[SafetyFirst]

So it’s been, what, two weeks now on my Ninja 250.

So far, here’s the list of stressful times so far:

1) Going down 35 MPH residential “collector”, see minivan with middle-aged woman at the helm pull up to the road from a side-street. See head looking to the left… to the left… and yes, still to the left for an extended period of time. Scared me absolutely shitless that I couldn’t make eye contact. I slow down expecting to get cut off by her making a left in front of me. I’m about as far to the left as possible in the lane, just waiting. Still don’t see her look my way, until I’m about to pass her. By now, I’m in the center turn lane. She finally sees me, gives me a look wondering why I’m in the center turn lane. GEE, LADY, CAN YOU GUESS WHY?

I’m not sure if the center lane was the best place to be. Either one of two things would happen. Either a) She’d pull out, notice me, and stop, blocking most of the lane (which is what I figured) or b) she’d go about her turn, and not even notice me at all.

2) Riding down the alley near my apartment, clutch in, coasting to a stop at the residential street. See little kid walk in front by the street. Quick emergency stop at 5 MPH or less, even with some gravel on pavement. Wave little runt and startled mother along.

[zeppelinfromled]

While someone not making eye contact can obviously be stressful, I wouldn’t break my path, especially not into a turn lane. In the event that she looks your way, it’s important that she understands what you’re planning to do, which is to go straight. I might (well, definitely) make sure that my lane position within my lane is good, depending on the other things going on around me.

Usually if someone isn’t looking my way, I give my engine a quick rev (clutch in, rev, then back to normal riding) and that almost always gets their attention.

When I’m driving, I make an effort for people to see me looking both ways. Even if I look right and see a long line of cars, so there’s no need for me to look back that way for a while, I glance right every so often just to make people more comfortable…it’s what I would want people to do for me. But I can’t really fault someone for not looking, as long as they don’t move without looking.

What gets me is when they’re edging forward at a stop sign without looking. Whether or not they plan to pull out, they need to either sit still, or make sure they look. That usually gets a quick honk from me.

With the kid in the street, that happens. Sounds like you handled it well.

[Author]

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