Cars suck!!

schroncc · Post by **schroncc** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 2:59 pm

Has anyone else had any bad experiences with cars? I understand that people do not see scooters and therefore pull out in front of us ex; but what Iâ€™m talking about is peopleâ€™s unpleasant attitudes towards scooters. I live in a small college town where there are not too many scooters. When I drive down the road people will give me the bird just to get a laugh. The most annoying thing is, no matter how fast I am going cars always have to pass me. Even if I am going 10 over the posted limit, they have to fly by me. Are people just jealous that they are in a car and not having fun on a scoot? Or maybe they are just insecure that their big gas guzzling SUV is getting beat off the line by a little orange scoot?

Do I live in a secluded bubble where everyone hates scooters or is this a recurring theme elsewhere?

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:10 pm

I can only speak for myself, but on the first day I owned my scooter I got passed by a pickup truck on my own suburban street where I live. It's a no-passing zone, residential, and I was going the speed limit. He had to have commited at least two or three moving violations to do it. I was shocked at the time. Now I expect people in cars to behave like morons. Worst case scenario is they do, but I am prepared for it. Best case is they don't act like a moron and it's a bonus for me.

GatsbyGirl · Post by **GatsbyGirl** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:21 pm

No matter how many times they see it, it's impossible for car drivers to fathom that that little scooter actually can go faster, quicker than them. They can't believe that we're not holding up traffic in general or them in particular.

Back in the '50s or '60s my dad had a scooter in South Carolina (I have no idea where he got his hands on one). He only kept it for a short while though because cars just wouldn't accept him as a real vehicle.

RunRun · Post by **RunRun** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 3:37 pm

I really think this would be a good idea if you can do this (video tape the people who violate the law) and send it in to your local police station and let them contact the violator. This will be a shock to the heavy foot gas smashing driver that their behavior will not be tolerated.

And hopefully they will get the message.

rickyd410 · Post by **rickyd410** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:37 pm

I'm always the one doing the passing.

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:41 pm

I am a huge fan of smacking mirrors. When I have gotten cut off or a driver has pulled a bullshit move I smack their mirror (Note I wear leather riding gloves). Most cars have the break away mirrors you are not doing any damage but scaring the shit out of them.

Dave

gt1000 · Post by **gt1000** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:43 pm

I don't know, I just don't see this behavior much in Denver. Surprising in some ways, because our highway driving habits are very aggressive. Scooters are pretty big in downtown Denver though, so maybe that's part of the solution. Once people get used to seeing scooters in traffic, they come to accept them more. I have the typical issues of drivers not seeing me, but even that's gotten better over the 30 years I've been riding. I ride a road bike a lot too and that's actually when I see the worst, most careless driving habits from cars.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this behavior is dependent on location. If you live in a place like Denver or Key West where scooters are an everyday fact of life on the roads, it's better. I'm probably wrong though and I'm guessing we'll hear from other Denver riders with nightmarish stories.

One thing I do recommend is if you encounter any sort of hostile driver, note your location, get the plate number and report it to the police. If they get enough reports they'll set up traps in those locations, especially if it's residential or near a school zone.

Micah_Prophet · Post by **Micah_Prophet** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:07 pm

Good advice gt1000 - so far I have not seen much in the way of bad cage behavior in Fort Collins, but I am currently in the cage, so that changes thisngs - how about other CO riders?

GatsbyGirl · Post by **GatsbyGirl** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:34 pm

I have to say, overall, Los Angeles drivers seem to be very tolerant of scooters. There's been some illegal passing here and there, but mostly it's the usual they just don't see you problems.

Then again, I think Los Angeles drivers often think twice before pulling something, since you never know who you're going to piss off and to what degree they're going to react/retaliate.

SteMer · Post by **SteMer** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:50 pm

ScooterDave wrote:I am a huge fan of smacking mirrors. When I have gotten cut off or a driver has pulled a bullshit move I smack their mirror (Note I wear leather riding gloves). Most cars have the break away mirrors you are not doing any damage but scaring the shit out of them.

Dave

Hey, Dave! Welcome to this forum. I guess we'll let you particpate since your wife has a buddy. And we don't make fun of Vulcans over here. Hope it was okay to point people to your website over in the Blur forum. I've loved seeing the rides you guys have taken over the last year. It was awesome to finally participate in one. Thanks for picking up the rear.

And thanks for the advice on what do to with passing cars. Hasn't happened to me yet, but am wondering how I'll respond when it does.

bwilms · Post by **bwilms** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:10 pm

lobsterman wrote:Now I expect people in cars to behave like morons. Worst case scenario is they do, but I am prepared for it. Best case is they don't act like a moron and it's a bonus for me.

I think this is key. As long as you are aware that you are up against unjustifiably aggressive drivers, half the battle has been won.

