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Don't be stupid.

2K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  benny hedges 
#1 ·
Listen guys. You know all those white work vans out there on the roads during the day? Like a semi, many of them have huge blinds spots. As a motorcyclist I am conscious to look twice. Others may not. I cannot believe how many people ride in my blind spot. Happened again today where a guy proceeded to ride right there. Despite convex mirrors on my van, I never knew he was there until we slowed for traffic. I assume he came on at an on-ramp. I shutter to think if I needed to change lanes.
 
#3 ·
Man I do so ever understand this. I drive a F-150 with a full cab high shell that I use for my business. I dunno how many times I have went to change lanes, and something told me to check again, and maybe a third time. Low and behold either a small car or a motocycle is there in the blind spot. Now I signal like way before I make a move, and check three times plus in doing so I speed up and slow down to catch them out of the blind spot. I just don't get people who hang their. Maybe they have a death wish!
 
#6 ·
And people should not ride in blind spots.

You can move mirrors all around as much as you want. In the end you are always going to have a spot or two that is hard to see. If I twist the mirrors out further, then I will not be able to see close to the van or behind me. Convex mirrors help a lot. But it is the nature of the beast. If it was as simple as positioning the mirrors, you wouldn't need educational programs like the No Zone. http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/nozone/noZone.asp

For the record, my van also has a camera for rear view while backing up. I have taken many extra steps to increase my ability to see around me. But you can't expect visibility to be like that in a full windowed vehicle.
 
#5 ·
tip - make eye contact with the driver in front so he knows you're there.

position yourself in the road so you can see the driver's mirrors, and make sure you have an escape route if he brakes suddenly or stops without indicating, as delivery vans often do.

if he isn't paying attention and doesn't notice you, pass him at the earliest opportunity.

unless of course you are riding a harley, in which case overtaking slow moving traffic isn't always possible.
but saying that, if you ride a harley, you are probably looking to rear end the person in front anyway......
 
#8 ·
Where I belong? I can't tell if you are being an ass or if you are referencing some law in your state. I travel with the flow of traffic, which tends to be a few miles over the limit. I will move over and pass slower vehicles as I see fit. I am not, however, a left lane cruiser. I use it to pass then move back over. There is no law here stating my 3/4 ton work van has to remain in a certain lane.
 
G
#10 · (Edited)
Where I belong? I can't tell if you are being an ass or if you are referencing some law in your state. I travel with the flow of traffic, which tends to be a few miles over the limit. I will move over and pass slower vehicles...clogging up both lanes going up a hill and not bothering looking over my shoulder when I make a lane change as I see fit. I am not, however, a left lane cruiser. I use it to pass then move back over. There is no law here stating my 3/4 ton work van has to remain in a certain lane.
It happened to me again yesterday. I wasn't cruising in anyone's blind spot. I was going the speed limit up a hill, passing traffic that was going 5-10 mph under. One of those bread trucks approached a semi in the slow lane. He must have been going a whole 2 mph faster than that semi. Didn't even bother looking at his mirror, let alone turn his head (God forbid that would be too much work) and nearly forced me over into the next lane. I got around him, but saw traffic backed up waiting for this idiot to make his move on this semi.

It takes two to have an accident.
 
#9 ·
Stay away from those trucks. They could kill you, and it is hard for them to see you.
Also, do not tailgate the trucks, or any vehicle, for that matter. If they stop, you won't be able to, and will whack into the back of them.
Stay away from trucks, and don't tailgate.
dc
 
#11 ·
Until you drive a big vehicle with large blind spots you do not understand how important they are to stay clear of. My winter vehicle is a 4x4 F250 that has blindspots large enough to park several civics in. I never ride in some one elses blindspots. As it was said earlier. It takes two people to be in an accident. I do everything that I can to make sure I am not one of them.
 
#15 ·
I will agree with this. Once you get in a big vehicle, you do not understand how hard it is to see. We have some pretty decent sized straight trucks at work and once I drove one of those, I made sure I stayed a ways back behind them so they could see me. Give large vehicles much more distance than a Civic.
 
#16 ·
It's also up to us whether the bike or the cage, watch for people that are going to try and pass the vehicle in front of them. If they are gaining on the person in front of them more then likely they will pass. Just let them pass instead of trying to beat them.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Until Motorcyclists realize that unless we can see the eyes of the drivers, they can't see us. Same goes for bikes in front of you, I had one try to blend into me while I was on my Goldwing 2 weeks ago. His head never moved to either side, even after I let loose with the airhorn. Stupid is forever!

By the way Duc, even here in California, no one "BELONGS" in the slow lane. Better reread the laws because only vehicles towing a trailer or another vehicle are subject to lane controls and 55 mph speed limit. They are allowed in lane 2 to pass. They are forbidden to be in lane 3 or higher.

Edited to add that the lane restriction also applies to vehicles with 3 or more axels. Not that it matters, but even if it has no bearing on the discussion, someone focuses on that one point then thinks they have done something bright.
 
#19 ·
When you see the truck behind the other truck going faster than the truck in front, you know he will go over. You don't know if he will see you, or if he will look, or if he will signal, so just prepare for it and let him go.
Motorcycle / truck arguments usually end bad.
dc
 
#24 ·
blind spot story

got pulled over for speeding a few weeks ago (new rider so i s*** my pants for no reason) while passing a wide load semi b/c i couldnt see his mirrors, after an explanation, cop was nice with just a warning, and actually said thanks cause he would rather give a tic than scrape some one off the road which he's done before he says
 
#26 ·
got pulled over for speeding a few weeks ago (new rider so i s*** my pants for no reason) while passing a wide load semi b/c i couldnt see his mirrors, after an explanation, cop was nice with just a warning, and actually said thanks cause he would rather give a tic than scrape some one off the road which he's done before he says
similar thing - i got pulled over by an irate traffic cop for vertaking a car on the inside at high speed, got a lecture in what not etc...
i said i passed as he was carrying 2 bicycles on the roof and they didn't look safe at 70mph+ and i didn't think the driver should've been weaving in and out of lanes.
the cop apologised and said he didn't even notice the bicycles as he was concentrating on me - leave it to me....
off he went, let me go and i passed him a few miles down the road making the car driver take the bikes down off his roof.

result imo.

another was after overtaking a skip (dumpster) wagon on a left bend - a big nono seeing as we ride on the left side....
i told the copper that when i pulled behind the truck at a set of lights, i could see a block of stone wedged between his twin back wheels and i didn't fancy it in my face.
again, off he went and pulled over the truck :D

so they're not all bad. good way of getting out of a ticket too imo, blame it on someone you've just passed and off you go!
 
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