oldapeman
Rookie My A$$!
I am still a little shakey as I post this. I nearly died.
ME: Let me start by saying that I am a very experienced rider. I turned 60 two weeks ago, and I have been riding since I was 15 or 16. Fortunately, I have never previously crashed or gone down (dirt bike riding not included). I didn't crash today, but I did come so close that i need to talk about it.
MY BIKE: I commute almost daily accross the Bay Bridge from Berkeley to SF on one of my trusty old, but very well maintained, Kawasakis. You can see a picture of this bike and read a little about it from a post I put on the KZrider.com website last year: http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=107&func=view&id=185390&catid=13#185390
THE SETTING: In order to understand my near-death experience, you need to visuaize the left HOV lanes as you travel through the Bay Bridge toll plaza. There are two HOV lanes that are clearly marked both before and after the toll plaza. On the near side as you approach the toll plaza, a barrier separates the two HOV lanes from the non-HOV lanes to the right. This barrier also continues beyond the toll plaza to the metering lights, about 200 Ft. beyond the toll plaza. It is meant to keep cars from the non-HOV lanes from jumping into the HOV lanes to avoid the metering lights.
The problem is that the barrier is permeable -- it is made of those bright colored 4 ft. tall plastic tubes sticking up out of the road surface every foot or so. They are flexible, and a few are missing here and there.
Traffic was relatively light, except for the cars backed up from about 500-1000 feet before the toll plaza through the metering lights in the non-HOV lanes. The traffic in the HOV lanes was light, and flowing freely at or near the limit.
WHAT HAPPENED: I was traveling about 45 MPH [?] in HOV lane #2 (the right hand one, nearest the non-HOV lanes). Just as I entered into the tollbooth area proper, a car just beyond the toll plaza in the #3 lane crossed the plastic barriers into my lane. I could not swerve left or right, since I was hemmed in by the tollbooths and related crash barriers/separators. I had no option but to apply the brakes, and try to keep the bike upright. Fortunately I was perfectly upright, and despite nearly locking up the wheels, the bike remained straight and upright as the tires squeeled on the absolute edge of loosing traction altogether.
Despite this reduction in speed, it was clear I was going to impact the car, now fully in my lane and still nearly stopped. I was able to move to the far left side edge of my lane and, after clearing the toll booth, into some additional plastic tube barriers between the two HOV lanes for a short distance after the tollbooths. I did not have time to think about this maneuver -- it was instinctual. It saved me from hitting the car by allowing me to move alongside it on the left side of the car. I was aiming for the hole, not the object.
I landed in a safe spot, upright, splitting lanes 1 & 2, now traveling about 10 MPH as the car drove off ahead of me toward the bridge.
THE AFTERMATH: I was pissed! This SOB nearly killed me, and he was driving off without even acknowledging his misdeed. I caught up with him near the metering lights, and waved him over. He ignored me, and tried to continue on. Just at the start of the incline section, I pulled in front of him, slowed him down, and parked my bike in his path. As I got off my bike a picture flashed in my mind of me throwing a punch through his open window. I took a deap breath, and strolled back to his window. I leaned over, flipped up my visor, and said "You nearly killed me!"
His reaction showed nothing but contrition. He appologized profuselly, admitted he was wrong, and continued appologizing. I told him he needed to be more observant. He agreed. He offered his hand through the window. I shook his hand, walked back to my bike, restarted it and rode into SF. I started shaking about midway across the bridge, and am still shaking now, more than two hours later.
WHAT I DID RIGHT: I kept the bike upright, scrubbed off all possible speed, and maneuvered around the hazard at the earliest opportunity. I also avoid object fixation, and instead concentrated on the way out. I also was riding a bike with good brakes and tires, and properly operating steering.
WHAT I DID WRONG: I entered an area (the tollbooth confines) with a little too much speed considering there is limited maneuvering room. Also, I would have been safer in the #1 HOV lane, farther from the backed-up non-HOV lanes.
