Ride out complete: Being forced off the road by a car

The BotM Cinque Ports Tour went quite well.

We had a chug around, I ran out of petrol, we all gave the unfortunate
rider of a green Trophy a hand to pick his unhappy bike off of the
side of the road, I threw tea all over myself and we ended the trip
slightly earlier than planned in Samphire Hoe in Dover due to rain.

I'm sure when Robbo, Whinging Courier and SeanH get back home they'll
expand on it. I'm not in the right frame of mind or mood to go into
it due to a rather bad experience on the way home which I will expand
upon.

I left the group on the motorway a bit early and went to Sainsbury's
to buy Mother some chockies for Mother's Day and on my way home
through Cheriton I turned left at the traffic lights to come down the
road to the right of Saga in Enbrook and under the bridge there are a
set of new temporary traffic lights while some work is going on off
the junction. I filtered to the front and parked myself in front of a
yellow car. The traffic lights changed to green a couple of seconds
after I stopped.

I set off and could see the car in my RHS mirror behind mirror behind
me far, far too close. I accelerated a bit more to increase the
distance in case he had started off more swiftly than he had wished to
but he kept up with me and then moved into the right hand lane to
overtake me. This wouldn't have been a problem normally, but this we
were heading for the opposite set of traffic lights and the Yellow Car
driver must have been REALLY upset that I filtered past him. He was
to the right of me now and approaching the single lane near the works.

He then started to move left, invading my protected space which would
have forced me out of my lane. I couldn't mount the pavement as a
junction was right in front of me on the left and there were cars over
the white line. I stayed calm and kept the Red Mist away but my list
of options and escape routes were disappearing too quickly as the
single lane and traffic light over the other side of the road got
closer. I doubted that a bike and a car would fit in that lane and
slamming on the anchors wasn't an option due to the proximity of the
Yellow Car and the spilt fuel mixed with the pouring rain. If he got
any closer then we were going to make contact and due to the
unreasonable behaviour of the car driver the Red Mist had already
taken over his reasoning.

I'm not sure whether the following was the best course of action or
not but it was the only thing I could think of doing in the small
space of time before we became one entity.

I stayed where I was, just left of the centre of the lane where I'd
been forced to inhabit by my would-be murderer and waited for the
Yellow Car driver to make their decision. They would either have to
hit me or force me off the road into the side of a car or into a load
of pedestrians on the pavement, go head first into the other temporary
traffic light on the right hand side of the road, or slam on his
anchors and come in behind me.

I'm quite pleased that Mr. Yellow Car decided upon the latter and we
went past the obstruction. I opened up the throttle to get away from
him and was actually quite fearful of checking in my mirror to see if
the car was still there. Through the edge of my vision yellow was
getting bigger.

I'm not sure if you know my mirror arrangement - due to the set up of
the ER-5 and my large frame I can't see anything through the mirrors
unless it's right up my back side.

I considered turning off left into unfamiliar roads in hope of getting
away from him but given his unacceptable behaviour over the last few
seconds I didn't fancy being caught at a dead-end and having to
confront the driver.

I carried on and went around the bends down past Enbrook Park much too
fast considering the road condition (moss) and weather (heavy rain)
and fuel spilt over the roads from the HGV centre nearby. As the
seconds passed I had to make the decision of what to do when I got to
the bottom of the hill and was greeted by a T-Junction. If I intended
to go right (towards home) I would have to cross a lane of traffic
which would mean I would have to stop with the Yellow Car up my arse.
If I turned left then I could just barge into any traffic that may be
in the left hand lane to make my escape.

I didn't wish to lead him to my doorstep but the road looked clear so
I turned right without signalling and was quite pleased that no
traffic was coming in either direction. I looked in my RHS mirror and
he was still at the junction signalling right.

****. If he's stopped for a car then there would be at least one
between me and him so I gave it beans through to the Murco garage in
hope of keeping him as far away as possible, past a front-facing
Truvelo which I didn't feel safe in slowing down for but with his
front number plate having to slow down might bring him to his senses.

