[SDRider]

I rode up to Julian with a friend of mine, he was on his Ducati and I was on my SV, of course. Anyway, we were coming back and got bunched up behind a few cars that were going painfully slow (we're talking 40-45mph on a road that is patrolled by the CHP and it isn't marked in many areas so 55mph is the speed limit except in the corners of which there are many). My friend passed them all but as he went around them I noticed a car coming up ahead so I held back.

I was close to some idiot in a Lexus, the last of the few cars in the train in front of me, when she suddenly decides she wants to make a left turn so she starts signaling like 50' from the Y intersection she wants to turn at so I backed off. I was sitting about 15' off her left rear bumper waiting for a break in traffic. As soon as I saw her signal I backed off but she left it too late and was indecisive so she got angry at me because she didn't know where she was going and missed her turn...then again, maybe she was just angry that I wanted to pass her. That's when she flipped me the bird in her rear view mirror...thanks granny.

Not real bright flipping off a guy on a motorcycle IMO. I ran through the scenario a few times in my mind and can't think of much I could have done differently. If you don't want motorcycles on your ass then perhaps you might move over and let us by? I thought of cracking off a mirror on my way by when I finally was able to pass her but I'm not that type of person.

BTW-Some people will pull over to let motorcycles by on this road. I appreciate it when they do and we always give a wave as we go past. Truckers are generally pretty cool and will signal when it's safe to pass or pull over to let us by. We had this happen a couple times today.

Why are some cagers so clueless?

 

[dust_m23]

ive been flipped off a few times passing cars that want to drive either at or under the speed limit on single lane roads.....i just laugh it off, they are just ****** they cant keep me from passing them like they could if i was in a car. these are probably the same people who will speed up as they approach passing zones then slow down to under the speed limit once they pass the zone. i just dont get why some people feel they need to control the speed of other cars on the road.

i had 1 incident in my car a few years back where this guy in a bmw came flying by me in a passing zone at like 70 in a 45 then slowed down to 35 till the passing zone where he would speed up. i was in an old altima so i couldnt accelerate nearly as fast, he did this 3 times and finially i put the high beems on and backed off enough so they were right in his mirrors. he pulled over and let me pass then he tried the same to me.......i stpped right in the middle of the road and got out of the car, he quickly turned off down a side road.

 

[mikrace]

You california riders have it easy when it comes to cagers. ;D

One the best things about riding in california is that roughly 80% of the cagers have gotten out of my way but in Arizona maybe 20% of cagers will get out of the way.

The lexus driver was probably new to California.

 

[SilverSV]

Let people do what they gotta do, the more you put in your mind of what other people are doing, the less you have in your mind of what your doing and you crashing has much more consequences then them crashing.

I down right have just pulled over to a full stop to let people by.

 

[ASCSurveyor]

If you were in a car, would you have handled the situation differently?

Some people drive slow. There are many reasons. However, driving/riding aggressively (tailgating, hand gestures, etc.) do nothing but aggrivate the situation, and make things worse (i.e. chance for someone to get hurt).

If you handle every unfortunate traffic situation like this, you may want to re-think your hobby of motorcycling. :nono:

 

[nyc rugby]

You california riders have it easy when it comes to cagers. ;D

One the best things about riding in california is that roughly 80% of the cagers have gotten out of my way but in Arizona maybe 20% of cagers will get out of the way.

The lexus driver was probably new to California.

Ride around here, I've had people open doors to block me in stopped traffic and a buddy of mine got pegged with a foam coffee cup (half full) last summer...

 

[hsilman]

Ride around here, I've had people open doors to block me in stopped traffic and a buddy of mine got pegged with a foam coffee cup (half full) last summer...

.

best was on the interstate, some dude in a giant truck swerved onto the shoulder just to block me going by traffic on the LIE. he lost his passenger side window.

 

[ASCSurveyor]

.

best was on the interstate, some dude in a giant truck swerved onto the shoulder just to block me going by traffic on the LIE. he lost his passenger side window.

Yeah, that's a perfectly normal response. Thanks for helping our cause.

 

[frick]

If you don't want motorcycles on your ass then perhaps you might move over and let us by? I thought of cracking off a mirror on my way by when I finally was able to pass her but I'm not that type of person.

