I had a lapse in judgement today

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

I was out for a (literally) 2 minute ride from work to chik fil a and back today. On my way back to the store, I had my chik fil a stuffed in my jacket, was going down a side road to work (it runs behind a restaurant and dumps out in our parking lot), going about 15mph, probably not even... crazy woman going on another side road perpendicular to mine... she looks at me, and slows down (I had the right of way).. so I continue... then she pulls out in front of me. I did a panic stop (I've been practicing them, thankfully). Of course, being that it was wet, I locked up the rear, and got about 3 nice fishtails out of it before I came to a stop. I yelled (inside my helmet, and her windows were up) "YOU STUPID f%$k, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?". She looks at me and mouths "I'm sorry" and drives away. I went on my way, and decided, f%$k it, so I went back to where she was pulling into the parking lot for another store (I knew my company shirt was covered up, so she wouldn't know where I was an employee and be able to come after me), so I pulled over behind her car (a good 10-15 feet away though, so she knew I wasn't physically threatening her). As she approached me, I asked her if she was stupid, or blind. She said "I'm sorry, I looked, all I saw was rain, and then you were right there"... (At the time, it was a mist.. not even a sprinkle... so I settled on the stupid part). So I said "Of course you didn't see me. Nobody ever sees us. That's why we're f%$king dying all the time." She looked like she felt awful, and just kept repeating "I didn't see you"... I had a hard time staying mad, so I finally apologized and said "I shouldn't be taking out all my anger on you, I'm sorry, but this is the third time in two days that some idiot in a car has almost killed me, and I'm really frustrated." We said goodbye, and I was on my way. I know it was an awful idea to follow a cager, especially a single woman, and then get into a verbal altercation. But I just couldn't stop myself. At least I apologized at the end.. but boy, was my blood boiling at first.

Go ahead, pile on.

[spc]

WOW....I can't really criticize, cuz god knows I woulda done the same thing ( I followed a BMW that cut me off for 20 miles before we came to a light and I commenced screaming like a massive @$$hole,  It was a young guy though and he got really cocky with me before I said a word )  but anyway WOW.  Maybe because of it she'll be more observant of bikes in the future.  See there's a bright side,  your lapse in judgement could theoretically save a fellow bikers life someday!!

[Turd Ferguson]

No harm done, eh?  No worries.

As I'm sure you know, some people would get really freaked out if you followed them.  It sounds like you allowed her to approach you, so it doesn't sound like you were too threatening.

-Uncle Turd.

[Turd Ferguson]

See there's a bright side,  your lapse in judgement could theoretically save a fellow bikers life someday!!

And you screaming at someone could theoretically help yet another person hate motorcyclists.

[Turd Ferguson]

By the way Nick...I totally thought you freakin wrecked your bike when I read the thread title. 

No offense...

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

By the way Nick...I totally thought you freakin wrecked your bike when I read the thread title. 

No offense...

Bahahaha.. that would have been a lapse in skill...

WOW....I can't really criticize, cuz god knows I woulda done the same thing ( I followed a BMW that cut me off for 20 miles before we came to a light and I commenced screaming like a massive @$$hole,  It was a young guy though and he got really cocky with me before I said a word )  but anyway WOW.  Maybe because of it she'll be more observant of bikes in the future.  See there's a bright side,  your lapse in judgement could theoretically save a fellow bikers life someday!!

Yeah, I hope so... and answer my PM!

[spc]

I didn't get much screaming in    he ran the light when he saw the holster in my waistband   ( I'm not stupid enough to have actually drawn or anything, I just don't trust a lot of these southern Tards, and it comes in handy as a visual persuasion device)

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

Ya know, I've got an extendable ASP baton, which came with a ballistic nylon holster.. I'm thinking of having the holster sewn into the small of the back of my jacket, for quick access...

[spc]

I've found that visual aids are the best way of dealing with some of these people.  I'd check into Atlanta's local ordinances as far as weapons and concealment.  Down here in shitstown we don't have any except the state and federal.  State Firearms Statute pretty much gives cops and military free reign with concealment   those ASP models are serious stuff though.  I wouldn't want to be hit with one again

[Onlypastrana199]

  I'm sorry Nick...but as a woman..i'd have a hard time finding you physically threatening...even if you were yelling at me...

[pandy]

PWN3D! 

