Rode to work for the first time yeaterday

[redeye]

Yesterday I took the bike to work for the first time. I left the house at 2pm & rode the 27 miles to West Sacramento. The sun was shinning & the wind was blowing about 15-20 mph. I did get blown around some when I came up behind big rigs, but nothing too drastic.

Coming home about midnite, I took the freeway off ramp for my town. I stopped at the red light at the bottom of the ramp, a few seconds later the light turned green for me, as I started out here comes a local police car doing about 50, (in a 35) from my left. YES, HE ran the red light, & no he did not have any emergency lights on.

In our defensive driver training from work, one thing they teach is to wait a second or two before pulling into an intersection on a fresh green lite. This is to allow the red lite runners to clear the intersection before you enter. This one piece of training may have saved my life last nite. -Rich

[misunderstood]

Good eyes Rich. Glad you saw them and are here to tell us about it.

[dlarue]

I have seen that in more than one instance... Its scary, but it Reminds me of that movie "Superbad"... lol. that was pretty funny.... I am sure that police officers are nothing like that, but sometimes they do slip up...

[blowndodge]

I ride Mon, wed, and friday every week. Yep! That means the Nomad is downstairs in a secured parking spot waiting for daddy to get off work!!!!

[jussmatt]

Had the same thing happen to me a while back when I lived in Dallas. I was coming out of a grocery store late at nite... so there weren't many cars out... it was a divided 4 lane road and I was in my cage headed home.... I checked both ways as I was pulling out and didn't see anything... I just happen to catch a reflection that made me look closer and stop... it was a Police car doing well over 100mph with NO...and I MEAN NOOOO lights at all on. Headlight, Flashing Lights, Driving Lights...NADA!!!! He would have cut my truck in two easily had I gone ahead and pulled out! I never could catch up w/ him to get a number to turn him in!!

[cactusjack]

Good advice. The Phoenix area is notorius for red light running, and I see it all the time. Remember kids, there's no prize for being first off the line when the light turns green, and you just might get t-boned.

I also do not pull out into the crosswalk lines when waiting to make a left hand turn. I will in a cage, but not on a bike where there's no protection. I've had a-holes behind me honk at me for not moving forward while waiting to turn left. If you want to honk at me, I've got all day to just sit there.

[burkazoid]

I rode mine to work yesterday as well. I wish the ride was longer. It's only about 5 or so miles now, with a lot of stops in between. Until a couple of years ago I lived a couple of miles out of town, and it was closer to 15-20 miles to work. I rode the bike every day I could. Now, it's just not as fun since the distance is so short.

There's crazy traffic here in Bryan/College Station year round. I don't know where these people learned to drive. I used to think it was the college students, but the traffic is just as bad when they are off for holidays and out of town for a few weeks.

Running red lights here is a requirement of having a license, I think. I'm beginning to suspect I'm the only person who drives the speed limit, users my blinker, and otherwise observes the laws.