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Clip a car while lane sharing?

F

Fmt662

New member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Location
Alameda, CA
Moto(s)
2001 Triumph Sprint ST 955i
I was wondering this today as I was heading into SF...

If you're lane-sharing, either on city streets to the front of the line at a red light, or in stopped traffic, and part of your bike (levers, bars, knees) tap another car, but just barely, should/would/do you stop, try to talk to the other driver (snafu-ing traffic), or keep going and assume that it didn't do any damage (isn't that a hit-and-run?).
 
If your splitting lanes...the traffic is thick. I've yet to see a place where you can get off and the car ticked can get off, then get back on, after the chitchat.

I split for several years, and in the Gridlock after the Loma Prieta Quake took both the Bay bridge and the freeway at Oakland and lots of over passes were out of commission till a survey said they were still OK...turning the rest of the joint into Gridlock.

Only ticked a mirror once. So...really it shouldn't ever happen.
 
A hit n run is colliding with anything and failing to identify yourself to the other person. Hitting someone's mirror without any damage and riding off is a hit n run, but if the the driver doesn't care then it doesn't matter.

In most cases the first thing that will collide is a mirror. if your feet, pegs, or handlebars collide then you're trying to get in waay too tight spots.

Funniest thing that happened to me is when my mirror hit a nice convertible's mirror at 5 mph, and it bent the mirror (but the driver could bend it back easily). At the moment of impact he went "agh!", then I accelerated off and he screamed "HEY! Get back here!" in a kind of metro-sexual tone and I couldn't stop laughing the whole way to work.
 
Yes, it's technically a hit and run and I have seen it happen dozens of times. The bikers rely on the fact they go by fast enough that the car driver can't get their license plate number. This is one of the reason drivers hate bikers.
 
Jack the Smack said:
Funniest thing that happened to me is when my mirror hit a nice convertible's mirror at 5 mph, and it bent the mirror (but the driver could bend it back easily). At the moment of impact he went "agh!", then I accelerated off and he screamed "HEY! Get back here!" in a kind of metro-sexual tone and I couldn't stop laughing the whole way to work.
Click to expand...

Pretty much underscores my post. Imagine how thrilled drivers are to have their mirrors banged on by passing bikes.
 
I once clipped a car mirror lightly while splitting to the front of a light on 19th. I simply made a hand gesture that I was pulling over and the did the same. She got out and said she appreciated that I pulled over and there was no problem. Just do the right thing and avoid a situation.
 
Rumpy: Whoops. Sorry about that. Would you like me to give you my contact information so I can pay for the paint touch-up?

Motorist: No, that's OK. It happens all the time.

:wtf
 
I tried to make a rubber covering for the back of the mirror a year ago, but I couldn't figure out what type of glue to use or where to get the right rubber for it. My idea was that when my mirror hit it wouldn't scratch anyone's painted mirror, and just make a thump sound instead of a plastic clack.
 
Use your judgment. No harm no foul, especially if making an issue out of it would snarl traffic. If you did damage something, the right thing to do would be to pull over somewhere and give your info.
 
Personal responsibility. If I screw up someones car (once in miles of splitting) I pull over when safe to square up. I expect others to show me the same courtesy. The world works much better this way. Many are so shocked that you are being responsible that they bitch a little and cut you loose to show their appreciation. Do what is right, don't be a chicken shit.
 
I've nicked a couple of mirrors learning to lane share on the GT. Most of the drivers were cool with it, and just waived that it's okay. In most cases it was older beat-up trucks, where my bike was worth significantly more than their vehicle; I suspect that the difference in value helped it slide.

For what it's worth... I don't have a lot of regrets about the choices I've made in my life... But failure to take responsibility is probably the hardest one for me to cope with. I'd rather pay for a mirror than live with the knowledge that I'm a wuss.
 
Fmt662 said:
...and part of your bike (levers, bars, knees) tap another car, but just barely,...
Click to expand...

I would practice riding until you learned to control your bike. If you can't avoid hitting other objects you shouldn't be riding.

Thanx, Russ
 
Unless your bike falls on a car, tapping a mirror is like playing bumper tag when you parallel park.

Do you leave your insurance card so you can buy someone a new bumper?
 
imurdaddy415 said:
I once clipped a car mirror lightly while splitting to the front of a light on 19th. I simply made a hand gesture that I was pulling over and the did the same. She got out and said she appreciated that I pulled over and there was no problem. Just do the right thing and avoid a situation.
Click to expand...

rumpofsteelskin said:
Rumpy: Whoops. Sorry about that. Would you like me to give you my contact information so I can pay for the paint touch-up?

Motorist: No, that's OK. It happens all the time.

:wtf
Click to expand...
This and this!
 
sanjuro said:
Unless your bike falls on a car, tapping a mirror is like playing bumper tag when you parallel park.

Do you leave your insurance card so you can buy someone a new bumper?
Click to expand...

you're supposed to
 
It's never happened to me, but yeah, you've gotta come correct. If the people in the car are all pissed off you need to stop. If they're not worried about it, they'll wave you on. It's their call.
(of course, none of this applies to any mirrors I may happen to "fold in" as an "educational aid" :teeth)
 
Regarding crash reports, The CHP Collision Investigation Manual, page 2-1 defines accident or collision as an “unintended event resulting in damage or injury.” :mstingray There is a little more, injury means death and “a vehicle in transport”…. No damage, no injury, means no crash no accident no collision….aka no harm no foul. If my mirror doesn’t get knocked out of adjustment or broken, and there is no broken mirror glass on the ground from the other vehicle, then there is no damage in my book. :bump If I ever do more than mirror click and there is a real possibility of damage I will stop. I know that this is an arguable position, but that is the way I look at it. If the day ever comes when an LEO comes to my door to talk to me about a hit and run involving a mirror click and my mirror is intact I am going to have to see some proof that my undamaged mirror actually caused damage, going to be a hard thing to do.
 
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