Can you grant me psychic powers?(unsignaled lane changes)

[Valiant]

If that's too much to ask, I'd like to ask how to avoid these fruitloops better, because for the second time this week, my PCX was 6 inches away from getting sideswiped because some idiot didn't want to signal or do a head check before barging over into the next lane. This would be on the highway, at speeds from 50-60 mph.

In the first instance(Monday I believe), tweedle dee slowly merges into my lane, no signal, no indication that he saw me. I tried to find my horn and managed to push my thumb down... on the turn signal button. At the very same time, I was steering the PCX towards the left lane very slowly(didn't want to take my eyes off tweedle dee), and around the time I was on the dotted lines separating the two lanes, tweedle dee finally sees me and jerks suddenly back into the right lane he came from.

In the second instance(thursday), tweedle dum merges onto the freeway(the right lane), I'm occupying the lane to the left of that one. For whatever reason, I decided to cut my speed down a bit in response to the guy just coming off the ramp(he's not in my way or anything), as something(not a turn signal) hinted at the possibility that he might change lanes. He didn't change lanes like I thought he might, and I'm not exactly in the slow lane, so I figured I'd move into the left track and speed up before I get honked at from behind. Surprise surprise, my front wheel was matching his rear wheel when tweedle dum decides to make an unsignaled lane change into my lane. I squeezed the brakes and managed to avoid getting sideswiped by a few inches. Before I could think to honk at him and extend the finger to him, he speeds up ahead and changes lanes to the right again(at least he signaled that time), and promptly exits the freeway.


Is there some cue I ought to watch for that might hint at this a**hole behavior? The first one caught me offguard, but my body was evidently sending me some pretty strong signals in the second instance, so I'm wondering if I missed something that could have allowed me to do more than avoid a catastrophe by mere inches. Because frankly if I wanted to flirt with danger I would invite a porcupine to sit on my lap .

[dkazzed]

There are some terrible and complacent drivers out there. People judge me for coming to a complete stop at stop signs, doing the whole shoulder check thing, taking a few seconds after I signal to do a quick mirror and shoulder check, etc. as if I were doing a road test. No, I'm just trying not to hurt or kill anyone.

I'm glad I can take the HOV lane on the freeway. There's a very generous escape route to my left aka the shoulder. And there were cars that did very quick lane changes into the left lane. Several illegally across a solid white line. People are only supposed to enter or exit the HOV lanes when there's a broken white line.

[gn2]

As you approach exits watch out for the last minute dive.....

[Valiant]

As you approach exits watch out for the last minute dive.....

Yes, precisely what(at least my body, my brain wasn't sure what the heck I was doing) I did with the second instance.

The problem as I mentioned was:
-The guy didn't signal. If someone signals a lane change, I'll slow down and wave them over. If I only think they might turn, slowing down and waving at someone who's not signaling will either get me honked at, rear-ended, or ticketed.
-There's traffic behind me, moving at 55 mph. The right lane, because it is the lane that all the ramps merge into, is generally much slower at 40-45 mph. I can't completely avoid the risk of driving past a line of 5-10 cars that just got off the ramp at a speed that is 10-15 mph above theirs.

I'm just not sure if there's a visual cue I'm not consciously paying attention to that might help to separate the actual idiots who would do this versus other people who knows that their blinker isn't just there to decorate the steering wheel.

[kramnala58]

Whether it's on the bike or in the car, I make sure that I don't sit in the other vehicle's blind spot, which is pretty much anywhere beside them and a little back of them as well. It can be a challenge in congested traffic, but sitting there leaves you vulnerable.

[Mel46]

I have found that if i put myself in their mind and think about what they shouldn't do, I somehow know that they will do it. After a while you start looking for them to do stupid things, and they do! Simple. Just expect them to do stupid things, like changing lanes without signaling, or going from the inside lane to the exit in one move, or stop dead in the middle of the freeway because they missed their exit. Essentially, always be aware. Try to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. All of us have seen drivers who were doing everything except paying attention while driving. The soccer moms in living rooms on wheels are the worst, followed by business men in a hurry to get to their appointment. Because bikes are not as large as their vehicles are, they have a tendency to look right through you, instead of seeing you.

[tbln930]

I got one redneck's truck license plate on video that passed the car ahead of me on the rock shoulder illegally at 50 mph and gave it to the Sheriff. They are giving him a call. He looked like a redneck.

[yak]

At the local Police Motorcycle Officer training program (not the one that helps you get your license... this is for the police), the instructor says that any accident you have while riding a motorcycle is your fault. Not because you did anything wrong. But because it will be your leg that is broken when a car surprises you by doing something they should not have done.

You drive as if everyone will suddenly realize that they need to turn left in the next 100 feet. As if everyone exiting a shopping center is looking the other way before pulling out. In your question, there is anger. The instructor says that you need to leave that mindset behind. You can not allow yourself to be self-righteous. You can not control the actions of anyone else on the road. You are driving to protect your leg (you already told us about your last broken leg).

Once you change your mindset, there is more peace to be found while driving on 2 wheels. We all understand your anger about the unwarranted actions of inconsiderate drivers. Save that for when you are driving a 6,000 pound SUV.

[you you]

If that's too much to ask, I'd like to ask how to avoid these fruitloops better, because for the second time this week, my PCX was 6 inches away from getting sideswiped because some idiot didn't want to signal or do a head check before barging over into the next lane. This would be on the highway, at speeds from 50-60 mph.

