Buddy Down!

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:38 am

I figured I'd share my story of my accident yesterday. Take from it what you'd like.

Yesterday on my way to work it was a chilly wet day and as I came down a hill around a corner I hit a wet oil slick just as I started to brake for a crosswalk. Same commute as always, a crosswalk I often stop for. Just as I hit the brakes, I must have caught the oil and the Buddy went right out from under me. I went skidding down the road and the Buddy too, I went about 10 feet and up under a van that was stopped at the crosswalk. Just as I came to a halt under the van, he started to pull foward, running over my foot (and possibly my leg, not sure how it all went).

He stopped, realizing I was under his van, and the guy behind us stopped too. They told me to stay still while they called 911 and I did a little inventory of the extremities and wiggled fingers and toes. All seemed fine, although I was definitely very shaken up! I finally stood up and we went to go pick up the Buddy, that was by the curb, still running. We pushed it up on the sidewalk (no shoulder there) while I continued to gather my wits.

I almost always wear full gear, even on the Buddy, and boy am I glad I did! I wore through a bit of the elbow on my textile jacket and have some scuffs on my textile pants. My helmet is done as I'm sure it hit the ground pretty hard, I have the headache to prove it. I have a massive bruise on my hip and shin and am overall a bit sore, but nothing is broken and I have my gear to credit for that!

The Buddy has some scuffs but otherwise should be ok. It did really well!

This was just a reminder to me that you never know what will happen out there! This was my first crash, and I hope none of you end up on the pavement, but if you do, a little gear goes a long way!

Safe scooting!

Corsair · Post by **Corsair** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:52 am

wow! So sorry you went down but it's amazing to hear how well your gear held up and prevented you from having serious injuries. Glad to hear you and your Buddy are doing good.

trevo_man · Post by **trevo_man** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:54 am

Sorry to hear about the mishap. Thankfully you (and buddy) escaped virtually unscathed. Good point though, bad things can happen where you would least expect them.

lojical1 · Post by **lojical1** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:54 am

Wow monstergirl, glad to see and hear that you are all in one piece after all of that. I wish all the people I see riding around out here with no gear at all could read your post.

Liz C · Post by **Liz C** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:19 am

Monster, oh no! That is too scary to think about. What corner in SeaTown did this happen? Not the most Buddiful riding conditions around Puget Sound lately. Wet, windy, cold, and potholes all OVER. After Monday and Tuesday I baled on riding. You are braver than I.
Take it easy, drink lotsa water, get a note from a doc to stay home if you can. And while you're recuperating, maybe watch The World's Fastest Indian, a LOVELY sorta scooter movie.

-LC

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:22 am

Wow, a slide that took out a helmet and jacket? I'm glad you are ok, this makes me feel a bit more needy for a armor padded jacket for motorcycles, thanks for the info and glad you are ok!

How's the buddy? A goner? Or will she live to ride another day?

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:23 am

Thats crazy you skid under some dude's van & he didn't even notice, what a retard!

It also surprised me that your bud was still running while it was on the ground... my automatically shut off (both times I've laid it down), then it wouldn't start for a bit, cuz the oil gets up around the cylinder or something like that. Anyways, glad your relatively unharmed, CONSIDERING...

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:29 am

Liz C wrote:Monster, oh no! That is too scary to think about. What corner in SeaTown did this happen? Not the most Buddiful riding conditions around Puget Sound lately. Wet, windy, cold, and potholes all OVER. After Monday and Tuesday I baled on riding. You are braver than I.
Take it easy, drink lotsa water, get a note from a doc to stay home if you can. And while you're recuperating, maybe watch The World's Fastest Indian, a LOVELY sorta scooter movie.

-LC

The weather definitely has been miserable! But I get free parking at work if I'm on two wheels, so there's a good incentive. It's only about 5 miles, so I'm usually just a bit cold once I get there.

This happened up under the West Seattle Bridge. I try to take the lower bridge to avoid the crazy traffic above, but the roads are definitely crappy with a lot of oil/diesel/etc.

I worked most of today, but definitely am exhausted now! It takes a bit for the body to get back to normal. Thanks for the well wishes!

Gimpy · Post by **Gimpy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:54 am

Glad your okay and relatively unharmed, thank goodness for protective gear! I laid mine down last week and pretty much walked away unhurt, I had on gear also. I learned about protective gear during my motocross (stupid) years.
My Buddy never shut down either and kept running. A few scratches on the Bud and the bod but can't say I enjoyed mimicking road kill. We are still rolling and grooving the ride ( does that show my age or what) but watching for that man-eating pea gravel.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:56 am

Just a small lay down I recently had, and my buddy shut off right away, I think the gas was cut off, did you have a full/near full tank?

