Road rage: what if someone has a problem with you and your motorcycle?
By Maverick - Apr 21, 2006

What if someone had a problem with you and your motorcycle on the roadway?!

 

What would you do?

 

On a beautiful Friday morning (60 degrees and clear blue sky), just east of the Rocky Mountains, I exited from my subdivision onto a local street and proceeded approximately 175 yards to a stoplight. I was very aware there were now 4 vehicles behind me.  When the light turned green, I eased away from the intersection and accelerated toward the posted speed limit. To my right was a merge lane with no traffic and a paved shoulder. At about 50 yards from the intersection, I realized there was a pickup truck, still very close, and I glanced over my shoulder to verify that he was within 7 feet of my rear fender. 

 

The maximum speed limit in that area was 35 mph and I was going that speed! Not slowing, I signaled with my hand brake that I was aware of the pickup truck’s presence. There was no change in his proximity to me, so I pulled into the merge lane and motioned the driver to pass. 

 

My thought process was that I did not want to deal with any escalation that might occur had I maintained my position in front of the truck. 

 

While passing me, the truck driver proceeded to verbally and physically register his disapproval of my existence. I could not make out his words; however he was obviously agitated and intent on communicating his disapproval to me. While slowing considerably, we both continued to move in an Easterly direction.

 

The third vehicle, possibly realizing that something was amiss, slowed allowing sufficient space for me to return to the lane of traffic, so I merged behind the pickup truck. Approximately 4 to 5 seconds had passed from the point I realized the pickup driver was uncomfortably close to the point where I was following him.

 

Keeping my distance behind the pickup, between two and three seconds, we proceeded approximately one mile to the next traffic light. The truck driver indicated his intent to proceed directly east, and I signaled my intention to turn north and moved into the left turn lane. As luck would have it, both the truck driver and I were required to stop beside each other waiting for the signal to proceed. The driver launched into another verbal tirade as I eased along side of him.

 

While waiting for the green light, I offered that he was following too close. He proceeded to tell me that “you f___’n should learn how to drive that motorcycle and the f___’n motorcycle was not that special.” I restated my concern that he was driving too close. He continued to berate me using profanity laced phrases. So at this point, I invited him to go with me to the police station to discuss the matter with the police. He said, “What the f___ would they do!” I did not have an answer to that question and at this point, the light turned green so I proceeded to turn away from the intersection, the driver and his pickup. 

 

Now I was agitated! I had made a mental note of the license plate number plus a few other details about the truck’s color, brand, age, as well as the age and appearance of the driver.

 

As time permitted later on this same day, I dropped by the local police station and asked to speak to a police officer. The officer was very accommodating. He listened, took the description and plate number that I provided, and told me my options:

·         I could request that an officer have a talk with the driver

·         I could sign a summons and appear before a judge along with the pick-up driver, or,

·         I could meet with the pick-up driver along with an officer to discuss the matter. 

 

I chose the latter option and within minutes the officer called the number and left a message requesting a call back. The officer assured me that he would follow up, and he did.  Hopefully, this solution that will have the effect of helping this perpetrator discover more appropriate alternatives for his hostilities while creating safer roads for motorcycling!!

 

This could have been ugly had I not stayed on my bike!