Near Miss

[alexthekidd]

Yesterday after riding home from the Hutt going over paekakariki hill, had some mother on a cellphone, driving a lovely black BMW SUV over the hill, decides she has right to both lanes coming out of a corner, missed my mirror by mere centimeters, and had absolutley scared the living shit out of me.

After beeping her she decides to turn around and follow me all the way up to the top of the hill before pulling into the observatory bit.

Am very hesitant to get back on that hill after that, scared shitless, wonderin about even gettin back on a bike after such a close call.

don't know wtf to do now, but know if that happened again i might not get off so easily, could have been dead or worse had she been maybe 10cm or so closer

[gijoe1313]

Good to hear that you are posting about it, sounds like you took some evasive action to make sure you had those 10cms? If so, good job :niceone: Yeah, can be a real fright when you see things like that happen...to you! :no:

You managed to overcome your panic reactions and did what it was necessary to stay alive. As for the lady, well, there may be more of her ilk in times to come (I know, I know it's not what you want to hear!) :angry2:

Sounds like she has some issues if she was going to tail you ... what was she going to do? Ram your rear tyre and take you out? :scratch: :sick: Did you manage to get her licence plate number?

Anyhow, keep thinking about riding - just get back on your bike and have a nice wee pootle around and enjoy what biking is about! :yes:

[Grub]

There's always *555 to pot her. She'd at least get a letter from Police and the incidnt is marked against the reg of the vehicle (I think)

While it feels pretty bad now, it is a lesson and a survival skill learned too. Drivers thnk because you are a skinny bike, you only need a skinny piece of road. They have never seen that a bike on a lean needs a whole lane. That means to really be aware of the blind corners. As I said, it's the full moon! I have never seen such dangerous driving on that hill as there has been this week.

I also applaud your position on the road. If she had half your lane, you were riding well ... and it saved yer bacon. Getting scared sometimes isn't a bad thing. It reminds you how bloody careful you have to be. I like Joe's advice too ... have a really quiet pootle over the hill tomorrow night going to the duck pond. Take it easy, keep left and just cruise.

[jtzzr]

You rude sonnabiatch , she was probably ringing her husband about what he wanted for tea or worse if Sheryl watched Desperate Whorsewives last night ,can you think of someone else for a change, But seriously , mate there are alot of people out there who think your life is worth nothing , you just have to try and be ready for them , glad to hear you are ok and that`s what matters . Unfortunately our love of motorcycles ," THE OTHERS" don`t understand. Keep it rubberside down!!

[Hawkeye]

Yesterday after riding home from the Hutt going over paekakariki hill, had some mother on a cellphone, driving a lovely black BMW SUV over the hill, decides she has right to both lanes coming out of a corner, missed my mirror by mere centimeters, and had absolutley scared the living shit out of me.

After beeping her she decides to turn around and follow me all the way up to the top of the hill before pulling into the observatory bit.

Am very hesitant to get back on that hill after that, scared shitless, wonderin about even gettin back on a bike after such a close call.

don't know wtf to do now, but know if that happened again i might not get off so easily, could have been dead or worse had she been maybe 10cm or so closer

Hi Alex,
That hill CAN be a killer, that's why I tend to stay clear of it. I know it can be fun but there are too many unknown factors involved. Just jump on the bike and go for a ride in an environment your comfortable with. Have a blast up the coast or down to Mana and go around the inlet. Some nice twisties but plenty of width.
Paekakariki Hill is for the experienced. You are still a relative newbie and should respect roads like that. I've watched you ride and you certainly can ride. Just don't push the envelope too much.

[alexthekidd]

was too shocked to get her number plate, was more interested in just putting as much distance between myself and her in case she did try to do something stupid and get road rage.

will definitley take it easy over the hill if i decide to go so you mite be waiting for me a little bit. thanks for the good advice guys

[Wasp]

You should meet my friend mr yellow truck

glad to hear you are okay, i dont really get situations like that cos i dont do those hills very often

[Kendog]

She might have been following you to apologise.

Imagine if we lived in a world where that happened.