I hope this helps others. I am going to go for a long walk, and will check back later to view your comments.
ME: Let me start by saying that I am a very experienced rider. I turned 60 two weeks ago, and I have been riding since I was 15 or 16. Fortunately, I have never previously crashed or gone down (dirt bike riding not included). I didn't crash today, but I did come so close that i need to talk about it.
MY BIKE: I commute almost daily accross the Bay Bridge from Berkeley to SF on one of my trusty old, but very well maintained, Kawasakis. You can see a picture of this bike and read a little about it from a post I put on the KZrider.com website last year: http://kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=107&func=view&id=185390&catid=13#185390
THE SETTING: In order to understand my near-death experience, you need to visuaize the left HOV lanes as you travel through the Bay Bridge toll plaza. There are two HOV lanes that are clearly marked both before and after the toll plaza. On the near side as you approach the toll plaza, a barrier separates the two HOV lanes from the non-HOV lanes to the right. This barrier also continues beyond the toll plaza to the metering lights, about 200 Ft. beyond the toll plaza. It is meant to keep cars from the non-HOV lanes from jumping into the HOV lanes to avoid the metering lights.
The problem is that the barrier is permeable -- it is made of those bright colored 4 ft. tall plastic tubes sticking up out of the road surface every foot or so. They are flexible, and a few are missing here and there.
Traffic was relatively light, except for the cars backed up from about 500-1000 feet before the toll plaza through the metering lights in the non-HOV lanes. The traffic in the HOV lanes was light, and flowing freely at or near the limit.
WHAT HAPPENED: I was traveling about 45 MPH [?] in HOV lane #2 (the right hand one, nearest the non-HOV lanes). Just as I entered into the tollbooth area proper, a car just beyond the toll plaza in the #3 lane crossed the plastic barriers into my lane. I could not swerve left or right, since I was hemmed in by the tollbooths and related crash barriers/separators. I had no option but to apply the brakes, and try to keep the bike upright. Fortunately I was perfectly upright, and despite nearly locking up the wheels, the bike remained straight and upright as the tires squeeled on the absolute edge of loosing traction altogether.
Despite this reduction in speed, it was clear I was going to impact the car, now fully in my lane and still nearly stopped. I was able to move to the far left side edge of my lane and, after clearing the toll booth, into some additional plastic tube barriers between the two HOV lanes for a short distance after the tollbooths. I did not have time to think about this maneuver -- it was instinctual. It saved me from hitting the car by allowing me to move alongside it on the left side of the car. I was aiming for the hole, not the object.
I landed in a safe spot, upright, splitting lanes 1 & 2, now traveling about 10 MPH as the car drove off ahead of me toward the bridge.
THE AFTERMATH: I was pissed! This SOB nearly killed me, and he was driving off without even acknowledging his misdeed. I caught up with him near the metering lights, and waved him over. He ignored me, and tried to continue on. Just at the start of the incline section, I pulled in front of him, slowed him down, and parked my bike in his path. As I got off my bike a picture flashed in my mind of me throwing a punch through his open window. I took a deap breath, and strolled back to his window. I leaned over, flipped up my visor, and said "You nearly killed me!"
His reaction showed nothing but contrition. He appologized profuselly, admitted he was wrong, and continued appologizing. I told him he needed to be more observant. He agreed. He offered his hand through the window. I shook his hand, walked back to my bike, restarted it and rode into SF. I started shaking about midway across the bridge, and am still shaking now, more than two hours later.
WHAT I DID RIGHT: I kept the bike upright, scrubbed off all possible speed, and maneuvered around the hazard at the earliest opportunity. I also avoid object fixation, and instead concentrated on the way out. I also was riding a bike with good brakes and tires, and properly operating steering.
WHAT I DID WRONG: I entered an area (the tollbooth confines) with a little too much speed considering there is limited maneuvering room. Also, I would have been safer in the #1 HOV lane, farther from the backed-up non-HOV lanes.
I hope this helps others. I am going to go for a long walk, and will check back later to view your comments.
