I was debating on whether to put this in the rant thread or the road rage thread. I figured here would be better cuz it really pissed me off and deserves a rant.
So I ride a motorcycle. I've had a harley for about 6 years now. I love to go riding. I used to go riding every single chance I got. But my wife is not nearly into riding as much as I am... but she'll still go with me. But that takes away a lot of opportunity to get on it. But that's not my rant
IT'd help if I rode it to work, but it's actually a pain in the ass to ride it to work. 1)It's carbureted, so I have to let it warm up a bit before I leave for work... which I'm usually running late. 2)In the summer, if I ride, I can't wear shorts. It's too hot on the bike to wear shorts...if your leg touches the engine or especially the exhaust, you can say hello to your nice new blister. 3)It sucks to get your adreneline flowing on teh bike and then all of a sudden you're a work and it's like, Fuck I'm a work and I can't ride till my short as fuck lunch break. but thats' not the rant.
Now i have a scooter. I get about 80 MPG, I can go about 62 MPH and cruise comfortably up to about 55 mph. I can start it in the morning and just go. I don't have to shift or operate a clutch so I can eat my pop tart for breakfast with one hand and control myself with the other. If it rains, I can hide my legs behind the front of the bike and not get too wet... as opposed to the harley where my shins get soaked near instantly. I can wear shorts and sandles on it if I want to. Basically, it's just a great form of transportation that happens to be a fuck load of fun. and as gay as you think it might be to be riding a scooter, I get tons of attention from girls... and yes, it's positive attention. But, obviously, that's not the rant.
one drawback of the scooter is that people see it and think it's an underpowered piece of shit. well, it's not gonna beat a race car, but it does get up and go. I can get to 50mph before a lot of the other cars out there because it's so light. but even still, people love to get around you and don't want to feel like they're stuck behind you. years of riding taught me that it's not a good idea to get emotional when riding, but just let asshole drivers go... and thank the Lord you were aware of what was going on. but that's not the rant either... that's jut the setup.
so here it is:
the other day I'm riding home from work. It's not exactly rushhour and there's not a ton of cars on the road, but the road is far from deserted. So after waiting at a stop light behind and next to some cars, we all proceed through the intersection and continue to where the road has a lane reduction. I'm in the part of the raod taht continues and the right-hand lane merges. Unwritten etiquette is that you go every other car. it makes things nice and easy. Well, we're all cruising and the guy in front of me maeks a quick slowdown, and when he has finally slowed to about 20mph, he puts his left-hand turn signal on. It was very unexpected, so I had to hit my brakes hard and I got close to his vehicle... no dangerously close, but close. Well, all of a sudden, he hits the hooks and comes to a dead stop. I always leave myself an out and was about to swerve to the right... but I noticed something moving and heard a noise. it was the the deuche bag from WAY the fuck behind me but in the right lane who decided that she just wanted to get ahead one more measly car length before the lane reduction occured... by driving in the shoulder of the road(because the lane reduction already fucking happened) Not only did she take away my out by performing her illegal maneuver, but she came so fucking close to hitting me regardless, that it kinda pissed me off. had I not been paying attention to either the guy in front of me or her, I would have swerved to the right and been killed.
We finally came up to a stoplight and she was right in front of me. i got off my scooter and knocked on her window. and here's waht I said to the lady who at first pretended not to see me and rolling her window down about an inch (I don'tblame her for that)... she also looked much too simple to be driving a car.
anyway, i said, in a very calm and unemotional voice:
Well, here we are, at the same light at the same time. I'm sure you're glad you sped ahead of me to get here a second or two before me. But had I not been paying attention, you would have killed me in the process. The roadway is plenty big enough for all of us, there's no reason to drive like that. Start seeing motorcycles and respecting them like any other vehicle on the road. It just may save someone's life. Drive safe.
As I walked away, she said, Fuck you, asshole. I didn't think that was very nice.
so to summarize: I fucking hate it when people drive their cars like assholes, especially when i'm on my motorcycle and their recklessness could cost me my life.
Thanks for reading all this, you weirdo.
wow man cant believe you walked up to her door I thought all chicago women carried tazers ..