Try to anticipate the worst

[reloader]

Went to Panama City Beach yesterday for "Thunder Beach". For me its a 200 mile round trip. Five miles from returning home I pull up behind a new white Cadillac which is sitting at a stop sign in the left turn lane. The other road at this intersection is a four lane with divider in middle. I'm waiting and wishing that my ride had the same rear light as the Caddy which appears to have a gillizion LED's inside. I then go back to reality and notice that it was clear road to the right, but couldn't see if there was traffic from the left. After a few moments the Caddy began forward motion and I pulled up to the stop line. There are no vehicles visible both directions but the caddy crossed the first two lanes and stopped again in the median. No problem as this is standard procedure at this intersection to look one more time for anything coming from the right. I look left nothing coming. I look right nothing in sight. I watch the Caddy to begin to roll out of median and I take off intending to just make a complete turn without looking right again. As I accelerate I see those gillizion LED's turn bright and the Caddy stops again! It's Oh S*** , run into back of car or lay her down. I chose the second. As I'm approaching pavement with left side of my body and my bike doing the same, I watch the Caddy's lights go off and they continued to turn (never stopping). The Nomads left engine and saddlebag guard along with the upper section of the door scraped to the black plastic. When the front tire hit the curb, it turned and flipped the bike over to it's right side, making a matched set of scrapes on the other guards. Bruised my ribs, hip and left knee. I was actually wearing a half helmet at the time and heard a pretty good thump when my head hit the ground, so the damn things help in minor fall downs.
Lessons learned? As I'm writing this it got me wondering if the Caddy driver intentionally pulled the stopping stunt, probably not but makes me even more grouchy about cager's. Never underestimate how quickly one must make critical choices even when it is apparently safe.

[abbo]

:( Sorry to hear about you and your bike. Hopefully it wasn't intentional but i sometimes wonder about cagers. Take care!!

[scion0]

Wow, I'd hope folks aren't that bad yet... glad you're ok though. Also, thanks for sharing this tidbit.. I will be a bit more careful at those kinds of intersections.

[flightdoc]

Reloader,

I'm very glad you are ok. That's always the concern. Bike is easily repaired.
I guess my question is what would make you think the cager interntionally brake checked you? ( I assume that's what you meant). Was another vehicle coming they didn't see? Where they not sure of which way they needed to go? Had you been having an ongoing issue with the cager before arriving at the intersection? Where there witnesses?
Just the questions that popped into my mind as I read your account.

again, glad you're good to go.

[unwind2]

Sorry to hear that, glad you're okay. As Scion0 said thanks for sharing. I'll watch more carefully in situations like that too.

[formikec]

If they had gray hair it is just the way they drive. I followed one home last night and every time a car approached them with the headlights on they hit their brakes and dropped from 30mph to 20mph. After the car went past they would speed back up to 30mph. Got old after about 20 or 30 times.

I guess my lesson learned in reading your story, if I read it correctly, would be to wait until the car is completely gone before trying to go.

[dougster]

Could it be just two words: Florida . . . and . . . retirement community? (o.k. That is three words, but you get the idea). :)

[scion0]

Originally Posted by dougster

Could it be just two words: Florida . . . and . . . retirement community? (o.k. That is three words, but you get the idea). :)

Ah, good point! Perhaps all that is needed to say. :-)

[reloader]

Originally Posted by flightdoc

Reloader,

I guess my question is what would make you think the cager intentionally brake checked you? ( I assume that's what you meant). Was another vehicle coming they didn't see? Where they not sure of which way they needed to go? Had you been having an ongoing issue with the cager before arriving at the intersection? Where there witnesses?
Just the questions that popped into my mind as I read your account.

No ongoing issues as I had turned off (same as an off ramp) and the Caddy was already stopped waiting for a car ahead to go. Only direction to go in that lane once across the first two lanes is left or you run into the concrete of an overpass. Even after I picked myself off pavement only vehicle sighted was the Caddy now about 100 yards and opening.
My Daughter said maybe they were answering cell phone or my headlights hit their mirrors and blinded them. That in my mind would be possible, but why didn't they remain stopped and not accelerate out quickly at last moment. Will never know, that's for sure. As someone already mentioned in subject, Wait till it's completely clear to proceed.

[skimo]

Glad to hear you're ok. Statistically speaking the closer you get to home the more dangerous it gets. I went down the Tuesday before Thunder Beach because I almost tagged someone in the rear. And it's no telling what some drivers are doing. The car I almost hit was a POS and I don't remember see any brake lights. After I laid it down, the driver did get out of the car saying he was sorry. I was just glad not to be seriously hurt so I did really paid attention as he drove off to check his car for brake lights. But the more I think about it why was he sorry?

I did see a couple of Nomads among the sea of HD

http://kawanow.proboards77.com/index...ad=6825&page=2

Glad you're ok. Bruised ribs suck.......very stubborn at healing.

[ringadingh]

Glad your came out ok, seniors have some weird driving habits. I hope I never get like that.

[rksaw]

Reloader, Glad you're still kicking. I hope that you can get everything else fixed!
Rich

[dogdoc]

Good Save Reloader, glad you will be OK and so will the Nomad.

[rickyboy]

Geeze ! that's too bad. Glad you're going to be OK, ,,,the bike and the ribs will heal.
Thanks for the post, it'll gives us all a heads up and something to watch and think about.
Get well