Next time look where you're going

Coffeejunkie · Post by **Coffeejunkie** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:46 am

On the way home yesterday I had two cagers cut me off, and then another just roll right into the back of Victoria. While there was no damage to her I proceeded to try and melt the mans head with my gaze. UGH, why is it so hard for people to look where they're going.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:13 pm

Coffeejunkie wrote:On the way home yesterday I had two cagers cut me off, and then another just roll right into the back of Victoria. While there was no damage to her I proceeded to try and melt the mans head with my gaze. UGH, why is it so hard for people to look where they're going.

Simple. These people are extremely important and know that it is all about them. There is nothing going on around them that commands more attention than they do.
You must have rolled backwards into the busy cager while they were making a life changing appointment or holding a conversation that will have earth shaking results in our economy and society. Somehow it was your fault. Shame on you.

You had a bad day. Luckily you are a knowledgable scooterist alert to what is going on around you. This is what we deal with every day. On the good side, I hope you scared the hell out of the cagers (I know you probably had to change) and maybe 1 out of those 3 will be more alert in the future. A plus for us. Victory, one cager at a time.

Never forget this arrogant justification and stay alert:

"You saw me coming, you should have gotten out of my way!"

It really happened.

UnionZac · Post by **UnionZac** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:29 pm

their car made contact w/your scooter and you just glared?

Coffeejunkie · Post by **Coffeejunkie** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:30 pm

DennisD wrote: You had a bad day. Luckily you are a knowledgable scooterist alert to what is going on around you. This is what we deal with every day. On the good side, I hope you scared the hell out of the cagers (I know you probably had to change) and maybe 1 out of those 3 will be more alert in the future. A plus for us. Victory, one cager at a time.

Never forget this arrogant justification and stay alert:

"You saw me coming, you should have gotten out of my way!"

It really happened.

Thanks to my good pal stebel I think I was able to make a few folks pee themselves. It's always nice to not only be able to let someone know "hey I''m here and you just cut me off," but warn them in a way that makes them think a Mac truck is hurtling towards them at top speed.

Ray Knobs · Post by **Ray Knobs** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:17 pm

UnionZac wrote:their car made contact w/your scooter and you just glared?

x2

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:20 pm

UnionZac wrote:their car made contact w/your scooter and you just glared?

x3!!??

Lil Buddy · Post by **Lil Buddy** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:20 am

UnionZac wrote:their car made contact w/your scooter and you just glared?

Ray Knobs wrote:x2

lostmycage wrote:x3!!??

Just curious, what would you have done?

Lostmycage · Post by **Lostmycage** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:49 am

Lil Buddy wrote: Just curious, what would you have done?

I would have gotten their insurance info and called the police for a report. Sure it's overkill and an inconvenience, but it might make that person a little more attentive/respectful driver. That time spent sweating the police report will give them a few minutes to think back on what they did wrong instead of letting it pass and reinforcing the unimportance of those on two wheels. What if it happened while you were in your car? Would you give them a nasty look and carry on? Hell no! You'd get out and start looking for damage. If you want to be taken seriously as a user of public roads, you've got to assume the same responsibilities as any other vehicle would.

What happens if the "bump" causes issues down the road, like tread separation on the tire or perhaps the top case was nudged and later the mounts break? Coffeejunkie would have to eat that cost. This is of course worst case scenario talk. In all likelihood, there's nothing wrong at all.

I have no patience for inattentive drivers. I learn from my mistakes because I'm a responsible human being. Why shouldn't everyone else "sharing the road" with me take on that same responsibility?

There's entirely too much of this "It's not my fault" mentality today, and I for one can't stand the thought of feeding into that. Some people need to be trained like puppies. Smack them on the nose with a newspaper if they're bad. It's the only way they'll learn.

