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Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Video of the Day Lunchtime Quickie: Grandma! Look Where You're Going!!

Posted by Kelly O on Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 12:13 PM

If you've ever been on a motorcycle or scooter, this 30 second video will remind you that even though you hate that helmet, you know, maybe you should just wear it anyway...

Comments (22) RSS

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..and wear a video camera!

Posted by Helmut on February 8, 2011 at 12:29 PM

Why is that flagged on YouTube as inappropriate for some audiences?

Posted by evilvolus on February 8, 2011 at 12:30 PM

Am I the only one that gets the youtube videos on Slog totally scrambled? This particular one is Cher saying Wagon Wheel Watusi for 10 minutes.

Posted by Lynx on February 8, 2011 at 12:38 PM

It's OK grandma. Once you get past a certain age we allow you to drive any old way you like.

Also. This this this this is still teh awesome.

Posted by The Wretched Harmony on February 8, 2011 at 12:47 PM

As a rider... one of my worst nightmares is what just happened there. Chills....

Posted by Bean on February 8, 2011 at 12:48 PM

That shoplifter ECB at Publicola would call that 'attempted murder' and would grannie thrown in jail.

Posted by Pass the wine bottle on February 8, 2011 at 1:11 PM

Holy crap.

Posted by STJA on February 8, 2011 at 1:15 PM

This is why I don't ride my scooter much anymore: I can't make drivers pay attention to the traffic around them. The cycle's rear mirror on the right shows the Red Rinse Menace has no intent to stop, and there isn't nearly enough time to veer into a free lane to avoid collision.

Posted by Keister Button on February 8, 2011 at 1:19 PM

Crazy and scary. Old people driving cause me tons of close calls and Im just riding my bike. You could see it coming in his rear view mirrow

Posted by npage148 on February 8, 2011 at 1:21 PM

"Old people driving cause me tons of close calls and Im just riding my bike"

I have the same problem with Mexicans.

Which reminds me of an old joke:

Why were there only 10,000 Mexicans at the Alamo?

They could only get one car

Posted by Hola! on February 8, 2011 at 2:03 PM

That's why most of the bikers in my area have "Start Seeing Motorcycles!" bumper stickers on their cars and trucks (it's difficult to ride in snow). What a nightmare--I hope he was OK everywhere the helmet didn't cover, too.

Posted by Griffin on February 8, 2011 at 2:17 PM

What's even more scary is that, had the cyclist not been there, the old lady would most likely have plowed right into the back of the car ahead of her...

Posted by COMTE

on February 8, 2011 at 2:25 PM

Am I a secretly self-loathing female for being completely unsurprised that this and @4's videos' drivers are both women?

Posted by rara avis on February 8, 2011 at 5:06 PM

@13, yes. There's a reason why car insurance is less expensive for women.

Posted by jt on February 8, 2011 at 7:42 PM

#13: Not if you're a motorcycle- or scooter-riding woman. Somehow the male drivers have no problem noticing me when I'm on two wheels in traffic, but in my experience the female drivers have problems braking farther than six inches from my rear tire, or keeping their eyes on the road. Why pay attention to stopping at a sign or light, or merging onto a freeway, when texting is so much "funner"?

Posted by Keister Button on February 8, 2011 at 9:45 PM

@2: because those of us who have been in serious auto accidents can be re-traumatized by seeing stuff like this. (Aaaand I watch it anyways, wtf me?)

@13 and 15: You DO realize your interpretation of your personal experiences is not an adequate enough sampling to determine causation, right? I mean, I'm thinking no, what with the perpetuation of a stereotype that has been proven statistically invalid time and time again...

Posted by heatherly on February 8, 2011 at 9:57 PM

Speaking (er, typing) as a scooter rider (albeit without a helmet-cam), I hope this never happens to me. At stop lights, I try to maneuver around the stopped cars precisely so no idiot can squash me. Sheesh!

Posted by Cornichon

on February 8, 2011 at 11:05 PM

@13 my cars have been hit by 5 men and one female. The female was being tickled by her boyfriend while attempting to park behind my car...

Posted by subwlf on February 9, 2011 at 3:20 PM

@17 when i rode my motorcycle i would stop angled to head down between cars and would watch the person behind me slow to a stop. I don't have a method for anyone behind them not stopping tho!

Posted by subwlf on February 9, 2011 at 3:22 PM

I wasn't being entirely serious... in my head it more a comment on confirmation bias and being more sensitive to seeing women drive/park badly because I am one.

@18: I'm sorry that you've been hit so many times but the tickling story is a pretty funny, though (if no one was hurt). People do amazingly dumb shit. I was going to add "in cars" to the end of that sentence but decided against it.

Posted by rara avis on February 9, 2011 at 5:37 PM

16: I hear you there. I knew what was coming and still jumped out of my skin.

The closest I came to having this happen was at a pedestrian crossing in the wet. Thankfully the driver behind locked up, I heard the swishing noise and (without looking) hammered out of there (nearly losing my inattentive pillion in the process).
In hindsight, it was pretty funny because I can still see the lady at the pedestrian crossing take a single step onto the road, and as I nailed it (LOUD bike) she took a single backward step back onto the footpath, with perfect timing! (And no-one was hurt...)
This video though, no escape route, and no warning. A driver's licence should be a privilege, not a right...

Posted by Cynic Romantic on February 10, 2011 at 4:40 AM

Oh, just to add...

I'd be wary about getting that close to a uninjured bike rider you've just nearly killed, because the massive adrenaline release can make (even placid and sane) people quite unpredictable (to put it mildly; personally I really HATE being crowded after such a shock).
Also, save the stupid questions until they can get their helmet off and actually hear you.

Posted by Cynic Romantic on February 10, 2011 at 4:47 AM