Let me preface this short tale by saying that I made the WRONG decision, and could *easily* have ended up in an accident, in the hospital or DEAD.  If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, make sure that take a safer course of action (like hanging back and waiting for a safe window).


Two nights a week I go from my primary job to my secondary job which is located about 15 miles up the highway from where I live.  Even on the days I drive the car to work, I usually ride my bike up because I tend to make better time to-and-from (gridlocked traffic at 5:30pm notwithstanding).

At 9:15pm I climbed on the bike and started off home.  At night I always keep my speed about 5-10 mph faster than traffic in the right lane in order to simplify scanning for potential threats/collisions, and to make better time home.  Iit is a 2-lane highway where i ride.  

I was in the LEFT lane coming up on 2 cars in the RIGHT lane when the driver of the trailing green car decided to make a late switch into my lane, cutting me off.  Noone likes to be cut off, but I usually don't let it upset me since drivers in Atlanta are typically 'entitled' and self-centered and its not all that uncommon for a car to pull out if there is a fair bit of traffic on the road.

However, in this situation I was the only vehichle close by, and the driver could have just as easily waited 2.5 seconds for me to pass and safely pulled out without putting me at risk.  My response to being cut off was that i cut the throttle to back off (which i always do when i find a crappy driver), but I put my high beams on to advertise my displeasure as the green car slowly started to pass the other one in the right lane.

The green car's response was that they slowed their car to the other car's speed to bar me from passing.  I also noticed them waving back at me through their rearview mirror.

Any sane person realizes that Bike vs Car = dead biker, so I decided the best course of action would be to put space between me and the green car.  I waited for a few seconds to see if the green car would allow me the opportunity to pass.  When it became clear the driver was going to continue being belligerent, I looked for an escape route.

Instead of slowing down like I should have (which would have meant potentially having to pass the driver again at some point), I downshifted and lanesplit, passing between both cars riding on the centerline of the highway (at full throttle of course, to minimize the time i was between the two cars).  Even though I'd watched the cars for a while to ascertain that there was enough clearance (about a yard), I do NOT reccomend the maneuver.  There are a dozen things that could have gone wrong, including the driver of the green car deciding to try to nick my rear wheel.

After I'd cleared both cars, I pulled in front of the other car and stayed on the throttle.  I noticed the green car switch lanes behind me to put on his brights, but I had already put enough space between us to where they had no discernible effect.  

I'm sure I'll catch some flak for this on the board, but I'm sharing my story anyway.   If I had to make the decision again, I'd probalby slow down instead... but it could go either way.   It was dangerous to pass, but after the brief window of danger I didn't have to worry about the driver of the green car anymore.  Even if they'd wanted to follow me, they couldnt' have caught me... whereas slowing down would have meant dealing with them for a longer period of time.

A tricky decision either way.  I was lucky enough to emerge unscathed this time.

Comments...?

You already know what you did wrong, and you already know what to do next time. No scalding scolding here. You lived, you learned.

Yeah... That was stupid...  But, I've done worse things.  

Next time, just blow by him and kick his door on the way by...  OK, don't do that either.  

I can take being honked at, highbeamed, or flipped off....  some crazies out there can't, those are the ones you gotta watch out for

Whenever I see a cage acting stupid I try to get out of there as soon as possible, be it exiting the freeway for a bit, passing them to get the f%$k out of there, or just by hanging back a LOT more.

While riding with my friend, I followed her as she lane split through traffic in NYC.  I don't have a problem with that.  But after we stopped outside the city, I warned her that doing the same thing in the suburbs will get you run off the road  

Lanesplitting to get away from a belligerent driver is really risky.  As you said, the driver could have easily swerved on purpose and you would have been a smear on the pavement   Better to hang back and then blast ahead when you have the opening

Recently, while riding in the state when lane sharing is legal, my girlfriend and I had a car decide to lane share with us.  He came up behind us in a minivan and passed us IN OUR LANE!  We were both towards the right side, anticipating an exit that was still a ways off, no turn signals on yet.  He just blew by us, within inches of both of us.  Had I seen him coming, I would have kicked his door.  Instead he got a sharp horn and many salutes from both my girlfriend and I.  Scary world out there.  Don't pick on bigger vehicles, though.  We won't win....

guess this wouldnt be the time to say i woulda did the same thing but woulda got infornt of him and hit the brakes and did what he did to me. or I might have just split em and give em the good old finger then bounced out.

After you pass next time empty a box of thumb tacks ... I used to carry a little box full just for such occassions ... Use a plastic container and the tacks inside will stick to a magnet on your tank. The trick is to be able to remove it (easy) open it (sorta difficult) and let it spill right under Jackass's left wheel tracks ... utterly easy and super rewarding ... also very nice is ... when you're at a light with Jackass behind you ... very very visible to him ... spill it all over the road right before you take off when the light goes green. He will sit there and get honked at ... while you disappear down the road ...
Cool.
Srinath.

I would like to mount paint ball guns to my bike, just to see their face when they hear splat splat splat.

Here's the problem with honking at someone while you're riding a bike... I'm not sure how your horns sound, but my GS500F's horn sounds almost cartoonish... Just sounds so... girly I guess. It would be sweet if it had one of those horns that caddilac's have. Some of them sound like freaking TRAINS! If you're gonna honk at someone, it has to be a manly honk!

Quote from: TarzanBoyComments...?

$h!t...   that took some balls

you didn't take a mirror off?

About 2 weeks ago I had a similar thing happen to me.  I used the right shoulder near the white line and went around them.   :dunno:

on the gs i didn't do that...  on my zx6r it's a lot 'safer'...  because i am quicker

see, you have learned and i would also guess a less volitile temper then i did.  a mere passing  would not and did not sedate me, few years back anyway.  i have the knack of exacting other forms of revenge.   Anyone need a Passenger side mirror for a dark green Mits Mirrage? what about a mid 80's blue Grand-am?

story time

Quote from: davipuyou didn't take a mirror off?

yeah dude...next time take out their mirror out...this morning...i rode in the left most area of my lane to peek thru an suv blocking my view...to my suprise a lexus bumper was on my heel...what a big ass...i flail my right leg a bit to kick it...he backed off and i did my look-back move and he's freakin laughing...i stop at a light he passed me on the right lane and stopped too...waited til its near green...lane split to his car and gave it a nice "remembrance"..and said good day

ill never again give room on my lane for these moron to squeeze thru

Quote from: seshadri_srinathAfter you pass next time empty a box of thumb tacks ... I used to carry a little box full just for such occassions ... Use a plastic container and the tacks inside will stick to a magnet on your tank. The trick is to be able to remove it (easy) open it (sorta difficult) and let it spill right under Jackass's left wheel tracks ... utterly easy and super rewarding ... also very nice is ... when you're at a light with Jackass behind you ... very very visible to him ... spill it all over the road right before you take off when the light goes green. He will sit there and get honked at ... while you disappear down the road ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Thats a joke right?  If not thats about the most jackass thing I've ever heard.  Nevermind compromising the safty of every car behind him on the road.

Not tacks, 1/4" ball bearings.
:mrgreen:

If it makes you feel less guilty. Riding the GS home one winter night on the highway it was hovering around the feezing point. I came across a couple of cars trundling down the road side by side.  Not in the mood to slow down and wait to see if they would move over. I squirted between that at about the ton.  They probably thought I was a UFO.


Its only stupid if you f%$k up.