1st Ride of the Season, 1st Jerk driver

[tonUPRacer]

What was beginning as a perfect 1st ride of my season ended with me calling in a complaint to a local construction company for one of their driver's aggressive behavior. Nothing takes the grin off my face or makes me think seriously of giving up riding than encounters such as these. We traveling on a local county road where 2 lanes merge to one. I was in the left lane he was in his tool truck beside me. Eye contact was made horn was sounded and he still merged over and forced me to brake and yield. I later passed him, did the one finger   salute got his truck number and called in the complaint. Hopefully somebody will take the complaint seriously. I've been toying with giving this road thing up and going back to where I started, in the dirt. I own 80 acres and a cabin in UP of Michigan with access to tons of trails. It may be the best thing for me and my young family.

[oldbike54]

 Hate to break the news , but dealing with bad aggressive drivers is part of the equation . Flipping a bad driver off accomplishes nothing , calling their boss might help , ymmv .

 Dusty

[roadscum]

So did flashing the finger give you a feeling of satisfaction? Seems to me that type of behavior is not only immature but serves no purpose other then, perhaps, to aggravate the truck driver and invite further confrontation. Asshole riders and driver are everywhere  and we got deal with it. 

I find it best to ignore those ass hole drivers, yield to then when I must, and go on my merry way still smilimg. When being tail gated I do my best to allow that ass hole and opportunity to pass.

To minimize my risk I do my best to keep my riding  shills sharp,  avoid dangerous situations, maintain my cool, relax, and enjoy the ride. Every minutes we're  angary or aggravated is a moment of joy lost. Life is short, enjoy every moment ya can. 

Paul

[lucian]

You might be "in the right" but on two wheels you could end up dead right. Best to play it safe by keeping your cool. I've never seen anyone able to flip someone off and keep their eye on the road. Usually it's a major distraction and could set up all sorts of bad scenarios. Believe me , I know the temptation but I'm way over it .

[kballowe]

Glad you were not injured.

Personally, I just try to stay the hell out of the way because (a long time ago) a car hit me, and it hurt like hell for a very long time.  I even went out and got me a plastic Jesus after that one.

Ride like you're invisible.

[rocker59]

We traveling on a local county road where 2 lanes merge to one. I was in the left lane he was in his tool truck beside me. Eye contact was made horn was sounded and he still merged over and forced me to brake and yield. 

So, I'll guess the Sign said "Right Land Ends, Merge Left"?  And you were going to hold your ground and force him to back off the throttle and merge behind you?  Maybe he felt like you were a jerk for blocking him?  I'm sure the horn didn't help.

Had it been me, I'd have just added a little throttle and passed the guy before coming to the merge.  I don't like riding beside autos.  They have a habit of merging into motorcycles.  Intentional, or not.

Size matters on the road.  You know the old saying, "don't be dead right"...

[rocker59]

   I even went out and got me a plastic Jesus

Magnetic Mary rides with me...   

[Guzzistajohn]

I took my 1st good ride yesterday too AND had my 1st OH SHIT moment. 

I was northbound on Mo 125 in an area with rolling hills, ahead of me I saw a dip!@#t top a hill on a zero turn mower with a dualie truck following with flashers on rolling south.

My better judgment kicked in and I let off the throttle and headed to the right hand side of the road. I topped the next hill and grandma was passing the truck and mower in her Aries K woody station wagon. Luckily, I was ready and going slow enough I could retreat to a driveway and miss granny and her woody wagon. No substitute for defensive driving. Trust me my finger was twitching, but my hand was better used staying on the grip while retreating to the chat driveway.

Be careful out there dudes. They're all out to kill us and thinking we have the right of way in any situation is just wrong.

JohnS in the Ozarks

[Guzzistajohn]

So, I'll guess the Sign said "Right Land Ends, Merge Left"?  And you were going to hold your ground and force him to back off the throttle and merge behind you?  Maybe he felt like you were a jerk for blocking him?  I'm sure the horn didn't help.

Had it been me, I'd have just added a little throttle and passed the guy before coming to the merge.  I don't like riding beside autos.  They have a habit of merging into motorcycles.  Intentional, or not.

Size matters on the road.  You know the old saying, "don't be dead right"...

NEVER ride next to a truck, Stay out of the "NO ZONE"

[Perazzimx14]

Having a company vehicle and a company that takes serious call ins seriously we are the exception. If your call went to a VM or anyone other than an officer of the company or the safety director it went nowhere.

