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From: das@cubsvax.UUCP (David Sassoon)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Trouble on the Road
Message-ID: <422@cubsvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Feb-86 20:03:19 EST
Article-I.D.: cubsvax.422
Posted: Sat Feb 15 20:03:19 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Feb-86 05:21:33 EST
Reply-To: das@cubsvax.UUCP (David Sassoon)
Organization: Columbia Univ. Bio. CG Fac., NY
Lines: 86
Keywords: Response to- Pickups, Motorcycles


Someone wrote recently to net.cycle:

> When riding my motorcycle to and from work every day, I have noticed a
> common theme amongst the knotheads of life who:
> 
> *	Come around curves from the other direction in my lane.  
>       (And make no
>       attempt to get out of my lane when they see me.)
> 
>       (Attempt to force me off the road.)  
>
>*      Ride right on my rear tire in the slow lane, 
>        then just before the exit
>        from the highway, change lanes as if to pass, 
>        and then squeeze into the
>        1.5 car length (too small anyway) distance 
>        between me and the car ahead
>        of me with a quick lane change.  
>        (This is hard to describe, but is
>        is a typical bonehead maneuver and quite dangerous.)
>
>*	Run red lights in an effort to squash my motorcycle.
>
>*	Attempt to force their way into my lane 
>       (through me) because their lane
>	is closed and they didn't want to wait in line.  
>       "The motorcyclist 
>	won't stand up to a truck will he?"  
>       [I refuse to move an inch; so far
>	none of the slugs have gotten close enough for me to kick their
>	vehicles.  You might question my sanity at this point.  I do.]
>
>*	Drive the wrong way down WELL MARKED 
>       one-way streets when I am visible 
>	and coming the other way.  
>       (I most often observe this in corporate
>	parking lots and in shopping centers with *divided* lanes.)
>
>
>
>   Any comments netters?  Has anyone else experienced this?  
>   I would have expected
>   the sub-human jerks to drive a variety of vehicles.  
>   (Pickups stand out as those who seem to go out of their way 
>   to do these things on purpose.)
>
>

__________________________________________________________

RESPONSE:     
         And you are still riding after all these experiences?  
It sounds a bit as if you are doing something wrong on the
road.  True, it isn't your fault when people drive down a
one-way street the wrong way, but don't motorcyclists drive in
the city as if everyone in a car just does NOT see you????
Part of driving defensively is avoiding problems (cars
in particular, I agree) before they even materialize. 
Part of the beauty of driving a bike is to be able to swiftly
avoid many of the problems that would be more difficult to
avoid in a car.

On a freeway, I often find that someone
(particularly in slow moving traffic) is less likely to pull a
dumb stunt if you establish some kind of presence.  This does
not necessarily mean bright reflector gear, etc.  More
importantly, make eye contact with the driver.  Wave or nod
your head... if they nod back or smile, they are extremely
unlikely to do something mean later on...if they growl back to
you (yes, some people out there hate us), let them have their
way.
   I suspect that part of the reason drivers do strange things
in order to pull out in front of a bike is because they are
actually afraid or uneasy to drive behind one...
Anyhow, this isn't meant as a 'flame' but a general note to
netters (cycle).  Perhaps I should ask a general question to
the net...Do others out there share such bad experiences as
the person who wrote?  Has my somewhat trouble free cycling in
NY and NYC (hard to believe) been unusually peaceful???
In general, I find that most people have a bit of admiration
for those of us on motorcycles, and are generally quite
civilized (even those in pickup trucks!).

                              David Sassoon
                              Columbia Univ. (Biology)