Got cut off!!! Badly

[quiktaco]

Woman in a black Honda CR-V with her two kids in the back, cut me off yesterday.  I had to slam on the brakes to avoid her hitting my front end.  When I did that, the rear tire locked and it slid to the right about a foot or so.  Don't remember much after that...did not fall, and equaled out.  But damn!  I really don't know why the rear locked like it did.  I never slam on the rear brake that hard.  It was weird to cause after it happened, the bike was stuck in 6th gear.  I really had to hit the shifter hard to get it to go.  Then it went into neutral and didn't want to go to first.

I think part of the problem was that my tires were cold, cause it was only about 2 minutes into riding home from work.

I was in a double left hand turn lane.  I was about 5 cars back in the left lane, and the other car was in the right lane, maybe a couple cars back.  The light turned green, and we all went.  After the turn, I was accelerating to get up to speed.  I was probably at the point where there was about 3 of the original 6 or so cars still in front of me.  I was then in the middle lane on a three lane road.  The CR-V was in the far right lane.  Still accelerating, I am starting to pass her car, and all of the sudden, with no signal, and obviously not looking, she swerves into my lane.

I think there could have been one other cause of my rear sliding out like that.  There's a weird spot in the road that dips down about an inch or two for about 15 feet, then comes back up.  If I had hit my brakes that hard while going into that, there would have been very little traction on the rear tire, and maybe it locked then, and when the weight was back on it, is when it slid.

Anyways, I'm shooken up from the near spill.  The woman was oblivious until about 10 seconds into my horn, she then looked in her rear view and put her arms up, like "what?"

Any other reasons my rear would have locked like that to send it sliding to the right?  I really don't want that happening again.  Could have been a fluke with the road I guess, or maybe I did just hit the rear brake too hard.

[tripleb]

I hope you made her stop and then slapped the sh1t out of her

[quiktaco]

Lol, I was going to follow her for a bit, to shake her as much as she shook me, but I had to get home to the wife and kid.

She drives right in front of my work at the time that I get off, so maybe I'll see her again.  I'd like to just talk to her for a couple minutes.  Let her know that she almost killed a guy that is trying to get home to his 7 month old daughter.  Maybe she'd be a little more cautious in the future.

[Roadstergal]

Swerving trumps braking.  And it keeps you alongside so you can punch her window.

[cafeboy]

Or kick a nice big dent in the door. 

[fred]

I'm glad to hear you didn't crash. During panic braking, it is very easy to lock up the rear wheel because all the weight shifts up to the front. You could probably have stopped a bit faster with more front brake and a bit less rear...  I totally know what you mean about people not hearing your horn. I swear I've learned on the horn and some people have just not noticed... I guess it is time to upgrade to something louder...

[quiktaco]

I would have swerved if I could, but to be honest, I really don't remember much of the actual incident.  I remember leaving from the light, then the wheel braking free, then coming up to the next stop light.  Not too much else.

I really don't think I was able so swerve for some reason.  I practice panic swerving and panic braking about once a month, to keep it up.  I always use about 75 front and 25 rear.  Maybe it was a fluke thing...maybe hit that dip I was talking about and that julted my right foot  down more than normal.

Anyways, good thing is, I corrected the swerve and didn't hit the pavement.  Sure shook me though.  I rode in today, so I wouldn't sike myself out.  Shifting seems fine today to.  And was after I got it back into first finally after it happened.

[ohgood]

Lol, I was going to follow her for a bit, to shake her as much as she shook me, but I had to get home to the wife and kid.

She drives right in front of my work at the time that I get off, so maybe I'll see her again.  I'd like to just talk to her for a couple minutes.  Let her know that she almost killed a guy that is trying to get home to his 7 month old daughter.  Maybe she'd be a little more cautious in the future.

It's nice to hope so, be I think we both know she won't. I've seen several of the same drivers eating/phoning/brushingteeth/whatever on their way to work. They do it everyday, and even the ones with obvious front end damage don't stop doing it.



Glad you're ok, be careful out there

[ATLRIDER]

I had a similar situation earlier this week with an oblivious driver merging over a solid line into my HOV lane during morning rush hour. I pegged the pathetic  GS horn down for 10 seconds and it had zero effect on the cager. Didn't even know I was there.  I now have 2 FIAMM Freeway Blasters half way installed. One HI tone and One Lo tone. Hooking it up via a relay to get MAX blast out of these babies.  Hopefully will wake up some reckless drivers out there.

[bombadillo]

quiktaco, I dig your whole avatar and statements.

[guitarking135]

like i always say riding is dangerous and you have to be careful and always expect people to drive stupid. I had an incident a while back where 60 mph a lady pulls right out in front of me with about 20 or so yards before I hit her. I swerved cause it was a ditch hit her or go between the two cars. Talk about something that gets you pumped. Just thinking about it gets my adrenaline going. Hindsight maybe not the best choice the ditch maybe would have been the safer choice. But the other lane had a turn lane and was able to give me some room.... Anyways BE CAREFUL If i had a dollar for every time I was cut off almost got hit had to swerve to avoid and accident when I had the right of way or people (teenage girls) swerving over and almost sideswiping me. I could manage to buy me a 2009 busa chrome it and paint it. Just Pay attention to whats going around you and never expect them to do anything they should

[wildbill]

I had someone cut me off last week, woman on a cell chatting away. I was on the horn for like 10sec too, eventually she caught on and moved back to the other lane. People are retarded and don't pay attention. The GS horn is too weak and im thinking of upgrading to a louder one.. also def thinking of getting a modulator for a headlight. They seem to help more to get a bike noticed in the day.

