Help me decipher these behaviors.

[Stryder]

Having been a cager for a long long time before picking up a motorcycle, I consider it not too difficult to understand certain frustrations people have with bikers. Personally though the only time I've ever been annoyed was when someone split past me at a high speed differential while I was in a car.

These days though I'm biking 90% of the time and I've seen some simply strange behaviors:

1. Riding along on 101 south coming back from Petaluma. 3-4 car lengths behind the car in front of me, minding my own business just going along. The car moves over to the slower lane and slows down a bit, so I increase my speed a little bit and pass him not wanting to be in his blind spot. Then he moves back over and tailgates my ass. Makes no sense, WHAT? Why?

2. Riding along on I80, again minding my own business following the car in front with 3-4 car lengths. Suddenly he flashes his emergency blinkers. There's only one car in front of him in the flow of traffic, everybody else is just going along normally, I scan ahead and nothing is happening, I look in my mirrors and there's nothing behind me either. I don't understand this at all, what was he trying to tell me? I slowed way down and put a 10 car distance between me and him because in my eyes he was acting irrationally and confusing.

3. Riding on local streets in Berkeley, I stop at a light behind a white Toyota pickup truck, *not splitting lanes*. Light turns green, he turns left, I turn left too. Then I ride behind him with a safe 1.5-2 car lengths behind minding my business going at 35mph on a 25mph street. Then he suddenly moves over and slows way down, I keep on going and pass him, as I was passing him he pointed his head out the window, pointed at my lane and yelled "THAT'S *MY* SPOT!!!!!". I was like LOLWUT?!??!

I'm serious though, what do you guys think these people were on about? The first one I can *sort of* understand, maybe a motorcycle just looks like it's closer to you in the mirrors and it looked like I was tailgating him or something, but the 2nd and 3rd makes *absolutely* no sense at all. After going over the events repeatedly I'm still like HWAT?

This was also genuinely somewhat disturbing to me, because it seems like by simply seeing me on a motorcycle, people's retardation/survival mechanism in their brain was triggered, *somehow*. That's sad, and frankly, points to a much larger hidden problem in our culture regarding motorcycles as a mean of transportation and sport.

 

[i_am_the_koi]

1: I wish I knew, happens all the time, maybe he was from Santa Rosa? They are notorious for not knowing how to drive around others

2: Finger slipped and he hit the emergency blinkers, happens to me all the time in my Toyota

3: Was he talking about a parking spot maybe?

 

[clutchslip]

Having been a cager for a long long time before picking up a motorcycle, I consider it not too difficult to understand certain frustrations people have with bikers.

Welcome to the world of involvement. You are no longer insulated from the vicissitudes of transportation life. And you might die from someone's weird errant behavior, rather than getting a dented fender and losing your place on your ipod. It feels good to know what's going on around you. Love it or leave it. (Too sixties?)

 

[splat]

1) Probably was a kid trying to egg you on either to race you, or get you to take off like a rocket. Let them pass and continue on your route. Safer to be behind an idiot than in front of one.

2) The average car is about 20 feet. So you were 60 to 80 feet behind him. Going 70MPH, that's probably less than a 1 second difference. He was probably warning you to get back. Why? Read your first point. Imagine if you had to brake and a car plowed into you. Not a fun thought, right?

3) Not sure.

If this is happening often enough, you need to assess your riding. Keep your distance, practice panic/emergency braking, and be mindful of your surroundings.

 

[Stryder]

Welcome to the world of involvement. You are no longer insulated from the vicissitudes of transportation life. And you might die from someone's weird errant behavior, rather than getting a dented fender and losing your place on your ipod. It feels good to know what's going on around you. Love it or leave it. (Too sixties?)

Love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Still want to understand where others are coming from though.

 

[Stryder]

1) Probably was a kid trying to egg you on either to race you, or get you to take off like a rocket. Let them pass and continue on your route. Safer to be behind an idiot than in front of one.

That actually make sense. The guy eventually accelerated and passed me after a couple of miles of me ignoring him.

2) The average car is about 20 feet. So you were 60 to 80 feet behind him. Going 70MPH, that's probably less than a 1 second difference. He was probably warning you to get back. Why? Read your first point. Imagine if you had to brake and a car plowed into you. Not a fun thought, right?

Makes sense.

3) Not sure.

If this is happening often enough, you need to assess your riding. Keep your distance, practice panic/emergency braking, and be mindful of your surroundings.

Makes sense too!

 

[clutchslip]

You will make yourself nuts try to figure it out. Just look at me.

