Kim made this picture of me one evening at the Arboretum at Penn State. I thought it appropriate for this post.
There comes a point where training and experience yield to human nature. Or more pointedly: human failure. The world of the demon that whispers of appropriate action and choice. Viewed later, from the comfort of an armchair with a cup of Earl Grey tea, choices can seem positively stupid. And so we begin.
Perhaps there’s no more honest reflection of a person’s true character than on the road where masks and facades seem to shed easily. Employers wanting to know who they are hiring should conduct interviews in a car and have applicants drive them on errands through a few frustrating locations to see who emerges.
If asked how I would describe myself as a rider (or driver) I would say calm, relaxed, slow. Arriving at work and parking on a quiet summer campus definitely helps support those feelings and while generally true I have my moments. The demon whispers and I do things that are less than intelligent.
On my way to Barnes and Noble last week on I was reacquainted with weakness. Traveling along on a busy stretch of four lane road I could seen a silver SUV weaving through traffic in my mirror. I wondered why they were in such a hurry. They’ll just end up sitting at the next traffic light. I don’t remember the demon whispering but I was gauging opportunities to educate the SUV driver. I’m in the left lane on the Vespa slowly approaching a car in the left lane. Traffic is moving around 35mph. The SUV has just moved into the right hand lane in a bid to pass me on and then swing around the car. Not far ahead is a traffic light. As if I am in a chess game I adjust the throttle to move ahead a bit faster. A man in the SUV approaches quickly still hoping to pass me. He’s closing on the bumper of the car trying to decide if he can get between the car and the Vespa. There’s room but just barely. My fingers have crawled over the brake levers. And just as it seems he’s going to try the car’s brake lights come on and we’re all stopped at the traffic light.
My brain hasn’t recognized how stupid or dangerous game I’m playing. I’m teaching now, providing someone else with an opportunity to see the error of his driving ways. Where does this kind of thinking come from? I’m not riding through the woods or stopping to make a picture in a stand of pines. I’m in fantasy world.
The light changes and we’re all off. I move a bit faster than the car and when it seems I’ll pass the car the SUV swings in behind me. The car keeps accelerating and begins moving ahead. The SUV swings back right hoping to get past everyone as he drives just inches from the car in front of him. The gap widens slowly. I can see his eyes flashing in his side mirror, his brain working to calculate the space needed to pass as the car suddenly slows and I move up ahead. The car speeds up again and I wonder if he is playing this game too. Or maybe he’s just suggesting the SUV get off his ass. Or for me to get the hell out of the game.
All this has happened in less than a mile. The SUV is again right on the bumper of the car willing him to speed up. I sense something is about to happen and move left in my lane and roll off the throttle slightly. The SUV explodes left, passes the car, and veers back to the right lane, hits the brakes and immediately turns off the road and into a McDonalds parking lot. I look over and see the driver queue up for the drive up window. He was obviously not the brain surgeon on his way to emergency surgery that I sometimes use to excuse reckless behavior on the road.
Notice it’s all about the other guy.
This brings me to my point. The behavior of other drivers is not something for me to fix. They are a changing constant on the road to be managed and nothing else. Education and justice is the realm of others. Nothing anyone does is an excuse for me to listen to the demon. What would I have lost by letting the SUV pass?
One morning on the way to work I stopped to pick up a sandwich for lunch. Standing on the sidewalk I saw my scooter reflected against the Karate Kid poster and it got me thinking about practice and learning. I need to do some further work as a rider.
Thankfully, the event is atypical and not a pattern. But even once is too many. As I grow as a rider I’m learning that the attitude I bring to the road is just as important as the technical skills. For me, dismissing the demon is the place to improve my riding.
Have you conquered the demon?
What a great reminder. I silence my demon within by reminding myself that I am putting myself in such danger: two vs four wheels. And the knowledge that any lesson I try to teach will probably be lost on this person.
I try to show appreciation with a wave or nod to people that actually take the motorbike into consideration by not cutting me off. I am hoping that it will click with them and they will start seeing all motorbikes.
Stay safe and angelic. 🙂
-Lori
Hi Steve
You could call it a demon. An explanation for this almost subconscious behaviour could also be a deeply rooted survival mechanism that is all about not showing weakness. I believe it was a useful mechanism at a time were men were swaying sticks before their cage entrance to scare off aggressive intruders in order to protect their families. I believe the mechanism itself is still widely used, albeit it usually a less physical way. It is about self preservation. On a GTS there is no question that you are smaller and lighter compared to your SUV predators. On a small scooter, it is constantly a matter of driving with visible self confidence to avoid being cut off. You may just have been struggling to find the right balance in that, rather than trying to educate food craving SUV driver.
Thanks for sharing this experience.
Best
Ike
I ride a 49cc. It doesn’t allow me to be an assertive scoots rider. I also ride a bicycle and thus have a whole lot of respect in the 2 vs 4 wheel road share. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and best of luck to you.
Steve, I constantly remind myself that my motorcycle is no match for a car. I may lay on my horn on occasion to let a driver know he cut me off or something to that effect, but that’s about it. I am more likely to get out of the way of an “idiot” than to challenge them. I have not always been this way. Maybe it is my age (I turn 60 this year) that I give this caution. I would rather live to ride another day than “to be right” and laying on the ground on the highway.
Brent
Excellent post.
As a “cager,” I’m still waiting for the James Bond car with rockets, so that I can really slow down the idiots.