Making eye contact, waiving at one another, beeping horns flashing lights all do and mean absolutely nothing. Staying alert and on your toes to be ready to make evasive maneuvers are  the only things you can do. 2  against 4 or more always loses.

Flipping the bird, aggressively passing or any other aggressive behaviour doesn't do any good either. If you made it home w/o a scratch it was a good ride. Don't let one small segment of it spoil the rest.

[Gliderjohn]

We all need to be extra careful and curtious this time a year. Whether riding, flying or anything else that takes muscle memory and good observation skills. We are rusty on both accounts and 4 wheel plus vehicles are not yet thinking about looking for riders after this long winter.
Control your own fate as much as you can.
GliderJohn

[John A]

Why the hell were you in that position anyway?  If you plan to survive on the road with such a wide range of driving abilities out there , you need to predict and evade way earlier.  I figure it this way,  I don't want any interaction with other drivers, especially emotionally based.  I  don't react to perceived provocations,  don't provoke and don't operate a bike like a car,  I can get out of more tight spots with the throttle and early identification of potential trouble than I ever could with the brakes. That's my 2 cents.

[M0T0Geezer]

I always yield to superior mass, especially when it's a factor of 100 greater.   The cagers will always win.

In fact, I attempt to look 500 feet and 5 seconds ahead and pre-yield in all potentially contentious situations.

Keeping the maximum distance possible from all other traffic at all times will keep the Doctor away.

'Geezer

"Don't argue with an 18-wheeler (just go faster)."

[Rick in WNY]

As stated here repeatedly... dead right or dead wrong, you're still dead...

Ride defensive, having not been there when this happened, I can't say 100% what I'd do, but giving my bike a blip on the throttle and getting in front of the truck before the merge is likely to have been my first choice. Second being to tap the brakes and get behind it, again, before the merge.

Stay out of the no-zone!

[s1120]

Maybe im a little different.. I like being around trucks in traffic...  people always see trucks.. and there are a lot of hidey holes all around them because cars tend to stay away from them.. so in my world...  come pull in front of me Mr truck...  Ill just ride off to the side behind you so I can see.. 

[wirespokes]

A few times this life I've been bikeless and only once due to theft. If you're at all like me, you'll be lured back, so why not sort it out now and keep going?

Like others have already said, essentially, little fish gotta watch out for the big fish. Use riding to practice extra sensory perception. Pay attention to those random thoughts coming in from 'nowhere' - sometimes they're from a deeper awareness.
And most definitely, treat everything like a chess game thinking five moves ahead. If a bad situation happens, take responsibility for it and ask yourself what could have been done differently. Add that new understanding to the arsenal of tricks for a better result next time.

It gets to be fun. 

[twowheeladdict]

So, I'll guess the Sign said "Right Land Ends, Merge Left"?  And you were going to hold your ground and force him to back off the throttle and merge behind you?  Maybe he felt like you were a jerk for blocking him?  I'm sure the horn didn't help.

Had it been me, I'd have just added a little throttle and passed the guy before coming to the merge.  I don't like riding beside autos.  They have a habit of merging into motorcycles.  Intentional, or not.

Size matters on the road.  You know the old saying, "don't be dead right"...

Exactly!  Riding defensively sometimes means riding aggressively.  Now if I were just cruising and he was coming up on me from the right lane indicating that he wanted in front of me because he was in a hurry, then I would have slowed down and let him go be in his hurry.

[tonUPRacer]

I appreciate the feedback. It's not my first time around the block. In hindsight, I could've handled the situation differently and put myself in better position. What I choose to do remains to be seen with my life long moto habit. Being 54 and having 3 young kids at home has changed my perspective. As my 5 year-old came out to watch me leave for work this morning and fist bumped me, I need to come home for them.

[kingoffleece]

That'll never change.  Live and learn.
Best advise I ever heard was from a bunch of old timers when I was much too young to listen.  They told me learn to understand what trouble looks like before it happens.  Act accordingly after that.  Enough said.

[Ncdan]

Not condemning anyone else's choices of retaliation to a rude or careless driver but furthering a confrontation is not a good idea if one is on a motorcycle, you will lose the majority of the time. I usually choose to shake my head at the ignorance then thank my maker that I didn't get hurt.

