What was your last close call?

[Sandman]

Mine was 2 weeks ago on my way home from work. I was stopped at a light in the right lane of a dual left turn lane. Waiting at the light I noticed an older man next to me on the left. Resting on the seat next to him was his cane, the kind with the forearm cuff. For whatever reason, it made me think of the pharmacy on the corner (on my side). The light turns green and the car in the left lane, mid way through the turn (1) merges into my lane and then (2) proceeds to almost come to a complete stop before turning right, into the pharmacy. The old codger knew I was there as he was looking at the bike while we were stopped, but then made no hesitation about merging almost into me once we got moving. I had a gut feeling he was going to do this, so I didn’t take off as quick as I normally do.

No harm done, but the driver behind him and I just shook our heads and kept going.

[Rockhead]

It wasn’t on a bike but three weeks back while waiting in the left hand lane for a green arrow an oncoming car appeared to not be slowing. The light changed for us to go but I waited and sure as enough an old man and his wife blew through the red light. It was a double left hand turn lane; luckily the other driver on other side of me saw it also.

[Mavman]

In the CAR.......we were almost broadsided by another while trying to escape the mall yesterday.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Rockhead

It wasn’t on a bike but three weeks back while waiting in the left hand lane for a green arrow an oncoming car appeared to not be slowing. The light changed for us to go but I waited and sure as enough an old man and his wife blew through the red light. It was a double left hand turn lane; luckily the other driver on other side of me saw it also.

There has been a real crackdown by city and county police here lately, for those who try and catch the last bit of yellow light. Sometimes you have to sit at your green light for 5-10 seconds to let the yellow and red runners get by.

[Rockhead]

Oh there's no way in hell that light was yellow, he just plain out didn’t see the stop light.

Now the intersection he blew had one of those cameras on the pole, but being out here in the burbs im not sure if they are writing tickets for stop light violations like the city does.

[DrBob]

Friday I pulled out of work at the light to go to lunch on the Harley, first in line with several cars behind me. The driveway intersects a 4-lane undivided road, and I crossed two lanes and turned left. The car in the slow lane stopped, but an 18-year old kid on a cell phone ran the light in the other lane, which had been red for about 7 seconds, and hit the third car out without ever touching the brakes. Typical day in the city.

[Firedog]

Last week (on the bike), I was riding home from work along the "Coralville Strip". As I was approaching a car that was waiting to pull out, I just knew he was going to go regardless of me being there. Since I knew it, I was ready and was able to stop and hit the horn while the guy slowed to a stop with a bewildered look on his face.

Here's to hoping that we are always prepared for the idiots around us!

[LCA_koolaid37]

Mine was 5 days ago. T'was a Friday night and all the troopers were gathered around the old watering hole. After a good many beverages of alcoholic delight, mine eyes were a bit jaded in their appraisal. I saw a 10, though my friends rightly saw a 4. And when I estimated her weight to be 135, they later told me it was much more. As I swooped in for the kill, with my lips in a grin and my mind in some gutter, Wing Man Numero Uno headed me off at the pass. I was freed from the bondage of an intoxicated mind and endowed with salvation from putting my penis in something most undesirable.

Yes, yes... t'was a Friday night ago, with all the troopers gathered 'round the watering hole.

[inspiron]

LCA, there's a quote I read recently that seems to fit to your story:

"I've never gone to bed with an ugly woman, but I've woken up next to a few."

[jimr]

Saturday afternoon. Sitting in the outside left turn lane,the inside one is for U turns only. Lady in a minivan next to me. Light turns green, I start out as does she. I knew right away she was confused and was making a left instead of a U turn. Got on the gas to get out of her way, don't think she ever realized what she did.

[AZRyder]

Mine was about 2 weeks ago. Riding home from work, I was in the left lane of a 3 lane road, a small nissan truck about 50 feet in front of me, and a car in the middle lane about 50 feet behind, no other traffic behind us. Semi decides that he's just going to pull out in front of us, making a wide turn that covered all of the lanes. The truck stands on his brakes and I almost fishtail but stopped in time. We were only doing about 40. I pulled up next to the truck at the next light and just looked at him and shook my head. He rolls down his window and says "I had to turn, I would have never made it out with all the traffic if I didn't" That really pissed me off, I said, So, you risked my safety and the other vehicles so you could be on time, you a**hole. His response was, "Well, you stopped ok didn't you? So what's the problem" I wanted to get off the bike and pull him outta his truck and beat the crap outta him. No wonder there's so much road rage.

