Wilsons Sandbox

Morning everyone! Had another harrowing experience this morning. Cruising at 70 indicated in the fast lane during rush hour traffic heading into downtown Greenville and had some idiot in a Nissan pickup change lanes on top of me. I was next to a concrete construction guard so there was absolutely no emergency lane at all. Couldn't even see the painted line. Anyway I knew that two vehicles behind me was a semi truck so a handfull of brakes would have killed me for sure. I layed on the horn and accelerated. Thank goodness he had his window open and heard me cause he swerved back and gave the normal "oops sorry, didn't see you" wave. I was right next to him not in his blind spot when he pulled over. I'm thinking I'll start 'hopping' from car to car while on the highway from now on. i.e.: stay behind until you have enough space to get at least even with their front tire and then gun it. Also thinking that a Big Gun (exhaust, I don't do that anymore...) would help a little if it's as loud as folks say. Not relishing being grouped with the muffler-less Hawgs I've seen in the mountains driving too slow and too loud but visibility is visibility. Any advise? Thanks, Jim Jackson II A13 - South Carolina (C'mon 'stitch', where's my Darien?) ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

Morning everyone! Had another harrowing experience this morning. Cruising at 70 indicated in the fast lane during rush hour traffic heading into downtown Greenville and had some idiot in a Nissan pickup change lanes on top of me. I was next to a concrete construction guard so there was absolutely no emergency lane at all. Couldn't even see the painted line. Anyway I knew that two vehicles behind me was a semi truck so a handfull of brakes would have killed me for sure. I layed on the horn and accelerated. Thank goodness he had his window open and heard me cause he swerved back and gave the normal "oops sorry, didn't see you" wave. I was right next to him not in his blind spot when he pulled over. I'm thinking I'll start 'hopping' from car to car while on the highway from now on. i.e.: stay behind until you have enough space to get at least even with their front tire and then gun it. Also thinking that a Big Gun (exhaust, I don't do that anymore...) would help a little if it's as loud as folks say. Not relishing being grouped with the muffler-less Hawgs I've seen in the mountains driving too slow and too loud but visibility is visibility. Any advise? Thanks, Jim Jackson II A13 - South Carolina (C'mon 'stitch', where's my Darien?) ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

> Morning everyone! > > Had another harrowing experience this morning. Cruising at 70 indicated in > the fast lane during rush hour traffic heading into downtown Greenville

and

> had some idiot in a Nissan pickup change lanes on top of me. I was next to

a

> concrete construction guard so there was absolutely no emergency lane at > all. Couldn't even see the painted line. Anyway I knew that two vehicles > behind me was a semi truck so a handfull of brakes would have killed me

for

> sure. I layed on the horn and accelerated. Thank goodness he had his

window

> open and heard me cause he swerved back and gave the normal "oops sorry, > didn't see you" wave. I was right next to him not in his blind spot when

he

> pulled over. > > I'm thinking I'll start 'hopping' from car to car while on the highway

from

> now on. i.e.: stay behind until you have enough space to get at least even > with their front tire and then gun it. Also thinking that a Big Gun > (exhaust, I don't do that anymore...) would help a little if it's as loud

as

> folks say. Not relishing being grouped with the muffler-less Hawgs I've

seen

> in the mountains driving too slow and too loud but visibility is

visibility.

> > Any advise? >

Well, yeah. Don't cruise in the fast lane! You are much better off all the way over in the right hand lane (especially since there is nearly always a shoulder there). If traffic is merging on, either get over a lane, slow down or speed up. But cruising in the fast lane is the wrong thing to do, especially if you get that guy in the muscle car going 90+ coming right up your ass and is pissed because you are going too slow, cruising in the fast lane. In my state, this is illegal, and semitrucks aren't allowed in the fast lane either, if it is a three lane wide road, or only to pass if it is a two lane road. DO use the HOV lane if you have one though. Good situational awareness on your part, knowing that there was a semi behind you. Acceleration, horn, and a good hard kick to the driver's door with your heavy boots is the way I would have handled it, and I have been there. Jeff

As it turns out, the construction was on a new overpass so there was no shoulder on either side of this particular 500 foot stretch of highway. Also no change in posted speed limit. I have found in my Jeep that my rocket-scientist South Carolinian friends merging technique consists of: Pull onto the on-ramp. Stop. Creep onto the highway and accelerate to the posted speed limit in no sooner than 10 minutes. There are about 10 miles where it is really suicide to run in the slow lane without riding the brakes. This guy was trying to avoid just such an incident and didn't want to use his brakes, blinkers or check his 9 when he merged onto me. My pet peeve on the street is slow drivers in the fast lane so I don't do that. By the way, my apologies to all for the double-post. Jim Jackson II A13 - South Carolina

> >Don't cruise in the fast lane! You are much better off all the way over in >the right hand lane (especially since there is nearly always a shoulder >there).

