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SUV driver was stupid, but so was I

Lou Wambsganss

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[video=youtube_share;t7i49mdx_ik]http://youtu.be/t7i49mdx_ik[/video]

So, this happened to me while riding to work yesterday afternoon around 5pm. I got into a Left Turn lane. The Ram truck in front of me waited for a gap in traffic, then proceeded to turn left. I moved up to position. I had my left turn signal on the whole time, and I was in a left turn lane. After a few cars had passed, I had a sufficient gap, so I start to accelerate and the SUV (Jeep of some sort) behind me goes around me and passes me mid-turn. Maybe they thought I was going to make a U-Turn? Or maybe they were just being an asshole. I don't know. Whatever the reason, they were undeniable wrong for passing me in a turn.

But then I kind of let my anger get the best of me for a few seconds. I passed them as soon as the opposing traffic (red Corvette) was clear, and purposely left minimal room to their side. The RPM fluctuation you can hear in the video is not the rev limiter, it is the rear wheel briefly slipping on the sand remaining over the double-yellow line.

The SUV driver could have hit me. I could have spun out and dumped the bike on the sand, and then the SUV could have ran me over. A lot of things could have gone wrong. Or I could have just let it go. In the heat of the moment, I have a vague idea of justice or teaching someone a lesson. In reality, however, I doubt there is much teaching to be done. The kind of person who displays the kind of disregard to pass a motorcyclist mid-turn in an intersection is not the kind of person who will get passed by a motorcycle and then go home and re-evaluate all of their life decisions.

I guess the moral of my story is just "Let it go".

[video=youtube_share;13WAhlE02ew]http://youtu.be/13WAhlE02ew[/video]
 
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Yes. Letting it go is a must or you won't survive. The law of tonnage is not on our side. Still, when people do ridiculous stuff like this it really makes me wish for a bike-mounted RPG or something.
 
Hey, we've probably all done something similar and let passion or anger overcome intellect. I know I have.

In retrospect I humbly offer a post incident review. It's not usually a good idea to leave the turn lane and enter an intersection (cross the heavy white line) until it is free of hazards and one is free to proceed through the intersection. It's also good practice to protect your lane position and stop at the white line positioned right of center in your lane. This increases your visibility to others and discourages a car from encroaching from your right side. You leave them no room on the inside and you are occupying the outside of the lane, leaving the SUV with less temptation to pull the stunt it did.
 
also what bugs me is the angle of the sun. If its in your eyes and your making a left turn plus you got that suv on the right.... Makes it kinda hard for you.

Ken
 
But then I kind of let my anger get the best of me for a few seconds
8.jpgThe term "Road Rage" originated in the United States in 1987–1988 (specifically, from Newscasters at KTLA, a television station in Los Angeles), when a rash of freeway "shootings" occurred on the 405, 110, and 10 freeways in Los Angeles, California.

To quote Burt Munro "A man is like a blade of grass. He grows up in the spring, strong and healthy and green. And, then he reaches middle age and he ripens, as it were. And, in the autumn, he finishes, he fades away and never comes back…I think that when you’re dead, you’re dead." So, don't let "stupid" get to you when on the roadway. No matter how right you are, "When you're dead, you're dead".

SmileyDunce.jpg

00.jpg
 
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It's also good practice to protect your lane position and stop at the white line positioned right of center in your lane. This increases your visibility to others and discourages a car from encroaching from your right side. You leave them no room on the inside and you are occupying the outside of the lane, leaving the SUV with less temptation to pull the stunt it did.

I like everything dduelin said and this one statement above will help prevent issues like the one you posted on your video.

I do a lot of driving around the city of Little Rock. We have drivers from all over the country here due to one of the larger AFB in the US. That brings with it some very questionable drivers plus people are in too much of a hurry and to distracted in today’s world. dduelin (I feel like I should capitalize this) has a great point. I can't tell what your lane positioning was but you don't look to be to far to the left. Nevertheless you need to place yourself in a position to block others. I have people trying to get around me all the time.

Arkansas has inlets and outlets (my term) off of the major Hwy to a road that parallels it. You jump off the Hwy real quick and can jump back on real quick. Many of these exits allow you to turn left or right on that parallel road after coming to a stop. People try to get around me at these. They think I'm turning left and they want to go right. I employ what dduelin suggested. I've even been honked at to get me to move so they can get around. I don't think so.

Your story reminds me of something that happened to me a month or so ago. I was approaching a major intersection where I enter the left turn lane and make the turn. It is a very long turn lane because a large amount of traffic using this road will turn left at this spot. As I began to enter the turn lane and car whipped around me to my left crossing over the solid yellow lane dividing lines. Pretty stupid right. If your in heavy traffic you have to employ the same tactic here. You better enter turn lanes almost immediately. If not, someone from behind will try to pass you on the left but keep a good eye out for another idiot entering the turn lane late.

