> I found this out at a tender age when I had my first (and only) direct
> interaction with a vehicle. (The hard way.) The driver, (a 'she', George
> ;^) ), said she never saw me. I, of course, found that to be rather
> amusing, as I had made eye contact with her at the intersection. EYE
> CONTACT! And yet....she still pulled out in front of me. (Famous left
> turn scenario.)
The idea of making EYE CONTACT with someone (any driver today who has been
through what we call "driver's ed") who is not trained to see another type
of vehicle is, to me at any rate, a useless activity.
I'm supposing, Brandon, that you were wearing a helmet, correct? What about
eye protection (sunglasses??)? How can any opposing driver make EYE CONTACT
with a person whose eyes they cant' see?
I always tell my students: EYE CONTACT doesn't work. The other driver can
look right at you and they simply don't see you--because (IMHO) they were
never TRAINED to do so in the first place. I think they see me, but I'm
wearing a Hi Viz Lime Yellow Aerostich, which unless they are blind they
ought to see simply because of its non-naturally-occurring-color. But I
don't trust 'em. I'm covering the brakes most of the time, not to mention
the horn button if their window is down...
Regards,
Henry S. Winokur
94 GTS1000, AMA, MRF,
Nationally Certified Riding Instructor
West Bethesda, MD USA
