How I almost hit two motorcyclists

 As a motorcyclist myself I try to watch out for motorcyclists when I am driving my car. 

Nevertheless I almost hit two. Maybe three. Here's how it happened. 

The transition from one expressway to another brought my wife and I onto the left (fast) lane of the new expressway. 

But now I had to get off almost immediately, on the right, on an exit across five lanes of traffic. 

The best opening in the lane immediately to my right appeared to be ahead of a motorcyclist. Two, in fact. I could see that a rider on a trike was well behind the first guy. 

I sped up to increase the clearance in front of the lead rider, turned on my blinker and starting to edge right. Checking my mirror I could see that he was waving an arm. His whole arm. 

Was he encouraging me to get in front of him? Or signaling to the rider behind him to stay left for the upcoming interchange? The answer was not long in coming. 

"He's coming up!" my wife cried. I swerved back into my own lane and the first rider shot by. I am sure he was not happy with me.

But my blinker was still on, I still needed to get over, and the opening between the first rider and trike looked large and empty.

I was wrong.

Immediately to my right, in the blind spot formed by my car's C-pillar, was a second two-wheeler. 

Just as I started moving right he came by and revved his motor. I am certain he did it intentionally.

Bless him. It was an actual example of loud pipes saving lives.

I jerked back into my lane and turned off my turn signal, slowing slightly to make sure the final guy, on the trike, made it past without further hassle from me.

Of course I missed my exit. My wife and I were so shaken we gave up on our planned outing and got off the expressway altogether.

I hope the three bikers later had a laugh at my expense and forgave me.

There are lessons here for me as an automobile driver and I hope I learn them. There are also lessons here for me as a motorcyclist. How invisible we are.