Last thing. I wrecked a few cars when I was pissed about something. Best not to act out when upset and on a bike. Sometimes your emotions overide safety.

Sorry, long winded. I can't go a week without someone trying to run me off the road so I get a little wound up on this subject.
 
Admission is the 1st step towards anger management. You are on the road to recovery. Carry this memory with you as a token to remind yourself the next time some idiot cuts you off. Ohoooommmmmmm....Ohooooooommmmmm.

Thanks for the post. Most of us have been there, but hate to admit it. I nearly pulled a driver out of his car one day for a similar stunt. My wife has helped me just let it go now. I don't want to cross her!
 
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Staying safe on traffic is like playing chess. It's not usually the next move than wins the day it's the move 3 or 4 plays back. The ability to foresee situations developing ahead of time helps to reduce risk and the element of surprise. I'm no smart guy but I try to read and implement successful street strategies and tactics used by others that seem to work. That said I do stupid stuff all the time. Like yesterday and it's too early today to review :)
 
I've had this happen many times to me. Chicago drivers are scum. What helps is lane positioning and being visible. From my perspective, you left a lot of room on your right side, so the jeep driver, being the mucus that he/she is, took that opertunity. Stay center, and watch your mirrors, use your horn ( get a super loud one).
 
I started riding in Indiana, where most fair-weather riders only have 3 months of riding season. The car drivers there just aren't as used to seeing bikes. However, now I live in Texas and have been pleased so far with how bikes are treated on the road, possibly due to the longer riding season and car drivers being acclimated to bikes.

My (so far) only bike accident was in Indiana. I was rear ended on the interstate. Because of this, I always try to pay special attention behind me. At stops, I generally try to stay to the left side of my lane so that if I see a car coming up quickly behind me I have an easier escape route. This was even taught in the Indiana MSF course. They also taught that by staying to the left of the lane, you are directly in front of the driver behind you, and therefore more visible.
The idea of staying in the center of your lane to maintain a more solid "presence" also has merit. I just don't know which is more helpful overall.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
The current MSF curriculum teaches there is no single best lane position rather the safest lane position is ever changing as dictated by current traffic conditions.
 
I'd rather be wrong and alive than right and a smear. I see it two ways. Was SUV driver wrong for passing you in a turn? Sure. But, he was also shielding you from oncoming traffic. Also, I'm realizing that other drivers just plain don't see/register motorcycles. It's not malice. I sincerely do not believe that most drivers are actively trying to kill me. Passively by ignorance or not paying attention, sure. Step away from the situation, take a deep breath and enjoy the scenery. We'll all live longer and be happier for it.
 
I confess to being a little puzzled as to how that turn lane works?

It looks like it's very wide, and I can't tell if it's one way? It looks wide enough for there to be two lanes, but I don't see any dividing lines.

Also, the way it's angled, it almost looks like if you were truly "turning left" you would be turning and entering the traffic stream as it is passing you (oncoming from your right). A person "going straight through" would go where the SUV went.
It just feels weird to be turning left, yet actually be facing the street you are going to enter, if you see what I mean.

My monitor at work truly sucks and trying to watch videos on it is a chore... *squints at screen* lol

left turn Clyde.jpg

Although if the turn lane is maybe closer to this, (watching the vid again), maybe "my" left turn hypothesis would really be closer to a U-turn, and the proper left turn would be going straight through. That's probably what it is, and I understand better now.

left turn Clyde.jpg
 
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Yes. Letting it go is a must or you won't survive. The law of tonnage is not on our side. Still, when people do ridiculous stuff like this it really makes me wish for a bike-mounted RPG or something.

I'd settle for a few paintballs... Something that we could use to mark the cars that are idiots as such, at least until their next car wash.

Think about it, being able to look ahead, see the car covered in paint balls strikes, and know that they are likely going to try to do something stupid, and possibly lethal well in advance... alas I doubt that the state legislature will go for it (unless we get a paintball manufacture in the state, and they have a strong lobby)
 
NEVER take your thumb off the horn, the only time i will is when there are not cars or side roads anywhere around me.
When in doubt hit the horn, you can always say your sorry if you messed up, most of the time you can hit the horn and stop people from coming in your space. Dale
 
My heart goes out to you. I get mad like that too... I'm glad nothing worse happened to you or that thoughtless driver.
 
I like this forum - on the USA Rocket forum some comments would have been along the lines of 'Hey man that's why my Glock is always in my saddlebag' ;)
Mike
 
I find refuge in smugness. When the anger rises and I want to ride over the top of the SUV and really teach him a lesson, these days I deliberately calm down, consider it a 'past' incident and smugly console myself that therefore I am a better driver than he is (which I'm probably not by the way)
Mike
 
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