I had a close call yesterday evening on my bike. I was riding home from work and if not for the vigilance and care of a car driver I'd have been hit and hurt. As motorcyclists, none of us like to count on car drivers' vigilance and care and we try never to have to, but for a few critical seconds I was not on my game.
This morning, cold, reasoned assessment of my performance in the incident yields about a D for this rider, but perhaps a lesson for us all if not just me.
I was waiting at an intersection to turn right. A friend of mine drove by, tooted and waved. The light changed and I made my turn and quickly caught up with him. I was riding an unfamiliar machine that I just finished repairing and had put only about 60 miles on, a 84 Honda Goldwing---compared to riding my 78 CB750 it's a ponderous hulk and has more buttons than my entire closet contents. My friend was in the left lane, I was in the right parallel to him and we were coming to an intersection where the light had just turned green. The van in front of him was making a left turn, I was trying to find my horn button and riding next to my friend's car hugging the left portion of my lane, I tooted my horn, hit the gas and simultaneously shifted into the right side of my lane as I entered the intersection. The car turning left in front of me emergency-stopped halfway into my lane and I went by her bumper about a foot away with no time to even swerve much less brake. She had not seen me hidden by the van until just in time as it turned and I came out from behind it.
Strikes against me:
Riding an unfamiliar bike in an aggressive fashion.
Being distracted by "playing" rather than riding.
Being distracted by trying to find the horn button for the first time.
Riding in the wrong portion of the lane approaching an intersection under these conditions.
They say it takes just 2 negative circumstances combined to create an accident. I was approaching that intersection with 4.
Like many bikers, I habitually expect the worst behavior when it comes to car drivers and will continue to do so----it's an attitude that helps keep us alive. But yesterday, for just a few seconds, I was off my game and that driver saved me from myself.
Something to think about.
