Modern Buddy

I thought I'd share this story.

First of all, I'll qualify this by saying that I'm prone to very, very infrequent panic or anxiety attacks. I mean, I get one once or twice a year. I've never sought out medication or anything, but if anyone has had one you know it can be quite frightening and once it starts happening it can kind of snowball and you think you might pass out because you kind of forget to breathe.

Anyway, I ride with some motorcycle buddies and while we mostly stick to 35 - 45 mph roads, we do this one ride that requires about five miles of 55 mph speed limit. Being fairly new to scooting, I don't particularly like to go fast. My Blur is more fun on the twisties anyway. I'm always a bit nervous going that fast, but it's never been a problem on the Blur or my previous ride.

So, Sunday morning we set out and about halfway into the 55mph stretch I totally have a panic attack, had to slow down and almost pulled off and shut the engine. I didn't though, because I know it will pass, and when it did I sped up and promptly started to panic again. Slowed down again.

I made it, we did our usual stop, then headed back out on the road. All the time I'm asking myself what would cause me to panic. A few miles down the road, I figured out what the cause was.

Recently I installed a windsheild on the Blur and the top of it is right at the bottom edge of my field of vision. As I sped up, it wobbled back and fourth faster and faster. I wear a full face, and I looked up a bit so the windshield was out of view. No panic, though I was still a bit worried about having another attack!

I figure the increasing rate of vibration on the windshield, the increasing speed and my rising tension (which I'm usually able to control) combined to lead to a freak out.

So, I was passing on this story and wondering if anyone else has freaked out after a close call or just out of the clear blue? What did you do about it? Anyone else been bothered by a flapping windshield?

I almost crashed last night… I was driving home from West Seattle and hit a big bump in the road that I didn’t see at around 50-55 mph… I got launched up off the seat, but held onto the handle bars and kept it rubber-side down. I yelled in my full face helmet “HOLY EXPLATIVE!” and did a little “YEE HAW!!!” It was really exciting… I like danger, kind of the opposite reaction…

KCScooterDude wrote:So, I was passing on this story and wondering if anyone else has freaked out after a close call or just out of the clear blue? What did you do about it? Anyone else been bothered by a flapping windshield?

Oh yeah. Long ugly story. Huge panic attack. Same situation as yours. The panic is caused by trying to keep up with your friends. So, for a while, don't try to keep up with your buddies. Just ride at your own pace until you get your confidence up.

You'll be fine.

-John

jrsjr wrote:

KCScooterDude wrote:So, I was passing on this story and wondering if anyone else has freaked out after a close call or just out of the clear blue? What did you do about it? Anyone else been bothered by a flapping windshield?

Oh yeah. Long ugly story. Huge panic attack. Same situation as yours. The panic is caused by trying to keep up with your friends. So, for a while, don't try to keep up with your buddies. Just ride at your own pace until you get your confidence up.

You'll be fine.

-John

Great advice. Nothing can get a rider into trouble quicker than trying to keep up with another rider. Ride your own ride and meet up with everyone at the appointed place.

My husband always rides behind me. Even when we started out, and I was real slow he followed me on his motorcycle and let me set the pace and make the decisions about where we went and when we stopped and go-ed. Instead of trying to keep up with him I even felt it was a little extra protection for my back so it was one less thing I had to worry about when we were out. Now he still follows, but every now and then I have the urge to punch him (gently, of course) because he is not always as attentive as I would prefer, and he can tailgate a little. The other day I was signaling and pulling into an excellent spot on the Plaza over by Better Cheddar and Three Dog Bakery because he had just been complaining about being hungry. So I think, "I love the complainer, so let's stop and see if he wants to grab something to eat now or wait until we get home." As we (i.e. I) are pulling in he is giving me "the look", and I said, "What? I had my blinker on!" And the three ladies walking by gave appreciative laughs and empathetic smiles!

