MOPED ARMY

I don't have a wife. :)

Don:

Glad to hear you were not hurt. It doesn't surprise me that some people don't respect a moped.

Way back when I had rebuilt a Harley Sportster and was taking it easy on the break in. I was on a road with a 50MPH limit that people usually do 65 on because it goes over a dam and there is no cross traffic. I was doing 45 in the right lane.

In my mirror, the only other car on that road was coming up behind me. an older dilapidatd Buick. The driver came right up behind me for about 10 seconds then gassed it to pass on the right. The lane on the left was wide open. As you did, I kept to the left. As the car passed I was going to yell and flip the driver off, but this was the fattest, ugliest welfare mother you ever saw, with an equally ugly partner riding shotgun, and a back seat full of kids. I decided not to provoke Ugly into swerving into me.

You hafta ride like their out to get you, because it really seems like they are! That's the message to all riders on two wheels.

Jim

That's a good experience,Jim!Those fast-moving Buicks with the big `Nut' behind the wheel will sure make a mess of 'ya! I normally do not shake my fist at anyone.I was just scared! If I would have had a 357 magnum I'd a blown both of his rear tires out and maybe some glass. But what got me was this FOOL was actually trying to take me out,I believe!WHY , on a clear 4-lane highway wouild he pass in the same lane as me?You gave good advice.Drive like they're out to get you.ALSO,PLEASE EVERYBODY!Watch that rearview mirror! Never take for granted they'll make a clean pass on your left giving you a wide berth.If I hadn't thought to peek in that mirror at that instant I would have been road-kill for sure.It scares me to see so many kids AND adults on bicycles with NO rearview mirror.I never will assume in their favor again! I count myself extremely fortunate to be among the living.

All the more reason to buy a car though really...I have a saab, it's as safe as a volvo...the ped is fun on neighborhood roads though...

Yeah, you get those.

Had one jerkwad actually chase me in a 4x4 once down virginia ave in south baltimore, me on my trike and with a load of groceries in the back - I led him a merry chase indeed, cutting down into the local ballfield and using the superior cornering of my trike to keep his drunk ass from bumping me...while trying to nail his headlights with my bit o chain.

(never did score a hit on him, but no biggie, he didn't hit me neither, ha !)

He got bored with the game rather quickly and split, but the tiremarks were there for weeks, heh, look out for the ruts when sliding into third, kiddos.

The close brush that had me really shocked was on the way to work one morning on my Golden Bullet TTLX and a city bus decided to pass me, on the left is as proper, but so close he actually brushed my left shoulder and tapped my handlebars - one inch closer and I woulda been road pizza...the road had no margin, and I was like 6 inches from the curb.

I use two rearview mirrors when I can, and my Targa has four...I do keep an eye on them, WILL see ya comin, and will have a chain-swing reception planned for ya when you get there....most folks with this game in mind veer off when they see the chain deployed.

-R

yep, i usually ride assuming everyoune else out there wants to kill me. it's part of what makes any motorcycle/moped/scooter rider a bit macho, i think. we know the danger it involves just going out on the road.

don,

I'm glad you didn't get nailed, that short cut almost turned into a long road to recovery....if you lived. That guy probably didn't see you till it was too late or didn't realize how slow you were traveling when he came up on you at 60+ mph.

Your quick thinking evasive manuver saved you and I'm sure this close call will be on your mind for a while, I've had a few myself. You have a legal right to be on that highway as any other motorist, but at that speed, you are likey to have more close calls.

Motorists are suppose to watch out for what's in front of them, but distractions like kids,changing radio stations, damned cell phones, on and on, mostly cause the rear end collisions, and when it happens to a bike.....man it can be ugly.

Peds are good for country roads with shoulders/berms and city streets, but I wouldn't take my ped on a major highway, but that's my call, people are free to ride em anywhere they want, legal or not, but if I'm on a 60 mph highway.....I'm gonna be doing 60 also.

glad you are still here,

jim

Thanks,GimmyJimmy! If the guy didn't see me `til too late though,why did they dive into my lane to go thru.I was in the right lane and had to dive into the passing lane when they dove to the right.You could be right,but I still think it was a deliberate attempt to either try to just brush me or actually hit me.There were no witnesses.I talked to a fellow worker last night that rode motorcycles,and he told me about a carload of teens that threw a drink with ice and pop on him at road speed.He said he did the same as I did and shook his fist instead of tryin' to get the license number.I'll take quick reactions like I fortunately used over quick thinking in that case though.I've always thought of myself as kinda slow to react,I guess because I followed in the footsteps of my older brother who has lightning reflexes and showed it when he drove the race car.I was riding with him one day on a narrow country road.As we started up a short hill,a 1956 or so Buick(very heavy car) came flying over the knob of the hill on our side of the road!Driver was drunk as a skunk.IMMEDIATELY we were safe in the rightside ditch as Dan instantly reacted.If I'd have been the driver I could never have reacted that quickly.I still remember socking my shoe down deep in the mud he'd put us into.We knew the guy as he returned to check on us.I thought Dan might be going to lose his temper but he just told the guy off and made him get his Dad's tractor to pull us out of there.Drunk driving was viewed in a totally less serious way back in the sixties,you know?

So,Paul,the knives were for New York hoodlums?In Minnesota you'd probably only need `em to scare off a wolf or coyote,huh?Or maybe an unruly Cleveland Browns fan?LOL!