[ATLRIDER]

I figure these should have an immediate response unless they're already deaf.  If not this'll do the job.  Hi/Lo tone horns.



Made sure to use a relay so the horn switch didn't fry.

[tussey]

Horn upgrade options here.

I have the plug and play horn


http://cgi.stanford.edu/~sanjayd/gs500/Upgrades/Horn

[natewesselink]

man i think everyone has had that problem i know that in the 6 months that ive been riding ive had to kick 4 fenders lay on my horn for an accumalative 5 minutes (roughly) and had to rip about 10 different people a new one it frackin sucks
but then again thats one of the reasons i like the windey backroads of arkansas

[yamahonkawazuki]

Lol, I was going to follow her for a bit, to shake her as much as she shook me, but I had to get home to the wife and kid.

She drives right in front of my work at the time that I get off, so maybe I'll see her again.  I'd like to just talk to her for a couple minutes.  Let her know that she almost killed a guy that is trying to get home to his 7 month old daughter.  Maybe she'd be a little more cautious in the future.

She'll say teh same shaZam! that everyone says, " i didnt see you", ive [pulled peopel over before with them using that line, i reply, well next time " f%$king LOOK, PLEASE" "and i say nicely, if you can pass the vision test to drive, if you look you can see me

[Kasumi]

Happened many many times to me, worst one i can think of is heading on a duel carrigway (2 lanes 70mph) and their were roadworks on the central reservation ahead, traffic was instructed by signs starting a mile up the road to merge into the first lane, being a bike i was going to ride the whole length in the empty lane and then join when the cones closed the second lane like you do on a bike. All traffic had moved into first lane to queue up leaving the second land clear of traffic for the last 1/4 mile. I was happilty pootling up at reasonable low speed aware someone might jump the queue. Looking ahead at the traffic i throught might do it, then out of nowhere a white van pulls out just meters in front clearly trying to jump the queue and not looking AT ALL in the empty lane for traffic, i swerved and was riding right next to the central reservation and he noticed me when he was halfway accross the lane. Arsehole


Talking about shitty car drivers it reminds me of the night i fell off my bike.

Half 10 at night, very quite road into my village, im lying in the road, bike is further down the road spewing oil out, i manage to get up aching all over (didnt realise extent of injuries till later) and a car thankfully a car comes the other way, slows down to a stop, rolls his window down and asks if im alright, doesn't wait for an answer just says he really cant stay this is a hire car. WTF?!?!?! he then drove off and left me there bike is in bits over the road im injured and he f%&ked off because it was a rental car?! I was just gobsmacked, it was almost funny if i wasnt pissed off about the shed loads of mud lumps id hit.

[Toogoofy317]

I had one touron decide to take my lane going down a three lane road. I was in the middle lane just minding my own business when a cadillac comes right into my lane next to me. I couldn't get over to the left for there was another car I laid on the horn the old fart was completely oblivious to the horn. Finally, got his attention by using the carbon fiber knuckles on my gloves and beat the krap out of his window. Thank goodness the car in the left lane figured out what was going on and slowed down so I could get in her lane. Then the old man flipped me the bird.

How do people get driver's liscenses driving like this? Also, in Kissimmee if you see a car that is wrecked stay out of the way they didn't learn their lesson and still driving like they are out to kill everyone!

Mary S.

[tripleb]

yeah, no one in FLA can drive.  you're better behaved than I would have been I would've put my hand right thru that assholes window if he did that to me.

[quiktaco]

I've been in so many close calls, but this one was the closest I've ever come to actually falling.  Turns out that my air pressure in my tires were low, so I'm sure that's what caused the rear to lock up and slide like it did.

Anyways (this isn't a racist comment, so don't take it wrong), around my area you have to watch out for certain groups of people, cause you can kinda expect what they are going to do.  Around in my city, there's a Korean section, Vietnamese section, Mexican section, White section, and a few others thrown in the mix (so much for a great mixing pot, huh?).  So anyways, You always have to watch out for all these groups, and you can tell who's what by how they drive.  The Koreans, half of them know how to drive, and drive pretty well, but the other half have a hard time finding the accelerator.  The Vietnamese can't drive worth crap.  Never looking, never accelerating,  always doing something wrong...the only reason why most of them get their license is cause mostly Vietnamese work at the DMV giving the tests.  Half the Mexicans drive great, the other have drive 10 mph below the speed limit, cause they're illegal and don't want to be caught.  The white people are all over the place.  Women mostly are to blame...and of those are the teen girls, the mom's, and the business women...all else are fine.  Then there's also all the old people that haven't taken a driving test since there was the invention of rubber tires.  They all drive too slow and never look.  Also got to look out for anyone that has body damage, like said earlier.  They obviously have been in an accident, so they are probably going to be in another one eventually.

Sorry if this was offensive to anyone, but they're stereotypes for a reason and it's better to be safe than sorry.   

BTW, I'm English, Irish, Dutch, German, Scottish, Russian, Mexican, and probably 15 other things I don't know, married to a German, Italian, French-Canadian, American Indian, and 15 other things she doesn't know.  And we have a baby girl that has all that.  And there's plenty of bad drivers in my family