But, the best solution I have heard was proposed by that wisest of melon-smashing sages, Gallagher. He suggested we all carry suction-cup dart guns, like we had as kids, and shoot at the idiot drivers. Then, when a cop sees a car covered with darts, he or she can stop the driver for being an asshole.
And, yes, I do wonder how many darts I’d end up with.
BeemerGirl: There certainly is a long way to go for people in general being more civil on the road let alone watching out for motorcycles. But little steps are better than nothing….
Ike: While I believe in the idea of biological imperatives they don’t preclude my ability to make good choices. No need for me to be prey or predator. I want to be a sensible rider.
But I understand what you mean and it is pretty apparent that some drivers (and riders) have regressed to the stick waving times.
Alisa: I agree. 4 wheels always trumps 2 in the safety department. I need to yield to the bigger beast.
Brent: Hopefully by the time I turn 60 I will have learned what you have. And better if I remember it sooner!
Gordon: Dart guns. I can see trouble brewing. I saw a fellow leap out of a rusting old pickup truck to chase a young kid who threw a snowball at the truck. He caught him and started punching him. God knows what he would have done to a dart shooter.
Let me know how it turns out.
I generally ride as if everyone else has the right of way, and I happen to be within 60 days of being 60 years old, hmmmmm. That said, I still find a competitiveness that comes to life now and again while I’m riding, even though I have a sticker on my Symba that says: Be Free, Scoot Slow.
Nice post.
~Keith
Good posting Steve
and yes, I’ve my own demon with similar qualities to yours.
the restraining (there is no taming mine) of this demon’s urges to play the dangerous games with cagers and their stupid driving is sometimes overwhelmingly difficult and I do try.
sometimes though, it gets out…..
Redleg’s Rides
Keith: I almost always follow your manner of riding but still on rare occassions I turn into a fool. Less and less often but it happens.
Dom: I agree there is no taming the demon. I’m just glad I don’t have the Checkered Demon of R Crumb’s world to contend with.
Great post, I think we all listen to the demons within sometimes. I will try harder to dismiss them next time.
GAW
Steve, you once again hit upon something very important; that of anticipation.
As riders it’s the most important defense mechanism we can employ. You moved to the side of your lane when you anticipated trouble. Life saving advice.
You gave yourself a way out of a potentially dangerous situation. All of us should ride this way.
Harv
I save my “teachable moments” for the car where I keep a CB to educate the truckers who play games on I-80 where they love hopscotching between lanes to get a 2 MPH advantage while stringing long lines of the rest of us behind them as they take 10 miles to make a pass. Okay, so I’m not really teaching them anything, but it feels good to curse them out just the same.
Dear Scooter In The Sticks (Steve):
I am under the impression that encounters such as you described in this most recent blog posting are on the rise. And I futher suspect thay are directly linked to the “me first” attiude that is so prevalent in United States.
There needs to be a more conscious effort to educate the masses so they honestly believe that the guy who says, “After you,” in the most convincing tone, is the one who gets the better job and has great, rampant sex 15 times a week.
That being said, your little morality play set me to fantasizing. I imagined following that SUV driver into the Macdonalds, dragging him out of the car, ripping his pants off, and painting his ass blue — for a presentation on YouTube.
But in truth, all that would likely accomplish is create another rabid SUV driver, who’d be cruising through traffic with a can of blue paint all his own. Between exercising good (but less than satisfying) judgement and the blue paint therapy, there has to be a better approach.
I did something stupid this week too. And I had help. All that was missing was the paint. Your blog has a calming influence on me. I will think twice about being a viking the next time.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
A comment from The Master, if you will.
The anger demon, when turned loose, is unpredictable. If often turns on he who loosed it.
From the flesh and blood me:
Inside I still get angry and expect more from drivers. I can’t calmly accept that all other drivers will react with selfish stupidity. If I do, then what does that say about the human race?
Thus I am calm ( mostly ) in my riding while seething inside.
This is a valuable post. Sometimes the most benefit comes when we let others see our weak moments.
Good post and great point. Remind me every so often, eh? = )
GAW: Thank you for your kind words about this post. I do appreciate them.
I wish I knew why it seems so hard sometimes to release a demon. Chocolate is another demon…
Harv: Anticipation is something I first became conscious of during the MSF course. And then again on irondad’s blog. It is a habit I am glad to have and it has saved me from misfortune more than once.
Joe: I’ve always wanted a CB radio for that very reason. Just so I can say something like, “Hey there flammable tanker, where did you get yer driver’s license? From a comic book??”
Dear Mr. Riepe: I did some research before writing the post and found a lot of scary stories and data searching Google for “road aggression”. It isn’t pretty.
Those sexual promises seem a lot like the promises suicide bombers get. Maybe it will work but something just seems wrong. Maybe it would be better to offer cash.
Your youtube idea has great merit. Make sure you have the white balance set correctly before you begin and please shoot in HD. I look forward to seeing your work.
How come I am always the calming one. I want to be the viking every once in awhile. Do I need a K-bike for that???
Master: I suppose your appraisal of calm outside and seething inside describes me at my worst moments. Most of the time I am calm through and through!! *grin*
Sundance: I’ll have to install a calmness meter on my blog that reflects my feelings about the road ahead.
Nice post. Important topic. I try to keep in mind the time my wife tried to race me to the E.R., only to have to deal with mean-spirited drivers along the way. Those people dang-near killed me! NEVER try to guess what someone is doing in their car. The road isn’t a game or an opportunity to correct bad behavior in strangers.