Commuting…The strange. The Odd… And the FUN

[wiseblood]

Originally Posted by QUIRKSM

So to redeem myself here is my story- I was about 1/2 a mile from my exit after work and traffic was backed way up, i was on my x challenge. The guy ahead of me on a harley has the same idea i have and pulls out into the breakdown lane to pass and get off the exit.

I avoid the breakdown lane for two reasons:

1. Usually, it's filled with all sorts of tire-killing debris.
2. The penalty for driving in the breakdown lane is more than the penalty for lane splitting.

[hscrugby]

Got a couple similar. Start with me being stupid.
Cruising through town on the DR, guy pulls out RIGHT into me. (completely blind spot, big sign "NO EXIT" "One way entrance" something like that, aka it's an entrance only, he was going the wrong way) Somehow I swerved ACROSS oncoming traffic, (2 lanes each way yellow in middle) shot back across in time to get beside him at the light where he was SUPPOSED to have come from leaving that parking lot. He yells and flicks me off, I smacked his mirror and broke it off. Realized, he was in a car, i'm on a bike, uh oh. I goosed it, made a u turn on red, and got out of dodge.

Now right near my house the road goes through a stop light then the right hand lane ends. So I'm in the left lane on the DR, (not quick, but not car slow either) and a guy races up in the right after the dots have shrunk showing it's ended, and shoots into my lane, I go sailing off into the field to the left, (NO one was coming, figured that was easier and less painful than hitting him)
So a week after that, I'm still pretty testy about that incident, and I'm at the light again, in the left lane, BUT in my lifted Jeep (35" tires, all steel fab'd rock protection on sides/back etc) I'm the third car, and there are multiple cars in the right lane as well.
Light turns green, front left car takes off, front right car tucks in behind, second left goes, second right tucks in behind, I go, the f150 to my right tucks in behind me, and then an ass hat in a Nissan Murano decides he's going to smoke us all. The lane has ENDED by now, he's beside me, I honk, there IS oncoming traffic so I have no where to go. There is a SUV of some sort in front of me, f150 right behind me, and the Murano forces his way into me.
"RUB" well, it shifts me towards oncoming traffic, so I say "HELL NO NOT AGAIN" It's amazing how far to the right off the road he ended up with a set of NICE NASCAR donuts on his side. We pull over, I get out to look at my tire (It sticks out, only thing that contacted him) He comes up yelling and threatening me.
It ends with us going to gas station 100 yards ahead, (I'd left my phone at home) and him finally backing down after threatening me in front of the worker (a buddy of mine) and an off duty cop.
Once he realizes he will get the ticket, and I'm not going to "stop being a bitch and admit I hit him" he says "I guess we don't need to call the police"
Oops, off duty cop called his buddy who was already pulling in.
Several tickets later and a VERY VERY stern written warning (so it will be on court documents etc) for threatening me after the wreck, we went on our way.
I got my alignment checked (It wasn't off by much) so I would have something to submit to his insurance so he couldn't not tell them.

On the CBR I just disappear. Either with brakes, or throttle. Either way, I'm not near idiots if I can help it.

[ggrjr]

I have one I still haven't figured out. I was on my way home, in my lifted Expedition, 70 mile commute. Ended up in a traffic jam running about 10/ 15 mile per hour. Noticed a VFR in the left lane with a guy and girl on it. Also noticed a Mazda Six behind them, that would drop back about 3 or 4 car lengths, then gun it and slam on the brakes just short of the bike. This happened 4 or 5 times. I waited for the car to drop back, and start to accelerate. when he did, I jumped over between him and the bike. He just about drove under my Expedition. I could see in teh mirror hos eyes were the size of saucers. When traffic started moving I passed the rider gave me a big thumbs up, and mouthed teh work thank You.

[QUIRKSM]

wiseblood-Yeah i know, but it was hot and i could see my exit and amost taste the Jack waiting in my freezer. I did contemplate whether to do it or not, probably why the cager had time to block my path.

[jeventures]

[QUOTE= but not so much when you tuck in behind the asshole that doesn't obey ANY traffic laws, pays no wheel or road taxes and doesn't have a tag or even insurance... The bicyclist...[/QUOTE]

I can't speak for the hipster cyclists in town that don't follow the rules, I'm with you there, they are asking to wind up waded up under a car.

I have to correct you on the taxes. I pay taxes, reg, and ins on multiple vehicles. Myself and just about every other guy who commutes by bicycle every now and then are also paying taxes for the roads, we just happen to also use them via bicycle. Share the roads, we're all paying for it.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by wiseblood

The penalty for driving in the breakdown lane is more than the penalty for lane splitting.

