Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
Old Mech, you're going to have to school me on "terminal disaster anticipation".
I'm guessing it means playing the "what if?" game, but I've been wrong before.
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Had to use the TDA today. Coming home on my bike I turn right at Jefferson off of Denbigh Blvd in 3rd gear heading west. Accelerate to just over the limit and get in the left (of 3 each way) lane. About half a mile later a Dodge truck with a trailer wtih an Aluminum wheel repair sign who was in the right lane comes over into the middle lane with his drivers door next to my bike. I expected that with the right lane exits and cars pulling out in the road.
I DIDN'T EXPECT HIM TO KEEP COMING INTO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I am in trouble, I move over close to the 4 inch concrete curb, still at 45 MPH, as the distance between him and the curb drops to 3 feet, clutch in coasting. If I touch the brakes I am in sand that has been dumped on the road all winter. As I slow down and he gets closer, my speed drops off and he slowly passes me. Touch the brakes and you are down under the trailer wheels, likely dead.
I stayed cool and relatively calm. I could not control what he did, only my reaction to his 3 lane change, all the way into the left hand only turn lane. When I passed him making his turn, I still don't think he saw me. If so he was trying to kill me in a company truck. I did give him a single digit salute to his lack of awareness of his surroundings. I had been in that lane for .5 mile and was thinking ahead about the 12 traffic lights ahead and if I could time them perfectly. Still managed to do that even with heavy Friday traffic.
I picked him up in my peripheral vision, just ahead of the point where my full face shield meets the helmet itself. It gave me that little edge but the TDA saved my arse. Could have become a statistic today.
I'm home, not a scratch.
reagrds
Mech