WANTED: Eyes in the Back of My Head (ROAD RAGE ACCOUNT)

[Hardware]

Long post - sorry.

Last Saturday, my wife had arranged to go shopping with a friend outside the city. She was going to travel in the other woman’s car to help with her (the other woman’s) twins.

At the last minute I decided to follow on my bike. The plan was to carry on past the shopping area, check out the roads near the coastline and meet them back at the shopping centre for lunch.

We made it out of the city and traveled 20 or so kms on the expressway. A kilometer or so before the appropriate exit, I moved out of the high-speed lane and into the far left lane preparing to take the exit.

I was in the left portion of the slow lane traveling with traffic and was moments from exiting when a Mercedes station wagon blitzed past me, in my lane. I routinely scan my mirrors and I never saw this idiot coming. He blasted past me and exited the expressway ahead of me. He went by so close (easily within a foot) that he would have normally forced me to swerve, except he went by so fast I had no time to react.

I stayed calm and decided I wouldn’t let that idiot get to me. I slowed and when I saw which lane he was taking at the tollgate, I ensured I took the lane farthest away from him. I paused a bit longer than normal at the tolls trying to get my money out of my jacket with gloves on.

I left the toll and now had to merge with another roadway. My wife and friend were now well ahead of me (they never witnessed the first encounter when I was exiting the expressway).

I matched the speed of the traffic and merged without incident. A short distance after this, I had to merge into another lane to avoid going back onto the expressway. I again matched my speed with the traffic and did a couple of shoulder checks. I noted a car behind me (in the lane I needed to merge into) and observed that I was slowly outpacing it. There was also sufficient distance for me to safely merge in front of it. I did one last shoulder check and started to change lanes. I had just crossed the line when the car screamed past me, this time passing within a couple of inches. I immediately swerved to the right to avoid the car. This was the closest call I’ve ever had. Sure enough, it was the same silver Mercedes wagon. I had been outpacing him moments before, he must have pinned the throttle to the floor to blow past me – all in order to carry on straight.

Our friend driving ahead of me saw the second near miss in her rearview mirror. I guess she thought for a second that I'd been knocked off the bike. Luckily my wife didn’t.

Traffic was stopping for a red light ahead, (including our friend’s car with my wife). The Mercedes was in the lane beside them and was at the head of the line. I had let the first near miss go, but after the second one within a minute, I was pretty mad. I lane-split and rode up to the car.

His windows were up but I pointed at him and cursed him out. I also indicated that I felt he was #1 in my book. He looked at me in utter confusion like he’d done nothing wrong. That actually made me madder – he was that bloody oblivious to his surroundings. After awhile he got mad and reciprocated his belief that I was #1 in his book. He even opened his door to get out but then reconsidered. This may have had something to do with our relative physical statures.

Anyway, the girls in the car wrote down his plate info and we’re thinking about lodging a complaint through the Japanese government.

WHAT I LEARNED:

1. I guess I shouldn't have confronted the idiot - however in Japan it's relatively safe to do so, compared to say, anywhere in the USA.

2. It doesn't matter how defensive you are when riding, we need eyes in the back of our heads.

car squids?

[Hardware]

No, not a squid. He was a middle aged man, driving with his teenaged son in the front and his wife in the back (that's typical in Japan).

[007]

wow, and we have this image of serious, mature people when we think of the Japanese. I guess they have their idiots as well.

[Madura]

I didn't realize Japan was left-side drive.

[SDSUsnowboards]

Idiots are everywhere in every race and in every country. Not simply limited to the USA which alot of people would like to belive. I didn't know you lived in Japan, I think that's awesome. I want to go there to snowboard and just experience the culture. I got hookups but so far not enough money even with them

[Louis]

That's where the reevu helmnet would come in handy. Anyone heard more about that helmet?

We had a guy a long time ago from that company who talked about his helmet.


http://www.reevu.com/motorsports.asp

[SuzukiGirl1]

Originally Posted by Louis

That's where the reevu helmnet would come in handy. Anyone heard more about that helmet?

We had a guy a long time ago from that company who talked about his helmet.


http://www.reevu.com/motorsports.asp

I couldn't find any pics of the helmet, have you seen what it looks like?

[themeatmanlandry]

Yes!! I'm not the only one willing to call someone on their stupidity!

One mistake (albeit a really bad one), and I can let it go. Two mistakes . . . obviously one of the selfish drivers out there.

Son in the front and wife in the back? WTF? That's no way to show the woman you love respect! She goes through 9 months of discomfort, capped off with a whole day of excruciating pain, and the son sits up front? What'd he do to gain respect? Get born as a boy instead of a girl? Yeah . . . THAT takes some doing .

[SuzukiGirl1]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

What'd he do to gain respect? Get born as a boy instead of a girl? Yeah . . . THAT takes some doing .

Sadly, yes, that's exactly what he did. I've got a friend who lives in Japan and is married to a Japanese woman. The whole family went to Japan for the wedding and stayed there for 3 weeks. (I didn't go) When they got back, I heard strange stories about how the women are treated there...and how the bars are.