BTW-Some people will pull over to let motorcycles by on this road. I appreciate it when they do and we always give a wave as we go past. Truckers are generally pretty cool and will signal when it's safe to pass or pull over to let us by. We had this happen a couple times today.

Thinking of destroying someone's mirror for that? Are you kidding? That's like nothing to even get worked up over.

Why are some cagers so clueless?

Rather, why are some people so clueless? Nearly everyone can get a car and drive it. And there's a lot of dumbasses on motorcycles and bicycles and skateboards and, well, the Earth. I'm an occasional dumbass too.

Ride around here, I've had people open doors to block me in stopped traffic and a buddy of mine got pegged with a foam coffee cup (half full) last summer...

I've had my share of fun like that too, and splitting is legal here. It's maddening. A few weeks ago, a friend had a trucker threw a full Big Gulp at his head.

 

[Aucar3]

someone gave you the bird... so make a thread about it.

 

[eddiemon]

:happy1:

 

[RedRaptor22]

I get flipped of every day, it happens, I flip them off right back.

Now if they decide to throw something, run me off the road, or cut me off....stuff that could actually get me hurt, then I break $hit on my way around them.

 

[SDRider]

If you were in a car, would you have handled the situation differently?

Some people drive slow. There are many reasons. However, driving/riding aggressively (tailgating, hand gestures, etc.) do nothing but aggrivate the situation, and make things worse (i.e. chance for someone to get hurt).

If you handle every unfortunate traffic situation like this, you may want to re-think your hobby of motorcycling. :nono:

I didn't give any hand gestures. I was simply trying to pass slower traffic.

You sound like the type who would camp out in the left lane on the freeway going 5mph over the speed limit and not moving over for faster traffic. Whatever happened to common courtesy on the roads?

Lane sharing is legal here. All it would take a cager is moving over a couple feet when able. I've sat behind slow moving vehicles for miles of twisty roads just because they were too clueless to move over in the many designated zones for slower drivers to allow other vehicles past. And yes, I have used those turn outs to allow faster vehicles past.

I'm curious, what do you do when riding behind slow moving traffic that won't move over for you?

 

[SDRider]

someone gave you the bird... so make a thread about it.

Um...I did. Thanks for that advice...you rock I guess.

 

[SDRider]

Thinking of destroying someone's mirror for that? Are you kidding? That's like nothing to even get worked up over.

The thought did occur to me, yes.

Excuse me for being honest.

 

[frick]

The thought did occur to me, yes.

Excuse me for being honest.

It's just that stupid stuff like that happens so often that it's commonplace. Doesn't mean it's good, just something to expect. If she tried to run you over--well, then...

 

[Whippersnapper]

Some people are just stupid. It's a fact of life.

 

[erstadw]

As Bill Engvall says, Stupid people should have to wear signs saying im stupid. Oh, and and if anyone throws anything at me, its on like donkey kong. About eighty percent of my time spent on my bike I have my gun on my hip. I'm not saying I will shoot someone for throwing stuff but if the try running me off the road I consider that deadly force.

 

[mattjmartin]

If I started a thread every time I got flipped off, I'd have more posts than V9. Sure it makes me mad, but I usually just try to get away from them and forget it. I commute daily all over DFW though so I get the bird regularly no matter what I drive.

 

[ASCSurveyor]

I didn't give any hand gestures. I was simply trying to pass slower traffic.

You sound like the type who would camp out in the left lane on the freeway going 5mph over the speed limit and not moving over for faster traffic. Whatever happened to common courtesy on the roads?

Lane sharing is legal here. All it would take a cager is moving over a couple feet when able. I've sat behind slow moving vehicles for miles of twisty roads just because they were too clueless to move over in the many designated zones for slower drivers to allow other vehicles past. And yes, I have used those turn outs to allow faster vehicles past.

I'm curious, what do you do when riding behind slow moving traffic that won't move over for you?

Yeah... you got me pegged.

I drive in the right lane. The left lane is for passing only. People who drive slow in the left lane should be burned at the stake and sent to the special level of hell reserved for child molestors and people who talk at the theater.

I pass slower traffic. Right, left, whatever. But I couldn't ever tell you if they flip me off, yell at me, or do anything else. I don't let it bother me any more. Chances are, if you're more focused on the driver's response to your riding style (trying to exchange words/gestures with the driver), you're not paying attention to any other dangers around you.

I know you didn't gesture back. But my point is, welcome to motorcycling. Get used to it.