| Author | Message | ||
     Steveford |
I've been riding street bikes for 33 years and put on around 20,000 miles per year. The number of distracted, incompetent and just plain dangerous drivers seems to have really increased of late. Recently I've nearly been smashed from the back and run over from the side by commuting idiots. A truck here recently managed to kill 5 motorcyclists with the 6th in critical condition. I'm not sure what the solution is: perhaps a rocket propelled grenade launcher mounted front and rear on the Useless along with a swivel mount machine gun? | ||
| 86129squids |
Yepperzs- been wanting to install a train horn on all my vehicles, plus a high-voltage prod to fry any black box in a car and disable it... Pardon me and my imagination....  | ||
| 86129squids |
Oh yeah, one more thing... TEXTING WHILE DRIVING MAKES ME HOMICIDAL.  | ||
| 86129squids |
Hmmm. That above statement is true, either context. Whether I do it, or see others do it. BTW, although I'll take the occasional speakerphone cel call, I NEVER text while driving. Texting seems so stupid anyhoo- what would Alexander Graham Bell think about it?  | ||
| Videoninja |
Texting and driving has become ridiculous at least in my neck of the woods | ||
| Buellish |
I have 132db Blaster horns on the Guzzi. That'll get there attention!Of course you've got to see them first. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
The number of distracted, incompetent and just plain dangerous drivers seems to have really increased of late. That's what took the life of my 9r and provided me with two beautiful rods in my right leg. Texting and driving has become ridiculous at least in my neck of the woods One of my last rides was for a guy who lost both his legs while slinging garbage to a douche bag texting. My old man told me he wouldn't put the f#cking phone down EVEN THOUGH he nearly killed this guy! | ||
| Kim_g |
Thankfully, they recently made texting while driving illegal in Maryland (although we still see people doing it). I am hopeful hands free becomes mandatory soon. Ride safe. | ||
| Court |
It's illegal in New York and I'll bet that half the cars I pass have someone texting. It's REALLY scary. | ||
| Toona |
My light turned green. Looked Left Looked Right Looked Left Looked Right Started to pull out across a 3 lane (1 each way plus center turn lane) stopped in the first lane nearest to me just to watch a totally clueless woman blow thru HER red light at 55-60 mph, she never even thought about slowing down. I was on my Buell headed to church yesterday morning. Yes, I said and extra "thank you Lord" prayer. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Texting banned in Iowa now too. Why do so many people have to be "so connected" all the time? Insecure or what? | ||
| Pwnzor |
Remember when something like going to the store for milk meant you were completely off the grid for 15 minutes? A whole shopping trip could have you gone for hours! You could drive along in your car, not even bothering to wonder if people were trying to get ahold of you... much less reading your Facebook profile or tweeting about lunch. When the first pagers hit the streets, I had to go to the payphone, and call an operator to see who had called me... and what message had been left. Now, it's all tweet this and chirp that and "where you at?" all up in your grill... well, enough I say! I'm going to update my blog right NOW!!!!! | ||
| Birdy |
What I "Like" is the twit who cuts you off and after you've about smacked them, looks at you and WAVES! Like that makes it all better. I've had that happen 3-4 time this year alone. | ||
| Doug_s |
birdy, at least they didn't honk at you and flip you the bird - that's happened to me far too many times, after i've almost been run off the road - car or bike, no matter... btw, hands-free cell fone use has been shown to be no safer than hands-on cell-fone use - it's the conwersation, not the hands that cause the distraction. but, at least it's only as dangerous as drunk driving, texting while driving is a lot worse... doug s. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Actually, I'd be surprised if hands free is as dangerous as hands-on. Hands free, you don't have a hand and arm creating a huge blindspot. That said, NOTHING is going to get any better until they make any of this - texting, calling, GPS-ing - a PRIMARY offense. Once it becomes something you can get pulled over for on its own, people will start paying attention. But if it stays a secondary offense, like seatbelt use....folks'll keep taking chances. Problem is, it's not just their phone they're taking a chance with... | ||
| Etennuly |
I sat behind a girl at a red light in downtown Knoxville Sunday. The light turned green, she didn't move. The light turned red. I did not blow the horn I just moved into the right lane beside her and watched as she was texting. She looked at me like I was spying on her conversation. She had no idea she had missed a complete green light cycle......unbelieveable. In early May a small SUV wrecked into the pasture behind my place. On a straight stretch, no traffic, it went off the road to the left, bounced off a power pole down an eight foot embankment to roll on its side. Fire Chief said the teenage girl was texting while driving. Stupid. Just stupid. | ||
| Jugallo94 |
Thankfully its illegal here in michigan now and it is a primary offense. Not suprisingly though I still pass numerous people every day texting while driving. | ||
| Brumbear |
I would be nervous in an M1A1 on the Jersey commute the shyt that goes on is just out of this world stupid I mean it I can't even explain it in words | ||
| Ourdee |
This is what I want to install in my top case on the Uly: 45W-Output Fixed Mount Wide-Area GSM + 3G/WCDMA Cell Phone Signal Jammer/Blocker (110~240V AC) * EMS http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14838 | ||
| Oldog |
Hey Vern: I got behind a girl 2 years ago near the university here, shes hevily distracted ( head bobbing ) I'm thinking that shes got a sick kid, and decide to risk pulling up to offer assistance, In the front seat, a laptop open and on facing her, papers layed out for reference, and a book open over her knee. I had to hit the window to get her attention and as soon as I do shes right back in the book / computer / notes, On the way home from home comming I watched the narrowest of near misses with totaly wrong initial correction, if the collision had happened the driver struck would have been seriously injured. the texter was a guy on the way to work. he actualy sped up when he realized he was about to possibly crash. then swerved into the car infronts turn, how he missed amazes me, just a couple of coats of paint would have been to close.. | ||
