I am glad you are okay, I am glad you saved yourself via your own skill and some luck. Of course I am concerned that next time you might not encounter someone who is going to react in the manner that the driver did once you got in front of him and stopped him. There are some people in life who would of rammed you or shot you as soon as you strode up to their window. Please remember that not everyone will react like that driver when confronted and in these days and times the likely hood of a someone carrying a weapon like a gun is not out of the realm of possibility. Just because you are mad at them does not make you anymore safer if the next guy decides to shot you and drive off.
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I nearly died at the Bay Bridge Toll Plaza
- Thread starter oldapeman
- Start date
First, good save.
Second..."a little too much speed" was nearly twice the limit. It's 25mph thru the toll.
Third...the shakes are from you coming down off the adrenaline rush. You should have pulled over immediately and let them wear off. Even before the shakes kick in you are still on an adrenaline high and WAY more likely to be riding stupid. It's just bad all around.
I knew what was going to happen as soon as you started setting up the situation. HOV hoppers are the deadliest lane hoppers. Take the #1 lane like you said!
FourDoor
New member
Go buy a lotto ticket and give your loved ones a nice big hug/kiss!!!
I commend you for actually stopping and making it a point to show the driver what he did was wrong in a very civil and rational way. To hear someone say, YOU ALMOST KILLED ME should, if the the driver is normal in any way, get to him to pay more attention and hopefully prevent this from happening again in the future.
I commend you for actually stopping and making it a point to show the driver what he did was wrong in a very civil and rational way. To hear someone say, YOU ALMOST KILLED ME should, if the the driver is normal in any way, get to him to pay more attention and hopefully prevent this from happening again in the future.
oldapeman
Rookie My A$$!
I only wish that were true. Anyone who believes their physical capabilities at 50 or 60 match what they had when they were in their 20's or 30's is kidding themself. The trick is to adjust your riding habits for your reduced capacitites.
oldapeman
Rookie My A$$!
Yes, the tollbooth area is very oily. I always ride in one of the wheel tracks to avoid that.
eisenfaust
WHARRGARBL
Congrats on the save, and major kudos on the self restraint. I don't know if I'd have been able to avoid, at least, screaming at the guy.
oldapeman
Rookie My A$$!
First, I was not acting rationally when I did this -- I was reacting to a threat on my life. Second, I stopped him maybe 100 feet away from where a CHP was stopped at the side of the road giving out a ticket, and I was honestly hoping to draw the attention of the officer to the situation. He didn't even glance up. Third, the evildoer was driving a Prius. It is therefore very unlikely he was packing.
Last edited:
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That's the way I remember it too.
OP, well done on the save. Glad you're able to tell us what happened yourself.
wellbredred
Swimming the river Styx
I have tremendous respect for those of you that commute that bridge every day
Kudos to superior riding skills
Same here, lane 1 it is.
These things are the bane of civilization
. twatwaffle was probably texting someoneI'm OaklandLion
New member
Glad you're okay. Good job.
masameet
Rawr!
Hey!
Great save, great forbearance, and a decent write-up too.
And Happy Belated Birthday! Many more to come, I'm sure.
Plus consider contacting the CHP (Oakland office, I believe) and informing them of your near fatal encounter. Sounds like more traffic monitoring and enforcement by CHP is needed there at the toll booths. Your story is a concern that ought to be addressed.
Great save, great forbearance, and a decent write-up too.
And Happy Belated Birthday! Many more to come, I'm sure.
Plus consider contacting the CHP (Oakland office, I believe) and informing them of your near fatal encounter. Sounds like more traffic monitoring and enforcement by CHP is needed there at the toll booths. Your story is a concern that ought to be addressed.
Sane_Man
Totally Tubular
This thread could have made "The Best of Barf", had you titled your thread, "A Prius elitist, nearly killed me on the Bay Bridge".
Good reflexes.
PageMillPlaya
Active member
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are you still shaking? hahah but yah aim for the whole like he said
K.....I know you were not at fault and that you were upset. I believe sometimes taking a breather and thinking about a situation helps more then just blowing up. I know this is easier said then done. Also if you stopped 100 feet from a CHP officer what was your plan if you received nothing but indifference from the guy or he just drove off as soon as you dismounted?
machete
black out
here's a question, somewhat related to this. what would it take to petition CalTrans to put up a K-wall of sorts (those portable barriers used during construction) in place of those flexible cones?
anything?
would it even be a possibility? Completely blocking cars from jumping in and out of HOV lane before and after the toll booth seems to be only sure way to prevent that in that spot. I mean, there are plenty of signs indicating where the HOV lanes are, and there is HOV lanes in the center and on the right of the toll plaza, so shouldn't be to restrictive. I know it's also crazy on the right side HOV lanes too.
glad you survived it.
anything?
would it even be a possibility? Completely blocking cars from jumping in and out of HOV lane before and after the toll booth seems to be only sure way to prevent that in that spot. I mean, there are plenty of signs indicating where the HOV lanes are, and there is HOV lanes in the center and on the right of the toll plaza, so shouldn't be to restrictive. I know it's also crazy on the right side HOV lanes too.
glad you survived it.
