Finanlly got hit today....and won!

[Snaggletooth]

Grab a beverage, there ain't no easy way, or short one to explain my day.

 

Voices in your head are good. Yes they are!

 

I woke up this morning and had things to get done, but I had this lil voice in my head telling me to just stay home. Every time I'd think I need to run here or there I'd get this "JUST STAY HOME" thing bugging me. I kept busy around the place and got some stuff done in the basement and did some cleaning. It was progress anyway.

 

But, I had to stop in on a couple of my clients stores to check displays. So as it was pretty nice out I took the bike as I usually do.

 

I didn't get three blocks from my house and hit the red light at my first turn. I was several cars back so I had to wait for a chance to turn after the green turn arrow went off and oncoming traffic went through. I had what looked like a clear shot after that and started my left turn. A car coming from my right side ran his red light at about 40 mph and missed me as I slammed to stop. Not easy in the middle of a turn and with that danged voice yelling "I told you to stay home!"

 

I didn't know it yet but I should have gone home. I was only three blocks away.

 

I gathered myself and headed on down the road to Interstate 80 and got on East bound headed for Iowa. Normally a 15 mile ride to the first stop. The local road crews have been hard at work again doing resurfacing and they had a new stretch about 100 yards long where they had been grinding the surface again. I hate that stuff because they suck at it here. Deep and wobbly grooves and it can take a bit to keep it rolling straight through it. Checked my mirrors and dropped my speed a bit and rolled into it. I checked the mirrors again and another bike was coming up fast on my tail. I still doing 60 and he's gaining. I try to move to the outside a bit and I look again and he's right there against my right saddlebag . I mean less than a foot away. I hit the end of the rough stuff and jazzed it hard and pulled away form him. He did not try to pass me again. He must have known how I felt about him at that point.

 

And that danged voice was rattling on and on and on. OH! Shut up!

 

So I'm making progress, about half way to my first stop.

 

Now there is another section of construction at the 13 St. Exit. I'm in my left through lane and nobody on my six. Cool. I have one car in front of me on my right doing about 55. Seems to be doing ok so I move to pass. About the time I get even with her rear bumper I see the left turn signal come on and I get one blink and she's moving into my lane. Jeesh! I hit the brakes and the horn and she swerves back into her lane and slows down. Ok, get around this one. I start to pass again and she swerves right back against me. I'm braking and moving to the breakdown lane and the same time and she just rolls on. I caught back up to her in about a 1/2 mile ahead and pulled up on her right side. Yep, what I figured. Texting!

 

And the voice is saying "I told ya so." Yeah, yeah....I'm riding. Leave me alone.

 

Ah ha! My exit. A couple hundred yards and I'm good. So I make it to the parking lot and I stop at the cross walk in front of Sam's to let the busy shoppers roll back to their cages with their hard won supplies. Got a parking spot in my sights and I'm thrilled to be there. I made it.

 

Now I'm sitting there with the bike in 1st and waiting for a clear shot. All of a sudden I'm shooting forward. Kind of thrown against my backrest and going ahead. I thought I'd slipped off the clutch lever but my hands were still on the grips. Only went a few feet but is was a bit of a surprise. Totally unplanned!

 

I looked in the mirrors and there was nothing there, nutttin, nobody, nada. Very odd. I threw down the kickstand and leaned it over to get off and there were people running towards me. What the heck! I get off and turn around and there was the reason for my rear end jolt. A frigging scooter. A lil bitty scooter. And a lil old codger laying next to it. He had a couple of decades on me so I'll call lil and old. And dumb. No helmet, no gloves and a T shirt. At least he didn't have sandals on.

 

He's bellowing about his wrist being broke and his knee is bleeding. He's being a PITA about his "bike" and why I had stopped at the cross walk. I'd been there of about a minute so he had time to see me for sure.

 

One of the folks that came over called for the EMT's and the police. They actually showed up in pretty good time for a parking lot accident. Two of the witnesses told me and the LEO that the codger had come out of a parking lane and never slowed down while turning in behind me. He was dragging both his feet on the ground the whole time. An experienced rider, I think not.

 

I wandered over to the EMT's as they were looking at him. Nothing broken and just a scraped knee. He's gonna live. The scooter, probably not. Those things aren't made very well.

