[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Mtech E90 E83

OP, i'm with you 100%... Stuff like this irks the crap out of me, and it's actually scary when riding...

However, You wanted Darwin to work faster and be more selective... At the same time, by you "warning" her, you slowed down natural selection

When I said faster and more selective, I was hoping the mother would just take herself out. But being that her kid was involved in her stupidity, I had to step in. Believe me, if she was swerving towards a guard rail, I wouldn't be going out of my way to stop her.

[zx10guy]

To add another dimension to how dangerous and selfish this brain dead ahole was, she not only was endangering her kid....I forgot to mention she was driving through a school zone. A middle school to be exact. The bulk of the kids had already left school at the time but there were still some kids walking around.

Also when I drove up beside her to yell at her, she had her phone propped up on the steering wheel.

With regards to those that ride, I agree about how many selfish/uncaring cagers there are out there. This country makes it way too easy for these idiots to get licenses. I typically can predict when I'm next to one of these prime examples of human excellence when I'm riding on my motorcycle. I guess it's also all the training I got when I was driving ambulances. You all thought things were bad just driving or riding around on the streets. I suggest a ride along to see how people behave around emergency vehicles. I was involved in a intentional collision while responding to a call. I call it an intentional collision because it was no way an accident. The jerk thought he was more important than us responding to a call with lights and sirens. We stopped at an intersection per protocol before making a right. We were in the middle lane. The jerk decides he didn't want to wait and proceeds to try to pass us on the right. He nails us right at the rear cab side door entrance. His selfish act caused a BLS unit to be taken out of service. Tied up a rescue squad (which was one of ours responding from my station) and tied up a ALS (Paramedic) unit. The Medic unit had to be dispatched from our station to assume our call. Thankfully the call we were responding to wasn't a life or death situation. But again this jerk tied up a medic unit for this simple call and potentially threatened the lives of everyone in our first due that would have required advanced paramedic care. Even though we're in a major metropolitan area, paramedics are not very abundant. In fact, my station does a lot of second due area calls because the first due companies don't have paramedics available. That night for a paramedic to respond to our first due area would have easily added about 10 minutes to the call.

Ughh....

[UncleWede]

Loud pipes save lives hence why there seems to be a missing baffle on my bike

I am so much better at anticipating bonehead moves either caged or not. I can call it out verbally and point to it for my 15 yo son. I'm trying to up his awareness

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Loud pipes save lives hence why there seems to be a missing baffle on my bike

I am so much better at anticipating bonehead moves either caged or not. I can call it out verbally and point to it for my 15 yo son. I'm trying to up his awareness

"Loud pipes save lives"....if only that were 100% true. I have a Ducati 848 with Akrapovic slip ons. That bike can get LOUD. I have Harley guys turn their heads when I roll past them on that bike.

I was on a major highway passing traffic in the left lane. When some brain dead woman just started to move her car over into my lane. When that happened I was literally right next to her. I saw her move well enough in advance to lay on my horn. So a combination of the loud exhaust and horn did nothing to deter this idiot from trying to occupy the space I was in. I had to swerve to the left and hit the brakes as there was a car in front of me in the lane preventing me from just speeding up to avoid her. I was able to change lanes into the gap she left in the right lane. I pull up towards the front of her car and give her the middle finger.

For situations like that, I some times wish I was more brazen like some of my other riding buddies. Some of them carry old used spark plugs that conveniently fall out of their pockets in situations like this. I've known a rider that would not hesitate in putting a nice boot print on the side of said imbecile's car.

[UncleWede]

The bottom of the boot just serves as an extra side bumper, it not retaliation

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

The bottom of the boot just serves as an extra side bumper, it not retaliation

I like how you think.

[Samurai of 2day]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

I like how you think.

lol, be very careful when kicking at cars while you're on your bike. I can definitely understand the frustration of dealing with inattentive drivers.

just don't give that driver something to laugh at if you fall on your ass after kicking a car in motion.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by Templar

NC drivers are some of the worst I've ever seen. A close second to VA drivers. Sorry, but it's the truth. No turn signals, swerving in and out of lanes, talking/texting/Facebooking, using both hands to shove a Bojangles biscuit in their face. I hate it.

