It doesn't matter what you do sometimes. While driving the cage I was hit head on in a trapped traffic situation quite a few years ago. I still at times see that Ford F100 grill getting bigger and bigger. It happened in a turn lane and I had no where to go.
Yesterday it was deja vu all over again. I was headed downtown to meet Krusty and crew for our ride and was stopped at a light in the left turn lane only 4 blocks from our meetup point. Around the corner comes this idiot in a brand new black Toyota Macho Magnifico Tundra pickup truck. He cut the corner and decided to come across my lane. I saw him coming and had no where to go and in that microsecond that your brain works faster than you thought possible realized I had two choices. One was quickly back up out of his way and I was already trying. Not enough time. Last was jump from the scooter onto his hood and try to roll across it. That grill was getting bigger and bigger. Quite impressive really. It put the old Ford F100 grill to shame. Scary big! Too close! I was centered on that grill! I never saw the driver, just grill. When I was about to jump he slammed on the brakes, turned the wheel and went around me with about an inch to spare and not slow. He waved as he went by and shook his head. I put a curse on him, his family and all future family members.
It was plain damn scary!
There was a witness in the lane next to me and his eyes were as big as saucers when I looked over at him. He just shook his head.
I couldn't tell you anything about the driver other than it was a male, but I know every detail of that grill.
Last night at about 9pm (well after dark) I was riding home and had some idiot in a SUV make a left in front of me, they were trying to beat oncoming traffic and apparently I did not make a big enough impression for them to worry about.
I am not exactly sure how I managed to grab the brakes, turn to the right AND hit the horn all at the same time, but I managed to go around her and just barely miss the ditch beyond her stop sign.
Took me about 30 minutes to get my heart back into my chest and my eyes back into their sockets.
Made me laugh a little when you said that you know every detail of that grill. I could only laugh because it ended up alright. I had a situation just the other day where someone looked as if they were going to pull out, and I went to hit the horn, and I missed. I wasn't panicked at all until I realized that I was pressing nothing. Luckily they didn't go, they just looked like they would.
I had a guy in a truck hit my truck at a stopped situation before. 4 way stop. He was turning left, and he cut all the way across into my lane. He actually came so far over that he hit the right side of my truck. Simple intersection too, just small two lane roads, only one car coming from any one direction, he just didn't see me, AT ALL. If I had been on the scooter I probably would've driven up over the curb.
Really, really glad he saw you, even though it was last minute.
DennisD wrote:I saw him coming and had no where to go and in that microsecond that your brain works faster than you thought possible realized I had two choices......... Last was jump from the scooter onto his hood and try to roll across it.
Geez, I wish I had a bionic hip that would allow me to jump from my scooter up onto the hood of a big truck! Pretty scary when your best option can result in serious injury.
Lil Buddy wrote:
Geez, I wish I had a bionic hip that would allow me to jump from my scooter up onto the hood of a big truck!
I don't know that I could have done it with the old one, but you know, fear and survival instinct together can do some surprising things. Thankful I didn't have to find out.
Very glad to read you posting this that you made it through ok, and that we aren't reading something really sad that Krusty may had to write on your behalf.
Whew, scary stuff. Stories like this have me 100% convinced it is way too easy to get a license in this country. Take a simple written exam, pass an astonishingly short road test and you are now legally licensed to operate a 3,000 lb machine capable of traveling at over 100mph.
Get this: In Green Bay many people are against the construction of round abouts. One argument put forth was that after Packer games the drunk drivers wouldn't be able to negotiate the turns (This argument came from somebody in local government) . Sooooooo........... let's make it easier for the drunk drivers, is that the best argument? As a scooterist and motorist this mentality scares the livin' $h1t out of me. I could go on about how lame Wisconsin's DUI laws are, but, I gotta go home. See ya all later.
Thanks all.
You know, for all the close calls, for the lapses on my part that could have hurt me, for the people we call various names for their unthinking actions toward us, I have realized that through everything
I do love to ride!
It is scary, exciting, adventurous, satisfying, tiring, and different.
DennisD wrote:I saw him coming and had no where to go and in that microsecond that your brain works faster than you thought possible realized I had two choices......... Last was jump from the scooter onto his hood and try to roll across it.
bionic hip Pretty scary when your best option can result in serious injury.
DennisD wrote:I saw him coming and had no where to go and in that microsecond that your brain works faster than you thought possible realized I had two choices......... Last was jump from the scooter onto his hood and try to roll across it.
bionic hip Pretty scary when your best option can result in serious injury.
