Close calls/Distracted Cagers
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 294
Likes: 3
From: Pacific Northwest
Close calls/Distracted Cagers
Another member posted about their crash and asking about getting parts replaced. In the spirit of heightening awareness about awareness here's a story about a near miss:
Distracted Cagers Suck! I was nearly a statistic a few days ago too. Less than a mile from the house coming home from work. Turn signal controlled intersection-left turn. About 300 feet away the light is green, but it's been green for a while and I was anticipating it to turn, sure enough, as I rolled into the turnout portion of the lane it yellowed. I rolled to a stop to the sound of locked brakes and looked to my right in time to see the HVAC repair van skid past me with wheels cranked completely to the right! He cleared me by a good foot or so!
I made eye contact with the schmuck who was sitting with this terrified look on his face and (wait for it). . . . .a cell phone in his hand, smiled and shook my head. What I really wanted to do was get out and putt my steel toe marks every six inches down the side of his stupid F%#(1*$& truck! I'm a pretty careful rider and I checked six before I went into the lane, cleared the turn before I made it etc etc. He wasn't even in my sight line until he came screeching past me! He must have been moving pretty quick to get that close since my last look around! Thank goodness for Fat Tyre Ale, no bad dreams or anything!
Ride Safe
k
Distracted Cagers Suck! I was nearly a statistic a few days ago too. Less than a mile from the house coming home from work. Turn signal controlled intersection-left turn. About 300 feet away the light is green, but it's been green for a while and I was anticipating it to turn, sure enough, as I rolled into the turnout portion of the lane it yellowed. I rolled to a stop to the sound of locked brakes and looked to my right in time to see the HVAC repair van skid past me with wheels cranked completely to the right! He cleared me by a good foot or so!
I made eye contact with the schmuck who was sitting with this terrified look on his face and (wait for it). . . . .a cell phone in his hand, smiled and shook my head. What I really wanted to do was get out and putt my steel toe marks every six inches down the side of his stupid F%#(1*$& truck! I'm a pretty careful rider and I checked six before I went into the lane, cleared the turn before I made it etc etc. He wasn't even in my sight line until he came screeching past me! He must have been moving pretty quick to get that close since my last look around! Thank goodness for Fat Tyre Ale, no bad dreams or anything!
Ride Safe
k
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Kelowna, BC
RE: Close calls/Distracted Cagers
Glad you're ok. The sad thing is if you had have given his van a steel-toed tuneup,
you would have been on the way to jail. Mind you it would have been worth it!!
Some states/provinces are starting to crack down on cell phone idiots. Hopefully before too
many more people are killed/injured. (not just bikers)
Dennis
you would have been on the way to jail. Mind you it would have been worth it!!
Some states/provinces are starting to crack down on cell phone idiots. Hopefully before too
many more people are killed/injured. (not just bikers)
Dennis
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,806
Likes: 1,754
From: New Bern NC
RE: Close calls/Distracted Cagers
Heard some noise outside the office trailer on my construction site yesterday. Didn't see anything at first but thought I heard a female voice crying so I walked out side the trailer tolook closer.Find just the rear bumper of a cager sticking out of the weeds. The driver had failed to negotiate a corner, jumped the curb, and plowed into a tree. I ran down to the car to find her in a state of panic and slightly bruised but basically OK. As I'm trying to calm her down I here another voice yelling. No one else in the car? Oh there it is,,,, her cell phone is open on the dash where it landed when she hit the tree. The person she was talking to is yelling her name!! When Verizon stops funding the studies maybe we will get the real story on how dangerous cell phones are in the hands of the average driver.
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