Just got "Sideswiped", need to vent.

[Alex]

We have hazard lights, just not ones that you can access while in motion. When you turn the key left to turn the engine off, there is that one more step beyond 'off' you can go to, which turns on flashers. Obviously, in order to do this the bike needs to be off...

It's important to be careful not to turn these on by accident, because it'll drain your battery pretty quick if you don't notice them as you get off the bike.

I think in the case of the original post here, the car did it intentionally, so sneaking up in a quieter and less noticeable fashion would have worked better. Sort of like how when you want to change lanes in heavy traffic you don't just leave your turn signal on the whole time, because people would see it and try extra hard to keep you out of their lane.

[NAKID]

We have hazard lights, just not ones that you can access while in motion. When you turn the key left to turn the engine off, there is that one more step beyond 'off' you can go to, which turns on flashers. Obviously, in order to do this the bike needs to be off...

On my 05 and 06 Monster, the only thing turning the key to "P" (park) does is turn on the parking light, no flashers...

[ducpenguin]

On my 05 and 06 Monster, the only thing turning the key to "P" (park) does is turn on the parking light, no flashers...

+1 07 S4R...just parking lights.

[zenjim]

I think in the case of the original post here, the car did it intentionally, so sneaking up in a quieter and less noticeable fashion would have worked better. Sort of like how when you want to change lanes in heavy traffic you don't just leave your turn signal on the whole time, because people would see it and try extra hard to keep you out of their lane.

Dude, traffic is stopped and I'm the only thing in between the lanes. Ain't a lot of sneakin up to be done.

Just remembered that Tues & Thurs I take my Eskrima* sticks with me to work for class afterwards. If this had been yesterday and I stopped the bike and he gets out of the car - could've been a real Jet Li scene.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima

[NAKID]

Dude, traffic is stopped and I'm the only thing in between the lanes. Ain't a lot of sneakin up to be done.

Just remembered that Tues & Thurs I take my Eskrima* sticks with me to work for class afterwards. If this had been yesterday and I stopped the bike and he gets out of the car - could've been a real Jet Li scene.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima

Link Fixed

[NuTTs]

Could have been very painful without full gear. You had a lucky escape dude! 

[sh]

zenjim, glad you are ok!!!!

was there a car on your right or was there a gap that this guy was going for?  it sort of sounds like he did it intentionally.  I had someone do this to me once breaking my rearset (and somehow not my leg).  I think some people are just pissed off that they have to sit in traffic and do crazy things as a consequence.  I often remind myself that the cars want to kill me.

also, I would venture to guess that it isn't legal to lane split on the double yellows.  technically, I believe the law refers to "lane sharing" but we all know this involves shifting back and forth between lanes.  I've wondered if you can be ticketed for not signaling while doing this.  I'm not putting any blame on you at all, just saying you might want to split lanes 2 and 3.

again, glad you weren't hurt.

[gnostic203]

Bummer dude.  That kind of crap happens to us riders all the time in the land of friendliness, Las Vegas.  Glad you're ok though.

[The Bacon Junkie]

Glad to hear you made it out okay.   I've had a few close calls myself in the last few months.  one was a lady throwing a Big Gulp cup out her window... at 80!  ouch   and two exits later a dude steering with his knees as he was eating a burrito almost put me into the K-rail.    Ride like you are invisible in the front, and a big red target on your back.

There's a lot of new riders out there too and I'm finding I have to watch out for them as much as some cars. I hear "motorcycle down" on the radio every day now.

I counted seven this morning... and that was before 8am!  One of them was a moto . 
Please be safe everyone.

[zenjim]

zenjim, glad you are ok!!!!

was there a car on your right or was there a gap that this guy was going for?  it sort of sounds like he did it intentionally.  I had someone do this to me once breaking my rearset (and somehow not my leg).  I think some people are just pissed off that they have to sit in traffic and do crazy things as a consequence.  I often remind myself that the cars want to kill me.

also, I would venture to guess that it isn't legal to lane split on the double yellows.  technically, I believe the law refers to "lane sharing" but we all know this involves shifting back and forth between lanes.  I've wondered if you can be ticketed for not signaling while doing this.  I'm not putting any blame on you at all, just saying you might want to split lanes 2 and 3.

again, glad you weren't hurt.

