Commuting…The strange. The Odd… And the FUN

[Bikenstitches]

Crappy cel cam resolution, but I had to share this. The guy on a custom chop, rain suit billowing (not raining), Game Stop shopping bag hanging on his arm with something big in it, waving in the breeze like a tail-less kite!!

[fatalpinist]

Girlfriend was driving down Cornelius Pass two days ago and informed me that "One of those cheap KTM owners on a blue bike with a milk crate kept almost rear ending me... He dodged at the last second several times and avoided me in the other lane. Then after he was backed off for a bit I got to the stoplight and because of oncoming traffic he had to use my bumper to stop! What the hell????"

I corrected her that only the KLR owners use the milk crates for top boxes.

To the cheap fuck on the KLR... please spend a little money and get working brakes

[corndog67]

I was working in San Jose, commuting from Monterey, about 70 miles. Back in the 80s. My bike was down for a day, and I borrowed my buddies KZ900, or Z-1 or whatever it was. Going over highway 17 from Santa Cruz, at about 65 mph, the bike started wallowing, then developed a serious speed wobble, the infamous Kawasaki Flex I assumed. I got to where I was going, and looked in the top box on the back. There was about 100lbs of tools in there. I called Happy Jack, and asked him about it, and he said, just in case it broke down.

Should this have been in the top box thread instead?

[Mistress of the dual]

Hey, I've got a picture too. Snapped this one the other day on my commute home, he was doing about 65mph. Besides the obvious NOGATT this guy had fuzzy dice hanging from his handlebars, a chain around the muffler, almost flat back tire, and a lack of chin strap on the helmet.

[melville]

Originally Posted by fatalpinist

Girlfriend was driving down Cornelius Pass two days ago and informed me that "One of those cheap KTM owners on a blue bike with a milk crate kept almost rear ending me... He dodged at the last second several times and avoided me in the other lane. Then after he was backed off for a bit I got to the stoplight and because of oncoming traffic he had to use my bumper to stop! What the hell????"

I corrected her that only the KLR owners use the milk crates for top boxes.

To the cheap fuck on the KLR... please spend a little money and get working brakes

I'm just seeing this now (dial-up, ya know) and your girlfriend needs to quit using the ABS as a foot massager! Brakes are just fine.

[psychopompos]

Last week I dismount the bike to park it and I hear some sort of thump from my hip against the handlebar. It took me a few seconds of looking like a dog chasing its tail to realize that the velcro strip on my Ez-pass had stuck to the velcro on my jacket strap when the jacket had been in the top box. A 20 mile commute of up to 70mph hadn't blown it off - I think that I got very lucky.

About a minute earlier I tried doing the 'start moving without using the clutch' thing - turned out to be my first wheelie. Lucky I didn't trash myself or the bike.

[Offcamber]

This one kinda surprised me a little...headed back to work from an appointment, I'm riding a popular route that goes through some tourist towns. There is a fair amount of traffic due to the holiday weekend. I settle in behind a couple on a HD and for the next 5 miles or so all is well....then we approach one of the tourist trap areas and this guy decided he is going to make left into the gift shop, No big deal the road is really wide and I run right to the fog line giving him plenty of room while he waits for on coming traffic.....then the surprising thing....he waves the SUV out who is leaving the gift shop and wants to turn left to the direction I'm traveling. Luckily the SUV saw me and didn't move till I was by. Now I have no idea how HD boy didn't know I was behind him. The road is so wide I could have gotten a truck by him so there really was no reason for me to wait for him to turn. The other upside is I was ready in case SUV driver decided to pull out. I had room to go on to the shoulder and accelerate out of their way....

Just another day out on the roads.....

[Tuna Helper]

Originally Posted by Mistress of the dual

Hey, I've got a picture too. Snapped this one the other day on my commute home, he was doing about 65mph. Besides the obvious NOGATT this guy had fuzzy dice hanging from his handlebars, a chain around the muffler, almost flat back tire, and a lack of chin strap on the helmet.

The almost flat tire helps with riding wheelies.

[TacocaT]

When I pulled up to a stop light today a guy spit out the window hitting me in the leg and boot. Thing is he was brushing his teeth while he drove so it was not just a little spit it was a mouth full of frothy toothpaste spit. I yelled WTF but he had ear buds in and was so into his dental hygiene he never even realized what he did.

