vifferman
9th September 2005, 09:06
From a scooter forum
I took the scooter to drop my son off at school and run some errands this
morning. I was almost home, stopped at a light (first car,left center lane)
I heard an odd noise, looked to my right, and here's MRS. Soccer Mom turning
her wheels all the way to the left. The light turned green, I assumed she
wanted to make a left turn from the right lane, as I made eye contact, she
waved me forward. The second I gave the scoot some gas, she floored it, I
jammed the brakes, and she sped down the road in my lane.
About a mile down the road I saw her in the left turn lane, I got in the
right lane to put a lane between us, and thought I would pass her and be on
my way. Just as I got even with her, she turns right and hits the gas, and
now she is coming up fast behind me. I was now doing 50+ in a 30mph, and
decided I was either going to die on this stretch of road today, or had to
come up with a plan.
There was a gap in all lanes of traffic, so I cut across 5 lanes, now I'm
doing 60+ on the wrong side of the road, approaching a red light, I knew it
was dangerous, but I felt I had to put some pavement between us. The plan
was to hit the brakes hard, cut through a gas station going left, and
figured she would get caught at the light, or have to go through the gas
station slower than me.
About a block from the light I checked my mirrors, soccer mom is half a
block back on the wrong side of the road with me, and there's a cop with his
lights on in the left turn lane behind her. All I could think of was if I
lived, how much was this going to cost. In the split second it took to get
to the gas station, I noticed there is a cop there, inching out into my
lane. I got on the brakes hard, steered for the back of his car, and came to
a stop at the corner on the sidewalk.
Soccer mom decided there were too many cops around as witnesses, and got
into the left turn lane, put her signal on, and tried to act like she was
just driving down the road. The cop behind her still had his lights on, and
got on his PA, and told her to pull over. She pulled into the drive right
next to me, and in a split second was out of the car and coming at me.
Before I could think to hit the gas, she threw her cell phone at me, it
bounced off my helmet. She kept coming at me, and I couldn't drive away,
because now there was a third cop 3 feet off my front wheel.
She claimed I kicked her, but I put my leg out to keep her away, she bounced
off of it, and fell down. Finally cop #2 was out of his car, and it took him
and cop #3 to subdue her. As they wrestled with her, I noticed she had 2
small kids in the back seat.
I came to find out that cop #1 was 2 cars behind her when she first cut me
off. He was going to let that go, but then saw she was out to get me. She
got arrested, the cops let her call her sister to get her kids. She said I
broke her cell phone when it bounced off my helmet, interesting
interpretation.
I found out what her problem was, and I'm still speechless.....her brother
was killed on a motorcycle when he was 18, and she thinks that motorcycles
are too dangerous to ride on the road. So I guess she goes around running
them off the road to prove her point.
She got charged with 'road rage' I don't know what the penalty is, but I
think it should be the same as attemped murder.
I know 'the book' says I should have pulled over to let her pass, but
looking back, I think she would have mowed me over, so in this case, running
was probably the right move.
Sorry for the long post, but I want to leave you with this scary thought to
hopefully keep us all safe: there are not only bad drivers, inconsiderate
drivers, and distracted drivers that can hurt you bad in the blink of an
eye, but there is at least one lady who drives a dark blue minivan who will
go out of her way to run you over to show you that your scooter is
dangerous.
STAY ALERT, AND BE SAFE
Dan
I took the scooter to drop my son off at school and run some errands this
morning. I was almost home, stopped at a light (first car,left center lane)
I heard an odd noise, looked to my right, and here's MRS. Soccer Mom turning
her wheels all the way to the left. The light turned green, I assumed she
wanted to make a left turn from the right lane, as I made eye contact, she
waved me forward. The second I gave the scoot some gas, she floored it, I
jammed the brakes, and she sped down the road in my lane.
About a mile down the road I saw her in the left turn lane, I got in the
right lane to put a lane between us, and thought I would pass her and be on
my way. Just as I got even with her, she turns right and hits the gas, and
now she is coming up fast behind me. I was now doing 50+ in a 30mph, and
decided I was either going to die on this stretch of road today, or had to
come up with a plan.
There was a gap in all lanes of traffic, so I cut across 5 lanes, now I'm
doing 60+ on the wrong side of the road, approaching a red light, I knew it
was dangerous, but I felt I had to put some pavement between us. The plan
was to hit the brakes hard, cut through a gas station going left, and
figured she would get caught at the light, or have to go through the gas
station slower than me.
About a block from the light I checked my mirrors, soccer mom is half a
block back on the wrong side of the road with me, and there's a cop with his
lights on in the left turn lane behind her. All I could think of was if I
lived, how much was this going to cost. In the split second it took to get
to the gas station, I noticed there is a cop there, inching out into my
lane. I got on the brakes hard, steered for the back of his car, and came to
a stop at the corner on the sidewalk.
Soccer mom decided there were too many cops around as witnesses, and got
into the left turn lane, put her signal on, and tried to act like she was
just driving down the road. The cop behind her still had his lights on, and
got on his PA, and told her to pull over. She pulled into the drive right
next to me, and in a split second was out of the car and coming at me.
Before I could think to hit the gas, she threw her cell phone at me, it
bounced off my helmet. She kept coming at me, and I couldn't drive away,
because now there was a third cop 3 feet off my front wheel.
She claimed I kicked her, but I put my leg out to keep her away, she bounced
off of it, and fell down. Finally cop #2 was out of his car, and it took him
and cop #3 to subdue her. As they wrestled with her, I noticed she had 2
small kids in the back seat.
I came to find out that cop #1 was 2 cars behind her when she first cut me
off. He was going to let that go, but then saw she was out to get me. She
got arrested, the cops let her call her sister to get her kids. She said I
broke her cell phone when it bounced off my helmet, interesting
interpretation.
I found out what her problem was, and I'm still speechless.....her brother
was killed on a motorcycle when he was 18, and she thinks that motorcycles
are too dangerous to ride on the road. So I guess she goes around running
them off the road to prove her point.
She got charged with 'road rage' I don't know what the penalty is, but I
think it should be the same as attemped murder.
I know 'the book' says I should have pulled over to let her pass, but
looking back, I think she would have mowed me over, so in this case, running
was probably the right move.
Sorry for the long post, but I want to leave you with this scary thought to
hopefully keep us all safe: there are not only bad drivers, inconsiderate
drivers, and distracted drivers that can hurt you bad in the blink of an
eye, but there is at least one lady who drives a dark blue minivan who will
go out of her way to run you over to show you that your scooter is
dangerous.
STAY ALERT, AND BE SAFE
Dan