Modern Vespa

Ok, there are plenty of threads about raging, tailgating, blind and inattentive cagers. Twice in three days I have been bugged by cagers who are TOO NICE.

Classic example from this morning: approaching a stop sign at T intersection at the end of a residential street, left signal on, left foot goes to the ground. Waiting to make left on to secondary double yellow line street in suburban village. The double yellow has no stop sign or light. Cager approaches from the right, slows down to make left onto my street, no other traffic around, sees me and STOPS, waving me to make my left first. Was he intimidated by me? Was he lazy and did not want to have to steer carefully around me into the side street? (I was way over on the right side of the lane). I made the turn, wondering why he ceded the right of way.

From Sunday: Four way stop sign on semi-rural residential street. I approached intersection and stopped, my left signal on. There was already a cager stopped at the street to my left, no signal on, so she was (I assume) intending to go straight. She had right of way because she was there LONG before I arrived (in fact there were two impatient cars behind her, waiting). Nevertheless, she waved me on to make my left in front of her. I think she was lost, but was trying to figure things out in the middle of an intersection rather than pulling over and taking stock. I followed her direction and made the left (nervously because there are other cars approaching the four-way from the other two entries, and I was concerned her actions would confuse everyone and someone would proceed at my expense. I was also concerned that one of the impatient cars she was delaying might try to pull out around her just as I made the turn.) In the end I took the turn slowly and carefully, and got away from that lady and her confusion.

I think these people are either too nice, intimidated or confused about rules of right-of-way. Sure, it's nice to be waved on, but this type of confusion leads to accidents, right? Should I have just sat there in both circumstances and said, "No, you must proceed first" in a hand gesture to preserve right of way, especially in the multi-car four-way situation?

This doesn't seem to happen in city traffic nor when I am driving my cage. Why does it happen while on my Vespa? Do they assume that since I am on a "motorcycle" I am somehow a badass dude who will start a fight if they turn in front of me? Does this happen to anyone else? What do others do?

I have the same kind of issue alot too, but it doesnt always happen when I'm on my Vespa. I think people just don't understand the rules of the road.

We have a lot of 4 way stop intersections here, and I see that all the time, too. It's as if no one ever was taught right of way rules. I appreciate that people want to be nice, but if they'd just follow the rules, traffic would move more smoothly, most of the time. I'm always afraid that in the confusion, someone will decide to go, and I'll be in the way at the wrong time!

On the other hand, better to be too nice than the opposite, right?

Cary

My thought are that the appearance of a nice Vespa scooter is somewhat 'persuasive' to the cager.
I suppose the cager is somehow impressed and just gives way to get more time to have a closer look...?

OK, sometimes they are just nice...like they can be for bicycles

I agree that courtesy is a good thing. A really good thing!! My post focuses on whether courtesy in this instance is misguided because it can cause accidents (and reveals ignorance and confusion regarding fairly well-defined rules of the road!!).

+1 I'm all for random acts of kindness, and I would usually agree. And really, not to be contrary, but just my pet peeve, when people up and stop, or otherwise do something unexpected, not necessary in the name of kindness, I and others usually end up a bit annoyed. A lot of brake jamming and swerving usually takes place behind the kind individual. Also, the kind individual may be allowing me to go, but quite often the other directions have traffic that I need to allow for and thus need to stay put. Now the kind individual is getting impatient with me because I and the others are driving as expected. Aargh! mini rant over.

Also, coming to a stop at a yield when all is clear, stoping on on ramps and waiting for a half mile gap to open so they can get to speed to merge from zero, and so on.

One last thing. A Harley type bike, 2-up almost rear-ended my wife the other day. She was stopped at a light, and then heard tires screaching, and saw a look of horror on the Harley rider's face. She moved forward to give him more space, and chuckled a little only because of the look on his face. So even two wheelers aren't always paying attention.

This is typical of what the cops these days call DWEs. (driving while elderly) Moral: Watch out especially for Buicks!

Which is why Marilyn and I will not buy a Buick, no matter what!

Cary

I agree that random acts of kindness should not give others your right of way. Waving to have someone go first at a 4-way stop when two scooters/cars arrive simultaneously is easier than trying to communicate to the other party that the rule is (here in California) the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way.

But it is just a pain when you see these men who seem to believe it is good manners, similar to opening a door for a woman, to let the other person go first. Problem is that some woman begin to believe everyone will allow them to go first. My point is that an act of kindness turns into a rules-of-the-road issue. And can cause accidents.

I agree with most of this, although I don't see the role gender plays around here much.

Most Cali drivers don't seem to know the laws of the road, so they are exceedingly courteous to the following in order: jaywalking pedestrians, bicycles running lights/stop signs, scooters, other drivers. (Nobody is exceedingly courteous to me when I am on my hooligan bike.)

The practice becomes annoyingly frustrating when they insist YOU break the law and run/ride into traffic, and then the whole intersection freezes up and other drivers look at YOU as the culprit due to your "unconventional" choice of conveyance.

The gender-specific reference was to my years living in Atlanta. You are right. Californians are less gender-specific.

I have had this happen on occasion. I always (politely) refuse and wait my proper turn. The problem is, when someone doesn't follow the rule in an intersection, it creates confusion amongst other drivers. Then someone else does something unpredicted, like not waiting theirturn. On a scooter, I prefer the traffic to be orderly and predictable.

The voice of reason. This is what I am going to do from now on.