Just Had My First Real "Scare"

I'm still shaking from an incident I just had.

I was just at a stop sign right near my house, in a 25 mph zone, turning right... and some #&*%ing unobservant $%^&# in a blue Saturn on my left blows straight through the stop sign at 40 mph without even tapping his brakes.

If i had been going straight at the stop sign instead of turning right, he would have plowed straight through me... although a bike in front of him may have made him realize a stop sign was coming up. At least I feel good about the fact that I saw it before it happened (in my mirrors) tho. If I had been in his lane, I would have been on the gas and might very well have escaped unscathed.

I followed him and made him realize the error of his ways. I think I scared him and I'm %$^@ing glad I did. Maybe next time he will be more observant and slow the hell down on a 25 mph road!!!

P.S. This SV650 was my first bike, and I've been riding for two months. I have put 2500 miles on the bike in that time.

the problem is y'all drive on the wrong side of the road

Originally Posted by Razor

the problem is y'all drive on the wrong side of the road

Heh, I wish that was our only problem. The real issue is that we're a bunch of *******s who don't pay any attention to DRIVING.

don't dwell on it, it's not a positive train of thought

learn the lesson and move on

[Red Herring]

I'm just a tad confused by your opening post, were you turning right (second paragraph) or left (third paragraph). Either way you were clearly in the right position on the road, either to one side or the other. It never fails to amaze me how many riders stop in the middle of a lane at a junction leaving nowhere for any driver who may fail to stop to go.

Also must confess to being just a little bit curious as to how you made him realize the error of his ways?

Originally Posted by Razor

don't dwell on it, it's not a positive train of thought

learn the lesson and move on

Yeah, I'm good. I already forgot about it.

Originally Posted by Red Herring

I'm just a tad confused by your opening post, were you turning right (second paragraph) or left (third paragraph). Either way you were clearly in the right position on the road, either to one side or the other. It never fails to amaze me how many riders stop in the middle of a lane at a junction leaving nowhere for any driver who may fail to stop to go.

Also must confess to being just a little bit curious as to how you made him realize the error of his ways?

Good catch, sorry 'bout that. I meant to say "instead of turning right" in paragraph three.

I'm not sure I understand what you mentioned about lane position. Ohhh... now I think I get it; this wasn't a one lane road. This was a four lane intersection (two lanes of through traffic, one left turn lane, and one right turn lane). So it wasn't THAT close of a call, since I was in my own personal lane of travel, but the point still stands that if I had been going straight, things may have turned out quite differently.

Here's an overhead view of the intersection. Here's the street view of the exact location. I was in the right lane (obviously turning right) and the guy flew through the intersection in the lane just to my left (where the black car is located in the street view pic).

I had honked my horn and gestured (hand in the air, no middle finger) as he was flying through the stop sign, which got his attention. I then rode up behind him and I could tell that he noticed me in his rear view mirror, so he most likely heard my honk and realized that he had done something wrong. He was turning right at a stop sign (which he noticed, thank God!!!), so I waited behind him. I could tell he was worried that I was going to get off my bike and do something, because half of the time he was looking in his rear view mirror, and half the time he was looking to see when he could pull out onto the road. After he finally took his right turn, I did the same and pulled beside him and flailed my arms around a bit, pointed at him and screamed (which he probably didn't hear because he had his window up). He definitely saw me, but wasn't making eye contact, and was slowing down to avoid any confrontation. I didn't push matters... I just wanted to make sure he realized that he really @#%^ed up.

[kaivalagi]

Other than the driver not stopping when he should at the junction, I fail to see how you were in any real danger?

You were in a different lane turning right, and he flew through on the next lane in on the left...not clever but not the end of the world for you right? If you were in his lane then you would hope he would have stopped regardless of seeing a stop sign or not.

I would have been concerned if the road wasn't so big and spacious...what sort of speed was that car doing?

If I misunderstand please set me straight

[timwilky]

I was stopped at a red light when the driver behind me failed to stop, that hurt as he plowed into me at 60mph. he said it was my fault as I had stopped for the light when it changed and he hadn't time to stop.

Fortunately there was a police officer in the adjacent lane, who put a different interpretation on things. I now however stop thinking like a driver and more like a rider and even when I am first at the stop line I get close to the edge of the lane so that should another idiot decide to run the light, I am hopefully not in his way

[kaivalagi]

Ouch! No excuses for that driver at all! If it were green but something slowed in front would he just plow into that too....makes you wonder about some people.

Good point on putting yourself over enough to make a difference

Fortunately there was a police officer in the adjacent lane, who put a different interpretation on things.

WOW - someone has something good to say about the police......