Riding back on the highway with a couple of buddies we were going at a leisurely pace at about the same flow of most traffic. With a slower truck in our lane we needed to move over into the left to pass the truck. I'm riding in the middle and see that my friend in the front changes over no problem but that my friend behind me has to wait as he has a minivan beside him. I change over and notice the minivan creeping up behind me riding right up on my bumper. He was probably going at slightly a bit quicker than us but in now way did I cut him off or slow him down that much - he was just being a dick.

So I look back and put my hand up like 'WTF' as he is RIGHT on my ****. Annoyed I slow down a bit (from about 70mph to 60mph) and wave my friend over into my lane so he can pass since he had caught up to me at this point. As I'm turning over I see the minivan IN my lane squeezing between both of us and passing us! He passed so close that his van nudged my handlebars - enough to knock my mirror out of position - while I'm doing about 60mph!!

I'm not sure what he was thinking. He had his family in the car and once he passed us he kept at the same speed that we were originally going at - about 70mph.

So what would you have done if you had been passed in the same lane with the car actually making contact with your bike?

 

Follow the van until it stopped then gut him like a fish.

 

Back off and avoid conflict with him. It is the battle that you will never win.

 

it was slightly a dick move slowing down to let your buddy in... but it was a HUGE dick move trying to pass and actually touching your bars... what he did is way worse than what you did!!! i would have been pissed. i would have got up next time him and let him know just how upset i was... if he wanted to pull over, and i would have probably told him too, and talk about it, i would have! but more than likely he would just try and get out dodge b/c most people dont like a biker, let aloan an angry biker...

sounds like you kept your kool... good on you!

 

I woulda had such adrenaline pumping that all reason woulda flew out the window and anything i could get my hands on would be thrown it at him after i regained front position.
I WOULD BE LIVID !!! HE woulda stopped or hit me trying to avoid me.
I am just stupid and crazy enough to do such a foolish act to go van vs. motorcycle but am hard-headed enough to win (or at least believe i would and try).

Thats not just nuts of him but sadly not surprising.

livid plum crazy pissed off woulda described me fer sure.

many others probably don't agree with me but.....they are welcome to there opinions

 

+1 Exactly my thoughts 25 years ago, except I would have done it sloooooowly ............ Today, if he actually touched my bike, I'd probably follow him and call the law, let them deal with it, especially if your friends were witnesses. Gotta be careful out there, I just had a mini van mom run me off the road when I was passing her, sh e must have gotten pissed about me passing because I did nothin' else. Once I was beside her passing, she cut left and forced me all the way outside the yellow line on the left side. As much as I wanted to hunt her down, I let it go, quite frankly I was concerned she might just kill me and not care.

 

Actually, I never said that I "didn't" do anything. :-O

Since he was crazy enough to make contact with me I was going to try and stop him with the bike. I followed him as well and was thinking that he could have killed me if he was so much as in inch closer to me. My buddy thought he had put me in the guardrail because there was so little room on my side.

The thought of letting it go ran through my mind and I would have if he had just given me the finger or stopped tailgating me but to put my life at risk...that's something I take personally and great offence to.

Am interested in hearing what everyone else would have done to ensure that I'm not crazy! ;o)

 

I would have done whatever I do. I would not have let it go. Accidents are different than intentionally trying to kill me. You get what you get. This is not a new subject in this forum and it will get responses that range to the extremes to some posting scofflaws to others claiming nothing happens in retaliation.

 

sounds like a hit and run to me!!! Call 911 and let em know... happened to me once and I actually kicked the door of the SUV tha was changing lanes from the passing lane while she was on her cell phone! Turn of the coin though she called the cops and they pulleme over with her right behind me! Cop asked me what the heck was goin on and I told him... hold your hand up to your right ear and what do you see? he says ohh she was on her cell phone and I said excactly!! meanwhile she is hollering at him and wants to know who is going to pay for the damage! I told the cop that she pulled into me and without even signaling changed lanes.. of course i never saw that!!

He wrote it up and a week later her insurance company called and I said did she happen to say that she was talking on her cell phone?? he said nooo! I said well its right here in the police report that I happen to have a copy of and your next phone call can be to my attorney (which of course I didn't have one) and I never heard anothe word about the incident again!

 

I would thank the Good Lord that he did not wreck me and count my blessing that I am still alive.

People simply do not have common sense, they do not use good judgement and they are not concerned about anyone but themselves. It is best to just ride as smart and as defensive as possible and simply let these people go on by as quickly as possible. I allow plenty of time to arrive at my destination and I'm not going to get upset over these crazy folks anymore because I would be upset my entire ride.

Be safe & stay alive.