He'd have two flat tires when he returns to his car if that was me. Not because he took my spot, but because of the attitude afterwards. He'd watch our for motorcycles after that!

 

Sounds like you paid attention in class!

 

Many years ago, I got my best advice ever...ride scared.

I had no idea why he told me that until my first close intersection call, the the light bulb turned on in my head.

I had a 'reverse intersection' accident happen a few years after that. I was on a one way street (2 parking lanes, two travel lanes). Traffic light intersection came up, just turning green for me. Checked left and right to make sure there were no red lght runners, cleared it, and much to my surprise a big black Ford was heading right toward me. No time to evade, so slowed as quick as I could, hit her head on and pivoted over the bars, hitting my helmet chin bar on her hood. Good thing I had my Bell full face on.

The irony of it was she told the police she didn't realize it was a one way, even though she'd turned onto it 6 blocks away. You'd think the cars facing the wrong way on your passenger side would be a hint!!

 

Just yesterday I was out for a nice fall ride, 68 degree's and sunny. Following some cagers who were making right turns. As I entered the intersection a SUV started out, I locked the rear brake for a second and she stopped midway and I cleared her front end. Good thing I slowed as I entered the intersection. No harm done. We've got to always be alert and ready because they aren't.

 

One of my techniques is when I'm coming to an intersection with approaching vehicles or a road with a car waiting to come on to the road I'm traveling, I always flash my high beams twice. It's amazing how effective this is, and I know it's saved me more than once. You can't be too careful.

 

Riding in the D.C. area I learned to ALWAYS try to go through intersections with a car for blocking. I'll slow down or speed up to get my "protection" in position!

 

As I approach every intersection and drive way with a car about to pull out, even though I use a headlight modulator, I always give a "quick" beep of the air horn.

 

Yeah my morning comute takes me right near a local High School and just this year alone I have been fortunate enough to barely miss t-boning some kids on three different occasions. My street is the main so there is no stop signs but the cross street heading into the H.S. is stoped controled. I followed one kid to school just to make sure he knew he blew the stop sign. Kid says he just started driving to school a couple months ago but didn't even know there was a sign there.

 

Another potentially dangerous area is at on-ramps to highways. Most drivers don't realize that they should yield when entering a highway instead they merge and they ain't stoppin for nuttin'!

 

Yea, our HOG Chapter did a ride a few weeks ago and our group got split up three different times because of these highway on-ramps. Once we later stopped, one of our riders mentioned what would have happened had we been a convoy of tractor trailers instead of motorcycles?