Urg.....Bojangles. I tried that sh*t once while I was working out of LeJeuene years ago. I only had a nibble but got sick from it. If I hadn't been starving from a long day or had their been something else accessible at the time, I wouldn't have touched the stuff.

Last week, on my way to work, I was getting ready to turn off a side street I took when I just missed the green light. I saw a cop car behind some a silver Focus in the other traffic lanes, the latter being the second car in their lane. Their light turned green and both lanes started to go....except for the Focus. Sure enough, they were doing something on their phone. The truck in front of them had enough time to more than clear the intersection by the time the Focus started to move. As soon as the Focus finaqlly started to roll, the cop popped his lights on and pulled them over. That was nice to see.

[Billup]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I bet you go all the way up to 11.

LOL. I wouldn't be surprised if my personal scaling method is off a few percent. I like to work with open tolerances.

[ddk632]

Billup

BASE is for experienced skydivers, so if you want to "try" BASE you need to skydive a lot first, work on tracking and canopy skills.

I actually owned a BASE rig for a short time, when I was skydiving a lot. Met my future ex-wife who wasn't down with that, so I gave it all up.

Now that I fixed that whole problem, BASE is on my radar again.

Bridge Day doesn't count btw.... I mean, it does technically, but it's a mess.

To fly a wingsuit you need 200 jumps and C license and to do BASE, minimum 200 jumps (and be very current) and many people say like 500 or 1000 jumps before BASE. I'm in the 200 and be very current camp.

[Billup]

ddk632 Thanks for the info man. Didn't realize it was that intense to switch over to base. I have a group of guys that we're all planning on going skydiving a lot this year now that I have more open time and funding available.

So even if I want to base, I don't need a C license, right? That's only for wingsuit? I've been really intrigued by the idea, but never knew where to start. The guys I jumped with last year don't want to go into base, which sucks, because I like having someone to go with.

[kevinbahnz]

ahh I used to text and drive all the time before touchscreen phones. it was much easier then.

[ddk632]

Yeah BASE is less regulated, I don't think a C is required. It may also depend on who will be your mentor or what school you use (there seem to be more and more BASE training camps and such). And, of course, if you want to BASE and live, you should have a mentor and do a school/training camp.

When I bought my BASE rig, the plan was to do a ton of hop n' pops to practice flying the BASE canopy from a skydiving rig with a reserve, just to learn its characteristics and improve my canopy and landing accuracy skills.

That's why I owned a BASE rig but never did a BASE jump

I would say, get to regularly skydiving and ask around your DZ to find out who the BASE jumpers are and get to know them. Finding a mentor will go well from there.

I take this stuff seriously because I don't have a death wish, so for example, I'd never recommend to go do a BASE jump alone. Some guys differ on this - there's a decent BASE forum (basejumping.com) where there's loads of info as well.

I also plan to become CPR/basic medical attention (whatever it's called) certified before venturing into travel BASE where you are in the middle of nowhere and rescue/help may be hours away.

And learn some rigging stuff as well...

Lots to consider, in my opinion, when considering becoming a BASE jumper.

I plan to do it right. No need for felonies and stuff. So most likely, it'll be all travel for me since I live in FL.

[ddk632]

Also to get the feeling of BASE without doing BASE, do a hot air balloon jump. I did one and man it was the most amazing thing I've ever done. You can hear yourself accelerate as you exit the balloon - it's completely still, and very low by skydiving standards. My balloon jump was from 3000 feet.

[UncleWede]

I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane once. It was the most thrilling thing I will NEVER do again intentionally.

Actually, I didn't jump, the guy had to push me. . .

[i M HOONIGAN]

This thread is hilarious. From stupid drivers, to rider awareness, to jumping out of planes/bridges, and squirrel suits...

[Billup]

Originally Posted by Mtech E90 E83

This thread is hilarious. From stupid drivers, to rider awareness, to jumping out of planes/bridges, and squirrel suits...

We like to make sure we maintain the proper expectations of an "Off Topic" thread, by taking it more off topic.

[ddk632]

I love squirrel suits.

[i M HOONIGAN]