DarthRider
05-31-2006, 10:15 PM
...made me furious, sad and puzzled.
I was in front of my shop last night, next to my house, looking down the long driveway towards our quiet residential street. I heard a bike coming, obviously a V-twin but not a Harley. Before I saw him, I thought he was a guy from up the street on a Honda VTX. But it was not as loud and the wrong color, white.
The rider was wearing slacks and a button shirt, athletic shoes, gloves and a full helmet. Bright yellow. I'd guess the guy to be ~32-35. The speed limit on my street is 20, too low considering the environment and general conditions, so most do 30 or so, including me. This guy was doing a very unsteady, tense 15-18. He was nutted up pretty well and should have been, given his very apparent lack of skill and experience.
His passenger was an even more tense 4-5 year old boy with dark hair and scared expression. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, tennies, no gloves and NO HELMET. He was hanging on tight, his feet barely touching the pegs.
Our Hero up front did a jerky, weaving stop at the stop sign, one house down from ours...at a busy feeder street, and proceeded to turn right. And was gone.
I was first so shocked I must have just been standing there, slack-jawed and speechless, screwdriver in hand.
Then I was mad, then really pissed off at what I'd just witnessed.
And very afraid and concerned for that poor kid holding on like he had talons. No doubt getting tired and more scared.
They were gone in an uncertain flash and I could do nothing, not even yell at the stupid son-of-a-bitch. Ignorant too, obviously, but stupid was at the top of his resume.
Ten or fifteen minutes passed and I had just about gotten it out of my mind, when...I heard the son-of-a-bitch coming again! I had no idea what I would say or do but I had begun walking towards the street. I had already dismissed the idea of throwing an egg-size rock and bouncing it off his full, yellow helmet, as I might smack the poor kid (with my luck, I would!) I wasn't very close when he weaved by, this time at about 30 and wobble-stopped at the sign, turned right and was gone again, the silent scream from the passenger reverberating, again. The poor lady was trying to smile when she cruised by me but "grimace" is more like it.
Know what he was wearing? The same. Couldn't miss the Yellow Safety Helmet.
Except this time the passenger was a very frightened 30-something woman...jeans & tennies, no gloves, no helmet.
My guess is he was a brother-in-law or friend of the owner, probably hadn't been on a bike since he was a kid, if ever. And doing the macho I-can-ride-motorcycles act. And taking his kid & wife with him. While HE wore the only helmet!
I had to get this off my chest. Besides, I knew *you* boys would know what to do with him!
I was in front of my shop last night, next to my house, looking down the long driveway towards our quiet residential street. I heard a bike coming, obviously a V-twin but not a Harley. Before I saw him, I thought he was a guy from up the street on a Honda VTX. But it was not as loud and the wrong color, white.
The rider was wearing slacks and a button shirt, athletic shoes, gloves and a full helmet. Bright yellow. I'd guess the guy to be ~32-35. The speed limit on my street is 20, too low considering the environment and general conditions, so most do 30 or so, including me. This guy was doing a very unsteady, tense 15-18. He was nutted up pretty well and should have been, given his very apparent lack of skill and experience.
His passenger was an even more tense 4-5 year old boy with dark hair and scared expression. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, tennies, no gloves and NO HELMET. He was hanging on tight, his feet barely touching the pegs.
Our Hero up front did a jerky, weaving stop at the stop sign, one house down from ours...at a busy feeder street, and proceeded to turn right. And was gone.
I was first so shocked I must have just been standing there, slack-jawed and speechless, screwdriver in hand.
Then I was mad, then really pissed off at what I'd just witnessed.
And very afraid and concerned for that poor kid holding on like he had talons. No doubt getting tired and more scared.
They were gone in an uncertain flash and I could do nothing, not even yell at the stupid son-of-a-bitch. Ignorant too, obviously, but stupid was at the top of his resume.
Ten or fifteen minutes passed and I had just about gotten it out of my mind, when...I heard the son-of-a-bitch coming again! I had no idea what I would say or do but I had begun walking towards the street. I had already dismissed the idea of throwing an egg-size rock and bouncing it off his full, yellow helmet, as I might smack the poor kid (with my luck, I would!) I wasn't very close when he weaved by, this time at about 30 and wobble-stopped at the sign, turned right and was gone again, the silent scream from the passenger reverberating, again. The poor lady was trying to smile when she cruised by me but "grimace" is more like it.
Know what he was wearing? The same. Couldn't miss the Yellow Safety Helmet.
Except this time the passenger was a very frightened 30-something woman...jeans & tennies, no gloves, no helmet.
My guess is he was a brother-in-law or friend of the owner, probably hadn't been on a bike since he was a kid, if ever. And doing the macho I-can-ride-motorcycles act. And taking his kid & wife with him. While HE wore the only helmet!
I had to get this off my chest. Besides, I knew *you* boys would know what to do with him!