Patience

[DataDan]

Know what's great about riding a motorcycle in traffic? No waiting. Because it's small, maneuverable, and fast, nothing stays in your way very long. A quick yank on the bars, gas it, and go. Whatever was in front of you pissing you off is now just a dot in your mirrors.

What's not so great is when that impulsive reaction to leave an annoyance behind goes wrong. And it can go very, very wrong.

• Rounding a right-hand bend, a rider sees a tractor-trailer pulling out to make a left turn from a dirt road on the left 600 feet ahead. He doesn't want to get struck behind a damn truck so he tries to beat it to the clear roadway by passing on the right before it completes the turn. But he's too late and there's not enough room. He hits the right rear corner of the tractor.
  
  
• In a rural area, a rider turning from a side road onto a state highway tries to make his turn ahead of a log truck so he'll get to the nearby bridge before the truck. But in the dim predawn light he misjudges the truck's speed and is hit even though the driver tried to veer off the road to avoid the crash.
  
  
• Stuck behind traffic in the freeway's slow lane as he nears his exit, a rider swerves into the onramp lane that becomes his offramp lane a quarter-mile ahead and gasses it hard. But a van merges into the offramp lane just ahead of him, and the motorcycle rearends the van.
  
  
• Following his buddy through an intersection, a motorcyclist gasses it in an attempt to get through before the light turns red. But at the same time, an oncoming pickup driver is trying to make a left turn, also before the light turns red, and he doesn't see the second motorcycle. The motorcycle's speed in the resulting impact is enough to amputate the pickup's right front wheel and send it flying 60 feet.
  
  
• As an apparently confused driver slows to turn at an intersection, the motorcyclist following her expects her to turn right and begins to pass on the left. But the driver was actually turning left and the motorcycle hit the car in mid-turn.

Traffic has a rhythm set by surroundings, vehicles, and drivers. While a rider can often use his machine's speed and agility to stay safe and negotiate traffic more efficiently than in a car, he must also be aware of the limits the environment imposes. The operative virtue is patience. Think about your actions and potential consequences. And don't overestimate your abilities or those of the drivers you share the road with.

 

[Ducker]

Nicely written DD!

 

[mike23w]

Thanks for summarizing.

All avoidable accidents.

Most of those maneuvers would not save a minute.

The resulting accident isn't worth the time saved.

 

[Coastal Coyote]

Very well written and very true.

Last week I decided to try to make a left turn on a light that was turning yellow on Skyline and Sharp Park. It turned red as I made my turn, and I was surprised by a truck coming from the other direction in his right-turn lane with such good timing that his light turned green and he didn't have to stop to make his right turn. Thankfully we both spotted each other and reacted quickly to slow down and avoid each other, but let me tell you I cussed myself out after that - and one of the main things I pounded in my head was patience, patience!

In my rush to make the light I put myself at unnecessary risk, a lesson that did not escape me.

 

[ThinkFast]

Thanks for summarizing.

All avoidable accidents.

Most of those maneuvers would not save a minute.

The resulting accident isn't worth the time saved.

When you're on a bike there are *no* accidents - only crashes. Think about it. Then change the way you think about it. It will change the way you ride.

 

[mike23w]

When you're on a bike there are *no* accidents - only crashes. Think about it. Then change the way you think about it. It will change the way you ride.

You like to use the word "think"; but you don't make sense. Funny.

Meriam-Webster definition

Main Entry: ac·ci·dent
1 a: an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance

A crash is an accident; an unforeseen, unplanned event.

 

[mosquito]

^^ To help, I believe ThinkFast's point is that crashes tend to be avoided by taking more responsibility by anticipating others' behavior and planning your behavior better. Also 'accident' often implies that a person is not at fault. If I believe I'm responsible because I put myself in the situation for a crash coming from anyone's mistake, I'm going to be a more prudent rider.