Gimpy · Post by **Gimpy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:04 am

Don't know if the question was directed at me, but yes, I had a full tank at the time.

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:04 am

jfrost2 wrote:Just a small lay down I recently had, and my buddy shut off right away, I think the gas was cut off, did you have a full/near full tank?

Yep, I had actually just filled it up on my way home the previous evening. Not sure why some turn off and others don't, kinda weird.

maribell · Post by **maribell** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:07 am

Glad you're alright!

Mine kept running when I laid it down...

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:35 am

MonsterGirl wrote:...I went about 10 feet and up under a van that was stopped at the crosswalk. Just as I came to a halt under the van, he started to pull foward, running over my foot (and possibly my leg, not sure how it all went).

MonsterGirl, we are so glad you are okay! Thank goodness you were wearing safety gear. I guess you know that helmets are only good for one crash. You definitely need a new one now. Sounds like the rest of your gear and your body took a pretty good pounding, too. You've survived a pretty brutal crash, so rest up and get better.

Whew!

Liz C · Post by **Liz C** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:47 am

Engine shutting off or not... my laydown was on the left side and Buddy's engine kept running. Left/right make a difference in y'all's experience?

ScooterTrash · Post by **ScooterTrash** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:08 am

wow, a lot of you have laid em down

. Directed to TP rider - have you laid yours down twice already?

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:35 am

um... maaayybeee.... Okay, so once I did it while swerving to avoid a cat in my neighborhood (only about 40mph), the second time I wasn't moving at all! It was like a weird non-moving trip where I was standing beside my scooter pushing it, lost my balance and (literally) 'laid' my bud down, ever so lightly. no damage. Anyways, BOTH times it was to the left, and BOTH times the engine shut off... I don't really remember the gas level the second time, but the first one had to be about half a tank (cuz I only had like 50 miles on 'er!)...

Maybe air gets into the lines or something, I don't really know how all that works. So you don't have to replace your helmet for minor stuff right? Cuz I don't think I have an extra c-note lying around... Mine just has some scratches along the left side where I slid across the ground, but I just painted over them. They weren't very deep, but there could have been some 'unseeable' damage. I dunno.

Weird about the engine shut off thing, it must have something to do with air tho, Anyone lay theirs down on full and the engine cut off?

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:25 am

KRUSTYburger wrote:Okay, so once I did it while swerving to avoid a cat in my neighborhood (only about 40mph)...

...So you don't have to replace your helmet for minor stuff right? Cuz I don't think I have an extra c-note lying around... Mine just has some scratches along the left side where I slid across the ground, but I just painted over them. They weren't very deep, but there could have been some 'unseeable' damage. I dunno.

I totally hear you, but as soon as you do have some extra bux, it's the safe thing to do. Those scratches you describe may be enough to make a weak spot (like scoring glass before you break it) where the helmet would break if it took a really hard hit and that's when you would need it the most.

Please be careful out there. Even one crash is one crash too many! And did I read correctly that you were only going 40 MPH when you crashed?!?

FLMINI1048 · Post by **FLMINI1048** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:10 pm

Wow, glad to hear you're alright! Thanks for the reminder on wearing the gear. I think some folks get complacent and think that nothing can happen to them on a scooter.....after all, it's only a scooter.

EP_scoot · Post by **EP_scoot** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:53 pm

WOW Monster, glad you are OK.
Under a van? That sounds like a bad scenario. Not sure if I understood this right, but you said your slide was 10 feet? If so, that is a huge endorsement to wear the right gear! If all that can happen in a 10 feet slide, think about 20, 30 . . .

Take it easy when you get back on the scoot . . . after a fall like that you will probably be jittery (specially on wet roads) and you might be like that for a while, but eventually your confidence builds up again.

madtolive · Post by **madtolive** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:10 pm

+1 on all the well-wishes, Monster, I'm so sorry you went down, but I'm glad you weren't very seriously hurt! So how's your foot/leg? Have you gotten checked out by a doctor?

DouglasLive · Post by **DouglasLive** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:18 pm

My boss went down on his motorcycle yesterday when a dog jumped in front of him. Here's the tally:

* 6 broken ribs
* broken left shoulder blade
* broken left cheek bone
* concussion
* eight stitches in his head
* four stitches on the inside of his mouth

As far as I know, he was wearing a helmet and not much else.