In the first instance(Monday I believe), tweedle dee slowly merges into my lane, no signal, no indication that he saw me. I tried to find my horn and managed to push my thumb down... on the turn signal button. At the very same time, I was steering the PCX towards the left lane very slowly(didn't want to take my eyes off tweedle dee), and around the time I was on the dotted lines separating the two lanes, tweedle dee finally sees me and jerks suddenly back into the right lane he came from.

In the second instance(thursday), tweedle dum merges onto the freeway(the right lane), I'm occupying the lane to the left of that one. For whatever reason, I decided to cut my speed down a bit in response to the guy just coming off the ramp(he's not in my way or anything), as something(not a turn signal) hinted at the possibility that he might change lanes. He didn't change lanes like I thought he might, and I'm not exactly in the slow lane, so I figured I'd move into the left track and speed up before I get honked at from behind. Surprise surprise, my front wheel was matching his rear wheel when tweedle dum decides to make an unsignaled lane change into my lane. I squeezed the brakes and managed to avoid getting sideswiped by a few inches. Before I could think to honk at him and extend the finger to him, he speeds up ahead and changes lanes to the right again(at least he signaled that time), and promptly exits the freeway.


Is there some cue I ought to watch for that might hint at this a**hole behavior? The first one caught me offguard, but my body was evidently sending me some pretty strong signals in the second instance, so I'm wondering if I missed something that could have allowed me to do more than avoid a catastrophe by mere inches. Because frankly if I wanted to flirt with danger I would invite a porcupine to sit on my lap .

37 years of riding and I've never had this problem

[Valiant]

At the local Police Motorcycle Officer training program (not the one that helps you get your license... this is for the police), the instructor says that any accident you have while riding a motorcycle is your fault. Not because you did anything wrong. But because it will be your leg that is broken when a car surprises you by doing something they should not have done.

You drive as if everyone will suddenly realize that they need to turn left in the next 100 feet. As if everyone exiting a shopping center is looking the other way before pulling out. In your question, there is anger. The instructor says that you need to leave that mindset behind. You can not allow yourself to be self-righteous. You can not control the actions of anyone else on the road. You are driving to protect your leg (you already told us about your last broken leg).

Once you change your mindset, there is more peace to be found while driving on 2 wheels. We all understand your anger about the unwarranted actions of inconsiderate drivers. Save that for when you are driving a 6,000 pound SUV.

Anger yes, but I'm also looking to see if there's any way to distinguish a potential idiot from the other line of 10 cars that also just got off the ramp.

Truth be told, if I actually drove like everyone is out to get me, I'd back up traffic behind me(as I wave everyone to the left AND the right of me to pass in front of me) and would probably fail to account for the guy who rear-ends me. Motorcycles have blind spots too, as I only barely caught the first guy moving towards me out of the corner of my eye.

The only issue I see is that we're not riding motorcycles.

Because if I were on a 650cc bike, the solution would be simple:
Move to the left track and open up the throttle until I find a nice spot to cruise in where I'm positioned diagonally to the cars next to me.

On the PCX it would normally take 3-5 seconds in WOT to fully pass a single car, so there's plenty of time for one to catch you.

37 years of riding and I've never had this problem

Must not be riding in the US then .

[you you]

At the local Police Motorcycle Officer training program (not the one that helps you get your license... this is for the police), the instructor says that any accident you have while riding a motorcycle is your fault. Not because you did anything wrong. But because it will be your leg that is broken when a car surprises you by doing something they should not have done.

You drive as if everyone will suddenly realize that they need to turn left in the next 100 feet. As if everyone exiting a shopping center is looking the other way before pulling out. In your question, there is anger. The instructor says that you need to leave that mindset behind. You can not allow yourself to be self-righteous. You can not control the actions of anyone else on the road. You are driving to protect your leg (you already told us about your last broken leg).

Once you change your mindset, there is more peace to be found while driving on 2 wheels. We all understand your anger about the unwarranted actions of inconsiderate drivers. Save that for when you are driving a 6,000 pound SUV.

Anger yes, but I'm also looking to see if there's any way to distinguish a potential idiot from the other line of 10 cars that also just got off the ramp.

Truth be told, if I actually drove like everyone is out to get me, I'd back up traffic behind me(as I wave everyone to the left AND the right of me to pass in front of me) and would probably fail to account for the guy who rear-ends me. Motorcycles have blind spots too, as I only barely caught the first guy moving towards me out of the corner of my eye.

The only issue I see is that we're not riding motorcycles.

Because if I were on a 650cc bike, the solution would be simple:
Move to the left track and open up the throttle until I find a nice spot to cruise in where I'm positioned diagonally to the cars next to me.

On the PCX it would normally take 3-5 seconds in WOT to fully pass a single car, so there's plenty of time for one to catch you.

37 years of riding and I've never had this problem

Must not be riding in the US then .

certainly not

[RGW68]

I drove a taxi for almost 10 years (don't hold that against me lol) and my favorite thing that people would do is turn their signal on (left or right) and go the other way.

[Mel46]

Here in the southern part of the United States we not only have the "normal" crazy drivers to deal with, but we also have a disproportionate number of junk cars on the road that would be outlawed any where else. It isn't unusual to see cars with broken windshields, broken side mirrors, and no working tail lights. The worst part is that a good many of those drivers don't have insurance, many because they are driving on suspended licenses or no license at all. So, when you add them to the mix, riding a two wheeled vehicle in traffic around here is a real challenge. You never know when one of the pieces of their car that is held on by duct tape is going to fall off. The only inspections they require here is for emissions, and you don't need that if you don't even have tags on your car! (There are quite a few cars being driven around here with temporary paper tags that have been on them for over a year, that don't even belong on that particular car.) Welcome to the South.

On the bright side, Spring is almost here. We can finally go out and ride!