimidate you. Some people are so insecure that they have this constant need to challenge others in order to make themselves feel like they're in control. Perhaps overcompensating for a deficiency in another department? Who knows...

It's fun to daydream about how we would respond in a manly or clever fashion to a particular situation. But when it comes down to it, the only rational response to is to simply look out for number one first and get yourself out of the dangerous situation as quickly and safely as possible. Regardless of traffic laws.

[Agemax]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75IHn-OzDOI