Driving my kid to school the other morning on our Red Vespa 150, a car driver pulled out in front of us from a right side street and proceeded to take his sweet time getting into the left lane!
Now mind you, we are traveling at the speed limit of 45 mph. Our ride is candy apple red, we are wearing outfits that look like they came straight from a “Florescent Safety Clothing” catalog. And I know he saw us ,he was looking me straight in the eye!
So I laid on the horn (tingy Beep,Beep,Beep etc) Only by the protection of God did we not run into the side of his car! Driving home I got to thinking about what I know as a rider vs. what a car driver does not know about 2 wheeled vehicles and some of us who ride them.
1. We cannot all stop on a dime, if our wheels lock up we are going down. Sure, there are riders out there who can dodge a car- no problem. But the majority of riders can’t, we are not all stunt riders.
2. We are allowed, by law to use the whole lane. Some think that because we have narrow profile vehicles that they can pass us in the same lane. Please don’t do that, many riders will move to the far right if traffic is backing up behind them and we will wave you by.
3.And again by law we are allowed the full usage of a parking space. Sure we will sometimes park two bikes to one spot but don’t think it is ever ok to park so close to us that we have trouble getting on our bikes. We could accidentally “drop” our bikes against your car and believe me it will leave damage-on your car.
4.Don’t follow too close. Please, this one should apply to any vehicle you are behind. If you follow me too closely, I’m gonna slow down. Don’t be a bully just because your in a car.
5.Don’t be a butt and throw crap out of your car. That little cigarette butt could cause a death, not necessarily yours.
6.We are not all Hell raising types. We are moms, daughters, wives, husbands, sons etc . We are almost like you, but our difference is that because we ride we respect the rights of bikers when we are in a car.
7.For some of us, 2 wheels is all we have to get around on. We depend on our bikes and ride them with care because we know we’re walking if something happens to our ride.
If you have any additions to this list, lets get them out there.
And before any of you complain about crazy bikers-the ones who weave in and out of traffic, cross over multiple lanes , drive way too fast and pass on the right – well, we don’t like their behavior either!
Stay safe and when life throws you a curve-lean into it!
Sonja
Life on 2 Wheels 