road hogs

In the past week I have had a few instances with overly aggressive motorcyclists on the road. Normally this is not a big deal, but I always wonder about people who aggressively drive their bikes on the highway.

Recently, I ran across two behaviors that I have seen quite a bit in the past. First, for a stretch of about a mile, and through a few lights, a guy in a motorcycle tailed me very closely. Eventually, he passed me, but before that he was close enough that I didn't see his tires. Second, I was driving down the highway at the speed limit when a cyclist blew past me weaving back and forth through traffic that was just about bumper to bumper. Both of these guys were wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

What I don't understand is why, if there is no safety mechanism in place in the case of an accident except for maybe a helmet, anyone would drive a motorcycle aggressively. If I am in the right mood I can be aggressive on the road as well, but I have an air bag in front of me and a steel frame around me to at least make me think I am safe. I also am easier to see and don't have to be concerned about balancing my car on two wheels. If a cyclist crashes at seventy miles an hour and is fortunate to not run into or under another vehicle he or she is still looking at a very serious case of road rash.

Normally, my opinion would be that if someone else wants to take their own life in their hands let them. One of my greatest fears on the road, though, is getting into an unavoidable accident with a motorcyclist that seriously hurts or kills him or her. Even if it is 100% the motorcyclist's fault, there is no way being in an accident where someone else is killed will not psychologically leave a mark on me as well. This is an admittedly selfish line of thinking, but it does explain why I care.