Went down yesterday

JoeP · Feb 20, 2015

Tech said:
Joe, the pic of you lying on the pavement is worth a thousand words. Very scary indeed.

You are blessed to be alive.

I wish you a speedy recovery!!

Jack

Thanks Jack and all others. I AM indeed blessed. I am also fortunate that there was a bystander to take that pic. One look at that pic and those thousand words hopefully won't have to be spoken when dealing with the insurance company.

ddemair · Feb 20, 2015

This has been a very informative thread and I'm glad the injuries weren't worse.

The police report and the street view (thanks, Joe) make it very clear what happened and why it shouldn't have. The only road improvement I can think of that might prevent a similar occurrence would be if the road were more clearly labeled as one lane. The way the concrete control joint is where a lane divider might normally be almost makes it look like it's possible for it to be 2 lanes... but even so, that's no excuse for someone to try and pass on the right and even more egregiously, at 30 mph.

FWTBT · Feb 20, 2015

Wow!...No matter how hard we try sometimes we just can't avoid getting hit. Thanks for your post. I'm glad you are ok and wish you well in your recovery and with your insurance.

I find it interesting to read about or watch videos of accidents and think about what could have been done differently to avoid them. In your case it appears that you were the unfortunate person that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Defensive driving/riding teaches us to shoulder check over our right shoulder on right turns. I can't help but wonder if driver 2 would have right shoulder checked before turning right into the parking spot he may have spotted driver 1 trying to pass him on his right and avoided the whole incident. This is especially important in crowded cities with bicycle lanes where we turn right across bicycle lanes at intersections. In a normal parking lot we may not right shoulder check all of the time but looking at this on google maps that lane is wide enough to encourage someone in a hurry to pass on the right.

But...as with many things in life..."easier said then done"

BakerBoy · Feb 20, 2015

Better thread title: "Taken down yesterday"
;-)

vinny · Feb 20, 2015

Just saw this, internet problems. Wow, Joe! I think ATGATT for you meant you had your "Guardian Angle" with you also. God smiled on you when you asked him to forgive you... never underestimate how powerful that heart felt moment was. Happy to hear you are doing relatively well.

BamaRider · Feb 22, 2015

Many years on this BBS, thats the damdest thing I've ever heard.

I'm POed for ya and I wasn't even there. What a idiot this joker was.

ST Gui · Feb 23, 2015

JoeP said:
It turns out that he wasn't parking and was doing about 30. The street is a 2 lane/2 way street so there shouldn't have been 2 cars side by side on this street.

This changes everything. But glad you're not as bad off as you could have been.

FWTBT said:
I can't help but wonder if driver 2 would have right shoulder checked before turning right into the parking spot he may have spotted driver 1 trying to pass him on his right

For all we know Driver 2 did check and Driver 1 was directly behind him and hadn't made his attempt to pass yet. D2 turns back to pay attention to where he's going and at that moment D1 whips around and tries to pass ignoring D2's turn signal. A speed of 30mph was mentioned. Where'd that come from? Was it a witness estimation? Estimated from structural damage? Driver 1's statement? If he said 30 (assuming he even knew) he was probably going faster.

That assumes D2 gave a proper turn signal and D1. The drawing is not to scale but assuming (there's that word again) it's close 21' is a pretty wide lane compared to the opposing lane at 18'. Were it me I would have been much closer to the curb when I gave my signal (100' prior to the turn in CA) that there would have been no room on the right in the first place.

Even with the diagram there's so much we don't know that this is basically an exercise in WAGs.

Still glad you're ok JoeP considering.

ST1100Y · Feb 23, 2015

What I can make out from that "crime scene drawing" was the impatient D2 obviously attempting to pass D1 in a "race" for a suspected free parking spot... even possible that D1 floored it over not liking that...

In any way did the stupid action of two drivers end with a wrecked bike and a fellow rider hospitalized...

ST Gui · Feb 23, 2015

ST1100Y said:
What I can make out from that "crime scene drawing" was the impatient D2 obviously attempting to pass D1 in a "race" for a suspected free parking spot... even possible that D1 floored it over not liking that...

In any way did the stupid action of two drivers end with a wrecked bike and a fellow rider hospitalized...

I don't think the diagram supports any of that but it's a good guess that D1 was impatient knowing that he was passing on the right at 30mph. D1 might not have even been going for the parking lot. I'd like to see the narrative. It should have information not shown in the diagram.

SMSW · Feb 23, 2015

We still don't know the whole story. I see this as the guy who hit Joe was simply trying to pass the other car, and did not know it was aiming for the parking spot. If he was indeed going 30, glanced off the other car and still stopped within a couple of car lengths, then he was alert and his car was partially out of control (since he stopped he did not completely lose control). I'm not absolving him of any responsiblity, but this was another of those situations where several things came together to create a bad situation. Only rarely is it just one thing that went wrong and caused an accident.

st1300doug · Feb 23, 2015

Man-glad your alive and kicking! Wild stuff- all could have been avoided by the CAGE drivers. Geeeez......hope you get a new bike and heal up buddy!

ST13Fred · Feb 24, 2015

21' is too wide for a single lane and is what invited this accident.

Widening the parking spaces w/striping, thus narrowing the thru lane may be a solution.