I have only had one bad experience where I was passed illegally, during a storm no less. Otherwise, I find drivers in my area to be accommodating.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:11 pm

Phoenix is bad. I don't ride a scooter there very often since it's 100 miles away, but I'm a truck driver and I'm driving there twice a day. I've come to the conclusion that a pack of jackals on a dead gazelle in the middle of the african plains displays more courtesy than Phoenix drivers do...

--Keys

lou76 · Post by **lou76** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:40 pm

Keys wrote:Phoenix is bad. I don't ride a scooter there very often since it's 100 miles away, but I'm a truck driver and I'm driving there twice a day. I've come to the conclusion that a pack of jackals on a dead gazelle in the middle of the african plains displays more courtesy than Phoenix drivers do...

--Keys

ill second that emotion... i sold my car two days after purchasing my buddy, and being a daily rider in pho-town is not for the faint of heart... whenever i see a bigass pickup jacked up 6 feet in the air with 4 ft tires, and a giant NO FEAR sticker in the back window, i chuckle... its not very ballsy to drive a vehicle that could just drive over the top of most other vehicles... it takes either a lot more courage and streetsmarts, or a lot more stupidity, to ride a scooter for your sole form of transportation... SUV's are for the faint of heart...

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 5:29 pm

SteMer wrote:I guess we'll let you particpate since your wife has a buddy. And we don't make fun of Vulcans over here. Hope it was okay to point people to your website over in the Blur forum. I've loved seeing the rides you guys have taken over the last year. It was awesome to finally participate in one.

Thanks. There is a Buddy 125 in my household. I only ride it 2 or 3 times a month. An excellent scooter in every way except the fact that Phil McCaleb is involved.

Dude, feel free to point people to my website anytime.

Dave

NarMeowZippy · Post by **NarMeowZippy** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 6:24 pm

It's been pretty bad in the outskirts of Seattle. At least once a day I have a jerk trying to pass me although I'm going over the posted speed limit.

The other day I even had a BMW pass me in a no-passing zone and then flip me off. I just don't get it. It's like they have something to prove.

lobsterman · Post by **lobsterman** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 7:11 pm

Maybe the "no passing zone passers" think we are not entitled to be on the road at all, and so somehow it's OK to pass. You know, like if we were riding a skateboard down the road or something?

hermitgirl · Post by **hermitgirl** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:07 am

Here's a story for you all- not too long ago I had this driver spit out of his window at me. Not just once, but for as long as I rode behind him. Every couple of seconds or so, he'd lean out his window and spit, or toss his ashtray, hoping it would hit me. At first I didn't think it could be possible that he was acting this way, but as it went on, it sunk in.

There are some crazy people out there.

I simply passed him at the next red light.

ScooterMonkey · Post by **ScooterMonkey** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:16 am

lou76 wrote:
Keys wrote:Phoenix is bad. I don't ride a scooter there very often since it's 100 miles away, but I'm a truck driver and I'm driving there twice a day. I've come to the conclusion that a pack of jackals on a dead gazelle in the middle of the african plains displays more courtesy than Phoenix drivers do...

--Keys
ill second that emotion... i sold my car two days after purchasing my buddy, and being a daily rider in pho-town is not for the faint of heart... whenever i see a bigass pickup jacked up 6 feet in the air with 4 ft tires, and a giant NO FEAR sticker in the back window, i chuckle... its not very ballsy to drive a vehicle that could just drive over the top of most other vehicles... it takes either a lot more courage and streetsmarts, or a lot more stupidity, to ride a scooter for your sole form of transportation... SUV's are for the faint of heart...

Oh yeah, Phoenicians are some friggin' awful drivers. Aggressive, impatient, rude, & oblivious. The ones that aren't retarded, are wasted. On the other hand, danger can be exciting. So therefore Phoenician Scooterists must be having the most fun

Coach B · Post by **Coach B** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:19 am

Most of the cage drivers in Denver give me space. I havn't seen anyone who had the attitude that scooters shouldn't be on the road. Only once, so far, has someone not seen me. He made a right turn from a stop sign right in front of me. I honked at him; and he looks suprised. In reference to another thread, if my horn was louder he may have still not seen me, looking for a larger vehicle. I try to stay visible with a blue ff helmut, red jacket, and orange Buddy. It's up to us to stay alive out there.
Scoot safe.

deserthealer · Post by **deserthealer** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:24 pm

My Phoenix experience has been the opposite of others. I have found everyone to give me more space than I would get in a car. With that said I'm always going as fast or faster than those around me. I'm mostly driving in Scottsdale not Phoenix and I wear the "loudest" yellow safety vest to let everyone know I'm SAFETY MAN

Modern Buddy

Cars suck!!

Cars suck!!

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