Got clipped in traffic, then - confrontation !

The set-up -
I was travelling (location-edited) in the center lane of 6-lane traffic, with packed traffic going 35 MPH, and I was in the middle lane, positioned in the "grease strip" WITH a passenger.

The incident-
I may have been passing the car on my right, and in the blind spot, and he just cuts left, and while I swerve left, he hits me, and keeps on going. I pulled my clutch and wave, but he keeps going. So I chase, but there's another car, who obviously saw what happened, who tries to block me.
It was a light tap - the bike just wobbled.
(edited- tinted windows and the immediate shock of the incident kept me from knowing ANYTHING about the driver such as age, race, sex)

I catch the first car at the next light, after going around the second car.
I get them to pull into the next parking lot after telling the driver he hit me.
I see a mark on his passenger door.

Both cars pull in, and I was faced with 4 young African Americans and the conversation quickly degraded from "are you sure I hit you" to "I'll kick your bike and your *butt* " which was a bit funny because he never got closer than 20 feet from me. They also opened their trunk. After seeing I had no damage to the bike, I told them to just get in their cars and leave.
This took a while, because of all the "posturing" and insults, but they left, then we left.

And I'm well aware of the bad press Florida is getting with the "stand your ground" law, but you should be able to tell somebody that they hit you in traffic without having them go off on you.

We were wearing "almost" all the gear, and thank God we didn't actually dump the bike. (the FJR)

 

Next time memorize the plate and call it in. Escalating a situation isn't worth the risk. I lost an uncle over a snarky, and unnecessary, comment that he made at a bar.
Glad that you are both OK.

 

I think I would have called the cops. the mark on their car was enough evidence.

CN

 

Calling the cops would be the civilized thing to do, but the situation degraded into a "Jerry Springer" episode rather quickly and it's hard to have a respectable conversation when somebody is threatening to kick your motorcycle.

It would be hard to explain exactly what happened, as there were 6 people talking, and the young black women were telling their men to get in the cars and go. I also was telling them to go, as I didn't want to drive off first.

Florida law states that if there is less than $50 damage, an "at-fault" person can leave the scene of an accident. Filling out Police paperwork, even after the fact, with the tag number would give them my home address and identity.

As it happened, we all went separate ways with no harm done.

Touching on riding skills - I find it a bit odd that I'm pre-programmed to swerve, rather than grab the brakes. Maybe it's because I was in the "grease strip" or I didn't have time to check mirrors?? but I believe we do alot of riding in an "automatic" mode, and this is most evident in how we react to situations.

 

Reality is this is nothing new. It is happening more and more all over the country. We just went through two trials here in Florida over basically the same provocation and confrontation that ended up with a death and no convictions. These things escalate quick and riding off was a safe decision. It isn't what is right anymore first, it is what is safe for you and your loved ones.
Besides, it isn't wise to fight a bunch of pack animals.

 

Yeah, what's the point of being right if you're dead?

 

I agree with everything that has been said. a very good friend of mine once told me "there is no piece of asphalt worth arguing over". it is just lucky for you that you didn't go down in traffic, no doubt they would have just drove off anyway. at least they have a little food for thought and maybe, just maybe they will be a little more careful in the future. purely speculation on my part. still glad to hear that you are ok.

CN

 

In the 16 years of riding I have learned that in a battle of a bike vs a car a car will always win, get the plate, pull to the side put it in your phone and call it in when you get home, confronting someone just isn't worth the risk, unless someone motions to pull over and exchange information I'm not going to pursue when on a bike. Be safe out there.

 

DBK81 is absolutely right! DO NOT attempt to chase a car, you WILL come off second best. The other thing is that if you have a pillion you have another person's life in your hands. I know we get wound up when it happens but as others have said, these things go bad VERY quickly...

 

Two things:
They won't change how they drive in the future - they have guns in the trunk, and probably criminal agendas with no time for learning from mistakes
In Florida, I wouldn't follow or flip off a car that did that (back to the gun issue). As mentioned, pull over and call in the plate

In this case, you followed them and it turned into a standoff. But in other cases, someone like the occupants in that car might be the ones that follow YOU somewhere and start something. My dad is living in FL retired, and keeps a piece on his bike. He is not the type to tell someone to turn their music down in a Publix parking lot, then draw on them, but he's old and he has an expensive bike - he could be a target in the wrong environment.

 

Everytime someone cuts me off, I shake my head, thank my lucky stars and just tell myself "I KNEW THEY WERE GONNA DO THAT!" and I slowly convince myself I will see the future better and better with each survival and technically it was my fault.

then... Take a deep breath and TRY* to chuckle about the consistently lazy attitude of the OPFOR(cagers).

Life is too short to be pissed off.

 

Its sad that people are like that. I think some people just don't have respect for motorcyclists. Also people who slam their brakes when they're being followed too close annoy me. Why would you want to be rear ended by somebody who may just drive off or be uninsured?

 

Time,

It takes a lot of "man" to do what you did in this situation. I'm not going to sound naïve and say it didn't have anything to do with the Publix case, it may have. It also may have been a car of misbehaving young African-Americans. I think it was both. IMO interpretation and use of a law should not have been necessary, it shouldn't have happened. Unfortunately, laws are necessary because things like this happen to people all over the country everyday. I am glad you and your passenger are okay and there was no major damage to your bike. I am also glad the confrontation didn't escalate into another court case. On a side note...IMO motorcyclist get somewhat of a bad rap. I think a lot of people that drive vehicles only think we think we have "privilege" to the roads when we are out there and want to make it clear to us we don't. I try to ride in such the way that hopefully people understand that's not the case with me. And, of course, a lot of people are just ignorant.

Roc

 

Thank you all for the kind words and support. I think we've reached a consensus on the safest way to handle a dangerous situation

By the initial expression on his face, he truly didn't know what happened, and was apologetic, I don't think anyone would take their $4,000 car and hit a motorcycle ON PURPOSE, with so many witnesses. This was truly an accident by negligence-careless driving.

Writing down the tag and leaving silently DOES sound very, very safe.
I'll keep it in mind. Had I done that I would have looked my bike over, saw no damage, and not bothered reporting it.