Commuting…The strange. The Odd… And the FUN

[JesperP-H]

A quick contribution from Denmark:

I commute almost every day and my route takes me through the innermost part of Copenhagen. Now, most of you may not know a thing about Scandinavia but Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, which is a country in the part of Europe called Scandinavia. The capital of Scandinavia is not IKEA and Legoland is not a real country.

Anyways, I'm driving, as per usual, on my bike through the city and upon turning a corner, I overtake a taxi breaking hard to turn into a taxi parking place. A bit of countersteering got me clear of him but as I swing back into the same lane, the first taxi in the taxi parking place swerves out, bumps me on the foot and the footrest. "Goddamn idiot", I yell and makes a grand gesture with my arms suggesting something along the lines of: "What the motherf*** are you doing!?!?".

Nothing happened to either my foot or the footrest or anything else, but it is not the first time I've had a close encounter with taxis. They are, truly, the scum of the streets in Copenhagen. Driving home at night, you can be surprised by taxis doing 180's in the middle of the street to pick up a customer. Or, of course, just their average speed at at least 20 kmph faster than the speed limit.

But, and this is the most fucked up part, they have an agreement with the police!

This is true - because they apparently are quite good a reporting to the police whenever they find abandoned vehicles or if they see suspicious looking people, the police lets them drive in this crazy way.

Crooked damn Danes.

[KradmelderSA]

A few weeks ago, just ahead of me both lanes were blocked by young dolly birds texting and smoking while driving. I figured I better lane split through them at speed to minimise the time between them, whereas usually i dont lane split more than 30 kmh faster than the cages. As I got between them I gave the Katoom a twist and the roar as i went by scared the daylights out of them as naturally they were never checking their mirrors.I noticed both jump, heads swivel and hands jump to steering wheel. I thought they would smash into each other behind me .

Those dollies sicken me. A few months earlier I was behind one at a trafflic light as she stopped about on the white line and didnt give me space to go between the cages. I saw her texting, head nodding to the music, hand out the window with a cigarette and heard the boom boom boom of her music. She drives off at the green light and just down the road drives straight into some black guy crossing the road. Her brake lights never came on. Obviously still texting. I hope her message was so important it was worth someone's life.

[Mister D]

One of my fellow UPS drivers was hit in the rear as he slowed his UPS truck to turn right off an interstate access road where the speed limit was 55mph. The police wondered why there were no skid marks, so they asked the young lady whose car had hit him why that was. She admitted she was texting and never saw him. She never saw the huge brown billboard in front of her. She hit that truck hard enough that my friend had to take several days off work because he was so sore, this despite the fact that the truck is so much larger than the little Honda that hit it. Texters are the worst.

[SomethingClever]

I've only been riding for a month and a half, but I have yet to have anyone cut me off, pull out in front of me, or do anything that has made me have to take any action so far.

Edit: In case that wasn't clear enough... glad to hear it, get back to us when you have been riding for a bit longer.

[Marylander]

After you've been riding in traffic for awhile (I've been commuting by moto most of 20 years) you start to anticipate the stupid stuff. I rarely have close calls any more. Usually I see some tell tale sign before the stupid thing occurs. It freaks me out when I do have an actual close call now and it's usually "my fault" (my fault not in the legal sense but in the self preservation sense: following too close, being lazy about checking my mirrors, etc). A month and a half is really no time at all.

[pjm204]

Originally Posted by mister deliberate

. Texters are the worst.

This statement probably sums up the majority of the crap we see on a daily basis.


Here is my most recent moment of zen. I rode to work two weeks ago, it rained both ways of course. The bike felt a little off, like the suspension went nuts. When I got home I did some post rain chain lubing and noticed my tire was flat. Ooops almost 100 miles with a flat tire, weird part is it didn't feel unsafe at all. I had a new tire waiting and I put it on a couple days later after I plugged the hole. The tire was done though, 9,000 miles with two plugs, good life from a Shinko 705, still had tread but I figured riding on it while flat probably overheated it and ruined it.

Anyway, while I am very vigilante about checking my bike over before I ride, I guess it happens.

[ttpete]

Originally Posted by Marylander

After you've been riding in traffic for awhile (I've been commuting by moto most of 20 years) you start to anticipate the stupid stuff. I rarely have close calls any more. Usually I see some tell tale sign before the stupid thing occurs. It freaks me out when I do have an actual close call now and it's usually "my fault" (my fault not in the legal sense but in the self preservation sense: following too close, being lazy about checking my mirrors, etc). A month and a half is really no time at all.

This is exactly the way I feel. It's a matter of observing constantly and knowing what is happening all around you, then placing yourself in the proper position. I blame myself if I'm ever surprised by anything. You can't fight the traffic, so you learn to take advantage of opportunities when they occur. I find it enjoyable.

[shaddix]

I was under the impression that riding in heavy traffic is a game of dodgeball is all.

[acesandeights]

Originally Posted by ttpete

... It's a matter of observing constantly and knowing what is happening all around you, then placing yourself in the proper position. I blame myself if I'm ever surprised by anything. You can't fight the traffic, so you learn to take advantage of opportunities when they occur. I find it enjoyable.

