A Lesson In Attentiveness

[emptysea]

On my commute today (which is really more of a short ride than it is an actual commute), I was cut off by a guy in a red Cadillac who was talking on his phone. We both were stopped at a stoplight, he in the left lane and me a few cars back, but in the right line waiting to turn right. I was pretty irritated at his lack of attention to driving and was sort of glaring at him from a distance; not that he noticed since he was still on his call.

That's when I felt the bump from being struck from the rear by a young girl in a Kia Soul. Apparently, she was on her way to or from her physical therapist and was doing some stretches at the stoplight and didn't realize that she was rolling forward. The bump was about as forceful as when the CB1100 gets pushed of its center stand. No damage to the bike that I noticed and none to her car and no injuries and I remained upright throughout. She was very upset and apologetic and she reminded me of my daughter. She looked so panicked that I felt my job at that point was to calm her down. I told her that I was fine, explained that we should exchange information in case some damage shows up later, and told her that there was no need to contact the police or her insurance company at this time (that last piece of advice may not be valid in other states or in more serious accidents). The bike seems fine, but I'm having it in for an oil change and whatever service is slated for 36,000 miles so I'll have them look it over.

I find irony in the fact that, had I not been distracted by the guy on the phone, I would have seen the girl doing her in-car stretches and pulled forward out of harm's way. If the guy with the Cadillac had been more attentive, he would not have cut me off. If I had been more attentive, I'd have been watching my mirrors instead of the guy in the Cadillac. If the girl in the Kia had been more attentive, she'd have not allowed her car to roll forward into my bike.

If any good came of this incident, it would be that I believe that 2 of the 3 people that contributed have learned lessons:

Kia Girl: Pay attention to your surroundings, even when stopped at a stoplight.

CB1100 Guy: Lesson #1 - Pay attention. Lesson #2 - Don't let the idiots out there make you forget Lesson #1.

 

[Cormanus]

Nicely told MTC. Lessons worth learning. Is there a lesson about people who drive Cadillacs? I wouldn’t know. We don’t have hem here.

I saw with interest that our police are trialing cameras that can detect mobile phone use by drivers.

 

[emptysea]

No lesson about people who drive Cadillacs, but there is one other lesson I learned...when you tell your wife that you were glaring at the guy for talking on his phone while driving, expect her to respond "I've told you a million times that you are not a policeman so stop calling out other drivers for their traffic violations". If you have a loving wife like I do, this response will be preceded by "Glad you're OK".

 

[the Ferret]

Dang, what a conundrum. Looking ahead at an idiot and getting smacked from behind by one. Glad you are ok Sea.

 

[Cormanus]

You are, indeed, blessed, MTC. I apologize for forgetting to say I’m pleased you’re OK. I’m also impressed you managed to comfort Kia Girl. Finally, I might just correct the one little typo that escaped your eagle eye.

Edit: you got there before me!

 

[emptysea]

I almost always type "policy" when I mean to type "police". Probably 40 years of working in insurance.

 

[Cormanus]

 

[PowerDubs_imp]

Ugh.

Better than me. I would have ripped into her.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bheezy27403_imp]

We know. :rofl:

 

[Gone in 60]

Empty, first of all, glad you weren't injured, and sounds like your bike is OK. That was very nice of you to comfort the girl in the Kia, rather than getting upset with her. And a very good opportunity to look at the situation as a whole, and recognize that by focusing on one thing, your attention was taken away from something else which was more critical at the moment, watching your mirrors at an intersection.

I was ruminating on this not too long ago, when a post came up on ADVRider about how many times you've ever dropped a bike while stopped. I've done it a few times, and listing them, I realized each incident was the result of paying more attention to something else than the procedure of stopping, parking, and getting off of a bike.

 

[Houtman_imp]

I am glad that you are ok but I would have told the girl that she owes you a dinner date ... (yes I know that I a have a sick mind , no need to rub that in )

 

[peterbaron]

ES, glad you are OK.
Admire how you handled the bump.... I am of a much shorter fuse, lesson learnt: stay calm and polite!

 

[Cormanus]

Empty, first of all, glad you weren't injured, and sounds like your bike is OK. That was very nice of you to comfort the girl in the Kia, rather than getting upset with her. And a very good opportunity to look at the situation as a whole, and recognize that by focusing on one thing, your attention was taken away from something else which was more critical at the moment, watching your mirrors at an intersection.

I was ruminating on this not too long ago, when a post came up on ADVRider about how many times you've ever dropped a bike while stopped. I've done it a few times, and listing them, I realized each incident was the result of paying more attention to something else than the procedure of stopping, parking, and getting off of a bike.

True story: I bought my first bike—a Honda CB175—when I was 16. I forget now what time of the year it was, but I suspect early spring. I picked it up over a weekend and was riding it to school on the following Monday morning. My route took me through the city. As I took off from an intersection, I was mesmerised by an attractive member of the opposite sex sashaying along the street in a spectacular spring frock and rode into the back of the car in front of me. The front mudguard was damaged and my pride has never recovered. However, I did learn to pay attention to what was happening in the traffic in front of me.

 

[The A-man]

Good on you MTC for being empathetic towards that young lady. Glad you and the bike are unharmed.

 

[pdedse]

I'm wondering how you would have reacted had Kia girl been the one to cut you off and the guy in the caddy the one who bumped you from behind!!

Just messin' ...glad you are OK and I'm sure the gal will learn from it.

 

[whizzle_dizzler_imp]

Last year, early summer in Va Beach, I had just got off work and was sitting at an intersection on my CBR600RR. There were two cars in front of me waiting for the light to change. Light goes green, I wait for the two cars in front to start moving. The car in front of me hadn't even moved yet, and I felt a bump from behind. Something felt odd, and I couldn't lean the bike over. I look behind me, and I'm staring straight into the grille of a black Lincoln Navigator. I slapped the hood and yelled at the guy to back up so I could actually get off and set the bike on its stand. The front bumper was sitting on top of the rear tire, locking the bike in place. Astounded how someone didn't notice a guy with a fluorescent yellow helmet and extremely loud sportbike in front of them, I walked over to his window, didn't know what else to do but to call him stupid, and told him to pay more attention next time.

 

[emptysea]

I'm wondering how you would have reacted had Kia girl been the one to cut you off and the guy in the caddy the one who bumped you from behind!!

Just messin' ...glad you are OK and I'm sure the gal will learn from it.

I very well may have reacted differently, but not strictly because Kia Girl was a girl. I don't think I mentioned this in my original comments, but when I got off my bike to see who hit me, I could read her lips saying "Oh my God! Oh my God" and the first words out of her mouth when I got to her car window were "I'm sooo sorry!". I didn't know then that she was 18, but she instantly reminded me of my daughter who, when she was 18 or 19, backed out of a parking spot while adjusting the radio and hit another vehicle. She was so upset at the time, but took full responsibility for her mistake. I saw my daughter's face in Kia Girl as I walked to her car. Couldn't get too angry with her at that point and since she, like my daughter, took full responsibility for what happened. It was pretty easy for me to remain calm.

Some old guy that looks like me, in a Cadillac, talking on his phone and wondering what just happened?? I doubt that I'd have been the calming voice of compassion and empathy in that situation -- although I aspire to that level of calm during a crisis.

 

[Gone in 60]

That's not surprising, Whizzle. The guy in the Navigator was probably looking down at his phone. When the car next to him started to move, he probably just did as well, without looking.