Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Freeway incident

Saw a scary incident Saturday night on the Stevenson Expressway in the Chicago suburbs. Wife and I were in the far right lane, pretty heavy traffic, Guy on a Goldwing was in the far left lane about 4 or 5 cars ahead of us. Mitsubishi Eclipse doesn't see the Honda and changes lanes into the same piece of real estate occupied by the Goldwing. Rider hits the shoulder, whoas up and slips back in behind the Eclipse. Here's where it gets interesting.

Guy on the Goldwing changes lanes to the middle lane, pulls up next to the Eclipse and flips off the Eclipse driver. Eclipse driver responds by intentionally swerving at the Goldwing rider twice and then changing lanes into the middle lane, pushing the Goldwing rider into the far right lane. The guy in the right lane ahead of me sees whats going down and slows down and lets the rider over. Guy in the Eclipse then jumps back into the far left lane and takes off like a bat outta ******. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the plates while it was going on and then were blocked in by traffic, otherwise I woulda followed and got the plates for the cops...

Moral of the Story: No matter what the cager does, remember mass will generally win in an accident and there are some unstable bastages out there...

BASS TURD! Mass wins everytime.

Really hard not to respond to something like that but this shows it really pays to let it slide and keep your cool.

That's where a really loud horn can work for you - cage drivers are more likely to get back into their own lane and less likely to trigger road rage.

I need a better horn. I'm embarrassed to use mine.

Uh huh...and BESIDES the "Mass wins everytime" thing there, DON'T FORGET that there's VERY dominant streak that seems to run VERY deep in our present american culture that the WHOLE friggin' IDEA of being CONTRITE after you SCREW UP(just like that this moron in the Eclipse who almost certainly DIDN'T check his friggin' BLIND SPOT before he manuevered into that Goldwing rider's lane) is NOW evidently a "QUAINT OLD CONCEPT" out there anymore!!!

So YEAH, Mr. Goldwing Rider, WHY even waste your friggin' TIME by ATTEMPTING to instruct that moron in "the finer points" of COMMON COURTESY afterwards, huh??? WHAT?! Don't you REALIZE that there's now WAY TOO MANY morons out there nowdays who DON'T even know what the VERY simple phrase "I'M SORRY" even MEANS anymore, LET ALONE how to even SAY IT???!!!

(yep...and my "theory" about THAT is that these morons like that think they're not bein' "macho enough" if they apologize...the friggin' losers!!!)

You're right on about that "culture" thing, Dwight. In the old days, a moron like that would be at least contrite. Not anymore! I hate to be sexist, but I've said it once, and I'll say it again. The most dangerous and rudest driver on the road today is a young, good looking woman in a newer car. They will not only nearly kill you with their car, they will glare at you if you look at them afterwards!

I would have given the bird. Rsehole. Ggrrrr. I love these guys. What a sack. Pity you didn’t get the plate.

Yeah, have to agree with Dwight on the culture thing and Richard on the horn idea. I agree Cynthia... our stock horns are not only useless but embarrassing ta boot.

You're absolutely right Dwight. Pointing out their error never gets contrition only aggression. People are far more aggressive IN their cars than they would ever be standing on the sidewalk. It's like the car has become their armor and they are insulated from the normal requirements of reasonable human interaction. And to question a guy's driving is to challenge his manhood. Poor pathetic things that have to use a vehicle to represent their masculinity (oops that might refer to me and motorbikes)

Actually something similar happened to me a few years ago. A guy in a big rough white 4x4 ute (pickup in American) that had pig dog cages on the back cut into my lane right in front of me without indicating and I had to jump on the brakes. My "meep meep" horn wasn't even noticed so I changed lanes and rode up beside him and angrily showed him which finger he could sit on.

Well he gunned his V8 and chased me. I was able to keep ahead of him and then we came to some traffic waiting at a red light so I neatly slipped between the lanes of waiting cars leaving him stuck at the back.

So I safely escaped but I was nervously watching my rear mirror for the rest of the trip - and I kept a look out for that particular vehicle from then on because my patch is unique and he may have made a note of it.

Lol.. almost got flattened today... I was going straight through an intersection and a land-barge made a right-hander right in front of me....I leaned on the horn for a few seconds... Later, I got aside it. The two teenage-looking girls inside looked at me like I was crazy... Pretty much confirmed what I thought: They never even noticed me when they cut me off... and wondered why the crazy guy on the bike was blowing his horn at them...

Stupidity is generally more dangerous than malice...

Ya know folks, after giving this some more thought, I'm going to give that moron in the Eclipse the benefit of the doubt here.

And ya know WHY I'm going to do that? Well...it's because maybe, just MAYBE the FACT that there seems to be HALF a dozen friggin' ways to say "screw you' with your hands and fingers, but THINK about THIS: Is there REALLY a way to say with your hands OTHER than with seemingly useless manner of a raised open palm to say "Sorry, I screwed up here. Please forgive me"???