'xactly. I've often waved at someone that came into my lane, like a "hey, you almost got me that time...try again later!" I've seen people in cages a lot more frightened than me, thinking I almost just killed that guy on that bike. I just wave, give a twist of the throttle and be done with it.

[ultrachrome]

Since the weather finally got nice in Seattle recently, I'm encountering far more riders on my commute. Today I saw four which is a pretty high number for me.

When I was merging onto I-405 this morning, I moved into the far-left HOV lane about 100 yards ahead of another rider. It looked like he was catching up to me just as I was coming up on a slower car in our lane about a minute later.

Out of courtesy, after passing the slower driver on the right, I stayed put giving the rider a chance to pass and get back into the HOV lane before I did. He didn't bite so I got back into the HOV lane before my window closed as the HOV car was catching up to the car I was now behind.

So I surmised he just caught up to me to be friendly or peep my ride and didn't desire to pass.

A couple miles later I need to start moving over for my exit and start picking my way through the four lanes between the HOV and exit lanes. This was a bit tricky with the heavy traffic so I lost sight of the other rider.

As there were some slow moving cars in the exit lane, I stayed one lane over, aiming for an opening a few cars ahead. Traffic was clear ahead of me, my speed was moderate, and the opening was large so I wasn't in a rush. I check my mirror, see that I have well cleared the last car (30-40ft?) and switch lanes by just popping over the lane marker. At almost the exact same moment the other rider passes me on the right going a good 15-20mph faster than me.

I was still on the left edge of the lane so there was about 6 feet between us but because I had not anticipating him being there, it was startling. It would have been a bad day for both of us if I had moved all the way right.

I recounted the events and decided that I had done as much as anyone should reasonably expect me to do (check mirrors, use signals) and that he did indeed pull a sneaky, dangerous maneuver. But when riding near other riders, I'll be more careful to check my six.

[KradmelderSA]

Originally Posted by Marylander

After you've been riding in traffic for awhile (I've been commuting by moto most of 20 years) you start to anticipate the stupid stuff. I rarely have close calls any more. Usually I see some tell tale sign before the stupid thing occurs. It freaks me out when I do have an actual close call now and it's usually "my fault" (my fault not in the legal sense but in the self preservation sense: following too close, being lazy about checking my mirrors, etc). A month and a half is really no time at all.

I know what you mean. Certain things just scream out a warning. For example:

A black taxi stopping in the road (they have a tendenancy to do that here) means the sliding door will open and someone will step out.

A gap in heavy traffic ahead when you are lane splitting. Someone will change lanes and try take it, perhaps just ahead of you or when you are overtaking

There are also some generalisations that you draw which are often proved true and are in contradiction to caging.

Black taxis are the curse of cagers the way they cut people off. But they usually give way to bikers

Young dolly birds texting and smoking and listening to music, and probably checking their faces as well. There are eyes are everywhere but the road and they can shift lanes at any time

white men 40+ in SUVs or big pick up trucks. here the white toyota 4x4s are the wrost. they are aggressive and feel nothing about pushing some biker off the road. if they must sit in traffic they feel you should as well

a very slow moving car holding up a long line. someone will get frustrated and try overtake and not see you coming fast.

a young person in a BMW with tinted windows and low profile tyres

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by ultrachrome

I recounted the events and decided that I had done as much as anyone should reasonably expect me to do (check mirrors, use signals) and that he did indeed pull a sneaky, dangerous maneuver. But when riding near other riders, I'll be more careful to check my six.

Thank you for sharing.

It is for this reason that I have taken to adding HAND SIGNALS too.

Do you need better mirrors?

[Phlemdog]

So yesterday, as I'm riding to school on I-4, in the right lane, I see the guy in front of me is driving a bit... distracted. So, I roll on the throttle, look, signal, and change lanes. Right about the time that I get next to him, I see through his open window that he is browsing Facebook on a rather large smartphone. Since it was obviously taking all of his attention, I decided to see what the big fuss was.

Imagine his surprise about a mile later when he realizes there is a dude on a big old goldwing, in the middle lane, leaning a little over and looking at his phone.

He literally was unaware of his surroundings, completely. I wonder if he had forgotten that he was driving.

[shaddix]

Originally Posted by Phlemdog

Imagine his surprise about a mile later when he realizes there is a dude on a big old goldwing, in the middle lane, leaning a little over and looking at his phone.

He literally was unaware of his surroundings, completely. I wonder if he had forgotten that he was driving.

Hahaha that is fantastic lol! I wouldn't have the balls to do it though

[assquatch20]

Originally Posted by Phlemdog

So yesterday, as I'm riding to school on I-4, in the right lane, I see the guy in front of me is driving a bit... distracted. So, I roll on the throttle, look, signal, and change lanes. Right about the time that I get next to him, I see through his open window that he is browsing Facebook on a rather large smartphone. Since it was obviously taking all of his attention, I decided to see what the big fuss was.

Imagine his surprise about a mile later when he realizes there is a dude on a big old goldwing, in the middle lane, leaning a little over and looking at his phone.

He literally was unaware of his surroundings, completely. I wonder if he had forgotten that he was driving.

I try to shake my head or throw a thumbs-down when I see stuff like that. Yes, I judge people.