Interesting. It is not that your a doormat, it is your no match for a cage. I guess is it better to have that "twit" kill you... But at least you made a point that your no "doormat". Maybe they will put that on your grave. Point is the idiots are just that.. idiots. You can't reason with an idiot without acting like one. If your out of harms way I guess blow your steam if it makes you feel better. Chances are your giving the other fool exactly what he wants.. attention. Ride safe.

 

I feel like I'm developing a sixth sense on what some drivers are going to do. I always watch for fancy ladys/dudes in their expensive cages and very young drivers. Follow the never ride side by side unless necessary and always give them the right of way no matter what.

 

This is from the Illinois Rules of the Road book regarding what the "merge" sign means:
"MERGING LANES: This sign tells you that two lanes of traffic going the same direction will soon merge into one lane. Be ready to either change lanes or allow other traffic to merge into your lane. Merge signs appear on expressways just before expressway ramps. The driver on the expressway slows down to let the driver on the ramp merge."

 

yup

 

that's what the book says. most people interperate it to mean....speed up so that you may cut in at any time.

 

This thread reminds me why I quit riding almost 10 years ago. After two bad wrecks I couldn't avoid, and me being lucky enough to hobble away from both still alive, I gave up on anyone who doesn't ride or love someone who rides ever having a clue or giving a s**t. Then I got to missing it, bought a new (to me) Harley last week, and in 400 miles or so over the weekend, I was surprised to only have 3 encounters with total idiots, and with my guard up the way it has been, I was actually expecting all 3 as they occured. You just gotta get it set in your mind, whether it's true or not, that everyone out there on 4 or more wheels wants to kill you and doesn't care if you die when you're riding.

One thing I did notice is that the loud Vance & Hines pipes I have really make my presence more known.

 

Just a thought from me. When I did have accidents without the chance to manuever away quickly, it happened so fast that it was faster than snapping my fingers. Riding, boom, on the ground. That was it. There was no time to think oh, ****.

 

With me it there was enough time to snap a finger, but that's about it. T-boned a car that blew a stop sign and I flew about 20 feet, but I was loaded with gear cause it was cold, so all I did was sprain an ankle and a wrist when I landed, and scratched my helmet up good. It destroyed my favorite Honda CB550 ever built. The other one, I had no clue what happened. I came to, *** stuck half-way through a late 80's crown vic windshield, looking at my bike laying on the ground about 30 feet ahead with the wheel and fender pushed up under the seat. My *** was sore for weeks, and I had a broken tailbone. I was lucky not to have a broken spine or neck. I have a good friend who is paralized from the neck down for life from a bike wreck, but I guess I'll never learn 'til it's too late. What fun is life without taking a few risks every now and then anyway, right?

 

It is very difficult for some reason to NOT automatically lift that left hand, when you feel a few precious moments have just been shaved off your longevity on the planet. I don't go around flipping folks off, but there are those instances when what comes natural just takes over.

DougJ

 

careful sometimes just not enough. you havta assume that the cage is going to do the most stupid thing on earth. and they do they have'nt let me down yet.