Rabid Boy-What was I thinking?

[KGT1200]

The ride home on the slab was uneventful until I reached the area of 35W where there is no turn off lanes, just two lanes heading south out of Minneapolis. Lots of traffic, but everyone for the most part was holding that magic 79..

I was clipping along at the accustomed 78 MPH, I switched into the left lane, and got in line behind a little white subcompact car leaving plenty of space, as he went around the three slower cars and semi in the right lane. As I sped up to go around, I now noticed the sub compact , now about three lengths in front of me had suddenly slowed, brakes lights blaring out. So I slowed, and when he finally got around the car we were passing in the right lane, he pulled over to the right lane, but the way he was rubber necking as I came up beside him, I knew something was up

Rabid Boy!

He was a great big kid, way over weight, sort of reminded me of a bull dog, glaring at me chewing me out behind his glass, flipping me off, And speeding up to match my speed as I went around.

Then I pulled an idiot move..I raised my left hand, and pointed to my helmet, then made a few large circles while mouthing "your crazy" and that did it..

The guy swerved at me, I coudnt believe it! As I hit 85 now to get away from this nut, he pulls behind me almost hitting the car behind me as he came back into the busy left lane, and drops that little white escort looking thing as fast as it would go...He was going to give it another try! What had I done?

Idiot! And I don't mean him, I mean me! What was I thinking egging this guy on..
He tried to kill me!

I have no idea what I did to this jerk, I was careful to not ride up on him as I slowed behind him as he passed the slow cars, but something did it, and that guy was coming for me..

So 5th gear came to play, and as I threw a bit more than I should in the throttle, I could see him still pulling ahead. I had no idea a sub compact could hit 90+ !!

Long story short, I got a ways ahead, and dropped down the first exit to the east, and took the back roads home....

What got into this guy? Better yet, I'm 51, I’m a good rider, I always try to get along on the road, and what I did was like flipping him off..What WAS I thinking?

All you out there...don’t do that!

Red

[BubbaZanetti]

i got confused, i thought you misspelled Rapid Roy.:hungover

[Rpbump]

A few years ago (1970) I was on the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway in heavy traffic (stopped) when the car behind me started to push into my back bumper. I was behind a semi and had nowhere to go. Without really thinking I took my tire iron from beneath the front seat and got out intending to tap out his headlights. Seeing the tire iron he backed off and stayed away from my bumper. When I got back in my car I realized that he could have had a gun and I would have been toast if that was the case. Since then I'm much more careful about losing my cool and staying away from agressive/stupid drivers. When I see drivers that are tailgating or cutting in/out of traffic I now get the tag # of the vehicle and report it to the local police. In car verses motorcycle confrontations we are extremely vulnerable so be careful at all times. :fight :usa

[Oldhway]

The ride home on the slab was uneventful until I reached the area of 35W where there is no turn off lanes, just two lanes heading south out of Minneapolis. Lots of traffic, but everyone for the most part was holding that magic 79..

I was clipping along at the accustomed 78 MPH, I switched into the left lane, and got in line behind a little white subcompact car leaving plenty of space, as he went around the three slower cars and semi in the right lane. As I sped up to go around, I now noticed the sub compact , now about three lengths in front of me had suddenly slowed, brakes lights blaring out. So I slowed, and when he finally got around the car we were passing in the right lane, he pulled over to the right lane, but the way he was rubber necking as I came up beside him, I knew something was up

Rabid Boy!

He was a great big kid, way over weight, sort of reminded me of a bull dog, glaring at me chewing me out behind his glass, flipping me off, And speeding up to match my speed as I went around.

Then I pulled an idiot move..I raised my left hand, and pointed to my helmet, then made a few large circles while mouthing "your crazy" and that did it..

The guy swerved at me, I coudnt believe it! As I hit 85 now to get away from this nut, he pulls behind me almost hitting the car behind me as he came back into the busy left lane, and drops that little white escort looking thing as fast as it would go...He was going to give it another try! What had I done?

Idiot! And I don't mean him, I mean me! What was I thinking egging this guy on..
He tried to kill me!

I have no idea what I did to this jerk, I was careful to not ride up on him as I slowed behind him as he passed the slow cars, but something did it, and that guy was coming for me..

So 5th gear came to play, and as I threw a bit more than I should in the throttle, I could see him still pulling ahead. I had no idea a sub compact could hit 90+ !!

Long story short, I got a ways ahead, and dropped down the first exit to the east, and took the back roads home....

What got into this guy? Better yet, I'm 51, I’m a good rider, I always try to get along on the road, and what I did was like flipping him off..What WAS I thinking?

All you out there...don’t do that!

Red


Man, don't do that again. The folks out there are nucking futz and you never know when one's gonna lose it.

I'm glad you are ok.

[35634]

remember, every car is out to get you, and all drivers are nut cases. Then nothing
surprises you. Usually.