Anyway, I also have a family history fraught with anxiety. Mine is mostly controlled, but I have had some of those minor WTF??? moments, but since they aren't full-blown panic attacks I just do a little breathing and some self-talk (umm. . .yes, I am a counselor in my other life before I step into the phone booth to change into Super-Buddhina Driver!) even though it sounds cheesy. That usually works, but there have been a couple of times when I was on a bridge with texturing or in blow-me-across-the-road winds that I have had to just get someplace and pull over and rest for a bit because I know it's not safe to drive when your emotions are a-funk. I have noticed that I may get a little more jittery too when I am getting more fatigued from being out riding for a long time. This Saturday we were out for over six hours, and only a an hour or a little more was not riding time. I could tell I was getting fatigued on the way home, and boy was I glad to hit Ward Parkway and get closer to Buddina's stable!

We went down on the motorcycle on Brookside Blvd. last fall when a college kid on a cell phone blew a stop sign right as we were in front of him. Lucky for us, my husband is a pretty good rider (shhhhhh. . .don't let him see this! ) But from the passenger's position I saw the whole thing unfold as we laid the bike down, and my husband's head bounced off the ground. Yep, thank doG for helmets. The kids tried to drive off, until one of them must have guilted the driver into stopping several blocks away and coming back. Ever since then I have NO faith that anyone is actually stopping, staying stopped, not turning left in front of me, or otherwise doing something that might kill me. It's not always the way I wish it was because I tend to be a weensy bit more cautious than the average bear when we are riding (i.e. pausing before I turn left at our signal just to "make sure" the other cars aren't zipping forward, slowing for stop-sign pushers, and such), but my husband has told me that you should never stop expecting those crazy things. Thing is, he likes the challenge. I like the smell of the honeysuckle and the sound of the birds, and the sight of the squirrels frolicking in the grass. I could do without the idea of crashing. . . But at least he respects my caution because it has saved us more than a couple of times in the last nine months since we adopted Buddina. A few weeks ago we had a green light for a left turn off of State Line onto 119th Street, and if I had been just a second quicker on the throttle the guy going southbound (WHO RAN HIS RED LIGHT AS HE GUNNED IT OFF THE LINE) would have run right over my right side. Not good.

Hmmm. . .if I think about it too much I might just nap with my doggies on the weekends instead of being on the roads, so I do my little self-talk, throw my talismen in my pockets and off we go! And. . .ummm. . .we are trying to make a baby, but we are still on the road. We figure a baby of ours better be tough!

So, I know your friends may not be the husbandly-type who would ride behind you and not speed-demon ahead , and I don't know if you can ride with them without catching grief for taking it slow sometimes, but I agree with everyone who said that taking your own time and going at a rate that makes you feel safe and stopping to catch your breath and organize your thoughts when you need to stop is the safest thing to do. After that textured bridge and feeling like Buddhina was shimmying out from underneath me I was in tears and had to collect my thoughts.

I'm sure you will be racing along at top speeds soon, but if you ever need an "excuse" (i.e. "I was stuck behind the slow Buddy, so what could I do??? ) look for the Cream Queen. Every now and then we will go 45, but we love it when we are on roads like 63rd where the speed limit is 25 so we can lollygag and enjoy the scenery instead of hanging on with a death-grip while bugs splat on us!

Oh, P.S., of course we feel best driving speedier and in windier weather and such on paths we are very familiar with.

Safe trip(s)!

I usually am pretty even keeled. I wouldn't say I freaked out per se, but a few weeks ago I was driving a country road at night with me brother on the back and out of nowhere there was a 5 foot long stick across the road that was about 3 inches in diameter. I didn't have enough time to do anything but hit it...was going about 50...BANG!!!. I yelled "WHOA!" really loud and kept on going. Yoshi handled it great, but it was still disconcerting thinking about if I had damaged something, and the fact that it happened so fast was a good lesson learned that you have to be alert at all times and ready to make a split-second decision if need be.

