Topic: you're never safe no matter how safe you are

[cb750fbomb]

When I lived in the LA area, moons ago I worked about 1/2 hour from where I lived and started to take the freeway to work, of course on a bike after about 3 days back and forth on the San Bernadino freeway I said to hell with it and started to take the service rd and it was faster safer etc, any how whilst on my travels I could look over at the San Berdoo and see people driving with their knees shaving, doing their hair, make up, eating, playing cards and now with cell phones it must be even worse, so nothing has changed in 40+ years except to get worse and from that perspective wearing a helmet is a pain because it cuts down on sight and sound and positional awareness, you have to be alert for the least little change in sounds, motion, whats around you, to survive. The thought has occurred to me that strapping 25 lbs of C4 on the bike and a detonator would mean that when they ran over you it wake them up temporarily of course you'd have to leave papers saying that you were the start of a motorcycle movement that was trying to bring alertness to cage drivers and soccer moms. God that would make them twitch.
Bill the demon.

Oh no. A biker jihad with suicide bombers

[andy750]

I can now add bicyclists to the list....I ran into one last night while making a right-hand turn at stop lights where I had right of way - the pedestrian cross-walk sign was on stop/red but this stupid girl runs it like it wasnt there and crashes into my front fender...I was furious as I had to slam on the brakes in a turn...she pointed at the crosswalk sign and said she had right of way...I pointed at it and said - its RED!!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaarrrggghhh.....K2 fender dented at the top  You are never safe from stupid people....

cheers
Andy

[Bob Wessner]

Sorry to hear Andy. Bicyclists are a never ending battle here in Ann Arbor also. Most, like anyone else are decent, common sense endowed. Unfortunately, there are enough not so endowed that they make life miserable. They hog lanes, run lights, cross in front of traffic with no warning.. you get the picture.

[fuzzybutt]

i know theres one lady here in forest acres that will never cut a biker off then yell at them like it's their fault after she had to have a new mirror put on the bmw suv 

[Gordon]

i've somehow learned to read what drivers are going to do before they do it, I can somehow tell when someone wants to change lanes before they even do, or signal or anything, or when they're going to try to pass etc... it's really weird but it works... except when I get surprised!!!!!

There was a discussion a couple of years ago where member "333" called this special ability that motorcyclists have "Enlightened Paranoia".  I think about that phrase every time I ride to work now because it succinctly and accurately describes the mental state you have to be in to survive on a motorcycle in traffic. 

You have to be aware of everything in your vicinity, be able to instinctively and instantaneously pinpoint what those objects can most easily do to harm you, and then put yourself in a position that would least likely allow that to happen. 

It would be really interesting to see a real-time brain scan of of an experienced
motorcyclist while riding in traffic. 

[mystic_1]

Agreed!

Situational Awareness

That said, one can never be perfectly safe and even with careful preparation you can find yourself in unavoidable situations, thus "Hope for the best, plan for the worst" is another favorite of mine.

mystic_1

[upperlake04]

  You have to be aware of everything in your vicinity, be able to instinctively and instantaneously pinpoint what those objects can most easily do to harm you, and then put yourself in a position that would least likely allow that to happen. 

  Excellent Gordon - logical and concise. You obviously don't smoke that stuff much any more.

[shacolaid]

I just read Havoc's post and responded there.    I reiterate what others have said. Stay alert! My great state of PA recently voted down a law that would require hands free cell phone use.
Granted, studies show that even talking with a hands free device is dangerous, but at least cage drivers would have 2 hands on the wheel when they hit you.