Certainly made me MUCH more attentive while tooling around the village yesterday on my Bud.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:40 pm

hey monster! glad to hear you're relatively unscathed, but you really should go to the doctor and see if you have a concussion. when i put my scooter down (same situation as you, except for the under the truck part <g>), i felt fine, but went to the doctor cuz i hit my head (again, not as yours sounded). i had a concussion. get checked out. and take a day off to rest up. the adrenaline that gets pumped up at those times can mask real injuries, for a while.

take care, neighbor.

polianarchy · Post by **polianarchy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:51 pm

Yikes, MonsterGirl! I'm so glad you're relatively alright, and that people stopped to help.

To everyone who's crashed, ericalm created a thread entitled, "Who's Crashed?" with a brief survey to help educate us all on the realities of crashing our scooters. If you have a minute, please consider posting a comment about your "crash" even if you (or the Buddy!) weren't badly hurt. I for one find the thread to be a good source of reminders on what to do when the worst happens: topic635.html

As a sneak preview, here are the survey questions:

1. Which Buddy (50/125) was crashed? Color?
2. Was the crash due to rider error? What time of day did it occur?
3. Could the crash have been avoided?
4. Was the rider injured?
5. What was the damage to the Buddy?
6. Cost of repairs, if any?
7. Does the rider have a motorcycle permit, license or neiher?
8. Had the rider completed the MSF course?
9. Was the rider the scooter's owner?
10. How fast was the rider going?
11. How far was the rider from home?

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:35 pm

Yes, I did go to the doctor and I just have some awesome bruises and a pretty stiff neck/shoulder area. Nothing broken or warranted x-rays.

The helmet is definitely getting replaced as I'm sure it smacked the ground pretty well (the bruise on my hip is a good indicator too). I have a nice new one already on order from the nice guys at Ducati Seattle. I took the opportunity to order new gear too. The padding on the hips just wasn't enough, my new pants will have hard armor there too. Gear has gotten a lot better for women in the few years since I ordered my rain gear, so I'm excited to have even better protection (and comfort)!

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:47 pm

Glad you're ok Monster... so sorry to hear about the wreck.

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 4:48 pm

glad to hear you're basically intact there, monster.

i'm a firm believer in good chiropractic care and even more so when the body has been tossed about in violent and unnatural ways. an out of alignment body is a hurtin' thang.

KRUSTYburger · Post by **KRUSTYburger** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:12 pm

jrsjr wrote:...did I read correctly that you were only going 40 MPH when you crashed?!?

yeah, well I did skid on the brakes a bit, so when I hit the ground I was probably only going about 30-ish. The bud did all the sliding, I was more like rolling... I didn't really hit my head much at all, my knees took on the initial landing so they got kinda jacked up. I dislocated my toe somehow, but I fixed that right away with a wooden clothespin and some tape! OH YEAH!

scullyfu · Post by **scullyfu** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:25 pm

KRUSTYburger wrote:I dislocated my toe somehow, but I fixed that right away with a wooden clothespin and some tape! OH YEAH!

you are a hoot, kiddo!

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:41 pm

I'm thinkin' the only time I do 40 is when I'm coming into the driveway...

--Keys

MonsterGirl · Post by **MonsterGirl** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:48 pm

KRUSTYburger wrote:So you don't have to replace your helmet for minor stuff right?

Sorry, I also highly reccommend you replace your helmet. You don't have to spend a ton to get a perfectly safe helmet. If your helmet has touched the ground with your head in it (and it's recommended you replace it if you drop it too), you definitely need to replace it as the foam on the inside has compressed to absorb the impact.

This is a good link to learn a lot about how it all works: http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearb ... index.html

jmazza · Post by **jmazza** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:55 pm

Keys wrote:I'm thinkin' the only time I do 40 is when I'm coming into the driveway...

--Keys

What about school zones?

Kidding folks... just kidding...

She-Buddy · Post by **She-Buddy** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:11 pm

Whoa. Close call, Monster. So glad you seem to be doing well.

I tell 'ya. I've been making myself a list of all the jackets and gear everyone's been recommending and I'll be sure I'm armored before I start compiling miles (or feet!).

Oil slicks - BAD
Rain - BAD
Monster - CHAMP!

heavypetting · Post by **heavypetting** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:46 pm

Hooray for protective gear! Glad to hear everything turned out okay.

weaseltamer · Post by **weaseltamer** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:29 pm

after my accident (slightly sideways rear end type) the buddy slid/landed on the right side and it kept running and the blinker kept blinking. and i had to be held down to keep from getting up to look at my baby.

Modern Buddy

Buddy Down!

Buddy Down!

Re: Buddy Down!