Passing a transport truck

[slick97spirit]

I was following a semi a little too closely in my younger (dumber) years in my pickup and he ran over a gator that was about 4' long. This thing flew up in the air and struck my grill just below my hood. You would have thought that I had run head on into a concrete pole.

Taught me a valuable lesson. I steer very clear of semi's when I'm on the scoot. I can't imagine what would have happened if that thing had hit the middle of my fairing.

[Bummer]

Not long ago I was driving the cage on the interstate loop around the city, on the way home from work. I wasn't on the bike, so I was being a bit more casual about passing a semi loaded with a couple of John Deere tractors. As I passed him one of his tie downs broke. The handle, about the size of a 14" pipe wrench, embedded itself in my windshield.

 

While I've been concerned about 'gators for years, this added all the stuff on, in, and around the truck to my list. I no longer pass casually, no matter what I'm on or in.

[Guest Ken8143]

Two gater experiences - my wife was following an 18 wheeler down a highway and notices he swerves to the left a bit. So she does too. There it was - a gator in the left wheel track. Luckily she straddled it and it thumped under the car something awful. Didn't do much damage but is was a close thing - lucky she straddled it.

 

And in the car I have been close when a tire let loose. It surprised me how loud it sounded.

[wes0778]

Yes. He was sitting on the edge of the tire with the hose clipped on it smoking a cigarette with the tire laying down and the ring facing up. It blew. He didnt have the ring seated properly and it blew up and hit him in the head.

 

I've had to do some with out a cage too, but wrapped 4 chains through the middle of the tire and hooked them as tight as I could, 'cause by the time you realize it's gonna blow it already did...

[oldgoat]

wow glad your ok. dont know if any one ever seen or heard of this as a kid. i worked at a old tire shop. a man brought in a semi tire. my boss got the old tire off. put one back one the rim. and took it outside. he then poured what looked like lighter fuid lit it an boom:scared: it sealed it to the rim. i had to go get some more fruit of the looms. after that.. he also did this once with ether? it blew right trough the garage door. that day i quit. a week latter i heard he tried to start a car with ether and blew the heads off.. im talking about a guy who would also smoke while he worked under a car with a leaking gas tank.