Topic: I love when they make eye contact just before they pull out.

[grumpy]

What is it with that?!?!?

"I just wanted you to to be absolutely certain that, yes, I see you coming and I'm going to try to kill you now."

[Bailgang]

The title of your thread had me going hmm at first but I get it now. Yep that would piss me off too.

[cabrala]

The title of your thread had me going hmm at first but I get it now. Yep that would piss me off too.

Same here. I was wondering what I was going to be reading.

Assume there was a close call today Grumpy?

[flybox1]

rofl   

yep, at least once a week. 
my commute is through residential areas, so lots of 'em rushing to get work.
right hand ready for the brake, left had ready for #1 

[wardenerd]

twice this year a speeding motorcycle passed me{ I was speeding too!} And had someone pull out and kill them. Rode past both wrecks and it is sobering.  Remember your best defense is your own skill and common sense.  Oh yeah one guy came up on me and passed me in my lane to my right.  I never saw him til he passed me.

[grumpy]

OK, I really should have seen this coming but, damn, git yer brains out of the gutter! 

Yeah, close call last night. Left them with a size 12 boot print as a parting gift.
My best friend died that way. Riding to work, someone pulled out in front of him. He never came out of his coma.

[bluezboy]

I've lost count for how many times this has happened to me,of course I ride with the assumption that everyone, including other motorcyclist are freakin' idiots, sorry about, and keep myself prepared to correct their moronic driving!

[Duke McDukiedook]

Defensive driving is the key. Assume everybody is out there to kill you at every turn.

[madScientist]

Defensive driving is the key. Assume everybody is out there to kill you at every turn.

That's my thinking as well. On the road there is me...and then there's everyone who is trying to kill me. Sometimes that includes other motorcyclists.

[jamesb]

Defensive driving is the key. Assume everybody is out there to kill you at every turn.

Yep that's how you have to look at it. The problem areas are low rent(ghetto) section of town and college areas lawrence ks home of ku the kids are stupid they will walk right out in front of you. It's worse when they are behind the wheel.

[kghost]

Defensive driving is the key. Assume everybody is out there to kill you at every turn.

Assume nothing. Just accept the fact you are invisible. Ride accordingly.

[Gordon]

I learned a long time ago not to even bother looking at the driver's face.  As you've seen, eye contact means nothing, and they will pull right into your path regardless.  Focus on their front wheel.  That's the only thing that won't lie about their intentions. 

[demon78]

Gordon you've got it in one the definitive word!
Bill the demon.

[brandEn]

A lot could be lost in translation at the title and first post of this thread, but if you ride you know exactly what it means. What makes me nervous is when you know someone is getting ready to turn left into traffic and they are just staring right. Freaks me out every time.

[Retro Rocket]

I love the ones that think they are driving a semi trailer {18 wheeler}, they swing left then turn right or visa versa....

[Greggo]

I love the ones that think they are driving a semi trailer {18 wheeler}, they swing left then turn right or visa versa....

+1  Drives me crazy!!  They're always looking the direction they intend to turn, and not where the car/truck is actually veering

[demon78]

Watch the wheel, if it moves take evasive action, don't care whether it's break right or down 2 gears and hammer it or stop..
Bill the demon.

[petercb750]

As a motorcycle instructor, one of the main things we drive home to the students, is never, NEVER assume you have been seen.......ride like you are invisible to all other road users, cars and bikes alike.
Peter.

[tortelvis]

The trick is to perfect a "death stare" that says DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

[Retro Rocket]

I once had a guy in a Volvo almost take and the wife out in a suburban street, all i did was give the idiot the finger, as i was parking the bike parallel at the shop the Volvo turned around and tried to intentionally hit me, I parked the bike , the fool didn't realize that he had to do a U turn to get out of the dead end street, as he passed me again i swung at his mirror, it exploded all over the street {yes, i had gloves on} this time he didn't bother coming back, there are some absolutely brainless people driving around with little to no skill at all, quite scary at times....  This is a beauty, I was in Sydney and on the back of a friends bike on the way to a wreckers to pick up some small electrical parts for my nearly completed 900 F2 Honda boldor, a big fat pr1ck driving a taxi did a U turn and forced us up onto the footpath, Glen, the guy riding the bike went past the taxi and kicked the door, we threaded our way through traffic and were waiting at a set of traffic lights, for no reason I looked over my shoulder and saw the big fat Taxi driver running between cars with a hammer in his hands about 20 yards behind us, i yelled at Glen who had a quick look and we ran the light, never to see that idiot again...    Keep your eyes peeled for anything at any time....