| Froggy |
Be careful, they aren't legal, oh and that one won't block iDEN network  | ||
| Steveford |
I thought about it some more and it used to be that you'd have to try and anticipate what the other drivers were going to do and then do your best to keep them from running you over. That and keep scanning the terrain for deer. Now it seems you have to anticipate what the drivers might do, keep a look out for deer AND always keep an escape route in mind. It's just amazing the things you see nowadays; out in the center lane of a highway was a stopped car full of people with the entire back of the car smashed in. Did the car stall, somebody smash them and then they just drove away? Or the van which overshot an easy right hand turn and then smashed into a line of stopped cars which were just sitting there waiting for the light to change. The van's female passenger gets out with a baby in her arms and just starts wandering around in traffic. Is it just me or do car drivers have the brain the size of a walnut? P.S. One of the best things about the Ulysses is you sit high enough to see over or through the windows of the vehicles in front of you. That's saved me from more than a few tight spots like when traffic speeds up to around 85 MPH and then it comes to a dead stop... (Message edited by SteveFord on July 06, 2010) | ||
| Aesquire |
It's not just you. I've long supported a 2 tier license system. Basic is the same as today, with better training, please, but don't count on it. Advanced would have skid pan, high speed evasion, and an all up long road test with real expert testers. Make it at least as hard as the Japanese 750+cc Motorcycle test. Advanced drivers would be allowed on high speed roads, like expressways, and not be subject to speed limits. Basic drivers are NOT allowed on high speed roads, and are subject to arrest if speeding, texting, or putting on makeup while eating. ( yes, I know that's unfair to obese transvestites ) Never happen, but you can dream. | ||
| Reducati |
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-az1smQMWHYk/unsaf e_driving/ | ||
| Firebolt32 |
In the front seat, a laptop open I've seen a cop bounce off the curb because of that. | ||
| Bobby_fletcher |
Reducati, That is sooooo disturbing....on so many levels. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Ourdee - I thought about something like that for a while. Then I did the math. What's more distracting - a person yapping on a cellphone...or a person fiddlef*king with a phone trying to figure out why it just cut out for "no reason"? Now...if it could send a targeted EMP that would kill the device for an extended period of time....  | ||
| Vtpeg |
A friend of mine got side swiped on his road glide two-up last week, a silverado came all the way left of center. Gear kept him and his lady bruised but not too scraped. Saturday a subaru skidded to a halt in front off me, on a corner, for a snapping turtle. I saw someone flash their lights coming the other way, and although I was looking for a LEO, I saw the turtle and was on the brakes before the suby. My buddy saw as well and that was the only reason an accident was avoided. If we had been a dump truck that suby would be destroyed. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
You mean drive the car? WTF? | ||
| 86129squids |
DRIVE YOUR GODDAMM VEHICLE AND PAY ATTENTION UNTIL YOU'RE HOME, YOU FZZZZUUUUCarolina Corner CarversKKS! | ||
| Doug_s |
Actually, I'd be surprised if hands free is as dangerous as hands-on. Hands free, you don't have a hand and arm creating a huge blindspot. joe, google the topic, and surprise yourself. all studies indicate it is: The increased "cognitive workload" involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk." from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_and_dri ving_safety there are many other articles/studies basically indicating the same thing. doug s., i never use a phone while on my motorcycle... ps - regarding blind-spots, i suspect >95% of people do not know how to adjust the side-view mirrors on their cars to effectively eliminate blind-spots - most folks have their side-view mirrors adjusted so they can actually see the sides of their own cars. completely worthless - why do you want to see an adjacent car only when it's close enough so that it has already hit you? i have been adjusting my mirrors per this article for ~25 years; i recommend everyone to do the same: http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Rearview-Mirrors-to-Eli minate-Blind-Spots | ||
| Ourdee |
The increased "cognitive workload" involved in holding a conversation, not the use of hands, causes the increased risk." That is why one of the trucking companies I worked at would have you drive their truck and carry on a conversation with you when they were trying you out for a job with them. Joe, I agree with the EMP but don't want to waste a shaped charge on them. You were talking about a military grade beam type weapon weren't you? Maybe Froggy could ramp up some microwave innards with some big capacitors. What is that fireball making thingy in the microwave, a magnatron? Craziest I've seen lately was the guy hitting the dope pipe while driving. | ||
| Ridenusa4l |
redcati- that had to be easily one of the MOST disturbing videos i have EVER seen...i was on the verge of crying and puking throughout it...i dont know what much else to say, but that may have impacted my driving habits for the rest of my life... Jake | ||
| Swampy |
Thanks for the video! I am remembering back a month or two ago seeing Carries lifeless body laying on the table, her husband screaming No! No!, me hugging her brother Bobby while I was crying. God I miss her, sombody killed an angel and things will never be right again. Now I have to stop crying, clean myself up, put on a smile and go to a benefit the musicians in Lansing are putting on for my best friend Clint who I burried a week ago. And to top it off I kicked my youngest son out of the house today. Definitely, be safe out there. |
