Alien
Member
Posts: 1382
Ride Safe, Be Kind
Earth
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« on: October 04, 2020, 08:19:44 AM » |
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Every Sunday morning, I go to the local donut shop and pick up ham and cheese crossiants for my girlfriend and I. The trick is to get there right at 6am when they come out of the oven. This morning, I decided to ride instead of taking my truck. As the Mothership with the 6 into 6 Cobras is a little rowdy to fire up at 6am on a Sunday and I actually like my neighbors, I took the KLR.
Went to the shop, got the croissants and started to make my way home. The sun was just coming up and there was no one out so I decided to go home the long way. This is a very familiar stretch of road for me but I hadn't been down it in a few weeks.
As I was slowing for a stop light, I registered that there were 4 steel plates in the road ahead of me going all the way to the crosswalk. These are the ones that public works lays down when they have to open the street to do maintenance on something.
Just in case they might be damp with morning dew. I got off the front brake and kept slowing with the rear. Well, they weren't damp with dew. They were covered with either grease or oil. The rear wheel locked and I made a split second decision to get off the brake and run the light (It was early and luckily, there was no traffic moving in the other direction.)
Ok, fine. Crisis averted, I made it safely across the intersection. Next thing, I hear a siren. Lights in the mirror confirm that I'm about to get a ticket for running the red light from one of our city's motor officers. Sigh. I pull over, already planning to explain to him that I really had no choice. It was either run the red light which, while illegal, was safe or stay within the bounds of the law and crash.
As I came to a stop, the officer pulled up alongside me and said "I was about 100 hundred yards behind you when I saw you run the light. I was just about to light you up when I hit those #$%ing steel plates. I want to let you know that I'm radioing in to get a crew to close that lane until it can be fixed. You be safe." With that, he U-turned and rode away.
The croissants were excellent!
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Valkorado
Member
Posts: 10497
VRCC DS 0242
Gunnison, Colorado (7,703') Here there be twisties.
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« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2020, 08:38:57 AM » |
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That's a pretty darned good morning right there! Let's hear it for the officer's keen observation and discretion!  |
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Have you ever noticed when you're feeling really good, there's always a pigeon that'll come sh!t on your hood? - John Prine 97 Tourer "Silver Bullet" 01 Interstate "Ruby"  |
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Crackerborn
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« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2020, 08:44:43 AM » |
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I dislike the dew covered version of steel plates so I can't begin to think what I would think of a grease covered one. Glad you met Officer Friendly rather than his cousin Officer Ticket. I had the cousin last week for not slowing appropriately for a yield sign despite there not being a soul on the road but he and I.
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Life is about the ride, not the destination. 97 Valkyrie Tour 99 Valkyrie Interstate  |
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cookiedough
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« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2020, 09:03:42 AM » |
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I dislike the dew covered version of steel plates so I can't begin to think what I would think of a grease covered one. Glad you met Officer Friendly rather than his cousin Officer Ticket. I had the cousin last week for not slowing appropriately for a yield sign despite there not being a soul on the road but he and I.
a yield to me is tap the brakes look both ways and where I live roll on thru 15-20 mph.... Not sure what the true LAW is of a yield sign slowing down is but around me, most yield signs are being taken down in favor of stop signs. I find that to be completely opposite of what we need around me more yield signs, less stop signs. A few years ago I told the village president and others on the village board to fix the darn near 1 foot potholes in the roads in my subdivision and make the manhole covers level with not 2-4 inch dropoffs in a select few in the middle of the roads. Told them if I get into an accident and crash my cycle or even my bicycle the village will pay for my medical and repair bills both. It must have worked for no more potholes and uneven manhole sewer covers in a few weeks after that. NO EXCUSE to have over 12 inch round and 10-12 inches deep sinkholes in the middle of a public small town road enough to bottom out vehicles let alone cycles/bicycles with kids around town. |
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Rams
Member
Posts: 16255
So many colors to choose from yet so few stand out
Covington, TN
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« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2020, 01:50:21 PM » |
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As I came to a stop, the officer pulled up alongside me and said "I was about 100 hundred yards behind you when I saw you run the light. I was just about to light you up when I hit those #$%ing steel plates. I want to let you know that I'm radioing in to get a crew to close that lane until it can be fixed. You be safe." With that, he U-turned and rode away.
The croissants were excellent!
My understanding is that once in a while, your guardian angel will take care of you. I'm thinking this might have been one of those times. Be safe and watch yer six. Rams |
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VRCC# 29981
Learning the majority of life's lessons the hard way.
Every trip is an adventure, enjoy it while it lasts.
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old2soon
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« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2020, 02:33:51 PM » |
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Providence. Or as I've heard in Texas a time or three-ever so often the sun even shines on a billy goats butt. Good A M tale with an even Betta ending!  RIDE SAFE. |
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check. 1964 1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240 2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
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Rams
Member
Posts: 16255
So many colors to choose from yet so few stand out
Covington, TN
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« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2020, 02:36:59 PM » |
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Providence. Or as I've heard in Texas a time or three-ever so often the sun even shines on a billy goats butt. Good A M tale with an even Betta ending! RIDE SAFE. How and why a Texan would know this is something I'm simply not gonna ask..... Rams |
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VRCC# 29981
Learning the majority of life's lessons the hard way.
Every trip is an adventure, enjoy it while it lasts.
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Robert
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« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2020, 04:23:05 PM » |
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What an awesome morning. |
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“Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that.”
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scooperhsd
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« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2020, 05:19:51 PM » |
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Glad the officer was open to other explanations - especially when the samething happened to him ! |
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Moonshot_1
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« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2020, 05:24:52 PM » |
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We know you bribed the officer with donuts. You WERE at a donut shop, you admitted it. Always good to have a fresh bag of donuts for just such an emergency.
Good save on the plates too.
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Mike Luken
Cherokee, Ia.
Former Iowa Patriot Guard Ride Captain
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mbramley
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« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2020, 11:57:44 AM » |
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All's well that ends well I guess. Karma was on your side(or should I say the force to a Alien?) this morning. Who knows who you might have saved that traveled that intersection after you by the cop seeing all of this and calling it in before traffic increased.
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