Todays' blog entry is a bit short - I'm actually going through my photos of Saturna Island for a bit of a travel blog but something happened to me today which really made me, well, pissed off.
I was riding on a fairly quiet road - it's an arterial route but not tons of traffic- a two lane road with a solid yellow line down the middle. I was going up a hilly part at around 35 km in a 50 km zone and I noticed a black pick-up truck right behind me.
Now, at this point, I guess I could have avoided any problems and pulled over. But my feeling is, my 50 cc scoot is licensed and insured as a regular vehicle and maybe the guy behind me needed to be a bit patient and stop tailgating me. Besides, I knew that as soon as I reached the top of the hill, I would pick up speed and be back to 50 kms again.
As I approached the crest of the hill I looked in my mirror again and the black truck seemed pretty darned close. I went over the crest and went down the other side.
When I was about half the way dow the hill (and going at the speed limit) the truck pulled into the left lane around me - but there was a car coming the other way! He roared by me, just clearing my Vespa, and swerved back into the lane in front of me in the nick of time.
If that wasn't enough, after about 30 metres, the truck turns left off the road! He saved about 8 seconds in his day by passing me! Plus, he managed to both anger and terrify me and lord knows how the other driver was feeling. And for what?!
And it gets better...
We have a roundabout in or neighbourhood - it's by a park and it's there to slow down traffic at the intersection. Roundabouts are not all that common here so there are signs telling people how to enter them, how to turn, and that vehicles entering the round about have to yield to people who are already going around it. Pretty clear, right?
Well, I am already in the round about and signalling left. A white van enters the intersection just as I am about to turn in front of him. I blast my horn (although my horn really only makes a pathetic 'meep' sound) and slam on the brakes so he doesn't hit me. He merrily goes though and doesn't even slow down.
The thing that really got me about the two incidents is that they both happened close to my house! People in my own neighbourhood driving like jerks!
OK, rant over - stay tuned for pics of Saturna Island.
8 comments:
Dave, did you ever see the movie "The Interpreter," with Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman? Kidman's character rides a vintage Vespa, in one scene, her Vespa gets nudged by a bad guy in a BMW 7-Series. She later breathlessly tells Penn, "someone tried to kill me on the way over here."
My reaction was, "what's your point, Nic?" I've lost count of how many times I've experienced jerks similar to yours. About all you can do is maintain your heading and speed, watch your mirrors and hope the jerk either turns off or finds a way around you that doesn't leave you laid out on the pavement...
__Orin
Scootin' Old Skool
All of which is another reason why I ride a GTS.
Hmmm... Saturna girl here. Not very nice, sorry you experienced something like that here.
Orin
I know, it's important to be very watchful whenever I'm scooting, but the sheer stupidity and arrogance of a very few people amazes me.
conchscooter
A faster scooter would make a difference but I really enjoy the slower pace of 50ccs. I just wish that those erratic drivers could be a bit more patient as well.
Saturna girl
Sorry, you misunderstood me - this happened in Maple Ridge, not on Saturna. I think your island is great!
Even on the GTS I experience similar drivers. I almost never speed up, I always pull over. I just hate having people behind me because I like looking at the scenery without worry about someone on my butt.
For those time though where there is too much traffic to keep pulling over I can throttle up on the GTS until I can pull off onto a road more suitable to my sensible temperment....*grin*
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
Steve
I try to make sure that I am not in a hurry whenever I am on the Vespa. I find that if I go on roads that have at least 2 lanes each way speedy drivers can go right by me. It's on the single lane roads that impatient drivers are the biggest problem.
I would like to be able to go a little faster at times but I worry that I'd start to go faster ALL the time!
My husband and I get the same treatment--usually by SUVs--down here in Frederick, MD. His is 200cc and mine is an LX150. We can be going a couple of miles above the speedlimit and have dorks like that pass us. Sometimes, they even do it in a no passing zone. Maryland drivers...
kemlynb
I have had more than a couple impatient drivers pass me in a no passing zone. It is very unnerving when that happens. I am surprised that still happens on a 150 or 200 cc scoot. I wish people would be more patient....
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