I live in the Cypress/Northwest Houston area, I have noticed a bit of a change in the way people are driving here..
Mainly because of the amount of people that have moved out here...
There are times you don't even think of riding around here.. (rush hour, to and from) I leave a hour earlier to work and wait
till the traffic thins out to go home..
I have had people purposely speed up, just to get in front of me... Don't know if there just wanting to get a look at the bike or what..
and I've had two people flat cut me off and slam on the breaks to the point of me banging into the rear of the car/van..
Had to replace a fender, and the second time a crash bar. Both time they look at me like "why did you hit me in the rear" not
"sorry I wasn't paying attention and I was on the cell phone and didn't notice you,or the cars in front were stopped"

I will say I haven't had any disgruntled cagers, maybe because I'm 6'1" and 250.. but that nothing to a 4000lb cage coming at you...

 

i just plain dont trust anyone... they are all gonna turn left in front of me, they will all run red lights, they will all change lanes and cut me off...i expect it, anticipate it, and always try to have an escape route in my head if it actually does happen....


i had a guy ,who i assumed was going to cut me off and did, i put my open hand up in the air like wtf..... he flips me off.... i was ok with the cut off, but i was sent over the edge when i get flipped off like it was me at fault...next red light he had 6'3 260lbs of pissed off at his window...dont think he will be flipping off to scoots anytime soon....

 

Have always driven like I'm invisible. Living on Long Island you really have no choice but I haven't really noticed much difference throughout the years except more traffic. Maybe because it's always been like that here and now the rest of the world is catching up?

 

I have this theory about traffic which centers on compression of people in an area. Hardly's comment kind of fits into my theory seeing that he has lived in a fairly populated area for years. Other areas are rapidly growing in population and number of cars on the road without a real equivalant increase in roads or miles of roads. Sure they have gotten a little wider but that only helps for so long.

I have driven the same commute around the outskirts of Atlanta (285 for you locals) for 12 years. The rudeness and number of oblivious drivers (to their surroundings) has increased with the population growth and number of cars. My commute has gone from 45 mins to sometimes 1.5 hours and I only expect it to get worse. With the pressure of some parents (both working [:@]) to get to daycare, ball games, etc. puts morestrain on drivers which leads to the driving rudeness.

Cagers should be glad to see more motorcycles on the road. If nothing else they take up less room on the highway, and from my years of meeting cyclist most are very safety conscious and not driving like nuts. It could be the rotten apple spoiling the basket situation with a small percentage of bikers acting like nuts tainting the image for all of us.
[sm=biker2.gif]

 

Yup...since my endorsement in 1976 things have certainly changed. The general attitude of people in many areas of life has worsened IMHO...it's the "entitlement" attitude and overall "all about me" thinking. Can't tlel you how many times I'll see some flippin ahole cutting in and out of traffic, braking, lane changing radically coming-up behind me and as I brace for evasive action...look over expecting to see a punk and find it's some lady that looks like Betty Crocker...of course the teenagers are plain terrifying.

The technological advances of today's cages...even the most inexpensive new models...give the driver a VERY strong sense of control, comfort, and safety...I really think it also leads to people generally driving MUCH faster and radically then 20 years ago when it seemed to me there were a lot more beaters on the road...not that that was a good thing...but they were less likely to be driven at 85 routinely while flittin in and out of traffic by the Latte sippin, cell phone talkin masses.

My 2 cents...

SG

 

My 2 cents...for one thing, due to the size of a bike, the way a person in a car perceives you is much different than the way they perceive a car. Even I misjudge bikes when I'm in my car - so I take the rule of always waiting out an oncoming bike, let'em go by - and then I continue driving (ie, if I'm about to turn onto a road, etc). The bikes often appear to be going slower then they really are - or just the opposite - faster than they really are. Its flat out tough to tell the difference between the way a car moves & a bike moves. A lot of cagers just don't know how to handle these situations until they get a few close calls under their belt or speak to people who ride.

The second thing I've noticed is among my fellow riders. Variable speeds. It seems like no one likes to find a speed & stick with it. Either they're going too slow - under the speedlimit - which ticks off people in cars (ticks me off when I'm in MY car and a car in front of me is going slow!) - or they're going ***** out and flying around all over the place. I drive the same speeds on my bike as I do in my car - conditions permitting - which is most of the time. I do 5 - 10 over in my car. Don't most people? So why go the exact speed limit or under when you're on your bike - like so many people seem to do. I'm sure someone will say its a "safety issue" - but I don't buy it. I know people should ride at their level of comfort - but, you have to maintain traffic flow consistency - just as you'd expect/hope forwhen in your car. So many people lose sight of this when they take away 2 of their wheels...and I never hear people talk about this - but believe we should!

 

You must live in South Florida.
Be carefully down there, half the drivers don't have licenses or insurance.

 

...and the other half can't drive. That don't leave many of us left.
Fred

 

I AGREE WITH ALL POSTS, THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD DRIVERS/RIDERS OF MOTORCYCLES AND ALL OTHER VEHICLES. ONE THING I DO WHEN COMING UP ON A VEHICLE THAT YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL IS GOING TO PULL OUT IN FRONT OF YOU FROM A SIDE STEET OR WHATEVER, WHEN THEY DON'T, I NOD MY HEAD OR RAISE MY FINGERS [ NOT A WAVE BUT AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ] OF THANKS. WHO KNOWS, IT MIGHT NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING, BUT I NOTICE SOME NOD OR WAVE BACK. THEY ARE PROBABLY BIKERS IN A CAGE. STILL, CAN'T HURT. DOG.

 

1. Illegals will run your A$$ over!
2. DumbA$$es on cell phones will run your A$$ over!
3. Punk kids phucking with their radios will run your A$$ over!
4. Idiots on crotch rockets are pi$$ing everybody off and make them want to run your A$$ over!

My 7 yr old had his window down the other night and some Pr!ck on a crotch rocket pulled up beside us on the wrong side of the road and revved it right as he passed my sons window. It scared my kid and hurt his ears so bad he cried all the way home. If I'd been in my truck I would have been one of these cagers saying "I' didn't see him!"