--

:thumbup Dan. I had two similar situations yesterday but had no incidents because I was willing to wait and did plan for the possibilities:

- Following 3 other bikes through a left turn signal (we were behind several cars), the first bike went through on the green, 2 and 3 on the yellow and I had the option of entering the intersection just before it turned red or stopping. I stopped. We 'lost' three minutes 'cause the sensor didn't see me, but stopping made traffic predictable and low-stress for everyone using the intersection.

- At my freeway exit there were two lanes (4 & 5) merging that became two lanes exiting half a mile later. In the middle of the half mile I chose to move from lane #3 to #4, but intentionally stay on the left side because an entering car ahead of me in #5 might move to #4. Just after I got into #4 they began to move into it too when I was squarely in their blind spot. If I'd charged into #4 on my way to the exit I would have been right next to them when they came over. As it was, I was able to scoot ahead of them with 3/4s of the lane's room, then pop over to their old spot in #5. I 'spent' maybe two seconds more negotiating that, but finding out what they were going to do and working with it avoided a potential crash and made it smooth and easy for all.

 

[Blacknblue]

Well said DataDan. Sometimes I forget it's impossible to save time.

It takes patience to develop patience. . .

 

[ThinkFast]

A crash is an accident; an unforeseen, unplanned event.

rly

Try using the two interchangeably in a sentence like this: "Yesterday I crashed."

point is that crashes tend to be avoided by taking more responsibility by anticipating others' behavior and planning your behavior better. Also 'accident' often implies that a person is not at fault. If I believe I'm responsible because I put myself in the situation for a crash coming from anyone's mistake, I'm going to be a more prudent rider.

Bingo :thumbup

 

[GAJ]

Riding in a group, big or small, especially if the lead rider has no consideration for those behind can lead to a "chase" mentality to keep up and lead to impatience especially in terms of passing to keep up and/or riding through blind corners faster than is truly safe.

Below is a vid posted by another Barfer on a current thread in the General section talking about patience and passing: http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288700

What do you see here on this vid? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkZeQt1QHsw

I see two guys taking far more chances than they need to...but you may have a different opinion.

 

[mike23w]

rly
Try using the two interchangeably in a sentence like this: "Yesterday I crashed."

Accident was used as a noun so it makes sense to use crash as a noun; even if it can be used as a verb. For some reason you're using "crash" as a verb.

Regardless, read the dictionary definition for the word "accident". It was used properly.
To say "there are no accidents" is incorrect.

I've read both the Hurt Report and European crash survey which expresses your sentiment; but does it more precisely. I know where you're coming from. Just don't agree with the delivery.

 

[Nemo Brinker]

Good one, Dan. It's easy to get so sucked into the allure of saving time on a bike that I get impatient and begin cutting corners that simply shouldn't be cut, so to speak.

A situation that has given me an unnecessary close call in the past: while riding down a busy 4-lane street just after sunset, the car ahead suddenly slows near an intersection. Thinking that the driver is about to turn right without using their turn signal, I swerve left around it and hit the throttle...only to barely miss the pedestrian, dressed in black, strolling through the crosswalk.

Patience, indeed.

 

[SpyderGirl]

:thumbup Dan. I had two similar situations yesterday but had no incidents because I was willing to wait and did plan for the possibilities:

- Following 3 other bikes through a left turn signal (we were behind several cars), the first bike went through on the green, 2 and 3 on the yellow and I had the option of entering the intersection just before it turned red or stopping. I stopped. We 'lost' three minutes 'cause the sensor didn't see me, but stopping made traffic predictable and low-stress for everyone using the intersection.

- At my freeway exit there were two lanes (4 & 5) merging that became two lanes exiting half a mile later. In the middle of the half mile I chose to move from lane #3 to #4, but intentionally stay on the left side because an entering car ahead of me in #5 might move to #4. Just after I got into #4 they began to move into it too when I was squarely in their blind spot. If I'd charged into #4 on my way to the exit I would have been right next to them when they came over. As it was, I was able to scoot ahead of them with 3/4s of the lane's room, then pop over to their old spot in #5. I 'spent' maybe two seconds more negotiating that, but finding out what they were going to do and working with it avoided a potential crash and made it smooth and easy for all.