For good measure I overtook a few cars, filtered past another set of
temporary traffic lights and skipped the roundabout which would bring
me to my home and went through Hythe. I turned into the High Street
near the canal next to Aldi but there was too much traffic coming the
other way and stayed there for a minute. I was quite shaken up by
this stage and wasn't paying attention to the traffic in the right
hand lane while I was stationary waiting to turn right and I saw a
yellow car gradually approaching in my mirror. It passed me on the
left and I pissed off into the high street sharpish and then went home
the back way more worried about the yellow car which didn't appear to
have followed me.

It's an experience I never wish to repeat again. A stupid situation
to get into due to someone not wanting me to filter past them.

Out of all the 'close calls' I've had I've never ever felt like this
before. I feel quite empty and my heart is still beating far too
fast. I've got pissed off when in the car before, but never has the
Red Mist made me want to run anyone, let alone someone on a motorcycle
off the road with a view to cause serious injury or even death.

I've got some thinking to do. I don't know if I should inform the
police about it or not - I've got no evidence - apart from a potential
front-facing Truvelo shot of me speeding past it with the Yellow Car
at least one or two cars behind. I didn't take down the registration
number as I was in front of him, but I wonder if Yellow Car is going
to register a complaint against me because of it. It would be utterly
unfounded - I'm quite passive and accommodating but the whole thing
has left me quite upset.

 

<snip disaster epic>


Well you do seem to attract attention for some reason.

Scaring little boys in the toilets at the park, spilling hot tea down yer
leathers, forgetting to take the bike out of 2nd gear, and running out of
petrol less than 10 minutes into a ride out. Petrol Muppet number required I
reckon.
Wasn't your day was it?

The ride back up the M20 was relatively good given the fairly clear roads
and comfortable speed at 8000 rpm at which the Trophy just sings along.
WC came past me at one point like I was back-pedalling and when we stopped
at the petrol station he reckoned a comfortable 127 for a while then up to
around 150 as he came past was the fun part.
By that time his tyres had just started to get properly warm.

Apart from all that I landed home without incident other than rain of the
mild kind.
174 mile round trip and thoroughly enjoyable.
Sean did well to keep up at times and must have been redlining it quite a
lot.

We'll do the Sussex coast area next time and rope Muck into a run.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

you write these phrases without thinking don't you?

As Mr Wesson has said this is something that happens. I would put it
down to experience. Your fear and worry is in part because you feel
someone tried to kill you and in part because your "riding space" has
been invaded. From the driver's viewpoint you invaded his space. At
that point it all got a bit territorial and then went silly.

I have had a twat in a sports car try to push into incoming traffic as I
filtered past him on a wide bend with hatching in the centre when he was
in a slowish queue of traffic. The guy knew exactly what he was doing
and what the consequences would be. Whether he was a murderer by your
definition I don't know - he was certainly a very dangerous driver and a
moron by my definition. He didn't succeed and I survived.

By way of balance I have certainly filtered in a very aggressive and
probably dangerous fashion in London traffic when racing a chap on a
Ducati 748. It was huge fun and a great rush but I would imagine the
car, van and bus drivers thought we were both complete cunts and liable
to kill ourselves and various other people. I'm sure you will get to
this stage at some point in your riding "career".

I don't think any benefit will be gained from reporting any of your
event to the police because you have no witnesses and it will be his
word against yours and you can guarantee that he would seek to make you
the guilty party by making exaggerated remarks about your riding. Use
the experience to improve your reading of the road and your ability to
identify moronic cunts in traffic queues.

 

No. I thought about it for several minutes and still agree with it.

The term 'Road Rage' didn't occur to me until wessie mentioned it.
It's certainly going down as experience but I wish it never happened.

Food for thought.

 

[Snipped Text]

It does doesn't it. I had someone follow me home once, back when I had
my CB750. I was tootling around Luton, filtering past the usual queues
by Vauxhall (as it was then!), when a WVM (Escort) decided to race me to
the gap that he'd left. He then actually tried to race me around the
roundabout, and keep the gap closed on the other side - his bonnet was
level with me, and he was less than a car length behind the car in
front.

Anyways, I got to a point on the road where it was wide enough for me to
blast away past the traffic, so I stuck my arm out, right in front of
the driver, and gave him the familiar 'go pleasure yourself' hand
signal.

Of course I hadn't left enough time to make a good escape, and he
followed me home. I saw him pull up outside the neighbours, by which
time I was getting off the bike. It was then that he saw a 6ft 1in, 16st
leather clad biker staring at him, and he promptly drove away.