[Rockhead]

Originally Posted by jimr

Saturday afternoon. Sitting in the outside left turn lane,the inside one is for U turns only. Lady in a minivan next to me. Light turns green, I start out as does she. I knew right away she was confused and was making a left instead of a U turn. Got on the gas to get out of her way, don't think she ever realized what she did.

Iv never seen a dual u-turn lane in my life. Then again IV never seen a u-turn only lane.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by AZRyder

Mine was about 2 weeks ago. Riding home from work, I was in the left lane of a 3 lane road, a small nissan truck about 50 feet in front of me, and a car in the middle lane about 50 feet behind, no other traffic behind us. Semi decides that he's just going to pull out in front of us, making a wide turn that covered all of the lanes. The truck stands on his brakes and I almost fishtail but stopped in time. We were only doing about 40. I pulled up next to the truck at the next light and just looked at him and shook my head. He rolls down his window and says "I had to turn, I would have never made it out with all the traffic if I didn't" That really pissed me off, I said, So, you risked my safety and the other vehicles so you could be on time, you a**hole. His response was, "Well, you stopped ok didn't you? So what's the problem" I wanted to get off the bike and pull him outta his truck and beat the crap outta him. No wonder there's so much road rage.

This sounds like a case of, "I'm the bigger vehicle, screw you." Though I think semi's are for the most part courteous on the highways, they do take some unnecessary chances in the cities.

I think alot of soccer mom's in their SUV's have the "vehicle size" mindset due to the sense of security it brings. There's almost not a day that goes by where I don't see a soccer mom, usually on the phone, cut off another car. One might chalk it up to just not paying attention, but I'm sure that the "bigger vehicle" mindset plays a part.

[jimr]

Rockhead, we don't have many U turn only lanes around here either. This was an afterthought on DOT's part I think. The road is a truck route that they just added two schools on. The traffic coming out of the school and making U turns forced them to add it. Really a piss poor design.

[AZRyder]

Yeah probably. I don't have a problem with most trucks except for those like him and those morons who drive with a load of gravel up the freeway and don't cover their loads.

Working in Scottsdale, I see a lot of soccer moms in the Escalades yakking on the phone driving with one hand, one was in the left lane whilst I was in the right one time and she turned right from the far lane right in front of me, cutting me off.. Luckily my dingbat detector was on that day

[metric sprocket]

The old guy seeing you but still cut you off.As much as I do not like noise I found a louder pipe a safer pipe It seems to let people know were there.,,<definition of loud pipe > a magnified pleasent sound. Got one eye on the road one eye in the rear view mirror not much goes on that I don't see or hear At my age that's a plus.Happy safe 007 Ron

[MOTOHOLIC!]

Mine was not in a car or on a bike. My sister and I were down at the railroads throwing rocks in the back of a slow-going train. We could hear another train coming from about 1 1/2 miles away. We stayed on and kept throwing rocks. Here it came, chugging around that corner. He saw us, too. If he had actually caught us, we would have been fried. Once a train engineer did chase me and my oldest sister, but we got away.

[kyro2000]

My last close call was telling the girl that I was dating at the time that a particular dress made her look fat (I was drunk and trying to be sarcastic, she was almost too skinny, but she worried about it). That was the closest I come to death in a while.

[SoCalCruisin]

My last one was a couple weeks ago heading home from work on Pacific Coast Highway. I was approaching the first intersection after a stretch of open road and I was slowing from about 60mph to the 45mph section coming up. I had the green light, but I could just tell that the young woman in the lifted Ford Crewcab was gonna pull out anyhow. She was looking right at me and she pulled right into my lane. I had the time to slow and change lanes, and I flashed my high beams and sounded my horn. As I passed her I gave her a pissed off look and shouted "Do you see me now?!" She just looked at me like I was crazy. Then she actually caught up to me, rolled down her window and asked if I just yelled at her. I told her exactly what I had just said, and she replied that yes, she had seen me, so what? Realizing this woman is a nut, and much bigger than me, I just got as far away from her as I could.
Of course riding as much as I do in this area with all the traffic, I actually have minor close calls quite often. It keeps you on the alert always.

[DustEater]

My sister and I just about got shot in the head by a high-powered rifle.