There was no gap. If he continued for another 2 feet he would have run into the door of another car.

I was not on the double yellow. I was between the copious amount of room between it and the row of cars.

Here in LA motorcycles cross the double yellow frequently when lane sharing in a reasonable manner. I have done it with motorcycle cops in front and behind. No signaling required.

I'm convinced he was f*cking with me.

But it gets better. I just got home. I'm heading North on the 405 going home. Splitting lanes at 5 pm, I'm between lanes 1 & 2. Ahead there's a Caddy in lane 1 and a Rent-an-RV in lane 2. The RV guy looks at me and starts moving over real slow to close off what was once a generous gap. Then he starts laughing.  As I pass him eventually (as we always do) and flip him off it's just the funniest thing ever for him.

Never underestimate the selfishness, stupidity and cruelty of human beings.

[tangueroHondo]

Never underestimate the selfishness, stupidity and cruelty of human beings

If someone took this statement seriously they would never lane split.  Maybe that's the answer?  Society has moved in a direction that denies the existance of others to further the image of self fulfillment and egoism.  Maybe the time of lane-slitting has come and gone?  Maybe those that believe it is still possible to safely lane-split on I-405 are denying reality?

[Popeye the Sailor]

If someone took this statement seriously they would never lane split.  Maybe that's the answer?  Society has moved in a direction that denies the existance of others to further the image of self fulfillment and egoism.  Maybe the time of lane-slitting has come and gone?  Maybe those that believe it is still possible to safely lane-split on I-405 are denying reality?

No, those who took that statement seriously would never get on a bike. Even stopped in traffic, you're subject to people pulling up, yelling at you, tapping you for fun, and trying to squish you.


Answer? There's rarely a concrete answer to something gray. One just needs to protect oneself.

[sh]

But it gets better. I just got home. I'm heading North on the 405 going home. Splitting lanes at 5 pm, I'm between lanes 1 & 2. Ahead there's a Caddy in lane 1 and a Rent-an-RV in lane 2. The RV guy looks at me and starts moving over real slow to close off what was once a generous gap. Then he starts laughing.  As I pass him eventually (as we always do) and flip him off it's just the funniest thing ever for him.

The problem here is that the guy you just flipped off is now behind you.  This puts you in an extremely vulnerable position unless you are absolutely sure he can't catch up to you.

I was splitting once and had a guy in a huge SUV almost squeeze me into a parked delivery truck.  I tapped on the guys window to let him know I was there.  Seems harmless enough, right?  Wrong.  He completely flips out and drives around traffic into the shoulder to come after me.  People are friggin nuts.

[somegirl]

zenjim, sorry to hear about your incident, glad you made it through OK.

The problem here is that the guy you just flipped off is now behind you.  This puts you in an extremely vulnerable position unless you are absolutely sure he can't catch up to you.

+1, I learned after getting attacked on my bicycle that it is never a good idea to flip off or otherwise piss off someone in a larger vehicle weapon than you.

[Bigbore4]

OK, the car was in the number 1 lane, which is a designated car pool lane. It is the lane all the way to the left.  That lane is separated from the other 4 lanes by a double yellow line. It is a $375 fine to cross the double yellow. I was on the right hand side of the cars in that lane with the double yellow just to my right and the cars in the number 2 lane just on the other side of the double yellow. So with the double yellow just on my right and other cars 1-2 feet beyond that, I had the douchebag in the car pool lane on my left swing out in front of me nearly crossing the double yellow. Aside from the fact that there was a double yellow he was illeagally crossing, about 18 inches to the right of the double yellow was the passenger door of another car. So I'm not sure what he was attempting, short of ruining my day.

got it, thanks.

I could list a bunch more things along the lines of other posts to even the score, but stay on the high ground, it isn't worth dropping to their level.  I wrote a while back about an incident where I ended up finding the a-hole and seriously contemplated freeing the fire trapped in his pickup.  Ultimately I called the cops. Best case, the a-hole's spouse took the call from the cops.

Anyhow, end game is you're OK and he's still an a-hole.

Ride Safe!