CHICKenstrip
Well-known member
No, RIck, I'm sorry but they need all their money for the GGB suicide net for people who like, want to die.
(No offense to those who support the placement of the suicide net. I'd just like to see the money spent first on protecting from road use hazards.)
Very glad this did not end badly and that the idiot didn't freak and go right through you when you stopped! (How many people have told you to buy lottery tickets?!)
(No offense to those who support the placement of the suicide net. I'd just like to see the money spent first on protecting from road use hazards.)
Very glad this did not end badly and that the idiot didn't freak and go right through you when you stopped! (How many people have told you to buy lottery tickets?!)
[I think] it's one of the parts of riding that's very hard to articulate about riding, riding skills.....instinct. This deep-routed auto-react and often life-saving mode that kicks in just when you need it most. it was after my first 'oh-shit' moment that, upon review, I gave great thanks to mine - I didn't ride through that moment, remember that the throttle was my friend, find that hole [all of it in a nano-second], instinct did. it was every bit as powerful as any skill/variable that contributes to my riding. but this only comes with seat-time and that alone. it's not fail-proof but it's not to be underestimated either. so in the chit and the chat with new riders I can only offer, 'ride' to them - put time in the seat and eventually, whether it's an 'oh shit' moment or something less dire, a moment will come where everything you think you know will be over-ridden by riding instincts you didn't know you had. it will never replace solid skills and cautious non-ass-hat riding but for me, I've learned that I at least had some instinctive skills, call it a well-earned by-product of having put in that seat time, and that they could be trusted in a pinch.
glad to hear you lived to tell your tale OP
glad to hear you lived to tell your tale OP
sashapave
Member
Bravo on a crash avoided!
Few things I've learned about my daily commute over the bay bridge. I commute from Oakland, so I'm on the left side of the plaza:
- Ride just in the left margin in the HOV lane before the plaza. I see cars pull into the lanes all the time from a dead stop. If you're just an inch or so already in the margin, you'll be okay. I've been stared down by CHP and they know why we do it, and never have given me problems. I know its illegal, but I'll take safety first. Naturally this doesn't apply if someone's stuck in the margin.
- The moment you reach the merge from 880, cut across into the far left lane, even before the dotted lines. But watch for jerkoffs bailing out at the last minute from the toll lanes.
- Stay on the left side of the lane after the toll plaza. More jerkoffs from the metering lights will cut over.
- Sometimes a complete jackass will stop at the toll plaza in the HOV lane during commute hours. They usually look confused, often holding dollar bills out even though nobody is in the booth (I suppose this is for the camera). This can be deadly, they're in the shade and people are screaming up behind them (nobody goes the 25 speed limit through the HOV plaza). Do not stop behind these fuckers, you'll risk someone not seeing you and getting rear-ended.
Ride safe out there bay bridge commuters!
Few things I've learned about my daily commute over the bay bridge. I commute from Oakland, so I'm on the left side of the plaza:
- Ride just in the left margin in the HOV lane before the plaza. I see cars pull into the lanes all the time from a dead stop. If you're just an inch or so already in the margin, you'll be okay. I've been stared down by CHP and they know why we do it, and never have given me problems. I know its illegal, but I'll take safety first. Naturally this doesn't apply if someone's stuck in the margin.
- The moment you reach the merge from 880, cut across into the far left lane, even before the dotted lines. But watch for jerkoffs bailing out at the last minute from the toll lanes.
- Stay on the left side of the lane after the toll plaza. More jerkoffs from the metering lights will cut over.
- Sometimes a complete jackass will stop at the toll plaza in the HOV lane during commute hours. They usually look confused, often holding dollar bills out even though nobody is in the booth (I suppose this is for the camera). This can be deadly, they're in the shade and people are screaming up behind them (nobody goes the 25 speed limit through the HOV plaza). Do not stop behind these fuckers, you'll risk someone not seeing you and getting rear-ended.
Ride safe out there bay bridge commuters!
DiggeRR
New member
Great Save. And good job and riding all thoes years and never going down.
that's the thing. slowing and stopping the cager with your bike put yourself into more danger then they put you in to begin with. They weren't packing (apparently) but they could've been on the phone or whatever and hit you full force.
I respect your many years of riding. i've got around 20 in myself. If those years have taught me anything it's that you can't take any fool's actions personal. The minute (or second) that you do, you put yourself at increased risk. There's always another one ready to test....
like they say....shiny side up