And soooooooo, MY suggestion is from NOW ON whenever we screw up out there on the road and cut somebody off or generally act like we weren't using that thing nestled between our friggin' ears, that we stick up a fist, palm out and lift our little pinky finger up SIGNIFYING to the offended party that that little finger is just about the amount of our BRAIN we were usin' WHEN we screwed up!!! Remember now...palm OUT, as I believe palm IN with this configuation would signifying to the offended party that you were questioning their...ahem..."endowment" status, so to speak)

Okay, okay. So it doesn't HAVE to exactly be THIS suggestion. I'm just throwin' out ideas here, you understand. BUT, there HAS to be SOME kind of message of contrition that those morons with kids can start teachin' their little rugrats out there...RIGHT???!!!

(and HEY, just THINK...if this thing catches on, it COULD just make the world a slightly better friggin' PLACE to LIVE and DRIVE/RIDE IN...don't cha THINK????)

Did you miss this part Dwight?

"Eclipse driver responds by intentionally swerving at the Goldwing rider twice and then changing lanes into the middle lane, pushing the Goldwing rider into the far right lane."

Give the Eclipse driver the benefit of the doubt?
I say throw a grenade at him.

Well CERTAINLY, Thanassis!!! Well, that is IF you happen to carry that sort of ordnance with ya! And THEN, by all MEANS, be my guest and do that ol' John Wayne trick and pull that pin out with your teeth and lob away, dude!!!

(well, that is IF you're not wearin' a full face helmet anyway...that would make that MUCH harder to do, ya know!)

BTW Thanassis, I believe it was established that said Eclipse driving moron DIDN'T try to run the exasperated Goldwing riding semi-moron off said road UNTIL the latter pulled up next to the former and proceeded to "offer his opinion about the other's driving skills...or lack thereof"!

My somewhat extreme example only served the purpose of emphasis.

Let me elaborate on my stance.

Since we were talking about "the benefit of the doubt" I ask myself this:

Picture this ... a rider pulls up alongside you on a highway and gives you the finger, immediately after you have made a change in lanes.
Does it not occur to you that you may have cut him off, perhaps among other things?
Furthermore, does he (the rider) deserve to to be pursued and having his LIFE endangered (further).
Does the rider (and potential victim) not deserve the benefit of the doubt?

Does the overwhelming mass of the Eclipse' driver's vehicle justify him to do what he did and does it appeal to his sense of fair play?
Would he have done the same if on a motorcycle ... probably not.

Semi-moron? Try arch-malakas.


(I had 10 minutes to spare ).

Have found myself acting similiar to the Winger at times until I catch myself and think 'What the heck are you doing?' Yup, the car will win everytime. Best just to back off and be glad it wasn't worse. Wonder if the Eclipse driver was on a friggen cell phone?

Ah, the perfect auxiliary use for a ball peen. Just sayin'...

Keep your old spark plugs. Whack them with a hammer and keep the two or three ceramic pieces in your left jacket pocket. Pull up next to them and simply flick a piece of ceramic/porcelain against their window.

For some reason the sharpness and density of the porcelain will 50% of the time shatter the side windows.

Much lighter than a hammer and if done from their blind spot they have no idea you did it.
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On another note, has it ever crossed anybodies mind that people with guns, heavy meds, felony records, 1%er bikers, etc. etc. drive cars too.

If they were oblivious to the infraction and you pull up giving them the one finger salute, it doesn't have to end well. They consider you the aggressor.

If a cop sees it all the cage will get the appropriate lane change ticket and the biker gets the appropriate road rage arrest for the aggressive gesture.

I just wonder if its worth it.

themitsubishieclipsewasmarbleworthy

It's like the NFL - The guy who RESPONDS to the physical insult gets the penalty!

I had some smartarse do that sort of thing once on the 101 freeway. I reached into my toolbag, pulled out a length of chain and he went away very quickly.

I was having similiar problems with cagers here in Vegas after I first got my Speedmaster.

I just back off and avoided the idiots. Then a light went on. Instead of carrying my 1911 .45 ACP in a IWB holster and concealed {I have the permit} I started to wear it in a very conspicious holster on the right hip.

Now all the cagers can immediatly see that not only am I wearing a gun, but it is a big gun and on the other side one my left hip are a couple of magazines also resting in very conspicious holders.

Amazing......I hardly every have any problems on the roadways if you discount the people who make left turns from the opposite direction and always seem to not see you or underestimate your oncoming speed. I have given up riding in the left lane of any city street as my chances of getting swiped by a left turning cager is best in that lane.

If I am in middle lane then there is a better chance that they might see me. I also avoid riding behind a van, truck or other vehicle which could hide my presence from an oncoming vehicle.

It is scary out there on the road. The best chance of survival is to ride in a group of bikers and increase your chance of survival. At least someone may stop to help you.