[ray h]

Originally Posted by TacocaT

When I pulled up to a stop light today a guy spit out the window hitting me in the leg and boot. Thing is he was brushing his teeth while he drove so it was not just a little spit it was a mouth full of frothy toothpaste spit. I yelled WTF but he had ear buds in and was so into his dental hygiene he never even realized what he did.

Wow, that really sucks. I've had people flip cigarette butts out in front and around me and hit my motorcycle (still waiting on one to actually land on my lap) but being spit on really bites. It's things like this that make me hate people and appreciate the company of my dog more.

[assquatch20]

Originally Posted by TacocaT

When I pulled up to a stop light today a guy spit out the window hitting me in the leg and boot. Thing is he was brushing his teeth while he drove so it was not just a little spit it was a mouth full of frothy toothpaste spit. I yelled WTF but he had ear buds in and was so into his dental hygiene he never even realized what he did.

Wow. I thought I had it bad getting an energy drink chucked at me. Spit on the boot is Wild West, punishable by death type shit.

[AlsoRan]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

Basers - these drivers really only came around in big numbers as of late, and they 'base' their speed and positions off of the vehicles next to them (as much as vehicles in front of them, and far more than any normal involved driver would do). These drivers will slow down to the same speeds of those to their sides even if they're in an HOV lane that is completely clear.

In So. Cal. there a lot of drivers that do not have licenses. As a result, they do not know how to read the signs or how to gage their speed on their own so they pace (or base) off another vehicle. I think they have been "taught" this so they can blend in without notice. What's scary is when they go straight across six lanes for the #1 (far left) lane at about 45 mph until they find someone to follow.

[Offcenter]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

Basers - these drivers really only came around in big numbers as of late, and they 'base' their speed and positions off of the vehicles next to them (as much as vehicles in front of them, and far more than any normal involved driver would do). These drivers will slow down to the same speeds of those to their sides even if they're in an HOV lane that is completely clear.

I call 'em sheep. You ever watch a herd of sheep move? One sheep leads and the next puts his head against the
side of the rump of the lead sheep and goes where he goes.
When I was driving a tractor trailer, one of these morons would put the nose of his car right next to the last axle
of my trailer and stay there. (blocking my escape route in case of emergency)
So, I would start this slow weave left to right with my rig, staying within my lane. Sure enough, the moron would
start weaving with me....for about 30 seconds or so 'til it started making him dizzy!
Then he would come blasting by, blowing the horn and throwing me the finger.

[Phlemdog]

Originally Posted by Offcenter

I call 'em sheep. You ever watch a herd of sheep move? One sheep leads and the next puts his head against the
side of the rump of the lead sheep and goes where he goes.
When I was driving a tractor trailer, one of these morons would put the nose of his car right next to the last axle
of my trailer and stay there. (blocking my escape route in case of emergency)
So, I would start this slow weave left to right with my rig, staying within my lane. Sure enough, the moron would
start weaving with me....for about 30 seconds or so 'til it started making him dizzy!
Then he would come blasting by, blowing the horn and throwing me the finger.

When they start doing that to me, and I'm in my car, I just start crowding the line. Not over it, just uncomfortable close. They tend to back off, or go on ahead then.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Was out running some errands today picking up some flags at a banner shop, trying to find the damn Tax Assessor's office which no address I found was any good, and then by the Beemer shop for my new helmet. After getting the helmet I loop around the back end of the shop and jump in the left lane to get back on 35 and head towards the house.

I see a red car coming up behind me but slowing normally and coming to a stop (I thought) behind me to also turn left. A few seconds later I look back and she's RIGHT behind me. I mean like her bumper is under the rear rack and top box I have on the bike with her bumper about 2 inches from my back tire

I turn around on my seat and she looks me right in the eyes and I see her lips move and she's saying "sorry". I just shook my head gave her a get bent look and moved over on the shoulder as best I could incase someone behind her decided to rearend her since she was right there.

Everynow and then folks do stuff that fills my "Faith in Humanity" glass a little but by far it gets emptied out more than filled and I just loose a little more faith everyday.