Confronted on the way home from a IDPA match...

Left turning drivers are the most common cause of motorcycle deaths.

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From my personal observation, I would have thought the most common cause was motorcycles driving too fast and weaving through traffic while tailgating.

I had a bike pass me last year on a two lane road in a no passing zone. Last time I seen him he was riding a wheelie. Three minutes later I came up on the scene of an accident. There he was in a ditch. Probably a cars fault. Hate to rip on the bikers but this is what I see all the time.

There are idiots out there, the number of wheels doesn't matter.

I've been on one form or another of two wheels for 40 years now. From my own experience I can tell you there is a general animosity from bikers toward cagers due to the growing indifference displayed toward the smaller vehicle in this ME NOW world. For some reason with lights on shining chrome and loud pipes I still seem to be invisible. Smart riders always ride like they are invisible, no assumptions.

I'm not saying this is the case here at all but take a guy with a chip on shoulder, no apparent understanding of physics and a perceived injustice. The next that going to happen is right from the stupid page and it happens from both sides. You think Sam Colt equalized things? Strap two tons of metal around an selfish ego trip and see what you have.

Glad it worked out for the OP, the rider was obviously a buffoon especially approaching with his hand behind his back like that. Personally I think this event was teetering at the cusp of a justified shoot regardless of the events leading up to the gas stop.

As a biker my advice to any biker is to ride with one thought in mind.

EVERYONE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU.

Ride accordingly.

if he was yelling at you i assume he was accusing you of something,care to share his version ? (just curious , not siding with anyone)

The only thing that I found shocking in this whole story is that the bystanders were just standing there watching. It's not surprising that they didn't bother to call the police. But it seems to me that anybody who sees these events unfolding and doesn't want to get shot would attempt to either take cover or get as far away as possible as quickly as possible. I can't imagine why anyone would want to gather around for a closer look when it appears as though gunfire is about to ensue. Especially at a gas station... one spark and... catastrophe.

The only thing that I found shocking in this whole story is that the bystanders were just standing there watching.

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Again, I have some familiarity with both the area and the OP.

Believe me, in this area, an altercation is a spectator sport for these folks. They have likely seen others shot before.

I didn't find it an appropriate time to have a beer summit . . . .

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JS, you crack me up.

RMD

Please be careful around bikes on the road. Yep left hand turners kill more bikers than anything else, next up is bikes running off the road on turns in a single vehicle crash. I ride like I am invisible, most riders do, this is why some seem agressive, they are just trying you avoid you running them over. On the other hand there are some asshats that ride by me on my bike on 1 wheel over a hundred MPH, so I see both sides here. Unfortunate events here but came out as well as you could have asked for. Nobody is dead.

jscott said:

Sure, from my original post....



So to clear it up, he was yelling profanities and apparently what he intended to do to me. I don't think he was trying to discuss the incident or was all that interested in what I had to say. I didn't find it an appropriate time to have a beer summit so I honestly can't tell you what his perception truly was. Your guess is as good as mine but it didn't have a whole lot of bearing on the events as they unfolded.

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Lucky for you you didn't react to his taunts. Not that taunting on his part would have made a whole lot a difference in court if you had taken him out. If that had happened, your life would have been pretty much ruined too; So you did good not to escalate. 3 yrs ago, I had a similar situation with Hells Angels biker, only it was infact my fault according to another driver who witnessed it and stopped to diffuse the situation. I never saw the guy get into my blind spot. I go to turn and he is there about to smashed. Way I see it, it was his fault. He should not have been in my lane anyway. No I wasn't armed. I just profusely apologized while still in my car and the guy standing out there yelling profanities at me saying I tried to kill him. My car was runing and in gear. If he had attempted anything...... well it would not have been pretty for him. But he was mad; raving mad, and he put himself in that situation. His fault. Should have known better. But you know what? I apologized regardless. The other driver thought I should have seen him and it was my fault. But tell me how its my fault when I am in front of him, and he decided to foolishly ride into my blind spot on the left side, while I was turning left in my lane!! Regardless, who knows how that would have been reported to the cops by the "witness". People tend to see what they want to see in every situation, and its colored by their human biases. We all do it,, even when we assume we arr the fair party. That and his word would have skewered me badly in court. So best to just diffuse the situation and walk away. Even if he is wrong and you are right.

So best to just diffuse the situation and walk away. Even if he is wrong and you are right.

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And in today's world many people do not get this point. It is one thing to be right but it doesn't much matter if you're dead right.

Wow, this is an incredible story. As I read thru the posts, I wonder what this biker is doing now, who else is he going to chase and intimidate, and how many people he will hurt. He seems like a complete psycho. Maybe he should be locked up.

I also live in Southern Alabama and this happened to me. I stopped at a
small, very rural store to get a soft drink. There were several black men
congregated in the store, shooting dice and drinking beer. I retrieved
my drink and as I was paying for it a young man walked up to me and
said "I'll take some of that money." I said "I don't think so." He then says
"I'm not deleted you deleted." (edited -- <Sam>) He then pulls up his shirt and shows
me the butt of some kind of revolver. I said to him "If you touch that gun
I will kill you." As you can imagine, I backed out of there, never taking my
eyes from the gentleman or drawing my weapon (a SA XD40 in a Blackhawk
holster). I didn't break out in a sweat until a few miles down the road.

My usual reply to obviously dangerous threats is...........SILENCE. I stand ready, with my 9mm pocket pistol's grip already in my hand but the gun still concealed in my pocket, and just stare the BG down. Not a threatening stare, just a "if you are looking for an easy target you just screwed-up" kind of unworried, confident and ready stare.

Why? Because no matter what you say you are more likely to incite the POS BG to violence than by just remaining silent. Plus, your words are likely to be misconstrued and/or later misquoted by the BG and witnesses.

Silence does several things, (1) it shows you aren't afraid, (2) it makes you an unknown quantity to the aggressor, (3) it doesn't incite, (4) it makes your confidence and readiness to defend yourself worrysome to the BG, and (5) it's less likely to be used against you later in court.

I know this isn't the way most instructors teach it, but it's what I have found works best when dealing with potentially deadly (but not yet for-sure deadly) threats.

One night, I have saw a wanna-be thug or just plain old thug start trouble in the parking lot of a bar, yelling threats and profanity at patrons who were leaving, all the while reaching behind their back like they have a gun in the small of their back.

On the first two occasions the victims made a hasty retreat to their car, but the third time my brother's friend was getting out of his car when the would be thug started on him, yelling profanities and threats of violence, once again reaching behind his back like he was going to pull a weapon. My brother's friend pulled his Glock compact out from his small of the back immediately, pointing it at the thug.

I had never actually seen a grown man pee his pants until then, followed by pleading for his life (tears and snot flowing), swearing he was on F'ing with him and he wasn't armed.

Cops show up almost immediately, sort out who's who, and take the thug off to jail with a "have a nice night" from the local PD.

Sometimes people are just aggressive and looking for an excuse to rumble, no matter whose "fault" a close call is.
I try to drive right in-between highway speeds - I don't want to be the fastest or slowest, nor do I want to weave, either.
I can't tell you the number of dirty looks I've gotten from people for whom I've identified in my mirrors as fast-movers and actually made room for them to pass.
Not sure what else I could have done for them... perhaps served 'em a cheeseburger?