Shared on the Bay Area Riders Forum (BARF)
Macho machines and e-driving
So I pull out onto westbound 19th Ave. from a red-light at Pacheco. Light traffic to my left, but a sedan about ¼ block away in the right lane is headed my way. I turn into the same lane and give it the juice in first. That sweet electric torque does its quiet job: 30 mph in 1.5 seconds. Not even close; no worries. I love this machine.
Traffic ahead stopped mostly on the right: So, left signal on, head check, change to middle lane. Repeat, and I’m in the left lane. Sedan, also now in the left lane, is closing on me as I start to ease off for the red light a half block away. I flash my brake lights twice, letting him know that I’m decelerating, gathering electrons with my regenerative braking that’s been mapped by a racer: very aggressive, which is the way I like it. I downshift and flash twice again, then, at 10 mph, finally brake to a stop in the last few feet. Very efficient: 27K miles on this bike, mostly on the SF hills, and the front brake pads barely show any wear. Amazing. I love this machine!
As the light changes and traffic moves, he pulls up alongside me, now in the middle lane. Orange baseball cap on a 40-something dude in a silver Toyota Corolla. He’s yelling. He’s yelling at me. Really angry: “YOU DRIVE THAT MOTORCYCLE LIKE A GIRL.”
Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut?
For 30 milliseconds, I thought of replying. Nah. Just another cray cray driver. Besides what IS a clever reply to that?
Well, since I’m 71 years old, maybe I should yell my retort, something like, “MORE LIKE AN OLD LADY!”
But, I just shook it off like my cat does when my human weirdness makes no sense to him, and drove homeward bound on my daily commute.
As we approach Sloat, I’m still in the left lane and he’s caught up even with me in the right lane and yells something really angry and really loud, over two lanes of traffic, but, gratefully, it’s unintelligible in my helmet with the traffic moving. It’s clear he’s really worked up and it’s equally clear that I’m utterly baffled, and, though mildly curious as to his state of mind, no, still not enough to engage.
I split lanes to Sloat, split lanes to Stonestown, split lanes to SF State, nail it onto 280 and never see his orange cap on top of his thrashing tonsils, ever again.
So I’m thinking what we have here may be the polar opposite of cagers who hate lane splitters because they are easily startled out of their reveries and deem it a dangerous activity.
This guy probably rides, or used to ride, a Harley and if someone doesn’t ride all out, probably with beer involved, and take close calls on the street, with their fat biceps hanging out of leather vest, well, they’re just a pussy. End of story.
Besides thinking most female motorcyclists probably ride very well, thank you, my ego just can’t get TOO worked up over a psycho Corolla driver!
Isn’t Kalifornia Kultur interesting?
