Love Those Rearview Mirrors

For the month of June I work in summer school. It's only a four week program and I'm riding my motorcycle to work. It's amazing that one way is only 13 miles, yet the commute thru the city takes 1/2 hour. The only positive thing is I'm having a blast doing it, usaully.

Today I had an incident where I had to decide that the truck was much bigger then me and I immediately braked, as I didn't want to be his hood ornament. As I'm traversing the city to get to my destination, it's time to turn right onto the next street change. I'm coming up to the intersection, look in my rearview mirrors to check traffic behind me (nobody close to worry about), turn on my right turn signal and prepare to move right into a short turn lane. As I'm about to move, I check my right rearview mirror and there's this white truck roaring down and trying to cut me off. It was real obvious the speed he was doing and you could hear the roar of his engine. My first thought is "A## &!%#" and that he's much bigger then me. I immediately swing left, brake (I could brake, as the light was red and I was real close to that intersection), and swing my head in disgust. Needless to say, I was very surprised when he made an abrupt stop and then signaled me to go in front of him. I would have liked to wave thanks (even though he tried to run me down and changed his mind), but my hands were too busy with the clutch and brake.

This last Friday was my first day on the job and my rearview mirrors once again served me well on the drive home. I don't know what it is in my city about changing lanes, but I have seen it often even in my car. Someone signals they are changing lanes, there is an opening, and then suddenly the car behind speeds up to cut you off. I see someone needing to change lanes and I back off and leave them room. Well, on the way home Friday I wanted to change lanes into the (once again) right lane. I look for a nice opening, see it, turn on right turn signal, check mirror (all clear) and move. By the time I had moved into the lane I wanted, some stupid car tried to cut me off. This time I didn't realize it till after I had moved and saw the bumper right on my tail. That car had been way back there just moments before!!

Then she backs way off. I mean "waaayyy off." I don't know why she even sped up, other then she just wanted to cut someone off from changing lanes. Further down the road I'm happy when I see she's more then a quarter of a mile behind me. Till..... you guessed it - I needed to change lanes. It was time to get into the right turn lane and take the most fun curve in the city. I go from one major blvd to another blvd on one of those huge highway turn lanes. I love the lean and the angle of this turn. It's more fun then a carnival ride, lol. I look in my rearview mirror and she's a ways back, so I'm thinking "No Problemo." Wrong!$%&! I turn on my turn signal, check my mirror and move left. In the meantime this girl (young teen) has some problem with this and speeds up and rides my butt ALL THE WAY TO THE NEXT BLVD. I WAS PISSED!! Nothing I could do about it, but watch myself and try to keep some distance. As soon as I'm on the next road she backs off (hmpf!!). So I'm wondering what is her problem, but like I've said this is a problem in our city.

I rely heavily on my rearview mirros, as I know you do. I alway make one last check before changing lanes and that has served me well a few times. I have done many miles in my city with no problems and suddenly in a week....?

Keep safe on those roads and have fun this summer,

Biker Betty :)