Anyone ever been rear-ended?

[azcycle]

Had another "pucker moment" this morning on the ride to work. Coming up to a red light and slowing down, with this jerk behind me in a Ford Ranger pickup who was already too close for comfort.

I look in my rear view mirror as I'm slowing down and all I see is his grill...  way too close!  Then the front of his truck dived as he obviously realized I was about to become his new hood ornament.  No screeching tires... thankfully we were pretty slow at that point. He then roared around me to get into the left-turn lane and promptly dropped his eyes to his cell phone to avoid any eye contact.

Scary.  Maybe not a life-threatening situation but it certainly would've knocked me over and damaged the bike.  Glad the MSF instructor told us to always watch our rear-view mirrors when stopped.  I only get "relaxed" when there is one or two stopped vehicles behind me... up to that point I've got my eyes in the mirror, the clutch in, and an escape route planned.

[nhmaf]

That is good, defensive/alert riding strategy and something which I also follow anytime I'm at an intersection - even if I'm slowing down to make a turn off the road onto a sidestreet - give those rearview mirrors a check and plan foran escape if needed!

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

No, but I have rear-ended a guy on a bike (luckily with only my bike, and not a car).
But I sure wish he had been checking his mirrors, that day.
Not that I am trying to absolve myself of any guilt!
If I ever do get back on the road, I'll never ride the same, that is for sure.

[Melena]

I was riding pillion with Larry on his K100LT.  We were in St. Helena in the Napa Valley.  This car behind us pulls over to the right like he's going to make a right turn.  There is a stop at the intersection so we are stopped and this guy is slowly moving forward and bumps into us and keeps moving.  Actually pushes the bike.   I get off the bike to direct traffic around us.

Turns out he's this really old guy that probably shouldn't have his drivers license anymore.  Plus Larry said he saw in his rear view mirror that he was on his cell phone.     We stop and have him pull into one of the parking spots (perpendicular parking - not parallel) and we pull in beside him.  

Luckily for us he didn't do any damage to us or the bike.  But Larry checked out the gears to make sure he hadn't stripped anything by pushing it.  Of course he made the guy sweat a bit.  We got his name and address and all the info just in case.  And I gave him "the look" and told him he needed to be aware of motorcycles.  

There was one thing that got bent - a helmet lock on the license plate  holder.  He gave up some money for that but that had more to do with trying to make him be more aware.   I think he really didn't want any problems with the police as he was probably on probation with his family.  He sure did give that money easily.  

Luckily that's the only rear-end.  I'm very aware now of people behind me.  Good mirrors are essential.

[Motu]

I was rear-ended on my 18th birthday (1971) Pulling off the road that night a drunk must have been following my tail light...he cleaned me up.I found myself sitting on the road with my right leg under the bike (BSA B31) and my back against the bumper of a Transit van...accelerating down the road! I got out from under the bike,stood on it and climbed onto the front bumper of the van - it carried on down the road with 2 guys fighting over the steering wheel.My bike was scraped of on the armco on the next corner,400 metres from where I was run down.I stayed on the van for another 400 metres,then jumped off when he turned down the next street.

My brother was with me on his bike,and was running down the road looking for my dead body.We got to the Cop shop and were giving the details when some guy came in saying they had just killed some guy on a motorcycle.I recognised him as the passenger and gave my brother a nod - it took 3 cops to drag him off the guy,he was slamming his head into the wall.

The driver was holed up at his place with a pistol holding the cops at bay.When they finally got him out he was sober.He got a fine equal to about a weeks pay,lost his license for a couple of years,but got a day license for his job.

I only got rear ended once - but it was a good one.My injuries were some gravel rash on my bum,leg,and a blister on my palm.My protective gear was jeans,dress boots,denim jacket and gloves...no helmet.

[dav]

jesus Motu somebody was watching out for you on that day, truly amazing how you came out of that alive.

btw ive been rear ended, but have come close a few times (i hear locked up tyres behind me i just take off).

[Motu]

Someone was,and I saw them.Sitting on the road with the van accelerating I knew I was dead - then I saw my brother on the side of the road shouting at me,I couldn't hear him of course,but I could see what he was mouthing - ''STAND UP,STAND UP!!!'' and and lifting his arms up.So that's when I decided to stand up and stand on the bumper.When I thanked my brother afterwards he said it wasn't him,all he saw was the van going down the road with my bike on the front in a shower of sparks,he was still on his bike at the time.It was a deserted suburban street late at night,there was no one else around.

Does the vision of an angel turn a young man to God? No - he just thinks they don't want him to die just yet....so maybe he can push the boundaries to the limit.What limit? Let's find out.

[bjamesw]

Sorry,  repost