Biker Jerks

Biker Jerks

 

I almost killed a guy the other day.  I really don’t want to kill anybody but it has occurred to me that this guy will probably end up dead by somebody else’s hand.

I just don’t want it to be mine.

He was an idiot who seems hell-bent on getting someone to end his life and, if he keeps acting like he did with me, it’ll happen sooner rather than later.

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As you may recall from “Paulie and the Code Brown” (posted 05-31-2018), I recently drove to Poplar Bluff, Missouri for some medical tests.  I also talked about being in a bad mood and insinuated that it was all because of my work’s insistence that midnight staff not take sick leave for doctors’ appointments.

Well, that was only part of the reason I was torqued.

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About halfway through the drive to the Bluff I passed through a little town named Qulin.  Leaving there I noticed one of the houses along the highway had two brightly colored signs in the yard out by the road.  The signs admonished passing drivers to watch for motorcycles.

I have friends who ride motorcycles on a regular basis and they have shared stories with me about drivers who turned or pulled out in front of them and others who changed lanes and very nearly hit them or pushed them into oncoming traffic.  I have personally known a couple bikers who have been killed by such distracted or worse drivers.

I share my friends’ rage and frustration with such drivers.

But the reverse is also true.

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I drove west from Qulin and my mind moved on to more pleasant thoughts.

Soon it was brought forcefully back.

I usually drive at a reasonable speed and am accustomed to being passed by drivers who prefer a faster pace, but that time I came up on someone driving a car at 45 miles per hour on a section with a 55 mph limit.  That route is a two lane highway and frequently has a lot of traffic, so those who drive it sometimes get stuck behind slower drivers.

Cars streamed past me in the other lane as I waited for a chance to pass safely.  Coming over a rise I could see that a clear section was coming up and I moved closer behind the car I was following, preparing to pass when traffic opened up.

As I waited I checked the rear view mirror and saw two motorcycles coming up behind me.  Assuming they would take advantage of the opportunity and pass the other vehicle when I did I continued waiting for the chance.

Because of my positioning behind the car it should have been obvious that I was waiting for the chance to pass it, but it evidently wasn’t to the motorcyclists.  Or maybe it was and they just didn’t care.  I don’t know.

As a gap opened in the opposing traffic I hit my blinker and began to ease out.  A glance in my side mirror confirmed that it was safe but one in the rear view showed only one motorcycle!  Realizing what must have happened I stopped pulling out to pass and looked again to my left rear.  Sure enough, one of the bikers was passing me.  Then the other did the same.  I swerved back into the right lane and honked my horn.

Road rage?  A mild case, yes.  Did I do anything stupid about it?  Absolutely not.

Instead I politely informed the bikers as they passed me that what they were doing was unsafe and inadvisable.

Well, maybe not politely.  And maybe not those exact words either.  But I didn’t do anything stupid about their, uh, stupidity.

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I don’t mind sharing the road with motorcyclists.  I even agree with them that some drivers don’t pay enough attention and make it more dangerous for bikers than it should be.  However the action of those two bikers was not only irresponsible but stupid as well.

They had every reason to assume that I was about to pull out into the other lane.  And they had even more reason to pay attention to what I was doing and be extra careful that they didn’t put themselves in a dangerous situation that they could avoid.

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Now, I’m not a perfect driver, but I am cautious and I do try to be safe and conscientious.  I try to watch out for the other guy, as should be evident from the story.

But, if I hadn’t been so cautious and there had been an accident, most likely the worst that would have happened to me was a wrecked car and maybe a little glass in my face.  The motorcyclists probably wouldn’t have been so lucky.

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If they had been hurt or killed, it wouldn’t have been my fault at all, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have felt bad about it.  I would have recovered from hurt feelings, but they might not have recovered from their injuries.  They might not have survived the consequences of their stupidity.

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Everybody who drives has a responsibility to drive carefully to keep from hurting others, as well as to protect themselves from getting hurt.

Even motorcyclists.

 

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2 Comments on "Biker Jerks"

  1. Though we are often told to “watch out for motorcyclists,” I believe they, those that are less protected, take more risks and drive less defensively than your average driver.

    • Scott Matthews | July 3, 2018 at 9:10 am |

      It sometimes seems that way. I know a lot of bikers are very careful, but the ones who aren’t really stand out. You would think it would be in their best interest to be careful. I’ve had them pass me on the center line between two lanes of traffic. Maybe the highway crews should intersperse the signs that say, “Watch for motorcycles.” with others that say, “Don’t be stupid!”

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