Damn BMW Cage Drivers
Here in Silicon Valley it seems as if cagers in those two makes of cars are the ABSOLUTE WORST when it comes to sharing the road. And PLEASE don't put a cell phone in the hands of one. The hand that holds the phone is the direction they just refuse to look in before changing lanes.
Bikers, scooter riders and bicyclists should be rewarded for riding because we pollute less, use less energy and bicyclists contribute to keeping health care costs in check.
Motorists should be well penalized for their arrogant road-hogging ways. They need to realize that ITS NOT FREAKING FUNNY when one of us gets separated from our vehicle at any speed. We don't have the benefit of airbags and a metal cage around us. We get thrown off our vehicles and it ALWAYS results in injury or death. Is the few seconds you save worth destroying an entire family?
As for lane-splitting, its a benefit of being small and agile. And its LEGAL!! Don't hate the player, learn the game. Would you hate Tiger Woods if he played through because you were too slow? No, you wouldn't. You would improve your game. So don't hate, appreciate the skill it takes to ride.
Lenore (3/15/07)
Every day, riding on public roads becomes more of a gamble with people who are criminally irresponsible in their driving. The pounding, stupid arrogance of this turns my thoughts to sludge.
There are motorcyclists who are just as stupid, and bicyclists, and pedestrians, but since when have we succumbed to the "mass makes right" syndrome? If these jerks were spraying bullets over rush hour traffic, they'd be confronted by a SWAT team. But although they are being equally life-threatening from their cages, it is hardly addressed by legislators or the law.
Deliver me to someplace where I can ride a thumper to the grocery store, and never see anyone I don't know in a pickup truck.
Agiyo
It's incidents like these that rally make me think about joining the force. And I have to say, I would be THE biggest asshole cop out there.
I'm sure BMW's cars are supplied with neck braces for their drivers to reduce the strain of keeping their head in the face forward position. They seem to fly down the slip road of the motorway and head straight for the outside lane with out even a glance over to check for other road users let alone bikes.
If I were you mate, I think I'd have grabbed the laughing boy by the nuts and twisted until he found it funny no longer.
I would've had to've been dead not to murder that guy (or as severely hurt as you). Funny? I just can't believe he had the nerve to say that. Cagers (never heard that term before, but love it) just don't get it. I'd like to meet him and show him "funny".
I'm really glad that you survived to tell us about it, because I have the same problem with BMW's - thought it was bc they thought it was cute that there was a "girl riding a Ducati"...they'd speed up to race me, then slow down to pace me and I was always thinking WTF? Don't they know how dangerous this is or realize that I'm just trying to get away from them?
And it's always BMW's (don't knock Volvos man, I drive a Volvo...and yes, you can laugh at me if you want...everyone else does)...even New York City cab drivers have more common sense and respect than people in BMW's.
Ugh, your story just gums my carbs.
Interesting to hear other have noticed a higher percentage of BMW car drivers drive this way. I though I was just imagining it until my wife just agreed telling me she has been putting up with such crap for years from them on her rush hour commutes. I have been avoiding them as much as possible on mine especially when on my bike. I believe all cage drivers have at least a 65% chance of doing something stupid that puts me in danger but with the BMWs it is a 70% to 95% chance and the lower the model number on the trunk of the car (325i comes to mind)the more likely. I call them want-a-be s. I think it is part of that self centered YUPPY mentality. A percentage of them does everything and treats everyone like that! Oh yea, don't forget, nothing is ever their fault either. LOL
This is the irony of modern society:
"As a result, he got charged with dangerous driving which only cost him a $400 fine and lost his license for 6months"
He almost killed someone. Yet the only justice this guy got is a $400 fine? At least break his two legs and 3 ribs!!! come on! Don't tell me about cruel and unusual punishment. In my humble opinion, if you commit cruel and unusual crime, you deserve crueler and more unusual punishment!!!
Out on my regular saturday afternoon ride with my mates... we were driving down the motorway in the far left lane as our off ramp was aapproaching. As we started to turn off the motorway a BMW came flying from nowhere (I later found out he didnt want to miss his turn off and proceded to change across 3 lanes at once to make the off ramp), as you can imagine the carnage that followed. This BMW clipped my front tire sending me flying off to the left of my bike. My mate, who was riding behind me, to the left had no option but to attempt a stoppie at about 120kph and resulted in flipping his bike. I went flipping down the road, as did my mate, and we both ended up narrowly missing a brick wall that was a support to the overhead bridge. As I tried to stand, which which I soon found out was on 2 broken legs, I looked to see my mate face down and not moving (he was in fact ok, luckily). The BMW driver comes walking up to me laughing his head off saying that was the funniest thing he had seen all day. As a result, he got charged with dangerous driving which only cost him a $400 fine and lost his license for 6months. I ended up with a written off bike, 3 broken ribs, a shattered hand, and many months off work. But hey, at least the BMW driver found it funny:-(
- Paul