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Login to post Forums » Sprockets » Played bumper cars today

April 19, 2011 9:44 a.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

Yeaup. So I was driving up 8th Ave. today on the Buell and I went to move in front of a large rape van who was doddling along at 15 mph. As I passed him, I noticed the clipboard that he was writing on on his steering wheel. "If I get in front of this guy and have to stop hard, he'll hit me", I though.

I was right.

Two blocks later, I checked my mirror. I left him about 30 yards behind and was cruising at 30 mph (the speed limit). Just putzing along I saw that some cars were stopped ahead of me. No big deal--I stopped. He didn't.

I wasn't hurt at all, but I was livid. I turned around and saw him putting the clipboard down, yelled at him, and told him to "pull the berkeley over". Just to make sure he didn't run, I got a good look at his plate, but he followed me over. I calmed down a lot when I got off the bike and shook his hand, but I'm still not happy.

It looks like he just bent a tab that holds the reflector below the license plate and broke the reflector off. More damage could have easily been done because he hit me pretty hard. I guess I will take it to NY Harley Davidson (which is up the street from where I work) and have them look at it.

Any recommendations? Should I have him meet me at HD this afternoon so I don't have to pay for this? I got his insurance info, called the police (they laughed at me--those berkeley ers), but they didn't file a report. I have 10 days to do that though.
April 19, 2011 9:48 a.m. tuna55 Dork

confuZion3 wrote:

Yeaup. So I was driving up 8th Ave. today on the Buell and I went to move in front of a large rape van who was doddling along at 15 mph. As I passed him, I noticed the clipboard that he was writing on on his steering wheel. "If I get in front of this guy and have to stop hard, he'll hit me", I though.

I was right.

Two blocks later, I checked my mirror. I left him about 30 yards behind and was cruising at 30 mph (the speed limit). Just putzing along I saw that some cars were stopped ahead of me. No big deal--I stopped. He didn't.

I wasn't hurt at all, but I was livid. I turned around and saw him putting the clipboard down, yelled at him, and told him to "pull the berkeley over". Just to make sure he didn't run, I got a good look at his plate, but he followed me over. I calmed down a lot when I got off the bike and shook his hand, but I'm still not happy.

It looks like he just bent a tab that holds the reflector below the license plate and broke the reflector off. More damage could have easily been done because he hit me pretty hard. I guess I will take it to NY Harley Davidson (which is up the street from where I work) and have them look at it.

Any recommendations? Should I have him meet me at HD this afternoon so I don't have to pay for this? I got his insurance info, called the police (they laughed at me--those berkeley ers), but they didn't file a report. I have 10 days to do that though.

A guy hits a bike and they didn't even write out an accident report? Without that (and the guy didn't get a ticket!?!?!) your insurance won't cover it... maybe.
April 19, 2011 10:12 a.m. alex SuperDork

Yeah, I'd go higher up in the PD and file a report. That's BS.

But if this guy's actually going to cover it, that might work out better than filing a claim. Hell paying out of your own pocket might be better than filing, if it comes to that.
April 19, 2011 10:17 a.m. tuna55 Dork

alex wrote:

Yeah, I'd go higher up in the PD and file a report. That's BS.

But if this guy's actually going to cover it, that might work out better than filing a claim. Hell paying out of your own pocket might be better than filing, if it comes to that.

Good point, but it's still stupid. Another half second off the brakes and you'd be dead and they laugh at you?
April 19, 2011 10:26 a.m. 93EXCivic SuperDork

confuZion3 wrote:

Any recommendations? Should I have him meet me at HD this afternoon so I don't have to pay for this? I got his insurance info, called the police (they laughed at me--those berkeley ers), but they didn't file a report. I have 10 days to do that though.

That is some bullE36 M3. I would beating the doors down on the police office.
April 19, 2011 10:26 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

Write a report even though it may not be required. In NY you need one whenever there's >$750 damage or personal injury. If the van driver is cited for following too closely or flogging the dolphin when he should be driving, it makes it easier for you.

Glad it went as well as it did.

Dan
April 19, 2011 11:28 a.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

I just got back from Harley-Davidson. Damage is minimal, thankfully. The rear fender needs to be replaced. I'll probably let Harley do it. It'll come out to $200.

I however, will not spend a dime to get this thing fixed. I'll call the fellow tonight and let him know what his options are.

