That was exciting . . .

[mbarker]

Let me start by reminding you that I live in Japan, and we drive on the other side of the road here -- the left. And this evening I almost got a motorcycle with the left bumper of my car when he decided to go straight past on the left just as I turned that way.

See, this evening I'm driving along, and stop at a stoplight. I have my turn light blinking, since I am going to turn left. (Same as a right turn in America, except there is typically no "left turn on red" in Japan.) This is in our residential neighborhood, reasonably small roads, basic two lane roads.

The light changes, and I start to turn -- and hit the brakes because there is a flicker in my peripheral vision. And the motorcycle rider who apparently had been sitting on my left in my blind spot races on out into the intersection and straight ahead, only weaving a little as he wobbled and tilted to avoid getting clobbered.

I almost got the young fool. I suppose he didn't expect that I would start right away when the light changed -- I've noticed that a lot of people take a moment or two to react to the light changing. So when he tried to race ahead just as I turned, he almost got his deathwish.

I wonder if he'll learn not to do that, or simply curse at me for not seeing him?

Comments

[saruby.livejournal.com]

The popular thing for bicyclists in Boulder is to run up along side a car on the right side and then veer into the pedestrian crosswalk in front of the car that has is turning right on red. Alternatively, they will weave in and out of the street and the crosswalk, thus cutting off the pedestrians. Of course, in Boulder biking is very big and the common practice is to assume they have the right of way against cars and pedestrians, to the point that pedestrian are at fault if a bicycle plows them down. However, I was once pleasantly surprised to see a police car pull over a pair on bicycles that decided to run a recently changed red light. Of course, they did it right in front of the cop. Not a very smart thing to do.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Yeah -- the motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles here seem to do a lot of weaving in and around traffic, and most of the time, I don't mind. But deciding you can outrace a turning car -- and not giving the poor guy (me!) any warning that you're coming out of nowhere -- that's just bad judgment. I know the elephants are slow, but when they hit you, it isn't good.

Right of way, agility -- none of that stops accidents from happening.

Thanks.