No need to appologize. Welcome to being human. I tend to get a little testy when someone tries to turn me into a stain too. It's natural.

One thing I've added to my arsenal of "Don't hit me." tools is to not ride in a straight line when approaching a car that is on a side street or driveway and looks like they may pull out in front of me.

There were some articles someone posted on here not too long ago talking about movement camoflauge (or something like that). Basically that if someone is looking at you as you are riding straight towards them that you do not move in relation to the background and thus, to them, you don't look like you're moving and they don't see you. Thus, by moving from one side of the lane to the other side, I try and appear to be moving in realation to the background and thus be visible. Don't know if it helps, but no one has pulled out in front of me when I've done it yet.

No, you're right to believe that talking to someone in a car is handled well by MOST drivers. I use to be a customer service supervisor and my guys often times thought that only dumb people bought our product because of calls we would get. Then I told them "You guys have to keep this in perspective. You only get the calls from customers who are not smart enough to figure this stuff out. The people who CAN figure it out have no need to call you." Same with us on the road. We may pass 20 people who are having conversations while driving and are doing just fine and never even notice them. But the 21st person who changes lanes and almost kills us we notice and pretty soon "Everyone talking while driving is trying to kill us" because those are the only people we actually notice and remember.

 

Other drivers being oblivious is just a part of riding that you have to understand, accept, and plan for. Some people have a button on their hind end that controls their brain function. When they sit behind the wheel, the button gets activated.

 

I ride to work in austin traffic alot, and like you the mornings aren't too bad, but the evenings are terrible. I've had a lot of close calls. The weather has been perfect the last couple of weeks and for some reason, I'm riding less and less to work. It's just not enjoyable to me anymore because of the stress associated with it. That sucks, cause it saves gas and parts of the commute are really scenic and nice.

Some mornings I wake up and say I'm gonna ride today. And then I think well, I don't feel like dying today. So I drive.

 

I read your post twice. I still don't get it.

You're mad at her because you were in her blind spot?

You know you're in the wrong right? Cars can hardly see another car in their blind spot, much less a bike. Stay the **** out of peoples blind spots, and don't ride next to them. You want to have no cars immediately next to you, or immediately in front or behind you.

Sounds like you could benefit from an MSF class, this is basic stuff.

 

He was passing her SUV and when he got to her door she pulled out.
She needs a class in awareness of her surroundings and not just the one inside her vehicle.

 

Around here I hate to ride to Indianapolis,, Those freakin people are NUTS.. Few even care about a bike rider..

I stay away from there as much as poss..

 

Glad you made it. I work from home now, so I don't need to deal with those jackwagons any more, and I'm glad for it.

I saw one of those ,jpg internet-mini-poster things that read, "I hope my motorcycle ride isn't interfering with the safety of your phone call". I'd like to get a big-*** helmet sticker like that if I could find one.

 

Read it a third time,
what I said...."was I in her blind spot as I was passing her the very second she looked in her mirror"
This was myself questioning what I may have done wrong or more accurately, what went wrong in this situation. I needed a question mark at the end of my original statement.

I was passing two slower cars, the SUV and the red car. I am giving her the benifit of the doubt that she did check her mirror before pulling into my lane and by bad timing I was in her blind spot the second that she looked, if she did look.

I wasn't hanging there, was actually passing them both at a speed considerably faster than the two autos.
If not for my speed difference, I probably could not have made it away from her as well as I did. The fact that I was on the throttle was to my benefit as I was able to get beyond her when she made her move.

Could I benefit from an advanced MSF class, sure...we all could.

"Basic stuff"... no real comment to that other than I am aware of blind spots and never linger there in a car or a bike. If you pass someone, you are in a blind spot for a split second, no way to avoid that.
I wasn't riding next to anyone other than having to be next to them while passing. No way to avoid that either. I do not see your point.

I was mad at her because she came very close to forcing me into oncoming traffic thru no fault of my own, I was passing two cars. Something we all do every day.
Not mad any longer, just trying to learn something.

Please explain how I was in the wrong because I dont see it that way.

 

Bill from TN
Glad it wasn't worse for you than it was. I wasn't there, I didn't see it, so I don't know, but based on your post and your wondering what went wrong I will share my thoughts. My reaction when reading your post is this. You say there was road work forcing everyone into the left lane. Knowing this was coming, you should identify this potential hazard and ANTICIPATE what other drivers MAY do as a result of it. Knowing that the right lane will be closing, you need to expect that at some point other vehicles will be changing lanes and you don't want to be next to them when they do. ALWAYS leave yourself an out. Maybe instead of passing the two cars you could have fallen in line behind them until you had cleared the work zone. Of course maybe you get rear ended at the bottleneck. We take risks everytime we get on these things. Not trying to be preachy, just food for thought that may save someone's ***. Ride safe.

 

I have had a dream on more than one occasion which left me with a gratifying smile on my face.
In these dreams, I am armed/equipped with a ready-access, 150 Giga Watt disintegrating laser in my shirt pocket. I have always passed over the slick spot left on the asphalt with only a slight fishtail upon acceleration and no foul entrails under my front fender.