As always this depends on where you are at. In Oregon the State Troopers were telling riders on air-cooled bikes to go ahead and ride the side lanes at 15 mph when it was above 95 degrees out and traffic was backed up. They didn't want the bikes or the riders to over-heat.

[jeventures]

The best part of my commute is the off-road riding to be had when cutting around heavy traffic

[NJ-Brett]

People that pass on the right, in lanes that end, I would love to shoot if I had a gun.

If you cut in line on foot, you (should) get a punch in the face, no different with a car.

You get wadded up into a pole, I am not going to be on YOUR side!

Originally Posted by wiseblood

Which part? There are at least three parts where I was a dick.






Well, it was more like, saving 300 feet. There were two lanes. The left one, which was filled with traffic, and the right one which was empty for 300 feet, after which point it merged into the left.


Anyhoo, in just about all these stories (including MINE) there are TWO dicks involved. At any point, either one of us could have backed off. But, then there would be no story.

[NJ-Brett]

Maybe they own stock in tire companies?
That is where all the nails and screws end up.
No thanks.

People that can not wait and use the shoulder get bad karma and nails in their tires....

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

As always this depends on where you are at. In Oregon the State Troopers were telling riders on air-cooled bikes to go ahead and ride the side lanes at 15 mph when it was above 95 degrees out and traffic was backed up. They didn't want the bikes or the riders to over-heat.

[IheartmyNx]

Originally Posted by jeventures

The best part of my commute is the off-road riding to be had when cutting around heavy traffic

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=old+hi...,0.001321&z=20


I'm at the point now I feel with gas prices so high I feel I need to do my part...

...And try my best to make every stop light around-a-bout. My goal is to make every coffin driver feel as dumb as they can while they ponder just how bad a round-a-bout is as I ride away.

We bitch and moan about fossil fuel consumption and we stop 60 cars for the sake of one that has to run the yellow to get through... I don't understand it... Nor care for that matter when I'm on my bike.

[Wuwei]

Told this story elsewhere here, but it fits perfectly in this thread. Near the beginning of my usual route on my morning commute there is a four-way stop and I was the first one there with a pickup truck approaching slowly towards the stop sign to my right. I just had a funny feeling so I waited and yep, the truck didn't stop or even slow down--he just kept rolling across the intersection at a slow pace and when he was in front of me I could see his eyes were down watching his phone and I assume he was texting. Suddenly he glanced up and looked around nervously, but not seeing any immediate threats to his life his head immediately dipped down and he went back to texting as he continued to slowly roll on up the road. Never stopped or even hesitated at the intersection.

[wiseblood]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

People that pass on the right, in lanes that end, I would love to shoot if I had a gun.

So, people should move into the lane which doesn't end, early? How much before the merge should they do that? 300 feet? 800 feet? A mile?

It's called a merge because that's where people are expected to... uhhh... MERGE. If every dope queues up in one lane a quarter mile from the merge, we all wait longer.

[slartidbartfast]

Originally Posted by QUIRKSM

Hey wiseblood that kinda crap pisses ME off to no end also, so in your story I view you as the dick.

+1 ANY behavior that deliberately incites or escalates road rage should not be tolerated and we should all carefully consider what we did wrong if we caused it unintentionally.

Example: Just a few days ago, I gave a short horn blast to someone in a 4x4 full-size truck as he was cutting in front of me on my bike - It was a pretty close squeeze and I thought perhaps he hadn't seen me. He proceeded to give me the finger and then made at least a couple of half-hearted attempts to brake-check me before flooring it and blasting off through a construction zone at 20+ over the speed limit.

I had hoped to make him think "Oh shit! I nearly hit that motorcycle" and maybe be more careful in future. Was he a dick? Absolutely! However, with hindsight, my simple "Hey, watch out!" toot brought out the worst in him, making things more dangerous for me and other road users.

In future, I will be even more likely to just practice my avoidance skills and let the moron go. As Dakez is so fond of saying, "If you get mad while riding, you're doing it wrong!" One of the best pieces of driving advice I have heard in a long while.

[Wuwei]

Around here if you give two short toots on the horn most folks seem to regard that as a friendly reminder that you are there and to watch out--lay on the horn hard with long blast and they take that as a big FU!

[xcgates]

My commute home was definitely strange and odd. Which meant it was fun!

My commute: Wasn't cut off, no swerving into, brake-checking, etc.