[BrotherJim]

Yep.  Happened to me on Friday, the first time I have been able to get out on one of my street bikes this season.  We've got this annoying four-way stop down the road a few miles, with the North and South road offset with a jog.  As it nearly always happens, a driver heading north approaches the intersection as I was stopped and waiting for two drivers to clear the jog.  Well, she either didn't notice that I was stopped or didn't care, so rather than wait her turn she went ahead through the jog before I could really proceed, but I went anyway.  Luckily, she stopped again and allowed me to proceed with a pretty stinky looking face and showing me the back of her hand.  Oh, yes... I wanted to give her the finger, but I just waved and muttered what I thought of her to myself and went on unaffected.

[Toecutter]

Couple of years back... similar situation, I was in the left lane, gravel truck in the right. See that the left lane ends up ahead, traffic backed up behind the truck, nothing in front of it... so I twist the throttle, get a couple car lengths ahead of the truck and merge right, with lots of room.

At the next stop truck pulled up behind me and the driver, late 50s, early 60s, jumped out and ran at me with a deadblow hammer in his hand.  I hopped off the bike... and he sorta stopped in his tracks. Not sure if he came to his senses, or was hoping to hit me while I was unaware. As it was, it took a while to defuse the whole thing.

I got the whole screamed speech. "I ride, and guys like you give us a bad name" and on and on and on.

Some people are just assholes. Fact of life.

[TimmyTheHog]

once a famous online meme said: the one with most nuts wins.

This holds true to this day when I go ride/drive/walk...

As other mentioned, you may be in the right, but how much more right would you be if you are dead...

But I do agree with you, those kind of ignorant behavior takes away the simple pleasure of life...

I have a full high viz + extra brake lights, some people will STILL not see me by "looking" at me...

Just glad you are not hurt and able to live and tell the tale...

Ride Defensively and enjoy with a smile :)

[Rick in WNY]

Some people are just assholes. Fact of life.

Well put, good sir!

That said, I think being on a bike, we are more aware of our surroundings because we have to be. Therefore, why are we surprised when cagers think we're reckless for doing something given that it is highly doubtful they have the clarity to see everything we are seeing right then.

Next point, modern cars keep getting harder and harder to see out of. When I started driving in the 80s, vehicles were designed to let you see your surroundings. Now, they have blind spots that are so large they have to include camera systems in them so you can see to park your car. And this is before you incorporate all the touch-screen driver-distraction devices...

Or I might be completely wrong... it has happened before.

[wirespokes]

Best advise I ever heard was from a bunch of old timers when I was much too young to listen.  They told me learn to understand what trouble looks like before it happens.  Act accordingly after that.

Well said!

And yes, some people are just assholes. Using logic on them doesn't work, so don't try explaining.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I'll admit it, one time I accidentally cut off a motorcycle while in my truck..

[Perazzimx14]

Couple of years back... similar situation, I was in the left lane, gravel truck in the right. See that the left lane ends up ahead, traffic backed up behind the truck, nothing in front of it... so I twist the throttle, get a couple car lengths ahead of the truck and merge right, with lots of room.

At the next stop truck pulled up behind me and the driver, late 50s, early 60s, jumped out and ran at me with a deadblow hammer in his hand.  I hopped off the bike... and he sorta stopped in his tracks. Not sure if he came to his senses, or was hoping to hit me while I was unaware. As it was, it took a while to defuse the whole thing.

I got the whole screamed speech. "I ride, and guys like you give us a bad name" and on and on and on.

Some people are just assholes. Fact of life.

The whole time I'd have been  wondering to myself why is this truck driver bring a hammer to a gun fight?

[John A]

The whole time I'd have been  wondering to myself why is this truck driver bring a hammer to a gun fight?

 

[Groover]

I lost a coworker/friend exactly 24 hours ago. Died at the scene, pronounced dead at the hospital. A vehicle turned left in front of him at a somewhat country road here in Ohio, he was wearing a helmet and all. We had just discussed insurance quotes and getting bikes ready for the season right before the weekend - He's Gone - Been trying to deal with it, didn't want to make a post about, but everyone please watch out. He was 43 old and a much loved guy by everyone at work and his family.

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/man-killed-in-motorcycle-crash-near-johnstown/1907795300

[DougG]

Hi all,                                                                                                                                             4-08-19

The only thing I have to add (even though it has been said many times), is RIDE VISIBLY!  I have "seen" too many black bikes with black leather, with black helmets and headlights that need a flashlight too see them.  I respect individuality, even herd individuality, however, drivers are not expecting us to be there (especially when they are on the phone).  Please be visible, be safe.