I almost hit a motorcyclist
on my way to work today
I was on a stretch of road
with a small rise and a tight curve
so you can’t truly see
what’s coming the other way
the motorcyclist was coming towards me
at the crest of the hill
to the left as I drive is the driveway
of the conservatory
to the right there is a rather large fence
around a property that used to be
a pottery shop
and now is a home for someone
who parks his dump trucks (plural)
in the driveway
the motorcyclist was pulling into the driveway
where the dump trucks are parked
just below the crest of the hill
on the outside of the curve
he should have stopped
as he headed towards the crest of the hill
to make sure that
traffic was clear coming in the other direction
before he turned….
but he didn’t….
we as motorcyclists
have a tendency towards
rolling stops
to avoid the work of balancing your bike
and putting your feet down
most specifically on stops
involving curves
hills when you are facing up
and
stop signs….
it’s apparently a real issue at intersections
I’ve been told that statistically
more motorcyclists get ticketed
for rolling stops
than anything else save speeding….
(contrary to the popular belief
that we get hit for loud pipes or
breach of helmet laws)
but this boob
didn’t even slow down
he just cut across the road in front of me
sort of gunning it….
when he realized that big silver thing
he was staring at
was the front grill
of the old woman mobile….
had I been going 10 over the speed limit
(which is also my wont)
I’d have hit him for sure
and it wouldn’t have been pretty
as it was I slammed on my brakes
I heard a screeching
that didn’t come from
the old woman mobile
and looked in the rear view mirror
in time to see the grill
of the truck behind me
who was doing well over
10 over
narrowly miss my back end…
and then the biker gets offa his bike
and flips me the bird….
my heart
she go
a pit
a pat!
sheesh!
this whole thing really bothered me
maybe cos I am attending a memorial
for fallen riders
on Sunday
maybe cos
even tho I’m on 3
I have a tendency towards
rolling stops
the same as everyone else
maybe because
I try to
no longer subscribe
to the thought
that the best defence
is an offence
and maybe because
I coulda killed that idjit
and even tho he was at fault
that even tho he spent all that money
making his machine all sleek
and low slung and fat and cool
and very little money on
protective leather
or a dot helmet
or boots
(there was none of the above)
and spent all that time and money
getting all those tattoo’s on his sleeves
and learning to ride
just as cool as Jesse James….
in his Converse sneakers
and tshirt
that in spite of all that….
if I’d have hit him head on like that
even at the speed limit
he’d have likely died
and I’d have had to carry that load
for the rest of my life….
I can only hope
I really learned a lesson today….
the question is
what lesson would it be?