Giving yourself proper time to get to where you're going and driving/riding sensibly makes for a low-stress commute. Now only if everyone could figure that out.

 

[louemc]

You like to use the word "think"; but you don't make sense. Funny.

Meriam-Webster definition


A crash is an ; an unforeseen, unplanned event.

ThinkFast makes perfect sense. It's a sense you have to learn to have.

Not everyone learns it.

 

[louemc]

When you're on a bike there are *no* accidents - only crashes. Think about it. Then change the way you think about it. It will change the way you ride.

So True, The very essence of the spectrum of terms we use. Patience is a part of it. There can't be any missing parts (a missing part, is the one that kills you).

Maintaining attention or concentration to the task at hand, has to be there.

Knowing what has to be done, and how to tell your bike how to do it, has to be done (what is that called? Experience?).


I've met quite a high number of riders that live a life of denial. So far into denial, they deny being in denial. They go into blind corners like there is no possibility of some hazard there. They couldn't see a hazard so, with that conclusive wad of information, decided that there wouldn't be anything.

Or, don't stay aware of what's moving around them (like in traffic) and... get surprised when someone invades their safe space. They would of seen it coming, or had a clue that it could come, but No... they couldn't be bothered with paying attention.

We have to do it all, all the time. We are the ones that suffer, when things go wrong. That makes it our job to prevent things from going wrong.

Seems like the simplest way to go, for me. :cool

 

[fast4d]

very good points, dan.

it took me a while to learn this.

 

[moto-rama]

As you so rightly pointed out , there are a number of scenarios where an impatient rider can get squished.

The one that seems to tug at me every so often is the impulse to pass slower vehicles as I approach one of my favorite stretches of road.

I have tried to teach myself some self control and opt out of that competitive game. I find that if I just pull over, flip off my helmet and have a quick cig or check tire pressure, it allows enough time for those slowpokes to clear the road ahead of me.

And in a general way, if I do my backroads boogying when I know there are fewer vehicles sharing the road, there are fewer situations to sort out.

Timing is everything!

 

[littlebeast]

great subject. i've never had any patience. it seemed to snowball until i felt like i would explode from impatience. it sort of hit me one day on the road after some particularly assholish behavior on my part that i was completely out of control. i thought about it for awhile, and decided that time was a luxury, and that's how i was going to treat it. i slowed everything down. deliberately. weird thing was, after i did that, and got used to it, everything seemed like it started happening faster. but i felt patient and in control. and much less tense. i feel more like a stalker/opportunist on the road now, and less like a hopped up nutjob.

 

[H.D.30-06]

I had to learn my lesson in the form of $205.00 ticket for doing the DY. There was a good stretch of open road in front of me with no driveways ect. But there was a moto cop hiding in the shade of a tree. Didn't see him until the red & blue came on. Now if I come upon some one moving slower than me I either wait for a passing zone or until they pull out and allow me passing room. The chance for a spirited but safe pace will come soon and often enough. Until then I just kick back , cruise & enjoy the scenery.

 

[bike_girl]

i recently made a promise to myself and my boyfriend that i'd stop speeding and lanesharing over 40mph. i broke this promise once a week or so ago and got pulled over for speeding while lanesharing. the officer let me go but it was a reminder that you aren't necessarily going to get somewhere faster if you drive faster. you could just end up with a hefty ticket, or a serious injury/death.

i would encourage everyone on this message board to make a similar promise to themselves or a loved one. all too often i get passed on the right while in lane #1 by some idiot doing 95mph. think of something you do on a regular basis that is unsafe or illegal and stop doing it. bad habits are hard to break but good habits will eventually take their place.

ride safe so you can live to ride another day :ride