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The View through the Windshield |
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June 2001 Volume 2, Number 2 ============= Member of the
Concours Owners Group
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Beware The Cage As soon as she pulled along side me, I knew she was someone to avoid. Waiting at the traffic light on my way to work, weighing the decision of whether to actually show up, or to play hooky and enjoy a two wheel day along the Florida coast, I saw the cage roll up to a stop in the next lane. She seemed to be slowly creeping up on the car in front of her, and when she finally stopped, there was enough room between her land yacht and the car in front to drive a truck through. I glanced over, my attention caught by the tremendous gap between the two cars. That’s when I realized what she was up to. On the steering wheel of her car, with one hand holding a pen and the other holding her checkbook, she was writing out checks. On the front passenger seat beside her was an array of papers, a stack of bills more than likely, and she was busily scrawling away as the light turned green. It was only the blast of the horn from the car behind her that prompted her to look up and realize that it was her turn to go. From experience (a wonderful thing to have on a motorcycle), I wicked up the throttle, leaving her well behind me as I continued along with the passing parade of cages heading to their various destinations. As I slowed for the next light, I looked in my mirror and realized that she was gaining ground on me, and everyone else in traffic. The light turned green and before I could ease out the clutch, she passed, traveling well in excess of the speed limit, cell phone in hand and chatting away with some disembodied voice. Again experience dictated that I give this cage a wide berth. I moved down the road and eased my way into the right lane as I prepared to take the final turn in my morning commute. The cage was in the left hand lane and the woman, very animated, was still on the phone, crooked in her shoulder, one hand on the wheel and the other gesturing broadly as she drove. As I slowed for the light and signaled my turn, I noticed this woman looking to her left, still on the phone, and still in the left lane. But something did not seem quite right. While I am not a person given to premonitions or pre-knowledge of any type of impending doom, a bad feeling came over me. My hand eased off the throttle and I began to cover the brake and clutch handles just in case. It was then that she made her move. From the left hand lane, with no signal, and without even turning her head from the left, she crossed into the right lane and then into the turn lane, which I was occupying. Fortunately for me, my paranoia about the situation allowed me to react calmly and I was able to drop back in plenty of time to avoid an incident. And yet, I don’t think she even saw me. I made the turn and headed down the straightaway, intent on catching up to her and trying to guess her age, hair color, etc.. I know this sounds strange, but I needed some sort of reality check as to why she would operate a motor vehicle in such a manner. Was she old and infirmed? Was she young and inexperienced? Maybe she was just having a blonde moment. As I came along side her, she glanced in my direction, still on the phone, and the checkbook still on the steering wheel! The noise of my bike must have alerted her to my presence because she actually glanced my way. I shook my head slowly, trying vainly to convey my dissatisfaction with her driving habits. Her response was to tell me, by way of a hand gesture, that she thought my bike was number one! My first reaction was to return the gesture, but I figured that, given her driving abilities to date, she would probably try to add me to her collection of bugs and other squished things on the front of her cage. Instead, I quickly exceeded the speed limit and left her to her own devices, which, as far as I could tell, still included the cell phone clutched in her hand. The moral of this story ladies and gentleman is that cages don’t kill. They don’t maim or injure. They are inanimate objects hurtling down the road under the guidance of people who have little regard for things around them, with motorcycles being way down on their list. This woman should serve as a warning to us all that we are vulnerable to the whims and ineptness of those driving in cages. I would also hope that this story would help reinforce the need to drive defensively while on two wheels. My decision to back off and monitor the situation comes not only from experience, but also from having taken the time to attend the advanced MSF course, where these kinds of tactics are taught and reinforced. When in doubt, assume the worst. It may just save your life. Take care and ride safe. Larry “SideShow” Fitch Editor in Chief Rollin' eZine |
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