I have a tale of three idiot drivers on I 70 in Independence . My ex-wife's parents back yard backs up to I 70 in Independence.
One day I pulled into their driveway on my bike and just as I got my helmet off, I heard a loud crash coming from I 70. I ran to the back yard and saw that there was a brand new kitchen stove sitting in the right most lane of the three lanes on I-70. There was glass and debris in the center lane and the left lane was clear. The stove had fallen off of a small pickup that hadn't pulled over and seemed have lost interest in the formerly brand new stove.
This Ford Tempo, I think it was then stopped in the middle lane to ponder the scene. I'm not entirely sure why the car stopped as there was plenty of debris free road in front of them but there they sat in middle of I-70. They didn't have time to get out and survey the damage though because from behind them came this loud noise and a cloud of smoke.
The noise was the screeching of tires skidding generating big clouds of smoke from a large pick-up truck and trailer. It was just a large one ton pickup with a fifth wheel car carrier trailer and three SUV on it. The smoke was billowing from all four of the truck tires and the trailer and there was clearly no way he was going to stop. Time at that point went into slow motion and I couldn't take my eyes off the ensuing chaos.
The truck rear ended the Tempo not just once but repeatedly. The car bounced off the front of the truck again and again as it was pushed along. The driver of the Tempo then turned the steering wheel and tried to get out from in front of the truck. Instead of getting out of the way though the car went left and was somehow turned backwards. There was a lot of weight from the trailer and SUV's and stopping distance was very long. Hitting the car and having the car turn to the left also messed up the steering on the truck and it went left as well. The car was then smashed up, backwards now, against the concrete barrier in the median causing multiple loud crashing sounds. It just kept doing it until the car and truck finally stopped with the car pinned between trailer and the barrier. Clearly it was going to take the Jaws of Life to get the three passengers of the Tempo.
Drivers on the other side of I-70 stopped to see the carnage and as I ran to render what assistance I yelled to my ex-wife to call 911. The driver of the large truck wasn't seriously hurt and couldn't get to the people in the car of course. I found out later though that all three people in the car had survived despite some broken bones.
I was later contacted to be a witness by an insurance company but I didn't respond. Every driver involved was a complete moron.
A. Always tie stuff down in your pickup truck. There is no excuse for having something large drop out of the back of your truck.
B. Never stop in the middle of the the interstate.
C. Never drive an overloaded trailer without sufficient braking power.
That was like fifteen years ago now and I'll never forget watching the whole thing happen.

I know that Interstate well! Many trips from KC to Columbia and Vice Versa while attending MU. Oh and by the way, I don't always talk to a KU fan, but when I do, I order fries!

Riding a motorcycle requires that we have absolutely no lapse in concentration/observation. If we were to explain to non-bikers how much more intense our concentration level needs to be, how much more we need to be aware, how much further down the road we look, how the rear view is a constant, how our peripheral vision is used more, I still don't think cagers would get it. If, after being in the wind over 40 years and all I had to look forward to was the negative intensity associated with riding, I'd have quit riding long ago. Thank God for the inherent pleasures if being "in the wind".

Peace

Fefe, thats what I do as well bike or car. I just firgure they are way more important than I am...LOL

But then you never know when they actually might be having an emergency!

Agreed Jimmyacorn, riding a motorcycle has actually made me a better driver.

Teardrops? First off if they are having an emergency they need to pull over n call for help, They are NOT trained to be emergency drivers...

So, Now having said that? I experience this kinda road bully all the time, It's funny when I'm on my bike they back off when I give them the left fist up
sign...maybe it's Biker fobia   don't care...Now when I drive my Dodge Quadcab 4x4 or my wifes car it's a different story...these ******
road bullys almost ALWAYS TRY n force their way thru HOWEVER...When I turn on my turn signal I'm not asking permission to change lanes I'm actually
telling people I'm comming over...so when it's safe I do...n when I get bullied I do anyway...I thinks it s funny to show that rude bully he/she don't actually own the road....

So call me a bully if'n you want...HOWEVER,,,I don't take shit from anyone EVER!!!  By the By...I actually don't look for trouble...But I don't back down..

As far as turn signals go? My vehicles have them n they work but I really keep a close eye out for those that don't specialy the left turners commin atcha...I don't react when that happens I just thank the driving Gods I made it without loss of life or limb...ya can't fight back against dumbness just bullies...
Ice Bear...Battle Well..

For the record also, I'm an old school force tailgaters away. I toss aggies over my shoulders. It works all the time. Will it bring confrontation? Maybe but I'm all for that; only the living swim upstream and I think I've swam against more current than most a$$hole cagers.

But hey!! Peace anyway

On a bike about in Louisiana, Bitchy and I pulled into a college car wash to have bikes cleaned... was getting ready to pull out, dont know why just held Bitchy back till traffic cleared better (was next to stoplight).... sure as s?$t... was looking right at this guy pulling a big trailer... he was lookin at the chicks in swimsuits... never touched his brakes and plowed EVERYONE at light!....

First off over the years I done my share of driving. I stll hold a active CDL Class A With indorssments for Doubbles Tripples Tanker and Haz Mat Loads. I drove for a few years found I stressed to much about the hole deal, So after a few years of driving the big Hyw I quit. I decied to Yard dog. "Yard Hostler" Loved the work. But as my own health declined I noted my own limets where being reached. {health in my case are isues with my own hart some of my meds screw with my depth perseption, And memory} I wont go in to the dumb ass stuff I ve seen over the years, but the thing I would like to talk about is the storm of new riders we are about to see out on the roads due to the price of fuel.
1st off. I will offer to the new rider my experance and any advise thay might be seeking.
2nd. I will help them be as safe as I can be.
3rd I will welcome them to the world of motocycling.
4th Should I go riding with a squid. I will point out things that I find there doing wrong. And offer sejestions as to ways to inprove eather there riding experance or saftey.
This thing we all love, we should share with everyone that make the choice to try it. Yes for some its not the right fit. But for other this is the KEY to a much better feeling for life. I was lost, but now I am found. Nothing in my life has changed me more. Not Drugs. Not Childen. Not Wifes. My return to riding some time ago saved my life. With out riding I have no idea what I might have done to get the peacefull feeling I get when I go for a GOOD LONG RIDE!!!
Wind in my face. Sun at my back. Sounds provied buy my MP3 player. And a good Swicher Sweet! A set of slow swich backs pushing the bike as hard as I dare.

It's surprising to me now, if someone remembers to USE their signals. Or be courteous, in any manner. It's become an "every man for himself" highway out there, and your better off giving everyone, a little extra cushion, around you. Whether you're riding or driving. Trust no one. Assume nothing. Cause about the time you do, there going to prove you wrong. The days of "waving another driver on", are becoming a thing of the past. More often, you're going to get that "look", like YOU'VE done somethng wrong, when that jackass, cuts YOU off.
I can only watch in abject horror, as I see these kinds of things go on every single day. Today, we saw a woman getting looked at by paramedic's, the front end of her car...demolished, (she flat out rear ended a
huge Tacoma pick-up), but she was yelling about how "he pulled out in front of her." It's a little hard to pull that
big a truck out, that quickly. She just wasn't payin' attention, and ran right up his azz. But didn't want the blame.
Watch YOUR azz's out there, kids. Things ain't gonna get no better.
Wait til all of our kids are licensed...DOH! J/K...I'm sure they'll be the exception, afterall, they have us as parents.

Ride Free
Tweek