Close call, lesson learned - Awareness and staying calm | GTAMotorcycle.com

Close call, lesson learned - Awareness and staying calm

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sunnyCBR

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So this week I have been riding to work, taking advantage of the nicer weather and learning my bike/riding techniques more. It's a bit of a challenge in the morning traffic but I'm learning a lot.

This morning, I'm approaching an intersection that I note had just changed to a green light a minute or so before. There is a line of people waiting to turn left, and I am in the left track of the right lane going about 50 as I approached. Figuring someone might be trying to get around, I rolled off the throttle and watched the left lane for movement. Sure enough, a grey civic pulls out RIGHT in front of me. No shoulder check by the driver. Luckily I was already somewhat prepared, threw on the horn, and braked hard so I wouldn't splatter. The lady looked in her rear view mirror, shocked I assume and gave me a "sorry" wave.

Lessons I learned through this experience and thought I'd share/remind us new riders. Being aware that someone MIGHT pull a stunt kept me ready for what happened, and prevented me from waving to the driver from INSIDE her car. Also, after the near miss its easy to be angry and drive aggressively but this can cause unclear thinking putting you again at danger.

Thought I would share, riding is giving me a certain 'zen' about the road. Lots of bad drivers, and bad habits but you can only control your own awareness and clarity of mind.

Ride safe all!
 
people like that should be shot. It would sure make people a lot more careful. Do what I do, assume everyone is an idiot, because more often than not, they are.
 
smergy said:
people like that should be shot. It would sure make people a lot more careful. Do what I do, assume everyone is an idiot, because more often than not, they are.
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That's a little harsh. I'm glad we live in a society where capital punishment is non-existent where the driver clearly didn't see the OP. She apologized and all is well.

Good on you OP for being alert, that's always the key!! This happened to me twice, but I never got an apology and I was totally ok, shook my head and went on my merry way!
 
jay-d said:
where the driver clearly didn't LOOK PROPERLY to see the OP. She apologized and all is well.
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fixed

Waay to many lazy, ignorant drivers out there killing us daily, because they refuse to drive correctly.
 
AGAVE said:
fixed

Waay to many lazy, ignorant drivers out there killing us daily, because they refuse to drive correctly.
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I agree with you, but we decided to take up a sport knowing the conditions and lack of attention for other drivers. It's your responsibility to make up for the faults of other drivers.

Here's a story for you: First time riding this year, I was going exactly the speed limit in the right lane on Eglinton in Mississauga. I stop at the red light at Winston Churchill, going west bound at the front of the light. The third lane ends after the light, there's no car beside me, this lady in a grey car pulls up behind me. Light turns green, I accelerate through the intersection just putting along minding my own business and I look behind me.. that crazy lady in the grey car riding my *** so close!! I look over to her and give her the pull back a little bit and she's screaming at the top of her lungs! I've done NOTHING to this lady but she hates me with everything for whatever reason. No car beside her either, she just hates me!

Finally she changes lanes and flies past me.. someone didn't just piss in her corn flakes, someone took a huge dump in them.
 
sunnyCBR said:
after the near miss its easy to be angry and drive aggressively but this can cause unclear thinking putting you again at danger.

Ride safe all!
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a very good point, its easy for anyones rage to increase after something like this. I like the "i am dissappointed in you son head shake". If they are looking (which they proabaly are after the horn) they will feel like an idiot.

one thing i always upgraded on my vehicle was the horn, I might see if i can fit the Hella compacts on my bike.....or a coffe truck horn.
 
OP, another thing you can do when you are coming up beside a land like that is stick to the middle, right tire track, that will also help you see if anyone is going to turn left in front of you and allow anyone trying to turn left to see you.

jay-d said:
I agree with you, but we decided to take up a sport knowing the conditions and lack of attention for other drivers. It's your responsibility to make up for the faults of other drivers.

Here's a story for you: First time riding this year, I was going exactly the speed limit in the right lane on Eglinton in Mississauga. I stop at the red light at Winston Churchill, going west bound at the front of the light. The third lane ends after the light, there's no car beside me, this lady in a grey car pulls up behind me. Light turns green, I accelerate through the intersection just putting along minding my own business and I look behind me.. that crazy lady in the grey car riding my *** so close!! I look over to her and give her the pull back a little bit and she's screaming at the top of her lungs! I've done NOTHING to this lady but she hates me with everything for whatever reason. No car beside her either, she just hates me!

Finally she changes lanes and flies past me.. someone didn't just piss in her corn flakes, someone took a huge dump in them.
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It's our responsibility to make up for others bad driving? Are you kidding me? really? Also what was the point of your story? She apologized and all is well. If she had of hit the bike, made him crash, paralized him and then apologized would it be ok? Of course it would because she apologized right?
 
This is the reason why I always ride with two fingers on the brake lever to reduce my reaction time in the event an emergency stop/maneuver is required.
 
ATTS said:
It's our responsibility to make up for others bad driving? Are you kidding me? really? Also what was the point of your story? She apologized and all is well. If she had of hit the bike, made him crash, paralized him and then apologized would it be ok? Of course it would because she apologized right?
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We don't live in a perfect world so yes, that is the only logical option we have. Until things change, who knows how long that will be, what other choices do you have?

