Lazarus Long once said the first indication of demise of a civilization is the loss of common courtesy.

What is it with people and black cars?  Maybe because I ride so much and see the asphalt go by at 60 ~ 70 miles per hour just waiting to grind the flesh from my bones, that I pay attention to common road courtesy.    Those little things people do that endanger my life, because they were in a hurry or just don’t care about their fellow man.   In the 70’s when I rode a lot we used to watch out for little old ladies with blue hair and white tennis shoes.  Or was it little old ladies with white hair and blue tennis shoes?  Oh well never mind that was the greatest risk to a motorcycle rider.  Because they really didn’t register that you were a motor vehicle.  The *REALLY* didn’t mean to run you over.    Not so any more.  Today it’s black cars. 

Because I am so very close and connected with the road I see lots of people on their cell phones.  It amazes me there haven’t been more deaths because of them.  When you ride a lot you develop a sixth sense about what people are going to do.  It’s not magic it’s just the driver starts to speed up and you realize they are going to cut in front of you.  Or he starts to move slowly from one lane to another and you realize they are going to make a lane change.  I can easily see into cars when I am riding (Unless they have blacked out windows – back to that black car thing) so I can easily see when they are on the phone.  People on cell phones don’t make those subtle little movements that telegraph their intention.   They just freaking change lanes, turn in front of you or basically drive like they are the only thing on the road.  But again, like the little old ladies of the 70’s they are not intentionally doing it. 

Black cars; trucks; SUVs; however the drivers seem to drive as if they freaking bought the dam road.  The more the car appears to be worth, the worse this seems to be, up to about $100,000.00 or more.  The guy with a black Lamborghini or Ferrari seems to be somewhat cautious about his movements, don’t’ know why?  But if it looks like a $55,000.00 Ford, Chevy, or Dodge pickup, or black car with Blacked out windows I back away because he’s going to do something stupid.  I say he but it could just as well be a she.  I have seen appalling behavior from women as well as men driving what they think is their Billy Bad Ass car cuz it’s black.

Now let that soak in for a minute.  I live and commute in a wealthy area.  Many of my neighbors are significantly richer then I am and some are richer than god.  These are literally my neighbors.  I drive to work and home every day following the same vehicles.    And the color of the vehicle denotes the aggressiveness and dangerousness way in which that driver will drive.   Right now you are probably saying to yourself;  “Self he is off his rocker the color of a vehicle doesn’t tell a person how to drive.  There is no hidden device in a black vehicle that radiates the brain with waves that make him drive like an Ass Hole.  Any more than there is a device in pickup trucks that radiates the brain and makes men want to chew tobacco, spit, and listen to country music.” 

I would say to you that you are right.  But it’s the attitude of, “I wanna be a Billy Bad Ass and drive a black vehicle” that I think these drivers have before their color selection.    Yes Color of vehicle (If Black) will denote a dangerous and reckless driver.  He/She will cut you off, speed around you, drive more aggressively, and basically endanger your life.  ESPECIALLY if you’re on a motorcycle because he can always just claim, ‘it’s not my fault I didn’t see him.’

Two cases in point.  Remember my last post about evading a speeding ticket.  What was tailgating me was NOT a white car,  It was NOT one of Scottsdale’s Police Volvos.   Yes they have them.  It was a blacked out car, tail gating me.   Like many others have.

Second  case in point.  I am driving down Pima road last night.  It’s dark and I can’t see the cars and the color of cars around me very well.  Some car that has been following me up Pima for a couple of miles then speeds up and is now tailgating me.  Again….. There is a car in the right lane and I am just off his bumper traveling about 5 miles to 8 miles over the speed limit.  The distance between me and the car in the left lane is (If I was directly behind him) about 1 motorcycle length.  In other words I am about 5 to 8 feet in back of him but in the left lane.  This guy who’s tailgating me whips into the right lane.  So now I realize he really wants to get in front of me.  Before I have a chance to react he then cuts in front of me. 

Remember between the car in the right lane and me there is maybe 15 ~ 20 feet but it’s a diagonal space.  If I was a car the space would have been 10 feet.  But because I am a bike there IS room for this ass hole to cut me off, and yes It was a black car.  No I am not kidding. 

So we get up to the stop light.  The one that changed just after he cut me off and I had to break.  And I realize this isn’t some monster SUV, or Truck or any of those other ego machines.  Nope, this is a smart car.  This freaking thing is bearely bigger than my Goldwing, and he is still driving like he freaking bought the gawd dam road with that smart car.  The smart Car of Beaverly Hills sells to idiots!  He still has his California license plate on the car.  Even though He is a Arizona resident.  Why do I think he’s an Arizona resident.  Because at the beginning of this saga I mentioned that I drive to work with the same people every day.  He goes to down Pima at the same time.  He turns in and out of a gated community of condos right off of Dynamite.  This is my neighbor who drives like he doesn’t care. 

And I am sorry but that old song and dance about, “I am sorry I didn’t see you.”  That just doesn’t cut it.  He had to freaking swerve to get around me.  If he really didn’t see me he would have just dam well run over me. 

Like I said Lazarus Long once said the first indication of demise of a civilization is the loss of common courtesy.  Realy Lazarus was Robert Heinlein.

Keep the rubber side down.