Slight road rage

[Fire-medic]

Wow, "Ra," that reads great! Maybe we need a thread where we place our "but for the grace of God" stories about the near-misses and the ones that don't count as near-misses...

I've posted this one before, in some form, but it always makes me laugh.

First, no one died, but it does involve an accident involving a motorcycle. Years ago, I responded to a major arterial roadway accident in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area. "Car vs. auto." We pull up on-scene with the engine co. and the rescue (ambulance) and there is a Jap. bike on its side in the road, the rider is still lying there, the car is across a couple of lanes. We backboard the rider w/spinal immobilization, I think he had a lower leg fracture on the side of impact. Now the roadway is covered, from the point of impact, to where the bike came to-rest, with shards of plastic, which, upon further inspection, present a gory sight. There are severed wings, claws, arms, legs, and yes, heads!

"Dragon Bob" had a motorcycle accident. He buys cars and bikes maxed-out on the depreciation curve, and fastens to the bodies all-sorts of Japanese monster movie characters made of plastic. It's quite a sight going down the road, and when you stop next to "Dragon Bob" at a light, you can't help but stare. He favors dragons, and the centerpiece used to be some seven-headed dragon with each neck/head a different color. Mouths agape, lots of pointy teeth, dragon-wings flaring as-if the creature is about to take-off, or just landed...and next to that are dozens of other fantasy/sci-fi critters, across the hood, the front fenders, and on the rear deck too. Strangely, I don't recall much on-top of the roof.

So, "Dragon Bob" is going to the hospital, and the tow-truck driver is slinging the motorcycle, smashed and bent, from the boom, and sweeping-up the severed monster parts out of the road.

"Dragon Bob" used to work at a local diner, and I used to pass by and see his car, or a bike parked on the back of the lot, festooned with all those creatures. When he junked one car, or bike, he would transfer the figurines to the next one. I guess he qualifies as owning an 'art car' or an "art bike."

One time I was in-line behind him at a check-out lane in the supermarket, and "Dragon Bob" dresses the part. He wears a hat with a dragon bill for the brim, his shirt usually is some dragon or another. I noticed a Godzilla-looking critter hanging from his belt, and I asked him, "Dragon Bob," what's that?"

He reached down to the figurine, held it up so I could see it, pressed its head with his thumb, and a flame shot-out of the dragon's mouth-a cigarette lighter! He said not a word.

I had to laugh.

I've been trying to catch a glimpse of him in traffic to take a pic, but the last couple of times I saw him, I haven't been able to catch up, he has "wing-power" on me.:eat brains:

 

[KJShover]

Here is one of the winners from the video I'm putting together. It would be one thing if she didn't see me, but she looked right at me when she came around the corner. Some of the others are pretty good too. After I take my last final this week, I'll put together a few snippets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCkS7Pls7OM

 

[RaWarrior]

You must see some incredible things being a first-responder to accidents.

The only thing that's happened to me, and I'm not sure if this even counts, was back before I had my Max and was riding my V30 Magna(500cc v4). I was driving from Troy-Schroon at night on the highway, cruising along at 80 or so(for a 500, it effortlessly held 80mph up hills, strong little mill). Anyway the road was deserted, not another headlight to be seen. I notice in the mirrors a pair of car lights and barely even notice. What gets my attention is that maybe 10 seconds later, they're a LOT closer than I would have expected. So, someone's out hauling ass in their car, this far up the highway that's not uncommon. I figured they'd scoot over to the left lane and just blow by me, I wasn't in the mood for a race and while that 500 was strong, it wasn't a race machine(it'd max out at like 110-115 given space). The car comes up, and pulls right up on my ass in the right lane. I look down and showing 85. It's a Toyota Sienna mini-van, maybe 2' off my rear wheel. I click the Magna to 5th(6spd overdrive, hint, hint Yamaha) and drop it. It clicks up to around 8000rpm and starts picking up speed but the van stays right on my ass. We started going up a grade, and the tiny 125cc cylinders just weren't going to give me much more than about 100mph, humming along at 9000rpm. Now I'm starting to get worried, and contemplating a sudden scoot to the left lane or shoulder and nailing the brakes to get away from the van, but I didn't get the chance. The road leveled off, and started downhill. The Magna was still twisted to the stop and started winding out now that gravity was on it's side. It passed 100, then 110. A little distance opened up to the van, but not much. I knew that this bike would lose speed if I shifted to 6th, just didn't have the beans to spin overdrive going that fast. Kept it pinned in fifth and it slipped screaming into the 11,500 redline around an indicated 120. I was going as fast as this bike could possibly go. It edged past 12,000 and suddenly the van pulled into the left lane and sailed past without warning.

I took two things away from that....apparently Sienna minivans have some surprising power under the hood to walk by someone at 120mph. Second, Honda makes a hell of an engine. It was spinning past it's redline at WOT for a good minute since at the time (I was 18 iirc) I figured I'd be dead if I backed off and was waiting the entire time for the motor to toss a rod or tag a valve and be plowed by the baby-blue minivan's bumped a fraction of a second later.

I have no idea what the deal was with the van. It was dark, I didn't see the driver when he passed, and there was no honking/flashing. Some drunk ******* with me? who knows. All I know is I got home, pulled the Honda into the garage, and watched it happily purr away at 1200rpm in neutral, steady as a rock, just like always. I'm fairly sure I shut it down, hugged the gas tank, then went to bed, as proud of an inanimate object as possible.

 

[bazwell]

Here ya go. :biglaugh:

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/12/14/safety-agency-calls-for-total-driver-cellphone-ban/

 

[Karmakatt]

I had a little incident yesterday, I was riding through an intersection when some middle aged rich bitch started turning left just as I was coming thru right in front of me. Thank god I was going slow but still had to lock up the brakes and I guess she saw me at the last second because she stopped right be fore I would have hit her head on. Well the way I slid I wound up right beside her open window and she of course was on the phone( guess that's why she didn't see me) so there we sat for a second literally 2 feet apart and she had a look on her face like a dog that just **** on the rug. I was sooo pissed I just snatched her phone from her hand and smashed it in a hundred pieces then I screamed in her face WHAT KINDA ******* ******* ARE YOU!! She just put her window up and drove away. Well at least she won't kill anyone at least till she gets a new phone. It's a whole new world now with all the technology toys people use while driving. It's not hard people just buy a frikkin Bluetooth. Ed

Hero of the day award goes to you my friend..:clapping::clapping::clapping:
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Nicely done!!

 

[Frosty72]

1.5 yrs

 

[minicopilot]

Well done!!!!!

 

[fltinstructor]

Why do I get the feeling that she's probably driving and texting while we speak.

Exactlly! I really watch out for cagers now. It's become epidemic with accidents because of cell phone use.