[Bailgang]

In my particular case I was driver that scared the daylights out of a rider though it was unintentional. I was getting ready to pull out of a parking lot that had a lot of ruts in it where it emptied out onto the road. There was a small group of HD's coming from my left which I saw clearly however the guardrail running along side plus the position my car was in prevented me from seeing if anyone was coming behind them. The front tires of the car were in a small rut so in order to move forward just a bit to get a better view I had to blip the throttle just a tad to get the tires out of the rut but this made the car jump more than lurch and right at that very moment the lead HD rider was to my immediate left and seeing my car move like that just about made him dump his bike on the spot. I was in full control of the car and still well clear of his lane but from the rider's point of view it seemed like I wasn't paying attention and attempted to pull out and spotted him at the last second. That of course wasn't the case but I would've thought the same thing if I were in his shoes. Once he got his bike under control he angrily pointed his finger at me and I'm glad he didn't dump his bike because I doubt he would've believed my story.

[WhyNot2]

I learned a long time ago not to even bother looking at the driver's face.  As you've seen, eye contact means nothing, and they will pull right into your path regardless.  Focus on their front wheel.  That's the only thing that won't lie about their intentions. 

I always watch the front wheel.

When peeps say to me to be careful, I tell them:

"I'm as careful as I can be, it's the others that need to also be careful."

[bjatwood]

Assume nothing. Just accept the fact you are invisible. Ride accordingly.

Couldn't have said it better!

[madScientist]

Back when I used to chew tobacco I was riding in to work and this lady, who was on her cell phone, putting on makeup, and smoking a cigarette, crossed three lanes of traffic almost taking the front of my bike out...then crossed back doing the same.

I had a half helmet on with ready access to my chewing tobacco...which was then firmly splatted on her drivers side windshield.

Well this angered the wildebeest who then tried to run me down the next few miles...as she was running probably 30 miles over the speed limit trying to catch me a cop clocked and stopped her 2 miles later :-D

I have also had a guy in a Toyota Tundra pull next to me...in the same lane that I was in.

No shortage of stupid out there...

[dhall57]

The forecast looked good Friday so I took the 750KO to work. Took a late lunch around 2:00 and wasn't hungry so was just riding around for about a hour and enjoying the nice weather. Was on one of the more busy streets near work. The speed limit is 35 but everyone runs at least 10 over or better and I was just keeping up with traffic. Saw a car on a side street in front of me waitting to pull out as I was approaching and sure enough I saw the front wheel start moving and sure as tootin it came out in front of me SOA#$*^%(1st close call of the day)

5 min. later on the the same street another car that I was coming up on to pass decides to change lanes about the time the KO and me are at his back door. Backing off the throttle and making a quick maneuver to the right kept me from getting run off the road or maybe even hit SOA#$*^%(2nd close call of the day)

On the way home at 7:00 running between 60 and 70 on Interstate 40 the car in front of me decides to almost come to a complete stop to let a car merge onto the hwy. Thank God I replaced brakes, and rebuilt the caliper and m/c on the KO when I got it or else I might of been in that cars back seat. I was lucky to that no one was right behind me, if so I would of more than likely been there new hood ornament SOA#$*^%(3rd close call of the day)

So how was your day out and about on your sohc4

Fellow riders be careful and watch out for yourself and stay alert. It's a war zone out there

[70CB750]

Yesterday I had Suburban bully me at a 4 way stop, but I don't even count that  - that $hit is quite normal for motorcycle.  It was my turn to go, but the bastich just went without even looking at me.

[WhyNot2]

Yesterday I had Suburban bully me at a 4 way stop, but I don't even count that  - that $hit is quite normal for motorcycle.  It was my turn to go, but the bastich just went without even looking at me.

That's purty much an everyday occurrence for me.

[vfourfreak]

To avoid that dangerous stuff, I now only go riding at about 6 AM, up into the Cevennes mountains, stop for breakfast at about 7:30 home for 9AM. Two advantages : the loonies seem to get up late, and the police are only arriving on scene after wine and doughnuts. I've often seen them setting up their radars while on the way home (after a spirited outward trip) and waved to them, they even have the grace to wave back ! Gendarmes, you gotta love them. But seriously, riding at quiet times of the day works for me.

In the city, I ride like everybody is out to get me. They usually are.

Kev