[jdmetzger]

A bit over a month ago when I went to Chicago I had a semi try to drive me off the road - and I didn't do anything to him that I'm aware of. I was cruising along in the left lane 2 lanes going in each direction) and he popped over in front of me (a hard/fast lane change that required my brakes) to pass another semi. I was annoyed since there wasn't anyone for a long distance behind me, but I was nice and didn't do anything but wait (and no, no tailgating). He finally clears the other semi and doesn't get over. A full semi length extra and he's still in the left lane (and he wasn't passing fast - I was showing a lot more patience than I normally do). The other truck even flashed his lights that it was clear to move over - a few times. I finally got tired of it and passed him in the right lane. He waited until I was about halfway through then started to pull over into me. I shot out of the way - I had plenty of space to make an escape, and it was more of a bluff move on his part. Still a real jerk move to make. I don't get why he was messing with me to start with. I hadn't had ANY encounters that trip so I know it wasn't something he was hearing on the radio about me. Maybe another rider angered him and he decided to pay me back?

Lots of crazies out there. I learned about flipping people off a year or two ago after some cell phone idiot changed lanes into me and proceeded to follow me home (I didn't go home until I lost him) - all because I flipped him off for nearly killing me.

A guy I worked with had someone follow him into work and punch him in the face because he cut the guy off (apparently). This nutjob followed him OUT OF HIS WAY several miles just to hit him. He also had previous warrants and wasn't supposed to be driving anywhere except to work - this was not on his route.

Lots of crazies. Glad you got away unscathed.

[Easy]

You have your highbeams on?

Easy :usa

[tessler]

I was clipping along at the accustomed 78 MPH, I switched into the left lane, and got in line behind a little white subcompact car leaving plenty of space, as he went around the three slower cars and semi in the right lane. As I sped up to go around, I now noticed the sub compact , now about three lengths in front of me had suddenly slowed, brakes lights blaring out. So I slowed, and when he finally got around the car we were passing in the right lane, he pulled over to the right lane, but the way he was rubber necking as I came up beside him, I knew something was up

He was a great big kid, way over weight, sort of reminded me of a bull dog, glaring at me chewing me out behind his glass, flipping me off, And speeding up to match my speed as I went around.

I have no idea what I did to this jerk, I was careful to not ride up on him as I slowed behind him as he passed the slow cars, but something did it, and that guy was coming for me..Glad you're ok Dale.

If I read you correctly, it seems both you and the white subcompact, in tandem, were passing 3 cars and a semi. Perhaps he felt territorial about what he perceived to be his pass and was angered to see a bike on his tail accomplishing what he alone felt privileged to do: pass 3 cars and a semi and get back in lane.

I live in NYC, but I spend a good deal of time riding 2-lane State and County roads up in the Catskills where this sense of "entitled passing" seems all the more heightened by the relative isolation from population centers and intersections and the desire to go as fast as possible (and hopefully not encounter a state trooper). Though tempted to take advantage of similar passing situations—ostensibly "drafting" behind another vehicle in a double pass—I never do, as I'd perceive it to be an invasion of the space of that vehicle ahead of me originating the pass (that part of benign, respectful avoidance is a big part of growing up, living and generally surviving in NYC :thumb).

It's possible that this scenario—an invasion of space—is what originally ticked off this big kid.

[KGT1200]

Glad you're ok Dale.

If I read you correctly, it seems both you and the white subcompact, in tandem, were passing 3 cars and a semi. Perhaps he felt territorial about what he perceived to be his pass and was angered to see a bike on his tail accomplishing what he alone felt privileged to do: pass 3 cars and a semi and get back in lane.

I live in NYC, but I spend a good deal of time riding 2-lane State and County roads up in the Catskills where this sense of "entitled passing" seems all the more heightened by the relative isolation from population centers and intersections and the desire to go as fast as possible (and hopefully not encounter a state trooper). Though tempted to take advantage of similar passing situations—ostensibly "drafting" behind another vehicle in a double pass—I never do, as I'd perceive it to be an invasion of the space of that vehicle ahead of me originating the pass (that part of benign, respectful avoidance is a big part of growing up, living and generally surviving in NYC :thumb).

It's possible that this scenario—an invasion of space—is what originally ticked off this big kid.

I think you are correct, but let me further define; I_35 is a four lane highway, ie two lanes going north, and two lanes going south. At rush hour heading south, BOTH lanes carry a steady volume of traffic, which slower vehicles "assume the position" to the right, allowing those who drive a bit faster to pass at will. In this case, white car moron, myself, and about two other cars (front and back of me) were in the left lane, and spread apart two or three car lengths in distance. I always wait until the car in front of me makes it past the car (in this case Semi) they are "passing" before proceeding to allow me an escape route if something goes haywire.


He was just pissed at the rate of speed I approached from the rear, and the rapid burst of speed I launched to get around the semi. My torque got me in trouble, and I think I surprised him, thus his reaction. A stupid moron reaction, but none-the-less my fault. Live and learn.

[KGT1200]

You have your highbeams on?

Easy :usa

Yep. Mistake #2 I guess. I always ride high beams during the daylight, never thought it would upset somebody, but I bet you are correct.

[Rapid_Roy]

14670



Hi Dale, glad it wasn't worse.