Why don't you get the ball rolling on driver education and we'll all back you 100%. Until then, I'm content being a defensive rider.
 
That's kinda like what happened to me a couple weeks ago, I was about to turn left at a light. I'm stopped at the red, it turns green and I give it some gas and to start my turn, only I had just gotten the bike and it was in neutral still... so I quickly knock it into first and I get about 2 feet when a van runs clear through the red light, about a foot from my front tire.

Being new to the bike might have saved me a good smack.
 
We should start a "Cager Wall of Shame" thread. Post as much detail (make, model, colour, plate) as you can about the cager that screwed you over, and maybe someone will see themselves on here and change their ways
 
To the OP. great riding!
I was once told when I took up riding..."assume everyone out there is a complete reckless retard and imagine and prepare for the dumbest aggressive manouver from a car"

This may explain both the deserved and undeserved hatred of cages you read about in this forum, despite the fact almost all of us also drive cages.

We have to attack the road pre-emptively and what you did was perfect, like a battle or chess, see your oponent's move before they make it.

Though there is risk, this is why I love riding, because it's all senses on full sensitivity....pure riding, pure engagement. I can't stand driving my car once I started riding....a car is for groceries and carting around the kid. But it aint driving.

Stay honed my friend!
 
As I always say and I'll say it again. Ride like if everyone is out to get u.

Props to u for riding defensively tho. U live to ride another day.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Definitely reminded me a few things from the RTI course I took last summer "assume everyone is aggressively looking to kill you" I think was what one of the guys said. Often times its not, its ignorance, distraction or something else entirely but the assumption can help you stay out of the hospital!
One thing I will say, in a way riders are at an advantage. You can't really be distracted while on a bike, you're too connected to your machine and to the road. Cagers often don't have that sense, which can lead to distractions and decreased awareness.
Just thought I'd post to remind us newer riders that small little things can make a difference. You start to feel like you 'know all there is to know' quickly on a bike at first, but stuff like this reminds me that my skills and awareness is always growing.
Ride safe!
 
sunnyCBR said:
So this week I have been riding to work, taking advantage of the nicer weather and learning my bike/riding techniques more. It's a bit of a challenge in the morning traffic but I'm learning a lot.

This morning, I'm approaching an intersection that I note had just changed to a green light a minute or so before. There is a line of people waiting to turn left, and I am in the left track of the right lane going about 50 as I approached. Figuring someone might be trying to get around, I rolled off the throttle and watched the left lane for movement. Sure enough, a grey civic pulls out RIGHT in front of me. No shoulder check by the driver. Luckily I was already somewhat prepared, threw on the horn, and braked hard so I wouldn't splatter. The lady looked in her rear view mirror, shocked I assume and gave me a "sorry" wave.

Lessons I learned through this experience and thought I'd share/remind us new riders. Being aware that someone MIGHT pull a stunt kept me ready for what happened, and prevented me from waving to the driver from INSIDE her car. Also, after the near miss its easy to be angry and drive aggressively but this can cause unclear thinking putting you again at danger.

Thought I would share, riding is giving me a certain 'zen' about the road. Lots of bad drivers, and bad habits but you can only control your own awareness and clarity of mind.

Ride safe all!
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excellent reminder...thanks!

funny that you use the word "zen" in your post as the bf and i were recently discussing a book titled "Zen and Now and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"...it's written by Mark Richardson who is the editor of the wheels section of the Toronto Sun...not really about motorcycling but a jouney through life...interesting...
 
sunnyCBR said:
Thanks for all the responses. Definitely reminded me a few things from the RTI course I took last summer "assume everyone is aggressively looking to kill you" I think was what one of the guys said. Often times its not, its ignorance, distraction or something else entirely but the assumption can help you stay out of the hospital!
One thing I will say, in a way riders are at an advantage.
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Don't care if they want to kill me accidentally or intentionally, as long as they can kill me, I have to keep that in mind.

U know what I call those cute cuddly creatures in the back-window of some cars????














The Angel of Death
 
ifiddles said:
excellent reminder...thanks!

funny that you use the word "zen" in your post as the bf and i were recently discussing a book titled "Zen and Now and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"...it's written by Mark Richardson who is the editor of the wheels section of the Toronto Sun...not really about motorcycling but a jouney through life...interesting...
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Actually, the original is called "Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig. You should give that a read. The one that Mark Richardson wrote is just an update and the same route that Robert took back in 1968.
 
Good job OP, rider's awareness is the only way to survive on the road. We can only do what we can control, and beware of things which are beyond our control.
 
had something similar happen to me yesterday on yonge street 3 lane road +1 left turn lane right lane was completely blocked off by parked cars. and there was a car on the left lane and i was on the middle lane since the right lane was blocked off. another car was in the left turn lane when our light was green all of the sudden pulled himself right infront of the left lane and 3/4s of the middle lane trying to get from the left turn lane to make a right into the other street then stopped there!!!
the car in the left lane slamed its brakes and screeched to a stop like 5 ft from hitting the retarded driver. and i had to swerve last minute between the retarded car and the parked cars otherwise my bike would end up mashed in his fender and i'd fly right over top

some ppl simply shouldnt be on the road. TTC seems like a good option for them lol
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