e-mail from student about road raging motorcyclist

[dihappy]

The art of capitalization, proper spacing, and sentence structure is dead.

As with all "art", appreciation is in the eye of the beholder :)

[RPBrown]

As stated before, that is "lane splitting". Not legal in Texas nor do I think it should be. I have been riding for 40+ years and believe me, all of my riding, especially in town, is defensive riding.

I love to ride and it is my choice to ride. However, the people in cars can look right at you and never see you. They are too wrapped up in their own little world to pay attention to the road. My wife was the same way, until she got her motorcycle and started riding. Now when she is in the car, she pays a whole lot more attention. I think that every driver should at least take a motorcycle course before they get their drivers license. It sure makes a difference in how you look at the road. But then again, there are those that just dont care and think they own the road.

[suthdj]

This is what I saw outside my house today, simply amazing.

http://www.gabthis.com/mc.wmv

[cb1000rider]

That's just a little sidewalk cruise!

[JP171]

I don't know your situation, but if you have had to produce your weapon 4-5 times in the last four years, it might be time to evaluate how you go about things.

Truer words never written.

true you don't know my situation, but since I haven't been to jail for it and the other guys have, hmm might need to take that into consideration before replying in the afore mentioned manner.

it boils down to the fact of where I live happens to be a bad area for wrecks, and being drunk makes one get mad about the wreck and the fact that one is now going to jail for DWI and a single MVA. so please just take it for what it is and reduce the judgmental rhetoric. thank you

no I have never posted any of these incidents here and never will nor do I post about LEO encounters, I do make comments about things I see specially the ones that give incorrect information and legal advice that is incorrect, I do post about when I see someone being an apologist for people who should not be still breathing or for bad behavior from civilian police or just John Q citizen. ok last edit on this to explain why I won't post the info, the stories, names and location have been omitted to protect the innocent, guilty and everyone else. the basic outcome is post-able because it contains no information that could be used to Identify anyone cept me

[JP171]

The last time I operated a motorcycle, I was on my brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900. The last time I saw my brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900 was as I slid down AZ 260 and my brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900 became airborne after sliding of the edge of the Mogollon Rim.
No cell phone, no make up, no burrito, no kids yelling or crying, no radio to adjust, no inattention. It was Bambi, his mother, a few of his cousins and for all I know Thumper and Flower were in the mix, standing in the middle of the freaking highway just beyond the apex of a curve in the road.
I have a picture of my brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900 taken just an hour before we parted ways. It was taken by my FIL as my wife (did I mention that she was with me?) and I departed the Swiss Village Lodge in Payson AZ on a scenic tour of Zane Grey country.
The picture of my brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900 is pretty worn and faded now. I've carried it in my pocket every Deer Hunting Season since 1977 in 6 states, 3 countries, 2 continents.
My wife says I am obsessed, that my behavior as I dance in the light of my campfire, the warm blood running down my chin and onto my chest as I savor the rich taste of Bambi's liver, is borderline crazy. What does she know? Did she ever own a brand new, root beer brown with orange pinstripes KZ900? No!

ok you made me choke on this, that's too funny

[kg5ie]

"I had a motorcyclist chase me down and bang on my car window while screaming at me while I sat at a light. I had no idea what his problem was."


After riding for 46 years, I can tell you that the motorcyclist had a beef. I don't doubt that the driver didn't have a clue what he did. They normally don't. I have chased a few cages myself for being clueless...but long ago. Now I just wave...with one finger.

[JP171]

"I had a motorcyclist chase me down and bang on my car window while screaming at me while I sat at a light. I had no idea what his problem was."


After riding for 46 years, I can tell you that the motorcyclist had a beef. I don't doubt that the driver didn't have a clue what he did. They normally don't. I have chased a few cages myself for being clueless...but long ago. Now I just wave...with one finger.

I usually use both hands to let them know they are #1 in my book. I dislike drivers of any kind of vehicle acting badly and driving worse, road rage gets oneself into jail, the hospital or worse. Truthfully I usually just twist the throttle a bit and escape its easier, safer and the police don't wanna take me to jail. Yes I ride a crotch rocket, no I don't exceed the posted limit normally, no I don't do whoolies stooopidies(stoppies) or swayin tween lanes, nor do I ride tween cars as in lane splitting cause cars have doors and cops have ticket books and steel bracelets. I behave myself when operating a motor vehicle, I will get gone fast if someone almost squishes me or slow down an let em have their collision with someone else.

[K.Mooneyham]

I went through several pages of this thing, but wow. Anyway, one thing I have noticed is bigger vehicles "bullying" smaller vehicles in traffic. It doesn't matter if its a "cage" against a MC, or a dually heavy-duty pickup against a compact car, or a big rig against just about any two-axle vehicle. The person in the bigger vehicle who REALLY wants to change that lane RIGHT NOW is going to use their size advantage to do so. Its about the driver, not just the vehicle. And unfortunately, a LOT of drivers out there just don't care, or think that the entire road belongs to them. Not saying it couldn't have been the MC rider's fault, though, because the number of wheels on the vehicle does NOT equate to whether the operator of that vehicle is an idiot or jerk. I don't think that operating a motor vehicle changes a person's behavior, but it can magnify it.

[gringo pistolero]

I went through several pages of this thing, but wow. Anyway, one thing I have noticed is bigger vehicles "bullying" smaller vehicles in traffic. It doesn't matter if its a "cage" against a MC, or a dually heavy-duty pickup against a compact car, or a big rig against just about any two-axle vehicle. The person in the bigger vehicle who REALLY wants to change that lane RIGHT NOW is going to use their size advantage to do so. Its about the driver, not just the vehicle. And unfortunately, a LOT of drivers out there just don't care, or think that the entire road belongs to them. Not saying it couldn't have been the MC rider's fault, though, because the number of wheels on the vehicle does NOT equate to whether the operator of that vehicle is an idiot or jerk. I don't think that operating a motor vehicle changes a person's behavior, but it can magnify it.

In vehicle veritas?

[AlaskanInTexas]

I don't know your situation, but if you have had to produce your weapon 4-5 times in the last four years, it might be time to evaluate how you go about things.

Truer words never written.

true you don't know my situation, but since I haven't been to jail for it and the other guys have, hmm might need to take that into consideration before replying in the afore mentioned manner.

it boils down to the fact of where I live happens to be a bad area for wrecks, and being drunk makes one get mad about the wreck and the fact that one is now going to jail for DWI and a single MVA. so please just take it for what it is and reduce the judgmental rhetoric. thank you

I wouldn't consider whether you have been jailed for your actions as a solid barometer for their advisability. I don't mean to appear judgmental; I am just saying that you have pulled your weapon with unusual frequency, which might make it worthwhile to stop and think about whether (a) you have just had bad luck (b) there is something about your environment that might be worthwhile changing or (c) there are ways in which you can further refine your conflict resolution/avoidance skills. It sounds like you have done a similar analysis and are okay with the results. If so, great - I'm not going to second guess you without walking in your shoes.

[gemini]

This is what I saw outside my house today, simply amazing.

http://www.gabthis.com/mc.wmv

That might be legal if he had installed training wheeels

[cb1000rider]

I agree with above. Statistically, that frequency is bad and that's all we're saying. Personally, I'm not pulling a gun on a mad drunk. I can avoid a drunk without any problem and although I don't have a duty to avoid him/her, that's the course of action that I'm taking.

Producing that gun puts too much liability on me... Too many LEOs arrest CHLs when they're following the law, so I don't trust them to be a good bar of what was justified display or not...