I had a "holy cuss" moment on Sunday in a group ride. We were riding a really nice, tight formation with a lot of very experienced Stella guys. I was accelerating to move up and fill a gap in the formation when we came into a really tight turn. I wasn't set up for it at all and right in the middle of it, in my track of the lane, was a bunch of loose gravel! I ended up drifting the turn wide, across the double lines into the oncoming lane, only to dodge another big patch of gravel. All of this at probably 50+ mph. Thankfully there wasn't any traffic coming the other way. I wasn't the only scoot on that side of the formation to end up wide, so I didn't feel like a total noob boob. Scary though.

The worst part was that little freezing moment of panic I had in the middle of it. I was looking at the road instead of looking through the turn and that was half my problem. Thank the Maker I made it through unscathed.

Don't feel bad sometimes when I start riding like today a concrete truck had it's extension arm concrete poring thingie swinging all over the place as it turned a corner. i have to remember to keep breathing and not panic. but those windshield are too noisy for me and i feel it obstructs my vision too.Also remember where your comfort level is and if there is a group ride you don't feel ready for go your own pace!

I used to freak out a lot even without riding anything.
Turned out it was all the heavy boozing and caffine use...
Now I don't do either anymore, and unless there's a close call onna road I'm usually as calm as a cow!

Ditto to both of y'all. I just dealt with my anxiety & panic coming home from the NYC Scooter Block Party. Sigh. I'm still not ready to ride and haven't been since Monday. Hopefully I'll be ready to go by next week, because I miss riding. I'm feeling really emo about it right now, because riding season just started and my one scooter friend is itching to go ride, and I've flaked out all week.

jrsjr wrote:

KCScooterDude wrote:So, I was passing on this story and wondering if anyone else has freaked out after a close call or just out of the clear blue? What did you do about it? Anyone else been bothered by a flapping windshield?

Oh yeah. Long ugly story. Huge panic attack. Same situation as yours. The panic is caused by trying to keep up with your friends. So, for a while, don't try to keep up with your buddies. Just ride at your own pace until you get your confidence up.

You'll be fine.

-John

Wow, lots of great replies. Thanks.

I don't think my anxiety came from keeping up with the others. I think it had more to do with what was going on with the speed issue. I think, maybe, it's best not to look at the speedo and just concentrate on the road. Windshield had an effect too, to be sure. Probably just that rising tension.

Anyway, haven't had an issue since, and I've been riding a lot this week.

polianarchy wrote:Ditto to both of y'all. I just dealt with my anxiety & panic coming home from the NYC Scooter Block Party. Sigh. I'm still not ready to ride and haven't been since Monday. Hopefully I'll be ready to go by next week, because I miss riding. I'm feeling really emo about it right now, because riding season just started and my one scooter friend is itching to go ride, and I've flaked out all week.

jrsjr wrote:

KCScooterDude wrote:So, I was passing on this story and wondering if anyone else has freaked out after a close call or just out of the clear blue? What did you do about it? Anyone else been bothered by a flapping windshield?

Oh yeah. Long ugly story. Huge panic attack. Same situation as yours. The panic is caused by trying to keep up with your friends. So, for a while, don't try to keep up with your buddies. Just ride at your own pace until you get your confidence up.

You'll be fine.

-John

Hang in there. I've gotten back on the horse and I've been doing fine. I started out slow on neighborhood streets before hitting any traffic situation.

Drumwoulf wrote:I used to freak out a lot even without riding anything.
Turned out it was all the heavy boozing and caffine use...
Now I don't do either anymore, and unless there's a close call onna road I'm usually as calm as a cow!

Caffine use is a big issue for me, too. I bet if you tested my blood every hour for a month the stuff would never be out of my system. Leads to fatigue issues too.

runtotorun121 wrote: Anyway, I also have a family history fraught with anxiety. Mine is mostly controlled, but I have had some of those minor WTF??? moments, but since they aren't full-blown panic attacks I just do a little breathing and some self-talk (umm. . .yes, I am a counselor in my other life before I step into the phone booth to change into Super-Buddhina Driver!) even though it sounds cheesy. That usually works, but there have been a couple of times when I was on a bridge with texturing or in blow-me-across-the-road winds that I have had to just get someplace and pull over and rest for a bit because I know it's not safe to drive when your emotions are a-funk. I have noticed that I may get a little more jittery too when I am getting more fatigued from being out riding for a long time. This Saturday we were out for over six hours, and only a an hour or a little more was not riding time. I could tell I was getting fatigued on the way home, and boy was I glad to hit Ward Parkway and get closer to Buddina's stable!