People are really irrational and not very bright when it comes to fast moving deadly things. Honestly. You are just noticing it more, I believe. You WILL survive. You have already noticed that you can't trust people with machines.

EDIT: See? You are already going nuts, trying to rationalize stupid behavior. For-get-it.

 

[Stryder]

You will make yourself nuts try to figure it out. Just look at me.

People are really irrational and not very bright when it comes to fast moving deadly things. Honestly. You are just noticing it more, I believe. You WILL survive. You have already noticed that you can't trust people with machines.

EDIT: See? You are already going nuts, trying to rationalize stupid behavior. For-get-it.

I have 99% trust in all machines we build and operate. People, on the other hand ...

 

[angelsndevils]

Even if you are not riding with your highbeams on, sometimes our motorcycle lights just annoy cagers. Don't ask me why but I've been told by people I know that they..."seem really bright".

I guess if you think about it the average car hheadlight is 18-24 inches off the ground and most bikes are much higher resulting in this annoying light bouncing around in their mirrors.

 

[MXjunkie]

Having been a cager for a long long time before picking up a motorcycle, I consider it not too difficult to understand certain frustrations people have with bikers. Personally though the only time I've ever been annoyed was when someone split past me at a high speed differential while I was in a car.

These days though I'm biking 90% of the time and I've seen some simply strange behaviors:

1. Riding along on 101 south coming back from Petaluma. 3-4 car lengths behind the car in front of me, minding my own business just going along. The car moves over to the slower lane and slows down a bit, so I increase my speed a little bit and pass him not wanting to be in his blind spot. Then he moves back over and tailgates my ass. Makes no sense, WHAT? Why?

2. Riding along on I80, again minding my own business following the car in front with 3-4 car lengths. Suddenly he flashes his emergency blinkers. There's only one car in front of him in the flow of traffic, everybody else is just going along normally, I scan ahead and nothing is happening, I look in my mirrors and there's nothing behind me either. I don't understand this at all, what was he trying to tell me? I slowed way down and put a 10 car distance between me and him because in my eyes he was acting irrationally and confusing.

3. Riding on local streets in Berkeley, I stop at a light behind a white Toyota pickup truck, *not splitting lanes*. Light turns green, he turns left, I turn left too. Then I ride behind him with a safe 1.5-2 car lengths behind minding my business going at 35mph on a 25mph street. Then he suddenly moves over and slows way down, I keep on going and pass him, as I was passing him he pointed his head out the window, pointed at my lane and yelled "THAT'S *MY* SPOT!!!!!". I was like LOLWUT?!??!

I'm serious though, what do you guys think these people were on about? The first one I can *sort of* understand, maybe a motorcycle just looks like it's closer to you in the mirrors and it looked like I was tailgating him or something, but the 2nd and 3rd makes *absolutely* no sense at all. After going over the events repeatedly I'm still like HWAT?

This was also genuinely somewhat disturbing to me, because it seems like by simply seeing me on a motorcycle, people's retardation/survival mechanism in their brain was triggered, *somehow*. That's sad, and frankly, points to a much larger hidden problem in our culture regarding motorcycles as a mean of transportation and sport.

your headlights are to high for their liking...

 

[Stryder]

Even if you are not riding with your highbeams on, sometimes our motorcycle lights just annoy cagers. Don't ask me why but I've been told by people I know that they..."seem really bright".

I guess if you think about it the average car hheadlight is 18-24 inches off the ground and most bikes are much higher resulting in this annoying light bouncing around in their mirrors.

That's a good point. I was never annoyed by them in a car since it's not something that can be changed, but I definitely wasn't a fan of it either. I'll keep that in mind.

 

[planegray]

+1 to the headlights thing

For the guy who pulled over on the city street; be VERY careful going past anyone doing anything in an urban environment. People OFTEN, slow down, pull over to the right, flip a U turn. Also; slow down, pull to the right, suddenly pull back into the lane. etc

I've gotten to the point where I'll come to a dead stop right behind the car, and wait until they do whatever the fuk it is they are going to do.

 

[SuperMike]

+1 to the headlights thing

For the guy who pulled over on the city street; be VERY careful going past anyone doing anything in an urban environment. People OFTEN, slow down, pull over to the right, flip a U turn. Also; slow down, pull to the right, suddenly pull back into the lane. etc

I've gotten to the point where I'll come to a dead stop right behind the car, and wait until they do whatever the fuk it is they are going to do.

And +1 to the 'be very careful around cars slowing down and pulling over to the right' thing.

