Witnessed a Collision

[kremtok]

A couple of days ago, I was riding home from work. Honolulu traffic is brutal, and that day it was worse than usual. After fighting it on the Interstate (yes, we have those here for some odd reason...) I exited to the frontage road to finally head home. Traffic there was jammed even worse than on the freeway, so it was a lot of MSF basic course-type clutch action. Terribly exciting.

I was in the left of two lanes behind a rather imposing fella on a Harley. No patch, but everything else that you'd expect from a biker that is not to be troubled with, to include no helmet or gloves and just a leather vest on the top half of his body, so I stayed back a respectful distance. Immediately in front of him was a silver sedan, some Mitsubishi or something, and to the right of the cage was a fella geared out much like I was - Helmet, high-vis vest, jacket, gloves, long pants, and boots - but on what I later learned was a GXSR-1000. His vest was orange and mine was yellow.

So here I am, creeping along and wishing it was about 20 degrees cooler and that there weren't so many people trying to move in the same direction as me, when the above-mentioned cage decides to change lanes. Usually not a big deal, but this cage went right into the above-mentioned GXSR-1000. He didn't go down, but the cager realized what he did and immediately moved back left. Where the above-mentioned Harley rider had already moved forward. Fortunately for this cager, he missed the second bike. Now I'm sitting there, in first gear, both feet down, holding my front brake, watching all of this and wondering what's going to happen next.

At this point, cager must have known that he hit the GXSR, but he proceeds to inch forward with traffic anyway. Harley Guy rides forward just a bit, probably trying to decide whether or not it's wise to commit murder in front of a street full of witnesses. GXSR Guy puts down his side stand, gets out his iPhone, and takes a picture of the car that hit him. I wave to him, and he waves back to indicate that he's fine, so I keep looking forward. Harley Guy is mad dogging the cager something fierce, but it's having little effect. Cager starts to inch forward with traffic again.

Here is where I decide to get involved. I had been sitting in the left lane, watching with disbelief, but I couldn't believe that this cager, now in the right lane, would hit a biker and then inch forward at the speed of rush hour traffic as if nothing had happened. I thought that maybe he didn't know, so I rode forward and knocked on his window and yelled, with my face shield open, 'You need to stop! You just hit that biker back there!'

He pointedly ignored me, adjusting his stereo, then proceeded forward. Harley guy is pissed. GXSR Guy is on the phone with who I can only assume is the police, and cager is still moving forward. Fortunately, the driver in front of the cager has been watching in his mirror and parks it with his flashers on. Cager is going nowhere. So I ride forward and knock on the driver's window again, using my best pissed-off-E6 voice and instruct him to park the car and wait for the police to arrive.

His left-rear passenger lowers the window and says, 'can I help you?'

'Are you serious? He just hit that biker back there and tried to leave!'

Front passenger says, 'he didn't hit anybody!'

'Bullshit!' says I; 'I saw you hit him!'

'Yeah,' chimes in Harley Guy. 'I saw it too.' He's off his bike at this point. Everyone in the cage shuts up. I'm not scared, but this driver should be. He puts his window down and reveals himself to be approximately 16 years old. Now I'm relieved because I won't have to witness a murder. Surely Harley Guy will let this kid live.

I tell the cager that GXSR Guy is on the phone with the police and he needs to stay right where he is. He responds with 'I'm calling the police because you hit my window and I'm going to file charges!' or words to that effect.

'Doesn't matter, you're stuck' is my response. I get off my bike, make sure GXSR Guy is on the phone with the police, then make sure cager in front has a few minutes to spare. He is and he does, respectively, so we all stand by and wait for the flashing blues to arrive. Cager calls daddy, who shows up a bit later. Apparently that's the law to him.

So what did I learn from this? First off, I had always known that bikers look out for each other, but this is my first actual experience in it. Harley Guy had nothing in common with GXSR Guy, who in turn had nothing in common with me, other than that we all rode on 2 wheels that day.

Second, sometimes cagers are true douchetards and sometimes they will go out of their way when they see injustice.

Third, if a cager ever hits a biker at low speed in the People's Republic of Hawaii, then tries to leave the scene, the police will simply write a report and instruct both parties to let the insurance companies handle it. Apparently it's not even worth a traffic ticket to strike someone with a 2-ton weapon and then attempt to leave as if nothing happened. Even if there are several witnesses to the event and there is damage to the bike.

Finally, wear your gear, folks. Even if it's 90 degrees outside and you're more accurately parked than riding, it's worth it. In this case GXSR Guy was fine, Harley Guy was fine, and I was fine, but if the Harley Guy had been knocked down he had nothing but his tough guy image to protect him from the pavement and every other vehicle on the road. Even at low speed, that would be more uncomfortable than wearing the most basic of protective equipment.

[Bentley813]

Not sure what to say, but thanks for sharing. Interesting read.

[Sirref]

not a bad read, but just one thing. cops tend to write tickets based on damage done, meaning that because the gsxr rider was not harmed there was no reason to place criminal charges. what if's don't matter, only what has happened.

[Kokosun]

It's nice that the guy in the vehicle in front was willing to sit and wait for the cops to arrive. At least there's a police report, which should make the insurance process a lot easier for the GSX rider.

[Panda]

Good read. Thanks for posting.

[massacremasses]

I wonder if you actually let him leave and just got the cops to get him if he would have been charged with hit and run. You may have very well done him a favor.


also this is when it would have paid off to have a camera on your bike.

[fishdip]

You guys need to drag his ass out of the car and teach him some street justice.

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by fishdip

You guys need to drag his ass out of the car and teach him some street justice.

police were already on their way. Bad decision.


IFFFF The GSXR guy didnt pull over and there was no damage taking off his mirrors would have been warranted. HOWEVER they werent filtering and they arent allowed to, so I still dont know if that would be a good decision.



I couldnt get away with it here though. My bike looks to unique right now..

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by massacremasses

police were already on their way. Bad decision.


IFFFF The GSXR guy didnt pull over and there was no damage taking off his mirrors would have been warranted. HOWEVER they werent filtering and they arent allowed to, so I still dont know if that would be a good decision.



I couldnt get away with it here though. My bike looks to unique right now..

Its fast with the little aluminum bats a few good hits to his ribs and your back on your way.

[xSean13]

Sounds like that stupid kid needs a beating more than anything.

[7oxSin]

why did it have to be a bishi, i like to think that those of us smart enough to buy mitsubishis wouldnt be dumb enough to act like that.

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by 7oxSin

why did it have to be a bishi, i like to think that those of us smart enough to buy mitsubishis wouldnt be dumb enough to act like that.

How dose one buying any object make one smarter?

[JohnnyBravo]

Crazy crazy story... Stupid kidly cager

[7oxSin]

Originally Posted by fishdip

How dose one buying any object make one smarter?

in my book it all boils down to people not wasting thousands of $ on cars that are known for blowing up and being made with crappy parts.

cage preference bishi or honda

[Panda]

Street justice.

[gantt]

that guy is a complete douche-bag

[lgk]

crazy, definitely need a camera for these types of events.
having witnesses is a good idea as well, but there's probably nothing better than raw footage.

[rasta]

I also think you were somewhat lucky. While I don't blame you for getting involved, and I'm not saying it wasn't the right thing to do, but it wasn't really a necessity. What I mean is, you're lucky the cager wasn't a total badass, or you would've been the one eating pavement.