I'm sure you will be racing along at top speeds soon, but if you ever need an "excuse" (i.e. "I was stuck behind the slow Buddy, so what could I do??? ) look for the Cream Queen. Every now and then we will go 45, but we love it when we are on roads like 63rd where the speed limit is 25 so we can lollygag and enjoy the scenery instead of hanging on with a death-grip while bugs splat on us!

Oh, P.S., of course we feel best driving speedier and in windier weather and such on paths we are very familiar with.

Safe trip(s)!

Must be something in the water here! Anxiety runs in my family too. Mom and one sister particularly. Like you, I'm able to talk myself out of a full blown attack. Once I knew what they were and that they'd pass I really haven't had a problem - just a few each year. Counting backwards from 100 helps for me.

You mentioned bridges. I have felt a panic coming on a few times when driving (a car) over a bridge on sunny days passing through light and shadow between the ironwork. Trees can do the same thing in late afternoon.

Thanks for your comments. I'll keep an eye out for you two. I'm near 83rd and Mission and I'm often in the Brookside area. Favorite drive is Lee Boulevard. I've got a gray Blur.

KCScooterDude wrote: Thanks for your comments. I'll keep an eye out for you two. I'm near 83rd and Mission and I'm often in the Brookside area. Favorite drive is Lee Boulevard. I've got a gray Blur.

LOL. WE are 95th and Wornall. Sunday I finally took my husband down 63rd Street west from Ward Parkway since it is such a pretty drive. We love the Waldo/Brookside neighborhoods often too. Last weekend we made a loop and were out for six or seven hours. We went down to Freedom Cycles in Grandview then up to M&M Sports in Raytown/Independence and then up and across to the City Market so we could cross the river and get onto North Oak Trafficway and go to Motorcycle (something or another) to look for a jacket for my husband. Finally we dropped back down Oak and came on home some neat way, but I'm not sure I can replicate it!

We didn't make it to ScooterWorld until after our 63rd Street trip, so we window-peeked since it was Sunday. And speaking of, in another thread the kennelkeeper is organizing a ride to meet people on June 21 starting at Scooterworld, going for coffee, and then over to the City Market. He said to PM him if anyone is interested so he can get a head count. Let me know if you can't find the thread but want to go, and I will point you down the yellow brick road.

I rode to work today for the first time since Monday, and it was glorious. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you're feeling better, too.

The thing about panic attacks is to recognize them for what they are and try and talk yourself down. That can be hard to do, period, much less while actively riding a scooter at WOT. It's a learning process, right?

KCScooterDude wrote:

polianarchy wrote:Ditto to both of y'all. I just dealt with my anxiety & panic coming home from the NYC Scooter Block Party. Sigh. I'm still not ready to ride and haven't been since Monday. Hopefully I'll be ready to go by next week, because I miss riding. I'm feeling really emo about it right now, because riding season just started and my one scooter friend is itching to go ride, and I've flaked out all week.

Hang in there. I've gotten back on the horse and I've been doing fine. I started out slow on neighborhood streets before hitting any traffic situation.

runtotorun121 wrote:

KCScooterDude wrote: Thanks for your comments. I'll keep an eye out for you two. I'm near 83rd and Mission and I'm often in the Brookside area. Favorite drive is Lee Boulevard. I've got a gray Blur.

