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Besides that...

I was heading into town today to the post office. At the bottom of a hill, there is an intersection, a "T", with a road coming out from the right as the main road curves to the left. Most people coming out of that road are heading to the left, up the hill. Most people coming down the hill turn right, onto that road. It's just the nature of the routes. I always put my left turn signal on as I near that road if I'm heading into town. There is no left turn there, it's just to let people know I'm not turning right so they don't pull out in front of me....
Today, I did just that. A young girl in one of those "squatmobiles" - some nondescript oriental minicar - pulled up to the stop sign and then proceded to pull out in front of me. As I was grabbing the binders and dropping a gear or two, an suv, a little one, not an SUV, pulled out right behind her. Must have been following her.

Luckily, no one was coming in the other lane, so I moved over only to discover that the girl in the squatmobile was making a left into a church parking lot. So I goosed it, swerved right in front of the suv, went off the road on the right, passed Miss Clueless, and recovered back in my lane.
As I proceeded, I noticed in my mirror that the suv followed her to church...

Now the "problem".

I didn't get mad. Didn't rant, flip the bird, or otherwise go berserk.
I didn't shiver in fear at what might have been. I just went on my way as though it was just another adventure in motorcycling.
No drugs or alcohol were involved. I just didn't react.
Is this normal? Dangerous? Alzheimers?

Some would call it Zen.

Others would say that like many of us, dodging morons has become so routine you've become Comfortably numb.

I think its normal.

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I didn't get mad. Didn't rant, flip the bird, or otherwise go berserk.
I didn't shiver in fear at what might have been. I just went on my way as though it was just another adventure in motorcycling.
No drugs or alcohol were involved. I just didn't react.
Is this normal? Dangerous? Alzheimers?

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maythepeepsalwaysbewithyou.

Ahhh, my good man. You,like me,have become Comfortably Numb

Normal is good. Every time I resist the urge to extend my middle finger in salute to other drivers/riders I get closer and closer to inner peace...

Just one question Deon:

Did you happen to notice either immediately before, during or after this particular Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb Moment if there were any other involuntary phenomena involved, such as the tightening or relaxing of any muscles whose main function is to control the discharge of any bodily wastes, perhaps?


('cuz THAT sure sounded like a pretty darn close call TO ME, dude!)

hmmmmm, interesting ,

I had one of those yesterday, make that two, but the one of note. -->

Going down the 2 lane MT Hwy 200 I was watching an oncoming pickup truck. He/she started to drift across the center line, as I watched it kept on drifting until it was about 1/2 in my lane. About this time & slowing down I started to think, "This could get interesting" (cell phone?, dropped fries? medical problem?). About that time I also started crowding the extreme right hand side of the lane.

The pickup veered hard right at the same time I politely pointed towards the lane they were supposed to be in. Whatever.......

jh

Even as Brad Pitt can get "used" to seeing Angie naked,
you have gotten "used" to the constant danger. It takes a higher threat level to get you riled.
Happens to me all the time.
You're not normal, you're a biker. That's better than normal.

No tightening or loosening of anything, except maybe my grip on the bars.... Just sort of a motorcycle "hokey pokey".
You swerve the left lane in, you swerve the right lane out, you put it back on the road and straghten it out.

That's what it was all about ...

Numb, but with reflexes. That's a good thing.

What do you think the chance are that the average cager is aware of whether the road continues on in front of them? Especially if they are intending to turn anyway? The best use of turn signals is to lull traffic in the next lane into thinking you intend not to change into their lane. Otherwise, they will speed up and try to block your move. The best way to do this is either put on the wrong signal or leave the correct one on for several miles to make them think you just forgot to shut it off.

I know that move! I'm driving along in the right lane of a 4 lane road with my rear wheel equal to the front wheel on a woman's bumper. She wants to be where I am and just turns her wheel and moves into my lane. I looked back and she was looking right at me and I swerved right over onto the wide shoulder(thank God) and then did the hokey-pokey back where the charming lady passed me-just as the shoulder was running out at the driveway to a business.

Then she took off like blue blazes, afraid I guess I would catch her at the next stop light and give her my opinion of her heritage.

The hokey-pokey is a standard motorcycle avoidance skill.

happens all the time..this morning, coming up on a mom in a suv, she going slow in the left lane, me going the speed limit in the right. I'm thinking, how can she see out the back with all those stickers on the window..when she changed lanes on me, ****** near taking me out hard.
I had to go to the shoulder, goose it good, and get back on in front of her, all on automatic, and didnt even get mad..ooooommmmmmmm another facet of getting older i guess
G

Your method of dealing with it by far the best. I have a buddy who completely loses his cool everytime one of these events happen. I'v tryed to tell him. Look man. When you flip out, an go to ranting it ruins your day. Not their's. I tryed both ways in the past. I'v found im a much happier person when I just say to myself. Dam.. that was close and ride on.

I completely agree with all said above. Like you D, I have come to fully expect, or even predict certain behaviors/ actions/reactions from cages. I just calmly try to avoid/ give space / zoom ahead if need be......just whatever it takes to get home safely. Adventures in Motorcycling! yes that's it I think you have it right there. T

I hope to someday reach this "Zen"... takes a lot for me to flip the finger but I've done it a few times... people on the phone while driving scare me to death, last week a woman on a giant SUV cut me off, I raised my hand (did not flipped her) she realized that she cut me off, she moves back to the lane she used to be... I thought to myself... WTF you move back for, you already cut me off! If I was a little further she would have ran me over with her giant SUV. HANG UP AND DRIVE!

LoL !!!

I had another one ignore the horn today. Had to hit the brakes. Although I considered giving the dude the eye, I decided not to bother the other drivers by stopping trafic.

I think we owe it to the next guy to attempt to make an impression on these people in an effort to get them to think next time.

I always think of what might have happened if it were my less experienced wife in the situation rather then me.

Just yesterday I was waiting at a redlight. I could see the light for the other direction turn yellow then red as a guy went through. No big deal really as you have to expect that last guy trying to beat the yellow. The next guy however, who sped up to about 45 (in a 25) in order to flat out run the solid red got my attention!

I got his attention at the next intersection and told him in great detail what would happen to him if he killed anyone I knew pulling that stunt.

Maybe it won't have any affect on him, maybe it will. You have to at least try though.

Just found this thread

Yup as I explained in its own thread and old lady came up along side me at a red light and tried sharing my lane all while running over, and stopping on top of my foot. I pulled it out gave her car a kick and went on my way. No harm no foul and a funny story to tell. Its normal stuff I guess

Greg, where in Vermont? Not too many lights up there

There's a couple notorious intersections around here where people REALLY run the light. Like there's a delay between their red and my green, and people still START going thru the intersection when I get my green. I LAY on the horn and let people know they are stupid, even in my car. It's not only dangerous, but arrogant of people to cost ME time during my commute because they are in a rush.

Once they start shooting us, all bets are off......

web page

Burlington, where there's more stoplights in the city limits then in the entire rest of the state.

Normally I'm just yelling at cows and deer.

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Normally I'm just yelling at cows and deer

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Do they listen any better?