1.) $200 cash 2.) Incident report, insurance, a deductible anyway, and increased insurance rates. I'll report the cops for being dicks and the driver will probably get a ticket (which they should have issued anyway).

Does this seem fair? Am I at risk if I go with option 1? It's what the police recommended, but who knows? The NYPD like to put up road blocks just to see if you are violating laws and that's a berkeleying violation of civil rights--so what do they know?
April 19, 2011 11:57 a.m. tuna55 Dork

confuZion3 wrote:

I just got back from Harley-Davidson. Damage is minimal, thankfully. The rear fender needs to be replaced. I'll probably let Harley do it. It'll come out to $200.

I however, will not spend a dime to get this thing fixed. I'll call the fellow tonight and let him know what his options are.

1.) $200 cash 2.) Incident report, insurance, a deductible anyway, and increased insurance rates. I'll report the cops for being dicks and the driver will probably get a ticket (which they should have issued anyway).

Does this seem fair? Am I at risk if I go with option 1? It's what the police recommended, but who knows? The NYPD like to put up road blocks just to see if you are violating laws and that's a berkeleying violation of civil rights--so what do they know?

I think that's fair unless you thought the guy was a dickwad for reasons other than trying to kill you.
April 20, 2011 12:32 a.m. 4eyes HalfDork

You KNEW he was driving distracted, and you STILL stopped in front of him.

.......why?
April 20, 2011 1:24 a.m. Travis_K Dork

It has happened to me too, sometimes there is just no way to get out of the way. One time i was stopped at a light and a lady in a late model mustang almost hit me and spend the whole time sitting at the light bouncing up and down and flailing her arms around untl the light turned green, and i couldnt remove myself from the situation before the next light and she hit me. It did only very minor damage to the cat and i got $700 from her insurance, so i wasnt that upset.
April 20, 2011 9:23 a.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

Travis_K wrote:

It did only very minor damage to the cat and i got $700 from her insurance, so i wasnt that upset.

I'm glad the cat wasn't killed! How was the car?
April 20, 2011 9:40 a.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

4eyes wrote:

You KNEW he was driving distracted, and you STILL stopped in front of him.

.......why?

It's New York. Everyone is driving distracted. I always think that someone is going to hit me, so if it actually happens, it's not a surprise. 90% of taxi drivers are holding cell phone calls while watching sidewalks (eyes NOT on the road), women are putting on makeup, school bus drivers eating a sandwich, I saw one guy watching TV on his phone! The TV guy blew through a red light after I followed him towards the FDR for 30 minutes from Queens. The light he ran had traffic police in it yelling and waving light-up wands at him to try to get him to stop. He wasn't paying any attention. He was busy.

Very few people up here have any business having a license. This includes the fellow who hit me. It's just something you have to deal with.
April 21, 2011 4:13 p.m. Appleseed SuperDork

You shook his hand? Lotsa bikers I know would have had that guy spitting Chicklets.
April 21, 2011 6:34 p.m. MitchellC Dork

You meet the nicest people... on a Buell?
April 21, 2011 7:30 p.m. 4eyes HalfDork

Note to self: Stay the berkeley out of New York City
April 21, 2011 10:42 p.m. Opus Dork

when riding in traffic, always look for an out. I WILL NEVER STOP DIRECTLY BEHIND A CAR!!!

In CA you can split lanes, I know that other places you cannot. If you cannot, stop to the side so that if you are hit, you graze the side of the car in front of you and not get stuck between the two.

Glad you are OK though
April 21, 2011 10:48 p.m. oldtin Dork

Glad you're ok. A lady bumped the wrangler today while texting. The wrangler has a chunky 3/16" thick off road bumper and I still had a hitch on it. Destroyed her bumper. Nothing on the jeep. Fourth time the jeep has been bumped. I'm thinking of little sedan silhouette stickers for it.
April 22, 2011 8:45 a.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

Appleseed wrote:

You shook his hand? Lotsa bikers I know would have had that guy spitting Chicklets.

Yeah, I calmed down pretty much right away. I was still mad at him, but I'm not an angry person.

I talked to him last night and he seems like a nice guy. He is going to pay me for the damage (a new fender and H-D's estimated labor cost for the job). I am thinking about just forgetting about it and letting him off. I looked at it last night and it is just a bent reflector tab that I think I can bend back by hand and just attach a new reflector to.

Besides, when people ask me about the reflector I can say "you should'a seen what it did to the van!" (which was nothing at all, but still...).

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