altercation with a sedan

[bluegillspeed]

got side swiped riding in to work today. I saw the car start coming up from behind me on the right and then the car was coming at me. I was boxed in, car in front and behind and the concrete median to my left. My right leg was pinned between the side of the bike and the idiots car and the bike and I were pushed toward the median. After about a hundred feet of so  I guess the driver of the car realized what was happening because he suddenly switched back into the right lane and took off like a bat out-a-hell. Somehow I managed to keep the shinny side up but in doing so missed my chance to get his tag #. The cops are still looking for the the ass who did the hit and run but what makes it even worse is nobody stopped. I had to call the cops from work and then spent the rest of the morning in the ER. Luckily I only have deep bruises on my leg, no broken bones. The leg is still stiff and really sore though. For anyone who ever rides in florida be sure to keep extra eyes out for all the idiot Florida Drivers.

[don_vanecek]

Geez, glad to hear you didn't cash, afraid your going to feel it in the morning. What a bummer!

[haunter]

x2


hope they catch the moron

[Serendipity]

OMG!!!!!  :o  So glad you are ok!!! How frightening! Way to go on keepin' the shiny side up!

Btw, you need to come by sometime soon. We miss you! Dave and I going to be out of town this weekend looking at BMWs, but we're home during the week and next weekend.....let's go for a ride!!! (when you're feeling up to it anyways)

Patti

[YellowJacket!]

Thats one of my bigger fears while riding.  My mirroes give me a good view of my shoulders and thats about it.  Its hard to see someone coming up behind you.  Pretty scary that HE did not see you though.  The way he "ran" makes me think it may have been intentional.
I AM very glad you are ok.

David

[h2olawyer]

Glad you managed to stay upright & weren't seriously injured.  Heal fast!  Hope this isn't a trend - frist ps2 & now you.  Stay safe out there, everybody!

H₂O 

[louthepou]

Gawd Darn...

Indeed, glad you're ok. Tough stuff, this leg of yours.

Funny thing, the human animal. The more of them stuck together, the more anti-social they get. Over here where I live, it's pretty green everywhere and humans are sparsely distributed. Car on the side of the road? Everybody stops to ask if everything's ok. Even the cows if you stop near a field.

The closer I get to town, the less likely this is. Middle of Ottawa: got bruised twice, never had anyone ask me if everything was cool;after one of these two events, the driver even had the nerve to yell at me because I "broke the car's bumper with my foot"...

Anywho, take good care of yourself, and sorry to say I don't have spare skin and muscles in my spare parts box... ;)

Lou

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

Glad to hear you're ok. All my riding gear is black but if the traffic is heavy I've been throwing this on when I commute:




Cheap, light, goes over everything, doesn't flap, mesh so air blows through it. Makes car drivers a) see you b) suspect you're a cop. All good.

Don't want to look like a neon sign when you go into a store, are trying to look cool, etc? Take it off and it rolls up small.

[Lucky]

That's amazing!! glad it wasn't worse! heal up quick!

[Mutt]

A new set of air horns ought to do the trick. We need some way of mounting a paint ball system so we can permanently mark idiots like that for future reference!  >:(

Glad you're OK!

Mutt  :)

[dj]

Glad to hear that you are okay.  Heal quick.  I know first hand about idoit cage drivers!  I almost bit the dust this weekend myself, but that is for a seperate post.

Stay safe and get back on as soon as you can!

[ps2/bikevision]

dude that really sucks. i have no problem putting dents in cages if you come in my lane. we all have a right to have the full lane to ourselves and if someone come in my lane they get a reminder of that.

[YellowJacket!]

dude that really sucks. i have no problem putting dents in cages if you come in my lane. we all have a right to have the full lane to ourselves and if someone come in my lane they get a reminder of that.

With all due respect, I have a problem with that statement.  If that is the way you think, then you are setting yourself up for disaster.  One day you are going to kick the wrong car and get yourself run over, shot or both.  You might even get off easy with a simple ass whoopin.
Yes, it is a problem.  People in cars do not pay attention.  They talk on cell phones, adjust the radio, eat, pick their noses, smoke and any combination of the aforementioned.  All of those distract them from what they are doing.
I learned a very important saying from Lucky: "You are invisible".  That is how I feel and that is how I ride.  I try to maintain a safe following distance (for those idiots without brake lights) and try to keep a buffer zone around me at all times.  If someone is following too close I flash my brake lights...but don't jam on the brakes to make them get any closer.  In a battle between a 450 pound bike and a 3500 pound car the car will ALWAYS win.  Keeping a decent buffer zone allows me to make an evasive manuver if I need to.  I'm always looking for an "out" too.  Where do I need to swerve to avoid that idiot on the phone making a left turn in front of me..
Even after painting my bike bright yellow, buying a bright yellow jacket and now even a bright yellow helmet, I am still invisible.  I have to count on that fact to keep me alive and plan ahead to avoid disaster.

Ride smart, Ride careful (I cant remember who I borrowed that from)

David

[ps2/bikevision]

dave i do agree with you. it is MY job to make sure i stay out of the way of the cages. but when all the planning ahead fails and it does, if i dont have any place to go ie. sholder, other lane ect.. i dont feel bad giving them a little wake up call. i dont go out like i own the road, and i know the cage will always win but before i let a cage run me off the road or aginst a wall ill do my best to let them know im there.

[YellowJacket!]

I forgot to add... a LOUD horn helps too.  Judging from Tigers pictures, he has that aspect well covered with thos massive air horns.  ;D

David