Kirby Posted December 19, 2011 Share #1 Posted December 19, 2011 Almost, but not quite! Yesterday my wife and I were on our way back from seeing her sister who lives about a 100 miles away. We were easing along at about 60 mph on a 4 lane highway in the left lane. Traffic was moving along at a good pace when we came up to pass a slower truck in the right lane. Now get this, the road had a right curve as we were about to pass the truck. Up ahead on the right shoulder of the road was a GA State Patrol car with his blue lights flashing. About 1/4 way through this turn, the truck in the right lane all of a sudden whips into my lane with me. I shut down on the horn as I'm just behind his door and try to keep him from hitting us by moving to the outside of the lane. As I looked back ahead I suddenly realized I wasn't going to make the turn. The pavement dropped out from under me and I thought, This it going to be bad!! I hollered to my wife to hold on. I didn't know what was in the bottom of the medium so I tried to hold it as close to the highway as I could. As luck would have it , there were no washouts in that section of shoulder and I was able to get stopped without losing it. I got stopped about 2 car lengths in front of the GSP on the opposite side of the road. MY wife and I sat there and just shook for a few minutes before trying to get back onto the highway. What did the GSP do???? NOTHING!!! He just sat in his car. I figured even if he didn't see what had happened he would have come over and given me a sobriety test!! The guy in the pickup slowed down but didn't stop. My wife said that was the scaredest she had ever been as long as we've been riding!! Jennie told me later that the pickup driver never stopped coming into our lane. It always happens when you least expect it!!!! I sure am thankful it didn't turn out like it could have!! This one took our breaths away!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyR Posted December 19, 2011 Share #2 Posted December 19, 2011 Glad you're here to tell the story. They are out to get you..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midnightventure Posted December 19, 2011 Share #3 Posted December 19, 2011 I wonder how many accidents have been caused since all these states have passed the law that your supposed to move over for a parked cop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royalstarjac Posted December 19, 2011 Share #4 Posted December 19, 2011 Glad you're ok! Can you think of anything you might have done differently to avoid that situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted December 19, 2011 Share #5 Posted December 19, 2011 Glad you are OK. I think that Trooper would have know how I felt about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steamer Posted December 19, 2011 Share #6 Posted December 19, 2011 Was the cop's lights on? Did he have someone pulled over? If not then the truck didn't have to leave his lane. I have seen this a couple of times since the law has changed. People are so worried about getting a ticket for not moving over that they swerve over without looking. Almost got nailed in the truck and the car. Don't get me wrong, I believe this is a good law to protect the LO's, But it creates one more hazzerd for us to look out for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted December 19, 2011 Share #7 Posted December 19, 2011 I agree that while it can be a good law, it can also be dangerous because people do seem to panic. I am not 100% sure but I think in Ohio it reads to change lanes or slow down. That makes more sense as there are times when changing lanes is just not possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoStar Posted December 19, 2011 Share #8 Posted December 19, 2011 Thank the Lord ya'll are here to tell the story. Out here in WY you have to "move over" or "slow down 20MPH below posted speed". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted December 19, 2011 Share #9 Posted December 19, 2011 I'm sure all the laws read something like "change lanes IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO" or slow down. I'm also pretty sure it is only if the lights are flashing...otherwise it is just a parked car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini-muffin Posted December 19, 2011 Share #10 Posted December 19, 2011 Glad you are both ok as well. Our law reads move over or slow down. Heck with the title I thought you just washed your cell phone. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight V-4 Posted December 19, 2011 Share #11 Posted December 19, 2011 In Florida it move over when safe to do so or slow down to 20 under posted speed when the other lane is not clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eck Posted December 19, 2011 Share #12 Posted December 19, 2011 Yep, I blame the HP officer...has to be all his/ her fault... I mean if you are not sure who to blame.. always blame the cop...just ask Skid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeWa Posted December 19, 2011 Share #13 Posted December 19, 2011 This is one of my pet peeves. When flashing lights are on and you slow down the media calls it rubbernecking. And if you don't slow down and speed right through they call you a nut case reckless driver. They want to know if you are blind and couldn't see all the flashing lights. It is the media that are nut cases and promote poor driving habits. For me when I see flashing lights on either side of the road it is slow down time. Those lights are warning me anything could happen from someone running across the road to vehicles making u-turns. So I slow down and if it is safe to do so I change to a safer lane. But most importantly I try to keep my eyes open and look around. If the media wants to call that rubbernecking so be it. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturous Randy Posted December 19, 2011 Share #14 Posted December 19, 2011 Kirby, what kind of horn are you running on your bike? RandyA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainJoe Posted December 19, 2011 Share #15 Posted December 19, 2011 Glad your Ok my friend. Trust no one on the interstate roads. Personally am extra cautious at exit/entrance ramps and when I see obstructions emergency vehicles and try to never be parallel to anyone at any of these... heh, heh, can't always pull that off though.... In fact one of my pet peeves is when someone is piddiling around passing you and there are cars merging onto the interstate in front of you. If I'm in the left lane, I always either accelerate so they can move over and get behind me or I will let off the gas so they can get over in front. I never just maintain my speed and assume they won't cut me off, unless of course I'm in my 1 ton Chevy dumptruck. For some reason they seem to stay clear of that:whistling: I'm just kidding of course... Sounds like that truck driver needed his ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted December 19, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted December 19, 2011 Was the cop's lights on? Did he have someone pulled over? If not then the truck didn't have to leave his lane. I have seen this a couple of times since the law has changed. People are so worried about getting a ticket for not moving over that they swerve over without looking. Almost got nailed in the truck and the car. Don't get me wrong, I believe this is a good law to protect the LO's, But it creates one more hazzerd for us to look out for. Yea, his lights were flashing, and no I didn't see another vehicle. It could have already left the scene. Glad you are both ok as well. Our law reads move over or slow down. Heck with the title I thought you just washed your cell phone. Margaret !!That's what I thought ya'll would think when I titled the post this way!! Yep, I blame the HP officer...has to be all his/ her fault... I mean if you are not sure who to blame.. always blame the cop...just ask Skid... I blame the driver for forcing me and my wife off the road. I blame the cop for the distraction. I blame the law for what it is, good or bad. I also blame the cop for not investigating what happened. And last but not least, I blame myself for getting caught with my pants(guard) down. Kirby, what kind of horn are you running on your bike? RandyA I still have the stock horn but that is definately going to change now. Although I don't think it would have changed anything because the truck driver looked straight at us and kept coming over. Oh, he knew what he was doing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturous Randy Posted December 20, 2011 Share #17 Posted December 20, 2011 I still have the stock horn but that is definitely going to change now. Although I don't think it would have changed anything because the truck driver looked straight at us and kept coming over. Oh, he knew what he was doing!!! Do you know whether the cop even seen what happened? He may not have noticed what happened. The thing about loud horns is that the cop and even others may have seen what was happening. It may have kept someone else from running over you if you had gone down. It is amazing how poor most horns are on bikes. I have no doubt that my air horns have saved my life or serious injury. I would really love to see this thread motivate others to look at the horn issue, maybe as a winter project. RandyA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share #18 Posted December 20, 2011 I used to have a Wolo Badboy on my VMAX until it crapped out. That's probably going to be added to my RSV soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venturous Randy Posted December 20, 2011 Share #19 Posted December 20, 2011 I used to have a Wolo Badboy on my VMAX until it crapped out. That's probably going to be added to my RSV soon. If I were you, there would not be a probably to it. That would be on the top of my list. They may not save your life, but you may have a lot more witnesses in what is happening. RandyA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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