 

I looked at him and said, "You are the reason I was supposed to stay home today."

 

The voice said "That's telling him." Ah shut up!

 

The last thing I heard out of the lil voice was "I told ya so! You never listen to me!"

 

So looking over my bike I had a smudge on the rear light bar. Nuttin bent, broken or damaged. Almost a 900 lb bike VS scooter= I win.

 

Ya know, I don't wanna sound like a wussy but I took a different way home. Long way around, mostly side streets. Spidey Sense was on full blast. I'm taking the cage to work tomorrow. 45's in the glove box.

 

Bring 'em on!

 

I'm proud. I survived my first ever motorcycle accident involving another vehicle.

 

Alive, well and looking for the meds to deal with the lil voice.

 

Mike

[BIG TOM]

You can get meds to stop the voices ? Now you tell me....

[dingy]

It's a good day then!

 

 

Gary

[ragtop69gs]

Some day's are better spent in bed, eh? Watch out, that old coot will probably want to sue you for stopping at the crosswalk.

 

I'm happy that neither you, nor your scoot sustained any damage

[Yammer Dan]

Afraid I'd lonely without the voices!!!

 

Glad you came out OK!!!

[Preacher Dude]

When I feel that I should stay home I do or not go some where I dont. Sure glad you were not hurt. Maybe the old kid will stay off the scooter now. I bet someone has already told him to sell it. You be Blessed

[Snaggletooth]

Afraid I'd lonely without the voices.

 

I don't mind the voice so much but it sounds like my ex-wife. Maybe I should have given her the meds.

[friesman]

I am so glad that youre ok, (and the old Guy, too...)

 

Next time you should listen to the lil voice, sometimes they seem to know what they are talking about...lol

 

Brian

[darthandy]

Glad you're OK. As for the voices...sounds like it may have been an echo of the louder voices talking to the old man.

 

Andy

[Pegasus1300]

Listen to the voices:backinmyday:.If I had I wouldn't be out a bike, recovering from a broken wrist,or watching my wife go thru agonizing Physical therapy. I am soooo glad you're not listening had such minor consequences for both of you.

[Phoneman1981]

Glad you are okay.

[hog]

I here you pal,I had one of those days a while back when it seemed everyone was out to test either my riding abilities or my patience.Aparently thank God my riding ability must be better than my patience because my bike and I survived both instances unharmed.The first test came when a guy stopped at a stop sign kept creeping close to the intersection on a curve I was on and some little voice in the back of my head said to me watch this guy he is going to take off at the last minute and sure enough,zoom he floors it and pulls right in front of me ,luckily there was a parking lot to my right and I hit the brakes and went up in the parking lot to avoid hitting him broadside then I proceeded to downshift very quickly and got on it so I could pull beside him and give him the good old Clifornia one finger wave and he looks at me like what is your problem.Then later in the day after work I am sitting stopped at a stop sign waiting on traffic and I see this car pull up behind me and stop.I am sitting there waiting for cars to go by and the car behind me decides it is time to go and starts pushing me out into traffic then finally she realizes I am in front of her and stops.I Immediately put down my kickstand look at my bike,thank God my trailer hitch matched with her bumper and no damage but then I proceeded to go back to her car and in not such a polite way ask her where the hell did she get her drivers license as she was rolling up her window.Some days it is best to listen to that voice I guess.

[Yammer Dan]

And she went home and told hubby "I thought this crazy biker was going to attack me. I have no idea why!"

[Wizard765]

Wow close call. Could have been a lot worse. Thank's for sharing.. sometimes we should listen to the voices.. Glad you AND the BIKE are OK...

[bongobobny]

Sometimes the voices are our friend...

[etcswjoe]

Glad you are ok and thankfull the scooter dude is still alive. Sounds like my crash in 2000, two close calls because of idiots and my just turn around and go home voice was screaming but no I did not listen either and whack head on at 55.

[XV1100SE]

Mike - glad you are okay. Too many issues for such a short ride !

[Yamamike]

I don't mind the voice so much but it sounds like my ex-wife. Maybe I should have given her the meds.

 

You don't really need meds unless the bickering gets real bad!

Ride safe,

Mike