LOL. WE are 95th and Wornall. Sunday I finally took my husband down 63rd Street west from Ward Parkway since it is such a pretty drive. We love the Waldo/Brookside neighborhoods often too. Last weekend we made a loop and were out for six or seven hours. We went down to Freedom Cycles in Grandview then up to M&M Sports in Raytown/Independence and then up and across to the City Market so we could cross the river and get onto North Oak Trafficway and go to Motorcycle (something or another) to look for a jacket for my husband. Finally we dropped back down Oak and came on home some neat way, but I'm not sure I can replicate it!

We didn't make it to ScooterWorld until after our 63rd Street trip, so we window-peeked since it was Sunday. And speaking of, in another thread the kennelkeeper is organizing a ride to meet people on June 21 starting at Scooterworld, going for coffee, and then over to the City Market. He said to PM him if anyone is interested so he can get a head count. Let me know if you can't find the thread but want to go, and I will point you down the yellow brick road.

Motorcycle Closeouts!! I know it well. That's quite a ride, by the way.

I'm in for kennelkeeper's ride. I usually ride with the motorcycle people, so I'm anxious (in a good way) to ride with my own kind! Not sure if I know how to PM anyone, but I'll try to keep an eye out.

KCScooterDude wrote:
Motorcycle Closeouts!! I know it well. That's quite a ride, by the way.

I'm in for kennelkeeper's ride. I usually ride with the motorcycle people, so I'm anxious (in a good way) to ride with my own kind! Not sure if I know how to PM anyone, but I'll try to keep an eye out.

Yeah, that is it! I love the stretch of Burlington, and North Oak Trafficway is good, but I HATE THE BRIDGE!!!!

As for the ride and the PMing, just scan down until you find my thread on "Scooters, Rallies, and Alcohol." His post is in that thread. Then find his post and click on the little "PM" icon. That will take you to a window to type your message and send it through your mailbox. Then see that little "You have no new messages" up in the upper right corner of the screen now? You should get an email notification, a little pop-up notifier window, and if you don't catch those it will change up there in the right corner to say if you have a message.

Anyway, just PM him if you want to meet up! Hope to see you there. We made a run over there tonight and back in the hurricane-force winds. . .

polianarchy wrote:Ditto to both of y'all. I just dealt with my anxiety & panic coming home from the NYC Scooter Block Party. Sigh. I'm still not ready to ride and haven't been since Monday. Hopefully I'll be ready to go by next week, because I miss riding. I'm feeling really emo about it right now, because riding season just started and my one scooter friend is itching to go ride, and I've flaked out all week.



You'll be fine.

-John

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poli, ride like you're a noobie. short easy rides around the block and hood and biuld from there? what'd you say?

louie wrote:poli, ride like you're a noobie. short easy rides around the block and hood and biuld from there? what'd you say?

Thanks, louie! I'm back to riding, but I do think that I'm going to limit my long rides to the quiet back roads. I learned something from my freak out, and it's very important information to me. "Know thyself," right?

poli- what happened at the nyc rally that stole a bit of your mojo? did i miss something?

madtolive wrote:poli- what happened at the nyc rally that stole a bit of your mojo? did i miss something?

Nothing! I got freaked out on the ride home by the strong winds and the nutso traffic, plus I was still worn out from the ride up and all the rally rides. Next time, I'm renting a trailer.

polianarchy wrote:

madtolive wrote:poli- what happened at the nyc rally that stole a bit of your mojo? did i miss something?

Nothing! I got freaked out on the ride home by the strong winds and the nutso traffic, plus I was still worn out from the ride up and all the rally rides. Next time, I'm renting a trailer.

to chattanooga, right?
we'll have 2 librarians with us for you to play with. um with whom you can play.

louie wrote:

polianarchy wrote:

madtolive wrote:poli- what happened at the nyc rally that stole a bit of your mojo? did i miss something?

Nothing! I got freaked out on the ride home by the strong winds and the nutso traffic, plus I was still worn out from the ride up and all the rally rides. Next time, I'm renting a trailer.

to chattanooga, right?
we'll have 2 librarians with us for you to play with. um with whom you can play.

*Shakes magic 8 ball* It's too soon to tell!