[natedawg120]

Yeah, I totally thought you crashed another bike when i read the title of the thread .  At least she was sorry, most people in that situation blam the motorcylist and say they were riding like a bat out of hell just because they didn't see them for whatever reason.

[mach1]

i have had 2 of those in one week but in the day the car was turning left from a res. area and im in the far right lane so i move over to the lewft side just in case she want do do something dumb and i was going about 45 or 50 mph so she starts pulling out (Oh F&^% what the hel are you doing) i move over to the far left lane so i can go in front of her so she can see me(that sounds bad but i cant word it any other way) still not looking my direction so then the car behind her starts pulling out (now im unsure what to do going to fast to stop but nowhere to go0 and finaly the guy in the second cars looks at me coming (im slowed down by this time but not at stoping speeed) and slammes on his brakes so as i pass in front of him i give him a salute thanking him for seeing me and he waved. that happened to me twice the second time their was only one car and it was a guy also not looking my wayso as i pass him (abotu 15mph) i hit his back window as he looked a gave him a big thumbs up

[ledfingers]

I think we've all been in the place where we want to yell and scream, but the good thing is you realized your mistake and appologized. Though i've been tempted i've never followed anybody, but i was a passenger in my friend's cage once and she almost hit a guy on a harley (we're talking inches here, thankfully i was paying attention and got her correcting just barely in time). She got angry and said it was his fault so i calmed her down and explained why it would have been her fault and said "but it's ok, now you know why you're supposed to check your mirrors, even if you're just cruising along the freeway. It could be me next time, so try to watch for bikes."

too bad i live in CA, i'd be thrown in with bubba in a freaking heartbeat if i packed while in public. i get crap from a.hole cops occasionally for having a 3.5" knife cliped to the top of my pocket. But i keep it tight enough so it won't open with a flick for them, loose enough for me to do it. Never lost a knife yet.

[RVertigo]

At least nobody got punched.

[spc]

Yeah, Cal isn't exactly an easy place to get a carry permit   On the other hand here on this side of the country we practically beg people to carry   There needs to be a universal happy middle ground   best knife I've found  for a safety measure is a Spiderco.  Insanely sharp, and about a half a cm thick if you remove the clip    They've got models that are guarunteed legal for pocket carry in every state.

[bubba zanetti]

At least nobody got punched.

I bet NGFL is thankful for that, it would have real embarassing to explain how he got beaten up by a woman 

[j!m]

At least nobody got punched.

I pulled out in front of a bike and there was a crash . I did get a punch in the head ( or should i say helmet ) as yes i'm ashamed to say i was on a bike too .  . In my defence , it was raining , late evening and he had no lights on but he was a big chap and i dented his harley so i got twated . 

[scratch]

At least you said something, and hopefully made another person a little more aware of motorcyclists out there; hopefully she'll look out for bikers and be more careful driving.

[linuxman2003]

The same sort of thing happened to me once... I was crusing down one of the local backwoods highways here at about 65 mph (on my klr, thank god) and on a biiiiiiiig long straighaway, I see this suv passing THREE cars at once... ook... shes a good ways down the road... I'm slowing down, watching... she gets past the three cars.... STAYS IN MY LANE... and this point I'm flipping my lights and moving as far over as I can (no shoulder). STILL NOT MOVING BACK IN HER LANE. Finally I just had one of those "awwwwwwwwwww f**k" moments, jerked hard on the bars, went into the ditch (DEEP ditch - again, glad I was on my KLR) at around 50mph, somehow managing to stay upright the whole time. (14 years off off roading experience pays off on the street!) after I got my breathing back to a normal rate, and my hands stopped shaking, I got SOO pissed off I couldnt hardly see straight... so I did the dumb thing, whipped the bike outta the ditch, leaving a big rooster tail of dirt and grass, tore off down the highway and chased the moron in the suv down, and proceeded to ask her "WHAT THE FLYING F***K WAS THAT???!!" her response - What? "You ran me off the f**king road!!! you didnt see me?!?" (mind you, a klr650 is a BIG, TALL, UGLY bike... And my headlights were flashing at the time.) her - "oh... huh.... well tough luck kid." then she took off... sure I was deep in the red chasing down a car, but what the hell kind of attitude is that to have at almost killing someone? what if there had been a culvert in the ditch I went off in? what if I wasn't on a big dual sport? I've had moments that make me want to go back to just having a full off road dirt bike, but then I sit for a while, relax, and head down a familiar road with very little traffic and remember why I do it still though... people are crazy