It still left me shook up though.

 

I've lost my bottle.

I never thought this would happen.

Even though it's pissing with rain I put on my waterproof stuff to go
out for a ride to see if it made myself feel better but was afraid and
I couldn't make myself turn the key. There's so much going through my
head right now.

I've no idea what I'm going to do.

I think I've lost it.

 

Right, get a cab organised, **** off down the pub with some mates and start
again tomorrow when your heads clearer and you are more relaxed.
Confrontations like those can usually upset people and tomorrow is another
day.

 

*Manly hug*

You'll be fine when the sun makes an appearance.

Si

 

what are you, some manner of poof?

 

Stop being such a drama queen, wait for the sunshine and go for a ride.

Seriously Nick - you really might benefit from some reflection on the
number of incidents/close calls you've had and work out what the common
denominator is.


--
Dnc

B1200 - +30bhp ~|~ ZZR1100 - faster when upright
V2300 - flat cap and rug ~|~ A6 2.5TDi V6 Quattro Sport

MIB#26 two#54(soiled) UKRMMA#26 BOTAFOT#153 X-FOT#003

 

I can't recall any other newbie being such a fucking wuss.

"get a sense of perspective".

 

I don't do as many miles as you do by bike, (mainly because I never keep a
bike long enough to do serious miles), but of the ones I have done, I've
never had anything like this tbh, and I tend to filter like that all the
time.

I had quite a few twats drive noticeably more aggressively around me when I
had the Pan, than when I've had 600s and the like - probably mistook me for
old bill, so fair game I suppose. ;-)

But overall, I suspect the general lack of it might be in part because I
tend to feck off quickly whatever, when the lights change.

A chap of your size, not least when you're all suited and booted on the
bike, should be enough to put most fuckwits off having a pop - they don't
know that under that bulky rufty tufty exterior lies a big softy.

Works for me anyway - anyone who has got out their pram or nearly had me off
in the past has tended to shy away rather quickly when I've muttered a few
choice words in their general direction... bar some pikey in an old BMW 5
series last year when I was on the Fazer, and he appeared to have a problem
with the fact I could leave him for dead on a dual carriageway.

I knew I'd left a few large nuts and bolts in my pocket for a reason,
anyway... ;-)

Don't suppose you got a reg number, did you?

I wouldn't worry about the **** complaining about your riding - he won't now
the red mist has wafted off, and if anything he'll be worrying about you
reporting him.

 

Like the others say, get pissed tonight, and get on it tomorrow. We've
all had plenty of incidents and near misses that make you think.

I battle through the traffic on the A1 by Gateshead every day, and every
day I visualise a cage changing lanes on me. I've certainly had near
misses, but I still keep commuting every day.

 

Pick on someone your own size.

 

Wot the Plastic Cloggie said.

Get a grip, get some perspective.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, BGN belched forth and ejected the following:

But slowly.

I nearly got taken off by a black in a stereotypical shit Nissan
Blueburd.

God, I fucking hate London drivers and London roads.

We also now know that Robbo would **** her.

And she TIUTA

 

1) Throwing ER-5 down road 5 weeks after passing test due to
ham-fisted riding with new tyres and general inexperience.
2) Dropping ER-5 due to not putting the side stand down.
3) Civic driver pulling out in front of me and another biker
behind.
4) Throwing ER-5 down road on new years day due to going too fast
off of motorway and 'skipping' on a metal pole that had been
dropped in the road.
5) 'Road Rage' incident after upsetting yellow car driver by
filtering past him.

There's no obvious link between all five of them apart from me being
present at all times, which I'm not disputing. If you look into any
incidents that you have been involved in throughout your life you are
likely to find that you are present at many of them too.

 

BGN wrote:

[snip]

why doesn't this crap happen to people who've been riding for a while?

Either:

a) you're exceptionally unlucky

or

b) you're are crap at riding a bike as any other newbie.

get a grip, FFS.

 

Says the multidrop driver without indicators or mirrors
;-)

OI!
I have standards you know!

Who did/does?

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, .. belched forth and ejected the following:

Double heh

He does it on purpose, I reckon.

Agreed. I spent most of my life in Mid-Sussex.

I know some hot-pooping roads.