[alexthekidd]

She might have been following you to apologise.

Imagine if we lived in a world where that happened.

in the perfect world where only bikes existed and cages were a thing of the past

[gijoe1313]

in the perfect world where only bikes existed and cages were a thing of the past

I think you need that for your quote! :msn-wink: Remember, when you ride your bike, you get that feeling ... living a lifetime in those moments and more than most people would feel. We dare to do things most could not countenance, ride to vistas new and meet fellow bikers who share that passion! So don't sell yourself short, you did good. :niceone:

[alexthekidd]

I think you need that for your quote! :msn-wink: Remember, when you ride your bike, you get that feeling ... living a lifetime in those moments and more than most people would feel. We dare to do things most could not countenance, ride to vistas new and meet fellow bikers who share that passion! So don't sell yourself short, you did good. :niceone:

yeah think i mite add that on in a minute, jsut can't stop thinking how different it could have been a few centimeteres more, or if it happened again and i wasnt so lucky

[Ixion]

It will happen again. Be lucky. Propitiate the Biker Gods.

[alexthekidd]

It will happen again. Be lucky. Propitiate the Biker Gods.

wonder what i did to annoy them in the first place, but have certainly learned my lesson, will be taking it very easy if i come tomorrow night

[Lucy]

She might have been following you to apologise.

Imagine if we lived in a world where that happened.


That was my first thought too, that she was going to say sorry. It does happen.

[Juud]

I know how you feel! I had my share of brown trouser moments on that hill a couple of years ago. Enough to keep me away from it, even though it's fun to ride those twisties. Plenty of other great roads!

[placidfemme]

Glad to hear your ok. Close call eh? Don't give up biking over something like that, sure its scary as hell, gives you a real fright and makes you realise just how fragile you really are and how quick something can go wrong.

But you live and you learn, your one experience better than last week, your skills have improved because of this and you can only get better the more you practise. For as long as you ride you will ALWAYS have stupid assholes/cagers/soccor-moms/cellphone users/I didn't see you's etc, but the more you ride the better you will become at developing that "6th sense" and spotting most of these hazards before they become a hazard.

Ride to live and Live to ride.

[Paul in NZ]

Hi Alex...

Hows the bike going?

Bloody scary shit that. I have had similar experiences on that road and never ride it with total commitment (ie always leave room to move) because of the stupid people that cannot / will not stick to their side of the road. I've had to haul my helmet out of the way which is just crazy stuff...

Anyway - thankfully its a rare occurance and just something that needs to be factored into the equation. Riding is a balancing act in more than one way!

Have fun and ride safe mate..

Paul N

[Guitana]

She might have been following you to apologise.

Imagine if we lived in a world where that happened.

More like she was going to pull him over and beat him senseless with her Versacci handbag for nearly scratching the Beemer!!
Never mind that she was'nt watching the road and on her fucken cell phone!!
Rich bitches are arrogant slags!!!!!!

[vifferman]

After beeping her she decides to turn around and follow me all the way up to the top of the hill before pulling into the observatory bit.
That was considerate of her. So you took the opportunity to talk to her about her driving, take her details and report her to the cops, give her a good flogging/shagging, that sort of thing?

[sels1]

Good to see you are ok Alex, dont let it put you off. You have had a valuable riding lesson, the more it scared you got, the better you will remember it! Idiots in cages are an unfortunate part of biking, so you have to make allowances for them. As much as I enjoy that road, I am always looking out for just that situation (had a few frights there myself).

And if she just missed you on the bike, what would have happened if you were in a large vehilce like hers?

[KLOWN]

i would've pulled over with her and given her a sorting out. YOU FU*KIN SON OF BITCH COULD"VE KILLED ME YOUR STUPID WHORE etc etc GOING TO FOLLOW YOU HOME AND YOU BEEMER AIN"T GONNA LOOK SO PRETTY ANYMORE .....

only if she didn't apologise. you need to let them know the gravity of the situation. otherwise they will keep doing it.

[beyond]

Stuffed up the post, see next.

