Holy Crap!! (Accident Sunday)

I think my parents said something about that accident today. Said the guy got up and tried to walk but fell down in pain.

 

Saw some dope in a Saab take out his own car and a truck in front of him while in Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Guy wasn't paying attention (from what we saw) when he passed us, spun three (!) times and clipped a pickup on the second, sending both of them careening into a wall/separator.

The whole thing was, maybe, 75-100 feet in front of us and a whole batch of cars on the Dan Ryan in Chicago. And yet, because he got out of the way involuntarily, nobody had to completely stop, everyone in front of us (maybe two cars in two lanes, four total) was able to think on their feet and move around things without gawking or freaking out.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that:

1). That as probably the tidiest crazy crash in the history of the Western world.
2). Everyone for a good half-mile in back that Saab, including me and my brother, are incredibly lucky. This was a busy, but fast-paced, highway, and we could have had a pileup of Blues Brothers proportions, no Chicago pun intended.

 

Seems like the predictions may have been valid:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5904612.html

People need to be careful.

 

I wasn't on this side of town earlier today, but this accident happened just a couple of blocks from my apartment. My sister, who does autopsies at the city morgue heard there was an accident (no details) and immediately called to make sure I was alive.

That's one thing I've been really scared of since my sister took that job. The fact that if I ever die in an accident while driving here in Houston, there's a good chance that she'll be one of the people that has to retrieve my body from the scene. Major suckage

 

so then don't die

 

Some moron on a crotch rocket this morning zipped by my bus on the way into work. In the HOV.

 

I'm reasonably certain I saw these people. We commented to my son how unsafe it looked...she was nearly falling off the back of the motorcycle and neither were wearing helmets.

 

I see people on bikes weaving in and out of traffic like they in a movie or something and just wonder what they are thinking. They have no idea when a car is about to switch lanes, hit the brakes, anything. At those speeds, there is no way to anticipate other driver's actions.

 

I thought a fatality occured on 290 at Hwy 6 yesterday around 4pm as well - but nothing in the news...

I was driving north on 290 to exit on HWY 6 at that time. About .5 miles from the exit, there was suddenly a wall of traffic for 15 minutes. No movement at all. I could see that cops had blocked off the road and were not letting anyone go ahead. They also blocked off the entrance ramp from Eldridge/West Rd onto 290. I thought either a high speed chase was going on or a fatal accident was up the road. After the 15 minutes, the cops drove off and we saw no sign of anything having gone wrong.

it was the oddest thing.

 

I thought motorcyclists were legally allowed to use the HOV lane?

 

Yes they are. Although that does not make it any less freeking idiotic to pass a bus on your bike in the HOV.

|Bus|--|Bike|--|Concrete Barrier|

 

Oh. I didn't process your entire statement - my mind shut off after the cyclist on the HOV comment and thought that was the gist of your anger...

i get it now.

 

Not anger - more like astonishment. As in "oh my god how dumb can you be" astonishment.

 

I see bikes weaving in and out like this all the time to. It's always some younger guy on the bike who thinks he is hell on wheels. These people who do this have absolutely no respect for the bike or how to ride it safely. I don't care if they die or whatever. In fact, anyone that drives a motorcycle at excessive speed weaving in and out of traffic like that must have a death wish. So, why should I care what happens to them? I don't. If they actually cared about preserving their own life, then they wouldn't drive recklessly like that. I feel for the girl on back of this bike with this guy (in the original story) who took her life because he was showing off apparently.

 

If I ruled the world.. motorcycles would be no more. I can't even tell you how many people I know that have come close to death, and sometimes actual death, because of a freakin motorcycle... They're COMPLETELY unsafe and everybody hates driving when they're around.

 

Why in the world would they not consider wearing helmets?

That just amazes me.

 

And if I ruled the world everyone would ride motorcycles and cars would be illegal.

 

As a driver, I see motorcyclists splitting lanes, keeping unsafe distances from cars, not wearing helmets, speeding WAY too fast...

... and then I read articles (like this one) when motorcyclists complain about cars not watching out for them or not paying attention.

That's frustrating.


And, ya know what?

NO.
You're the one on the motorcycle.
YOU'RE the one who has chosen a much more dangerous form of transportation.


Now, don't get me wrong. EVERYBODY on the road should be paying attention to their driving.

But....

People who drive a car don't get into their car and think, "Those other cars need to watch out for me."
When you get on a motorcycle, you shouldn't think that either.

It's like boxing: Protect yourself at all times.

There are crazy people on the road. It sucks. You can't change it. Accept it.
As a driver, I am CONSTANTLY trying to protect myself from the crazies on the road.
CONSTANTLY.
The fact that you've chosen to ride a motorcycle indicates that you have less regard for your own protection from the crazies. And that's just fine. If you want to increase your chances of dying, go right ahead. I don't care. But I don't want to hear you friggin' complain about it.

Those crazy drivers who are on their cell phones with their heads up their butts are going to be on the freeway whether you're there or not. They aren't going to watch out for me in my car, and they aren't going to watch out for you on your motorcycle. You're not going to be treated special just because you've chosen a more dangerous mode of transportation. The crazies are going to be just as dangerous to you just as they are to everyone else. The difference is that YOU have chose to operated a more dangerous vehicle. Accept the consequences of your choice.

 

if driven normally, at the speed limit, they're decently safe.