Was I right or wrong?

[stringy_germ]

I am riding on a 40 mph road with double solid center lines. It is double yellow only because it is 40 mph I guess; it is straight and you can see way ahead.

About 1/3 of a mile ahead of me I see an Accord riding behind a big ODOT backhoe type grass mower. He is pulled to the right taking about 1/2 of the lane going about 10 mph. The Accord is just riding along behind the mower untill I get up to them. I wait about 10 more seconds after I got up behind the Accord. I figure the Accord is not going to go around since it has been behind the mower for like 30 seconds that I have seen. I decide to go around both.

Now, I knew what was going to happen, because I could see her looking at me in the rear view of the Accord. I pull to the left to go around and she cuts me off and goes around. I follow her around the mower and she FLIPS HER HAND BACK AT ME! Like 'What the heck are you doing?'

She was sitting there watching me in her rear view

What do you think?

[philwecksr]

Women drivers. She probably just got of the cell phone..... LOL. (no offense to any of the ladies on this site, I'm sure none of YOU would ever do this). You would only have been wrong if she'd creamed you, however, I wouldn't fault her either (up until the hand gesture) just because TECHNICALLY you were in a no pass zone. I would have acted the same way you did and not thought twice, unless she ran me off the road....

[Black_peter]

Next time try to flash your lights.
Throw on the turn signal..
Then watch out because then the driver will take this to mean you want them to go ahead..

No predicting what a car driver will do or how they will react. In these cases you make sure you are in a lower gear (for power) and cover the brakes. Let's face it..
They don't think like us..

[The CyberPoet]

If you gotta ask, you were in the wrong, at least from a legal viewpoint.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[stringy_germ]

I did not mean right or wrong in a legal way ... more like shouldn't I have been the one waving at her like "What the heck are you doing?"

[bcsean]

Just expect them to cut you off everytime as there is always a good chance of it happening. Signals, flash brights, pull out and wait a second before going...

[philwecksr]

Its been my experience that hand signals to other drivers are generally a bad idea.... especially on the bike.

Case 1: Me driving up exit ramp at 55mph, bmw behind me thinks exit ramps should be used at the same speed as the highway regardless of the red light at the top of them. He makes me aware of his feelings on this matter by placing his bumper about a foot and a half from my tire. This inspires me to let him know how I feel about the new situation. I give him an arms out kinda shrug to say "What do you want here?". To which he creates his own signal, which i loosely interpreted as "get out of my way, I'm arrogant, reckless, and have enough power to do stupid things", conveyed by him as him passing me on the shoulder while yelling and flipping me off.

Case 2: Stuck behind somebody doing 20 in a 35. Although in a legal passing zone, this car decided that they would swerve accross the centerline to block me whenever I tried to pass. To which I gave the same shrug maneuver, which seemed to insite them to brake check me to a full stop and then throw their cigarette butt at me about a half mile later....

These have pretty much stopped me from ever hand signalling another driver, especially on the bike. I've decided my hands are better utilized on the controls of the bike rather than flipping around in the air....

[JZ67]

just came off the Honda Accord forum, and oddly enough there is this post about some crazy biker dude. JK, I probably would have done the same thing you did. Seems she had plenty of time to make the decision to pull out but did you do all you could do to let her know you where there?

[philwecksr]

.... but did you do all you could do to let her know you where there?

+1

Eye contact means nothing on the street....

[Kanati]

I give people the double-hand-pumping-bird when I want to convey my feelings. I leave no chance that they will misunderstand my intense "@#%$% off" maneuverings.

[sexwax]

You are a squid. It says so under your name.

[KatanaSoldier]

Were you out of loogees to launch, LoL?

[katman05]

What?...there wasn't room for all 3 of you side by side? I think you waited too long to pass her, and it gave her time to hatch her evil plot against you

[md86]

Were you out of loogees to launch, LoL?

I used to do that all the time in my cruiser days . Kinda hard with a full-face helmet , though .

[brooder]

Depending on the circumstances, passing a vehicle that has the slow-moving vehicle sign is legal even in a no passing zone. They pose a traffic hazard if not passed. Although, it's still illegal (at least in IL) to pass two vehicles at the same time.

As for signalling your disdain, you took the moral high ground and did nothing. Kudos to you. I would have given her the steel-toe rub off at the next stopping point not to mention several singal point gestures at the earliest opportunity. But I have an anger problem, so not everyone would do that.