On another note of "Look where you're going" I almost turned into a Red Ruckus this evening when I was in the parking lot at the grocery store. I was getting ready to turn left, with my blinker on and this moron comes flying by on my left side right where I was getting ready to put my 3k lb car! If I see that guy at the scooter rally, I fully intend to tell him he's an idiot and almost got clobbered.

n2tattoos · Post by **n2tattoos** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:00 pm

Lil Buddy wrote:
UnionZac wrote:their car made contact w/your scooter and you just glared?

Ray Knobs wrote:x2

lostmycage wrote:x3!!??
Just curious, what would you have done?

i would get off the scoot and make an exaggerated show of checking for damage. then i would pull out the cell and take pics of the cagers license plate and make/model. then walk to the drivers side and take a pic of that person. wouldn't do anything with the pics, but at least they would wonder how much the claim is going to cost them.

money is a great motivator.

Ray Knobs · Post by **Ray Knobs** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:14 pm

The police would be visiting his house.
1/2 a second delay on his part and you would have been under his bumper
There is NO excuse for his car to come in contact with you.

Lil Buddy · Post by **Lil Buddy** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:44 pm

GREAT ANSWERS!!! Not that it was a test, I really was just curious as to what others would do. And now I know a number of great things to do if it ever happens to me.

twoscoots · Post by **twoscoots** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:31 am

People are just plain old stupid and too self-absorbed while they're driving. It's not just because you're on a teeny vehicle, believe me. I drive a 30-ton vehicle with red lights and reflective tape all over it, and they do the same things. They're obviously not familiar with the Lugnut Rule.

Roose Hurro · Post by **Roose Hurro** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:34 am

"Lugnut Rule"...?

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Hillhopper · Post by **Hillhopper** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:34 am

Yeah, what's the "lugnut rule"? That's a new one on me!

twoscoots · Post by **twoscoots** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:48 pm

The vehicle that has the most lug nuts, wins.

The only general exception to the rule is a tree. The tree always wins.

Vic · Post by **Vic** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:14 pm

twoscoots wrote:The vehicle that has the most lug nuts, wins.

The only general exception to the rule is a tree. The tree always wins.

I would venture to say that the fools in their cars running roughshod all over the place colliding with others in smaller vehicles and so on are well aware of the lugnut rule. They know that a small scooter is of no consequence and the dude(ette) on the back has a deathwish anyway and doesn't count, so if they hit the scooter nobody cares and it just doesn't matter. They have more lugnuts, so they can (and clearly do) do whatever they want-they win.
.
Ok, /sarcasm. I truly believe that one reason that it is so dangerous for those in small vehicles is because many (most?) Americans really do believe in the idea of the lugnut rule or that the largest guy wins. Folks in Hummers, Suburbans, and all the rest, seem to believe driving these things are the only way to survive getting all the way from their front door to the local elementary school (2 whole miles!) and back home again without getting killed (do you know what kinds of crazies are driving what on these roads!?!?)

-v

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:44 pm

After a year of scooting, I've modified my previous outlook on SUVs and other large vehicles. When you come right down to it, it's not the machine, it's the driver. Granted, the size/overwhelming presence of an SUV tends to make their driver's transgressions more obvious, but I've had just as many run-ins with folks driving Dodge Neons and the like. Both'll kill you just as dead.

In the same vein as TwoScoots' thought's on the subject, our society as a whole has become increasingly self-absorbed. So it's no surprise that that mindset carries over into the area of driving a vehicle (of any sort). Hell, I've encountered a few fellow scooterists whose conduct is such that I won't ride with them.

So, it's not so much the number of lug nuts on the rim as much as the nut behind the wheel. Within reason, I regard all other vehicles (including scooters and motorcycles) as potential threats. Size, in this case, does not matter.

UnionZac · Post by **UnionZac** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:29 pm

+1 on what everyone else said, if a car hits you no matter how minor they still hit you.

I would agree with Charlie55 aswell, in regards to vehicles causing damage. While there are certainly people who feel the only way to get through life is by being the most insulated from any possible problem, I think most of the time we just notice it more when an SUV causes a problem, because we want to see an SUV being mishandled, we're already looking for it.

Modern Buddy

Next time look where you're going

Next time look where you're going

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