I'm sure Hardware can fill us in, but I was told that people easily drop thousands of US $ in one night at the bars, and that Japanese men frequently get prostitutes, etc in the bars.

Hardware...can you add more?

[Louis]

Originally Posted by SuzukiGirl1

I couldn't find any pics of the helmet, have you seen what it looks like?

Go on the main page.

[DragonGold]

I deal with idiots like that all day long driving towtruck.


Perhaps not the most compassionate thing to say, but every once in a while, if you drive enough, you see their actions get the best of them, and they get whats coming to them. (Especially if your driving for coffee at 2:00 am in the morning, lol...)

[tlwisner]

Perhaps you should have been riding in the right slot of your lane, Japanese roads being where you drive on the left. This is referred to as lane control. Riding in the slot of your lane near the edge of the road is sometimes seen by stupid cagers as you ceding the right to your lane, as when bicycles ride along the edge of the road. You are more visible in lane when you are closer to the lane divider line.

Cagers are frequently stupid, riders need to do what they can to maximize visibility.

[inspiron]

My instructor recommended that I take the middle of the lane, especially on the motorway. If I'm too far left, I put myself at risk by the cages passing me, and if I am too far right, they cages may try to co-habitate my lane.

There are some sections of motorway nearby that have deep (like 3 to 4 inches deep, about about 1 foot wide) troughs caused by the 28-ton trucks that drive in that lane. The only place to ride is in the middle, where the lane is somewhat level. If you drift 2 feet to the left or right, you risk dropping the bike at 75mph - not a pleasant thought.

We also had alot of discussions about exting the motorway - how to get over onto the exit lane without being run off the road by a brainless cager. Basically, you have to act like you are wide (ride like you have a sidecar next to you), and take the whole lane.

But, at the end of the day, no matter what happens, you have to think for everyone, since most caged creatures tend to leave their brains in neutral.

[RG]

Originally Posted by inspiron

My instructor recommended that I take the middle of the lane, especially on the motorway.

I prefer to ride in the cager's left tire line. That way I am directly in front of the following driver. If traffic is heavy, I will move back and forth between that point and the centre of the road. I want to make sure that I am visible.

[Hardware]

Originally Posted by tlwisner

Perhaps you should have been riding in the right slot of your lane, Japanese roads being where you drive on the left. This is referred to as lane control.

I'm aware of lane control and normally employ it. This moron seemed so oblivious he probably would have run right over me had I been occupying that section of lane.

Originally Posted by SuzikiGirl1

I'm sure Hardware can fill us in, but I was told that people easily drop thousands of US $ in one night at the bars, and that Japanese men frequently get prostitutes, etc in the bars.

I'm sure it happens. Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world. We're used to it and think nothing of spending $100+ for a meal in a restaurant (for two). I've never gone to a club or bar but even having a few pints in a pub gets expensive fast.

As for the ladies of the night - Japanese culture is different from the West. Japanese businessmen and salarymen are expected to socialize more as part of doing business. Hostesses are common in many upscale establishments and Japanese wives are expected to turn a blind eye.

[Uncle Bob]

Riding in the left third of the lane ( in right hand drive countries ) is the prefered method showed by MSF.

This way you take control of the lane, are more visible to drivers in passing lanes, are more visible to oncoming trafic, are more visible in the mirors of the guy in front of you and keeps you off the center of the road where oil and other fluids from vehicles accumulates.

[Gixxerdale]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Riding in the left third of the lane ( in right hand drive countries ) is the prefered method showed by MSF.

This way you take control of the lane, are more visible to drivers in passing lanes, are more visible to oncoming trafic, are more visible in the mirors of the guy in front of you and keeps you off the center of the road where oil and other fluids from vehicles accumulates.

Not to be posting in the basement archives, but this deserves a comment. Uncle Bob makes a very good point.

Over the years I've noticed that if I am in the 1/3 of the lane directly in front of a car behind me, they give me much more distance normally. In the right 1/3 they are usually ready to kiss my tailpipe because I'm not a concern directly in front of them. Drifting left and then back to the right will usually cause them to back off to a safe distance.

In LA traffic, it is sometimes safer to be in the right 1/3 of the fast lane because the gap between lanes is the only escape route if you need it. Many freeways have no left shoulder to the left of the fast lane. Any attempt to avoid something in that direction places you immidiately into a 30 inch tall concrete barrier. The other option is to get squished between two cars!

Just my humble opinion from riding around for the past few (32) years. Most of the time I am in the left 1/3. Never the center, especially when it hasn't rained here in a while. It becomes an oil slick! OK, I'm done in the basement now!

[Clint]

Dale! What are you doing down there?! Get up here and stay out of the cellar!

[Gixxerdale]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Dale! What are you doing down there?! Get up here and stay out of the cellar!

Yes Sir, sorry. I tripped and fell down the stairs again!