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Almost rear-ended by a Peterbilt, went evasive

TWTim

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I was coming back from a photography assignment in my Jeep this morning, and I was almost rear-ended by a semi-truck. Luckily I saw him coming and dashed off into the grass.

I was waiting for a green light while sitting at the very end of a line of cars in the industrial outskirts of town, when I saw this huge object out of the corner of my eye which was quickly filling my rearview mirror. Just as I looked up, the knucklehead truck driver saw the line of cars ahead of him and started late-braking like crazy. I could hear all these crazy air and squealing sounds coming from the rig.

Without hesitation, I cranked the wheel and fired off into the grass just past the shoulder of the road. Truck boy did manage to get stopped, but it would've been way too close for comfort -- and was definitely way too close to call as to whether or not I'd have been sent hurling into the car in front of me.

No harm done, thankfully. Interestingly though, the whole situation made me very thankful that I'm a skilled motorcyclist, because all the focus, scanning, and other street strategy I use religiously while riding, I was apparently also using subconsciously while driving. I'd even left myself an "out" by instinctively not getting too close to the car in front of me.

Anyway, we hear a lot about the negative things associated with riding motorcycles these days, especially as pricey petrol drives neophytes and noobs from all walks of life into bike ownership. But the mental and physical skills I've developed over the past 17-plus years of street riding may well have helped me escape a potential disaster this morning, and I thought you all might find this story of value when talking to others about motorcycling.
 
:thumb: Good deal Tim. Glad you and your Jeep are both unharmed.
 
No harm done, thankfully. Interestingly though, the whole situation made me very thankful that I'm a skilled motorcyclist, because all the focus, scanning, and other street strategy I use religiously while riding, I was apparently also using subconsciously while driving. I'd even left myself an "out" by instinctively not getting too close to the car in front of me.

Anyway, we hear a lot about the negative things associated with riding motorcycles these days, especially as pricey petrol drives neophytes and noobs from all walks of life into bike ownership. But the mental and physical skills I've developed over the past 17-plus years of street riding may well have helped me escape a potential disaster this morning, and I thought you all might find this story of value when talking to others about motorcycling.

Funny you should say that... the cage I was driving when I bought my first bike was a swb Jeep with a lift, 33's, and no front swaybar. It had me conditioned to keeping a close eye on traffic, reading the behavior and body language of people around me to predict what they were about to do, and in general, planning way ahead to try and avoid the need for panic/emergency maneuvers. Those things went a long way towards making me feel comfortable hopping into freeway traffic within 1/2 a mile after leaving the dealer on the bike.
 
Phew! I hate when that happens. Glad you are okay.

Back in the olden days some studies were done that indicated people who rode motorcycles before driving cars tended to have fewer tickets and fewer wrecks. Those who started riding in the dirt had fewer tickets and fewer wrecks in cages than those who started riding on the street. Those who started riding in the dirt, then went on to ride on the street before beginning to drive cages, had the fewest tickets and wrecks. For a while in the late '60s and '70s when I kept up with such things, most of the top SCORE racers were people who started on motorcycles, then switched to buggies and trucks. Just some anecdotal evidence that your relating motorcycle riding to improved cage driving is valid.
 
Glad to hear you avoided death today. The world would have lost a truly great/weird individual. :patriot:
 
Glad you and the Jeep are unscathed. I was almost rearended last night, the truck driver came into my lane and proceeded to ride my butt, glad I was in a rental car, I slowed and upset the guy as he had to slow and change lanes.
 
Glad you were alert, Tim. You always have to watch your six. I am certain that riding has made me a better, more alert driver. It's the defensive mindset.

Any old Car Wars fans here? Drive Offensively
 
Good move Tim!
This morning I went down to my bro's to drop some stuff off and I was driving my p.u. On the way back a fellow in a crown victoria or the Lincoln version was riding my tail gate and it looked like he was drying off from a shower. Using a towel to dry his hair and face. This went on about 1 mile or so with him about a car length or less off my bumper. Glad I had a clear lane, he moved over to the right and passed several weaving in and out of 10am east Loop 820 traffic northbound. <grrrrr>
 
Went evasive, huh?

Spaceballs_Ludicrous_speed_GO.jpg


should've gone to plaid.

(Glad you're ok.)
 
No jamming with Stevie or Jimi just yet...

:dude:

I'm happy to hear first hand from ya what happened rather than read about it.
 
Tim: Glad ur OK. It would be a bear to replace your artistic talent!
Wally:rider:
 
Glad you are ok . On the note of being more careful I totally agree ever since I have bee riding I tend to be more aware and attentive to whats going on around me while driving as well.
 
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