[beyond]

Glad to hear you are ok mate, but it's a common occurrence unfortunately.
Camper vans with the big rectangular wing mirror at head height, teach you to be a turtle real fast too.

Why do we do it??

This is why:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=32775

[XP@]

Anyway - thankfully its a rare occurance and just something that needs to be factored into the equation. Riding is a balancing act in more than one way!


Not so sure about it being rare on that road. Ok, they have reduced the speed limit in the interesting section 70 but still drivers seem to like cutting the blind corners. In one run I had 3 cars come out of corners on the wrong side. One of them was pushing it a tad, and he was the tightest of the three. The others were just being lazy.

It is the road to practice your delayed apexes, cos if you don't you will get collected.

[KLOWN]

Not so sure about it being rare on that road. Ok, they have reduced the speed limit in the interesting section 70 but still drivers seem to like cutting the blind corners. In one run I had 3 cars come out of corners on the wrong side. One of them was pushing it a tad, and he was the tightest of the three. The others were just being lazy.

It is the road to practice your delayed apexes, cos if you don't you will get collected.

its a good road to pratice useing your left hand for throttle while holding a steel bar in the right hand to "teach" the cages which side of the road is yours and which is theres.

[XP@]

its a good road to pratice useing your left hand for throttle while holding a steel bar in the right hand to "teach" the cages which side of the road is yours and which is theres.

All well and good, however I have a certain affinity for my right hand and a large enough knowledge of physics to calculate the effects of hitting something coming the other way.

Any remember you don't want to clip wing mirrors on a left hander!

[Disco Dan]

close call huh? geeepas...


I keep my cell phone in my jacket pocket... can whip it out and take a picture real quick. (wait.. that sounds disgusting.)

Glad your ok... remember cars are our natural predators and are only there to eat us. Think "gazel" when you ride.... :innocent:

[KLOWN]

All well and good, however I have a certain affinity for my right hand and a large enough knowledge of physics to calculate the effects of hitting something coming the other way.

Any remember you don't want to clip wing mirrors on a left hander!

wingmirrors will give. but I wasn't being serious, You'd have to be pretty skilled to cruise round tight corners using left hand to throttle and line up cars to nail them with a steel bar. on a side note I was thinking how you 'could' do this with out too much hassle I figured you'd need a pillion to carry the bar they only need one hand to hang on with then they can wack the offending cars while you are in full control of the bike.

[Kinje]

But you live and you learn, your one experience better than last week, your skills have improved because of this and you can only get better the more you practise. For as long as you ride you will ALWAYS have stupid assholes/cagers/soccor-moms/cellphone users/I didn't see you's etc, but the more you ride the better you will become at developing that "6th sense" and spotting most of these hazards before they become a hazard.

Ride to live and Live to ride.


You have had a valuable riding lesson, the more it scared you got, the better you will remember it! Idiots in cages are an unfortunate part of biking, so you have to make allowances for them. As much as I enjoy that road, I am always looking out for just that situation (had a few frights there myself).

And if she just missed you on the bike, what would have happened if you were in a large vehilce like hers?

Scary one mate. Glad you got out of it

Unfortunately they do like to cut corners, and my opinion of BMW drivers is not good based on an incident I had on my bicycle riding to uni in Dunedin- arogant prick passed me then turned into his driveway across my path!

Don't let it stop you riding. Try and think about what you did to avoid the car, and remember that as a strategy for avoiding the next time it happens. Did you look at the empty piece of lane and aim for that? Counter steer? ...???

I think the bad drivers have been out in force lately, including some that haven't seen me in a very large ford courier 4X4 work ute!

[240]

Hey mate the fact you reacted well should comfort you. That is when experience matters and it sounds like you will be fine if you handled that the way you did.
The only comment i would make is after riding for heaps of years is that i stay well away from that road it is inherently dangerous for us bike boys (and girls):)

[alexthekidd]

thanks for the support/help/advice guys nd girls, hopefully nothing else like this happens anytime soon, went for a ride tonight, had a great time, tried 3 new bikes, got mine tunes and fixd up, good time, guess i couldnt get rid of el bandido