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-----Original Message----- From: Jim Jackson To: nookie@... ; jazranch@... ; DSN_klr650@egroups.com DSN_klr650@egroups.com> Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 10:15 AM

>Morning everyone! >Had another harrowing experience this morning. >I'm thinking I'll start 'hopping' from car to car while on the highway from >now on. i.e.: stay behind until you have enough space to get at least even >with their front tire and then gun it. Also thinking that a Big Gun >(exhaust, I don't do that anymore...) would help a little if it's as loud

as

>folks say. Not relishing being grouped with the muffler-less Hawgs I've

seen

>in the mountains driving too slow and too loud but visibility is

visibility.

>Any advise? >Thanks, >Jim Jackson II >A13 - South Carolina (C'mon 'stitch', where's my Darien?)

Wow, scary experience. Glad to hear you didn't get 'squashed'! I know this may not be a popular idea but I believe your notion of a louder pipe actually helps. I installed a Cobra "Four Stroke" pipe this spring and it is loud. I honestly believe there is a discernible difference in way traffic reacts to me now,as compared to when I was running stock. I like your hopping idea as well. Being aware of where you are in traffic relative to other vehicles makes sense.Years ago I trained to drive semi trucks. My instructor used to say " when you get behind the wheel( or on your bike),think in terms of every other driver getting out of bed that day with the intent to kill you ". I believe this mindset works. Stay on top of things out there folks!! Cheers, Steve Pye A7

> > Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 06:46:04 -0700 > > From: "Jeff Walker" > > > Don't cruise in the fast lane! You are much better off all the > >way over in the right hand lane (especially since there is nearly always

a

> >shoulder there). > > In one of my MSF courses, it was pointed out that statistically, the

safest

> lane on a multi-lane freeway is the number two lane. (The number one lane > being the fast lane, of course.) IIRC, the most dangerous lane is the slow > lane. >

I do like the 2nd lane and having the versatility it affords to not worry about the merging traffic, but also being in the slow lane and having the "out" on the right hand side has saved my hide a couple of times. Are these statistics for all vehicular traffic, including the mindless drone cagers, or just for motorcyclists? Jeff

At 04:33 PM 6/26/00 +0000, Karl Raupp wrote:

> > In one of my MSF courses, it was pointed out that statistically, >the safest > > lane on a multi-lane freeway is the number two lane. (The number >one lane > > being the fast lane, of course.) IIRC, the most dangerous lane is >the slow > > lane. > > > > TomK > >What is the reasoning behind that logic?

Umm. There ain't no reasoning to statistics. He's quoting # of accidents / lane. Like, some actual number from the CHP or some such. No real reason for any car/bike to ever have an accident. They just kinda happen. ---o&>o--- Sarah Barwig sarah@...

>From: "Karl Raupp" >To: DSN_klr650@egroups.com >Subject: [DSN_klr650] Re: NKLR Defensive Driving Techniques >Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 16:33:47 -0000 > > > In one of my MSF courses, it was pointed out that statistically, >the safest > > lane on a multi-lane freeway is the number two lane. (The number >one lane > > being the fast lane, of course.) IIRC, the most dangerous lane is >the slow > > lane. > > > > TomK > >What is the reasoning behind that logic? I just returned from a trip >and was giving this lots of attention since my bike quit on me (ran >out of gas) on I-94 Detroit rush hour traffic. If I was in any lane >other than the rightmost my chances of injury/accident would have >skyrocketed. I like to ride in the lane that has a good shoulder to >escape on to. Anything cane happern - run out of gas, flat, chain >break, baggage fall off, bug in the eye, etc., and a shoulder is a >bonus safety margin for you. > >Karl > >

I drive on 4 and 5 lane (going in one direction) freeways, and I've noticed that when I'm in the #2 lane, I really have to keep up my speed or else I have traffic on both sides trying to pass. Your better off on one side or the other so you have one less lane of traffic trying to overtake you. IMHO. Put yourself where they can't hit you. Conall ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

In a message dated Mon, 26 Jun 2000 5:01:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time, "Conall O'Brien" writes: >>