ST1100Y · Feb 24, 2015

ST13Fred said:
Widening the parking spaces w/striping, thus narrowing the thru lane may be a solution.

Getting people back to looking and computing what they see/their surroundings would be the solution...

This is exactly why I don't like to park my bike anywhere near cars... either they bump it over due manoeuvring carelessly, at least they just smack their car doors into it, slam shopping cards into it, fems scratch fairing/pannier lids with the buckles on the purses, folks knock the mirror covers off with their not so gracile butts... especially in those transverse parking spots...

Hell, I don't even park my car in such areas, instead I pick the most far away, remote space I can find... like in that dumb insurance commercial...

broc11 · Feb 25, 2015

ST1100Y said:
Getting people back to looking and computing what they see/their surroundings would be the solution...

I think the more technology is about,the stupider the human race seems to be getting, driving or parking you have to be on idiot watch alert all the time. I see the new Ford Focus can parallel park itself, there'll come a day yet when people won't be fit to tie their own shoes

tawilke46 · Feb 25, 2015

broc11 said:
I think the more technology is about,the stupider the human race seems to be getting, driving or parking you have to be on idiot watch alert all the time. I see the new Ford Focus can parallel park itself, there'll come a day yet when people won't be fit to tie their own shoes

+1, and more technology=more distraction. Another example is the newer LED billboards, bright, with animated advertisements. Just what we need to keep driver attention on the road instead of on the pretty billboard!

ST1100Y · Feb 25, 2015

tawilke46 said:
Another example is the newer LED billboards, bright, with animated advertisements. Just what we need to keep driver attention on the road instead of on the pretty billboard!

Or the rubbernecking... over here the EMTs now simply close both sides of the motorway during clean-up...

But its a state of mind thing to keep your priorities properly sorted... what could possible be more important to focus ahead while operating an automotive... I just don't get those folks out there anymore...

ST Gui · Feb 26, 2015

broc11 said:
there'll come a day yet when people won't be fit to tie their own shoes

Before that day comes tying shoes will be a quaint legacy ritual. I still like to read actual newspapers and magazines but that landscape is changing as well. If we want others to be the perfect drivers/riders "we" are then all distractions need to be banned- radios music players nav systems phones etc. Ok, maybe GPS as long as it doesn't function while the ignition is on. As for keeping fit remove electric start from bikes. And/or the bike required random bump starts. Don't want to get spoiled. Cars and trucks would be a problem. Maybe a hand crank that charges the battery and after so many RPM you're allowed to use the car starter so you appreciate it more. And it keeps you healthy.

The world is going to hell in a handbasket on a rocket sled. It's been downhill ever since the horseless carriage was invented. Maybe even before. Most likely started when Man walked out of the primordial ooze. So until we roll a 7 maybe we should just do the best we can and walk the walk not just talk the talk.

broc11 · Feb 26, 2015

fnmag said:
OK, I'm walking I'm walking.

think this winter weather is taking it's toll,need some miles on the bike to clear the mind,bike show 2moro looking forward to seeing the new models,hope they have the new versys 1000 and crossrunner on show.

robertpage · Feb 26, 2015

I second that emotion, especially since I missed Jacob Javits this past year in NYC. They seem to be holding that MC show earlier and earlier the past 3 years. It's nice to pop into the Big Apple, sit on the new models, take pictures of elaborate paint jobs, buy new farkles, etc. Last year I biked into the convention. I think with the unbelievable accident that befell one of our comrades coupled with brutally cold temperatures, we could all use a nice, easy does it ride at least until the ST 7.7 gallon tank is about to run dry.
All the best and a quick arrival of spring,
Robert

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SMSW · Feb 26, 2015

ST Gui;1831681 If we want others to be the perfect drivers/riders "we" are then all distractions need to be banned- radios music players nav systems phones etc. Ok said:
My wife mentioned this evening that she saw two kids in the locker room at the gym with their noses in their cell phones. She said they did not come up for air in the time she was in the locker room getting dressed. We have both pulled into the gym parking lot, seen a car idling with its lights on, and pulled up nearby politely waiting for the space...and given up and driven on because the young driver is sitting there reading emails or texting.

Hey, we are training them to focus - on their cell phones, tablets, computers. The world is the video screen. Ignore whats outside. Who needs wilderness or camping when you have your smartphone? Saw an article in the newspaper (whats that?) a few weeks ago. Some writer came up with the novel idea of trying to limit his time on his smartphone. He talked about how nice it was to go away for a weekend and LEAVE HIS PHONE BEHIND! Imagine that!!! There are even apps to track how much time you spend on your phone and to help you decrease your screen time in order to become more productive.

Unfortunately, writers expressed exactly what you said about the world going downhill back in the early 1900's. Nothing ever changes. We just keep repeating what our forefathers did.....

Went down yesterday

JoeP

ddemair

FWTBT

BakerBoy

It's all small stuff.

vinny

BamaRider

Guy

ST Gui

240Robert

ST1100Y

ST Gui

240Robert

SMSW

st1300doug

ST13Fred

Fred

ST1100Y

broc11

tawilke46

ST1100Y

ST Gui

240Robert

broc11

robertpage

TourMaster

SMSW