Most Dangerous People on the Road

[viol8r]

I like to keep everyone far behind me. The semi's get a wide berth and I don't let myself get trapped riding next to them. Been in a lot of hairy predicaments and still get in some once in a while

[Guest]

Avoid hazards? I don't even feel safe sitting in my living room watching a game, you see it on the news every day, someone dies while in their bedroom thanks to a lost bullet,

When you purchase a motorcycle you accept the fact that it is not only fun but dangerous, and nobody is going to say otherwise, I don't care how expert they are. Riding a motorcycle implies be aware of your environment and have 100% of attention to the road, constantly monitoring your mirrors and your speed. After many years of riding you develop that extra sense of awareness. Let's remember that famous line: "Danger will Robinson, danger"

[This message has been edited by Waltman (edited 14 December 1999).]

[OB_Dirty Pete]

Police cars.

[OB_tinhead]

Love the reply D.P. Others in order are:
ANY MINIVAN: Soccer moms / dads with van full of screaming snotpickers throwing objects at driver or knawing on drivers ankles does not make good partner on road.
5.0L MUSTANGS: Especially when driven by women, but something about these cars seems to bring out the worst in everybody that I don't see in Z28's or firebirds.
SUV'S BEING DRIVEN BY CELLPHONE USERS: I think these people got the biggest vehicle possible to cut down on their injuries when the change lanes without notice (a lot of times they don't seem to notice it themselves) or get in the rearenders they cause.

[OB_BlackPanther]

This is the exact problem that a, now dead, motorcyclist had to face. A young kid in a mustang killed him. Stupid bastard. Happened here in Phoenix. Too many fatalities here lately.

~BP

[OB_SlowHand]

The really old drivers are almost all driving 70's or 80's American tanks. The tiniest old ladies are always driving the largest rigs, and usually all you can see is the tops of their heads.If you are paying attention, they aren't much of a problem. They move so slowly they can be avoided. The current menace in California and the Western states is known as the "aggressive driver" and he or she must be taken seriously. They cruise the Calif. freeways at about 20mph over traffic speed, dodging from lane to lane and diving through the smallest gaps when changing lanes.Their speed isn't the main problem. Their unpredictable lane changes, sometimes 4 or 5 lanes in one swoop creates a real danger. They come from the rear, often in your blind spot, and when the hole they are diving for suddenly closes, they either hit one of the cars they are trying to pass or cause everyone to panic brake. It's dangerous to be on a motorcycle when those idiots are around. I believe Nevada just passed legislation dealing with this.As I remember it,the law says basically that if in addition to speeding there are 2 or more other violations such as illegal lane changes, tailgating or generally reckless driving at the same time, the driver can be charged. Fines are in the 2500 range for a first offense, with several months in the slammer an option.
Sure, we speed and sometimes break other laws, even the gendarmes among us. If we are caught, we don't snivel, that's the price we pay for the sport we love. At the same time, we are usually a menace to nobody except ourselves. Not the case with the "aggressive driver."

[OB_Juanski]

Beware of car drivers wearing hats!!!

[OB_maui]

Juanski, the first time I heard that I laughed, but then a spooky pattern started to develop.....

[OB_SoreHead]

(Speaking only of Ireland)

Women. Plain and simple. Worst drivers on the roads here. They either don't know your there (well they'd need to adjust the centre makeup mirror to see behind) and if they do see you they try to stop you coming down the outside or inside by weaving intentionally (as do male BMW and merc drivers).

At junctions they pull up, look, see you coming, then go through the "is there time to get out? yes. no. yes. no. Oh". Then just as you get there they decide to pull out in front of you and accelerate at the same speed as a Tortoise with 3 legs. You lock up. Blast the horn and get the "it was your fault" look from them. Happens every day.

And another thing. When you're learning how to drive how come women manage to avoid the parallel parking bit of the lesson?

(Once agin this is referring to women drivers in Ireland and not anywhere else.)

[Guest]

I agree with Jamie 100percent.

[OB_Hapo]

...in the last fifteen years I been hit seven times...twice by drunken old men, (bad t-bones), once by a male teen, (rear ened), and rear ended by four sober young women... also one almost rear ended me on my DR this summer...and another tried to run me off the road on my TL last year...never even looked...Asians and seniors may be the"wosrt" drivers, but women drivers get my vote for most dangerous, followed closly by drunken drivers...sorry ladys...quit running into me and I'll chill on this!

[Guest]

Boy am I ever in trouble if Asians are the worst drivers Although in contrast that would actually make me look good

[OB_Jamie]

Oh, two last things I forgot to mention.

Anyone with New York plates.

I've been to NYC, not on my bike thank GOD, they are all on-the-offensive type drivers. Once out of their state they own the hammer lane. They drive up the on ramp get into the hammer lane and they only get out of it to get off the expressway. NOTE to them, the hammer lane in other states is for hammering, not for chillin'.

Second thing, When I ride, I expect everyone to try to hit me, almost like a game. I've never wrecked my bikes *Knock on wood*. I've come damn close and I figure they were all my fault. If I'd have been looking for them to try to hit me I'd have expected it.

If you do get into a jam, look at your exit not at the dump truck that just pulled out in front of you. I know it sounds stupid, but you aim for what you're looking at. I target fixed on the dump truck (in disbelief that he pulled out in front of me) and almost hit exactly where I was looking at it. Good thing I realized what was happening at the last minute and looked around the truck.

In the end I don't trust anyone's driving, I am not a good passenger. Those holy shiit handles were put in cars for me to hold on to. I couldn't be a Co-pilot.

BTW thanks for the support on the earlier post, if there's one thing I can do better than anyone else its complain. Does anyone know of a place looking for a professional b*tcher?

[OB_Juanski]

Maui, I was serious about the car drivers that wear hats. I drove a taxi for many years while in school and put in mega miles in city traffic, and the first time I heard that theory I laughed too. But when I started looking closely at the drivers that were making bonehead moves around me I found out that a surprisingly high percentage of them were wearing hats. Any kind of hat, it didn't seem to matter, a baseball cap,fedora,cowboy hat or a took! Now that I've mentioned it, I bet a few months down the road some more of you will make that same observation. The only explanations I could think of for this strange phenomenom are either

1. There is a certain personality or genetic trait that causes people to need hats, and the same trait predisposes them to be bad drivers
or
2.The pressure of the hat on their head affects their normal thinking and awareness somehow...

Anyway, this is a real phenomenom and if any of you watch for it you may be surprised!

[OB_valklex]

Elderly are the worst, and it's going to get the hell of a lot worse when millions of baby boomers become senile. Enjoy now before you get left out of the family inheritance for giving the finger to your dads. Ahhh, and don't ride at rush hour: use a gun instead and save the bike. It's a jungle out there!

[This message has been edited by valklex (edited 16 December 1999).]