 

[Stryder]

+1 to the headlights thing

For the guy who pulled over on the city street; be VERY careful going past anyone doing anything in an urban environment. People OFTEN, slow down, pull over to the right, flip a U turn. Also; slow down, pull to the right, suddenly pull back into the lane. etc

I've gotten to the point where I'll come to a dead stop right behind the car, and wait until they do whatever the fuk it is they are going to do.

And +1 to the 'be very careful around cars slowing down and pulling over to the right' thing.

 

[shouldnthave]

your headlights are to high for their liking...

This is exactly what came to my mind too.

OP: I would adjust your headlight down a bit. If it's too high, it will look as if you are frantically flashing your high beam at them every time you ride over a bump.

 

[vato_loco]

#3 -- Obviously a self-entitled Obama supporter. At least you didn't take his *spot* at the Berkeley Bowl, otherwise you'd be posting from Highland Hospital…

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

...
1. Riding along on 101 south coming back from Petaluma. 3-4 car lengths behind the car in front of me, minding my own business just going along. The car moves over to the slower lane and slows down a bit, so I increase my speed a little bit and pass him not wanting to be in his blind spot. Then he moves back over and tailgates my ass. Makes no sense, WHAT? Why?

2. Riding along on I80, again minding my own business following the car in front with 3-4 car lengths. Suddenly he flashes his emergency blinkers. There's only one car in front of him in the flow of traffic, everybody else is just going along normally, I scan ahead and nothing is happening, I look in my mirrors and there's nothing behind me either. I don't understand this at all, what was he trying to tell me? I slowed way down and put a 10 car distance between me and him because in my eyes he was acting irrationally and confusing.
...

Are you riding with the highbeam on all the time ? were any of these during the night?

 

[sanjuro]

1. Riding along on 101 south coming back from Petaluma. 3-4 car lengths behind the car in front of me, minding my own business just going along. The car moves over to the slower lane and slows down a bit, so I increase my speed a little bit and pass him not wanting to be in his blind spot. Then he moves back over and tailgates my ass. Makes no sense, WHAT? Why?

You're going too slow.

You shouldn't care who is behind after you pass. Pass quick, accelerate and worry about what is in front of you.

2. Riding along on I80, again minding my own business following the car in front with 3-4 car lengths. Suddenly he flashes his emergency blinkers. There's only one car in front of him in the flow of traffic, everybody else is just going along normally, I scan ahead and nothing is happening, I look in my mirrors and there's nothing behind me either. I don't understand this at all, what was he trying to tell me? I slowed way down and put a 10 car distance between me and him because in my eyes he was acting irrationally and confusing.

You're going too slow.

So a guy ahead of you turns on his emergency blinkers. It could be his car is about to explode to he accidentally turned on his blinkers, and you decide to go backwards, hoping the vehicles behind you don't rear end you?

Accelerate past the car and forget him.

3. Riding on local streets in Berkeley, I stop at a light behind a white Toyota pickup truck, *not splitting lanes*. Light turns green, he turns left, I turn left too. Then I ride behind him with a safe 1.5-2 car lengths behind minding my business going at 35mph on a 25mph street. Then he suddenly moves over and slows way down, I keep on going and pass him, as I was passing him he pointed his head out the window, pointed at my lane and yelled "THAT'S *MY* SPOT!!!!!". I was like LOLWUT?!??!

You're going too slow.

You passed so slowly that you could hear what a driver said? You might approach the car slowly, but when you pass, accelerate and forget him.

I'm serious though, what do you guys think these people were on about? The first one I can *sort of* understand, maybe a motorcycle just looks like it's closer to you in the mirrors and it looked like I was tailgating him or something, but the 2nd and 3rd makes *absolutely* no sense at all. After going over the events repeatedly I'm still like HWAT?

This was also genuinely somewhat disturbing to me, because it seems like by simply seeing me on a motorcycle, people's retardation/survival mechanism in their brain was triggered, *somehow*. That's sad, and frankly, points to a much larger hidden problem in our culture regarding motorcycles as a mean of transportation and sport.

If you are going to ride in a way that you become part of drivers' decision-making, you just lost control of your own safety.

I ride to pass vehicles in a safe but quick fashion so whatever they were thinking does not affect me.

 

[HeatXfer]

1) You were too close for his (her?) liking; they were an asshole

2) You were too close; they were being rational

3) Berkeley

 

[sanjuro]

One more thing, your thought process is a very safe way to drive. Not to ride.