new rider, first scare | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

new rider, first scare

skitta said:
Definately not a good idea, imho, in this day and age to "confront" every driver. I think the better idea would be to try and get a license plate number and report the person & incident to the police. *Maybe* receiving a call from the police would "get the message across" more effectively (?)
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Good luck with that...I like the Hulk smash approach personally.
 
I've called Road Watch a number of times. It does get the point across, and is a better way to vent out your frustrations.
 
If you had the right gloves you could have broke his window ;) j/k

key3thermal said:
Well, i started riding on Saturday august 13th.

Last night i was riding and a car cut me off with about 2 inches between my front wheel and his rear bumper! Scared the S**T out of me. I just slowed down to avoid hitting him, caught up to him at the next red light. Tried to confront the guy and he ignored me. So i just did the next best thing that came to my mind:
beeped my horn, he turned his head towards me and i gave him the :thebirdman:.
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If you don't say something to a driver who cuts you off, he will just do it again to someone else, and they may not be so lucky.

While I am a new rider, I was a cyclist for many years, so nasty traffic confrontations are nothing new. It doesn't matter if you make them mad or they make up some crackpot theory about riders, or swear and howl. If you give them pause they will be less likely to do it again.

I mean really, what's the cager going to do, kill you? That you're having the conversation at all means he's already failed once.
 
key3thermal said:
I was going about 5 over 60 (speed limit on that road).
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Excellent advice from the other members. If I may add my two cents worth.... if you are not riding with the flow of traffic in the left lane, then get into the right lane. The left lane is meant for passing (although this will be a startling revelation for most drivers.) In my experience, +5 in the left lane is too slow. Move to the right and surrender the left lane to those who wish to drive at a faster pace. Another good indicator... if you are riding in the left lane and people are passing you in the right lane, you should move over (good advice when you are in your car too.) There isnt any contest between a car and a bike - the bike always loses.
 
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good advice from Horizon and I'd also like to add

Motorcycle riding is different than driving a car. All it takes is one collision and the motorcycle rider will always lose.

So don't ride in cars blind spots and anticipate that you'll be in a cars blind spot and be prepared to take evasive actions when you're in that blind spot. Anticipate every car that passes by you or approaches behind you will do something stupid. Watch the wheels!

It doesn't matter if you're speeding or going the speed limit let the car driver win. You win too as you can enjoy your ride rather than thinking this is my lane and you can't have it.

As you gain experience knowing when to ride aggresively can often be the safest route.
 
Dohhh said:
thats not true...if every driver that cut off a bike got confronted maybe we'd get the message across
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I can picture the headline of the Sun article after using this advice. "Irate motorcyclist charged after assaulting driver". The article would possibly read along the line's of: A dysfunctional motorcyclist was charged today in Toronto for assaulting a fellow motorist. The driver of this altercation was pulled out of his vehicle and beaten with the with the motorcyclist's helmet when stopped at a traffic light. The driver was airlifted and is in critical condition at St.Michael's Hospital. Driver's be careful and keep your eye's peeled for crazy motorcyclists. John Doe of Toronto has been charged with assault and numerous other drug offenses. He will be in court on Monday August 29th, 2011 for a bail hearing.
 
Glad to hear that you survived your first scare and that you're smart enough to actually learn from it :)
 
OP, you'll find the longer you ride the more you'll start to develop that perceived 'vibe' you get off incompetent cagers before they cut you off. As for giving the finger, unless you're in motion with an easy getaway, refrain. Some cagers are truly insane and will try to hit you for it. Not that my own finger hasn't flown "high and proud" as a friend of mine puts it. Just be aware there are some crazies out there.
 
I'm in my 6th season. The more I'm out there the more I realize that motorcycling is a very internal discipline, especially regarding urban traffic and communting. I get terrible road rage (see Road Rage Thread), and am at constant odds with myself to not make stupid choices in the heat of my anger that will leave me hurt or in jail. Luckilly this feeling of being "wronged" seems to fade with experience, and the understanding that inconsiderate and dangerous drivers are a part of everyday traffic. I havent reached that place yet, but I'm working on it.
 
GentlemanRacer said:
If you don't say something to a driver who cuts you off, he will just do it again to someone else, and they may not be so lucky.

While I am a new rider, I was a cyclist for many years, so nasty traffic confrontations are nothing new. It doesn't matter if you make them mad or they make up some crackpot theory about riders, or swear and howl. If you give them pause they will be less likely to do it again.

I mean really, what's the cager going to do, kill you? That you're having the conversation at all means he's already failed once.
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Here's a possible outcome of a road rage incident http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/689220
 
short stop said:
Negative. People are inherently selfish (and stupid...). People tend to get very defensive, even when confronted in situations like this. Rather than show humility and admit wrongdoing, people will tend to lash out and accuse the accuser of being "aggressive" and "crazy". Trust me, it will NOT help the image of riders in this city.
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Fixed it for ya... otherwise very true.
 
I may have picked up this tip here, I can't remember. It's worked a couple of times for me. I found if there is some aggressive drivers close to me, especially tailgaters, and there is no way for me to shake them, I ride like I just started riding 5 minutes ago and wobble a bit to and from and make it seem like I don't know how to use the controls by braking a little erratically. I guess a kind of reverse psychology comes into play where the bad driver then puts themselves on a pedestal watching the idiot biker who doesn't know what he's doing. At least they see me (you can see them judging you in the mirrors lol) and they'll stay away to avoid an accident.

yeah....pretend everyone will hit you.
And def read Proficient Motorcycling...and leave it in the "office" for re-reading every day.
 
Buddhacide said:
I'm in my 6th season. The more I'm out there the more I realize that motorcycling is a very internal discipline, especially regarding urban traffic and communting. I get terrible road rage (see Road Rage Thread), and am at constant odds with myself to not make stupid choices in the heat of my anger that will leave me hurt or in jail. Luckilly this feeling of being "wronged" seems to fade with experience, and the understanding that inconsiderate and dangerous drivers are a part of everyday traffic. I havent reached that place yet, but I'm working on it.
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+1 I think I've found a brother...
 
TorontoBoy said:
+1 I think I've found a brother...
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And here I find I've just stopped caring completely...

Someone nearly killing me doesn't even stir up a thought of any sort, whatsoever.
Probably not a good thing though?
 
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