Always have an "out" ....especialy when you're being an ass

[Daniel78362]

Ok, so I need to confess and get this off my chest. I feel bad. No, it's not about having a recent post moved to the N-EPRT section ( I can deal with it). But this is a little more serious. As I read some of the recent "close call" threads, I thought I should relate the following.
This past Wednesday, the 22nd, I was on my way to a part time gig around 1240-1320. Now I was enjoying the day and clipping along around 10mph over the posted speed limit. Part of my commute takes me south over a Harbor Bridge, it's a short but tall span with a slow and sweeping 2 lane right turn at the bottom that merges with 2 lanes to a north bound Hwy. Any Texans familiar with Corpus know what I'm talking about. It's an old Hwy that's of a canyon design at the bottom where lanes merge. That day the winds were gusting about 20-30 mph, they funnel right up that canyon and push.
As I approached the bottom I set myself up for a aggressive right lane 3rd gear run through the turn (60-70 mph, not a problem) but as I hit the bottom and made the north transition some dude in a beat up faded blue Pontiac G-6 on my right started speeding up to my pace. I put my L/turn signal on to merge left, there's a left turn flyover 3/4 of a mile down the road on to another Hwy south. As I speeded up to merge left so did he. Not to be out done I jumped a gap and got in front of him. Well as I put my signal on again to merge left he started to speed up and moved to the next left lane. I thought "really". 2 lanes to the left was a green Jeep Cherokee with a 4 car lead on the car behind. I hit the throttle cut in front of the Pontiac and jumped the 2 lanes to fall in behind the Jeep. As I came in behind the Jeep I was running hot which I expected, I hit the rear and front breaks hard, expecting to fall in behind. Well I didn't take into account the wind factor, I found myself being pushed right into the back of the Jeep. Thought "shit, shit, shit" and went for my "out" which was the gap between the Jeep and the left retaining wall. Tried to fall in behind her but she kept slowing down. At that moment I don't think she knew I was there, so I gunned it and got ahead of her glanced my rearview, everyone seemed to still be going north. I felt bad, was certain I gave that woman, 3 other cars close by and that Ambulance which I'm sure was transporting a patient to the hospital, all Heart/Shit Attacks. Well I continued on my way at a calmer pace.
Now here's the 'Kicker"
At about 1430 (2:30pm) my wife, who works near the Harbor Bridge, forwarded me an E-mail from the City Of Corpus Christi warning drivers to stay away from the Harbor Bridge area due to a major accident at the very spot which I overtook the Jeep
Well you can imagine what went through my mind.....I Fucking Killed Somebody".
I did the right thing an called called CCPD and asked about the nature of the wreck, when asked why, I recounted to the person on the other line what I did. She was amused and informed me that it was a Propane Tanker that took the turn too fast and overturned, that I was not responsible. I was greatful

 

[garyahouse]

You didn't sign that post, but I assume by your avatar that you are Daniel. Welcome to the forum, my friend. After reading all that, though yer a purdy good writer, Wednesday you were NOT a purdy good rider. Your skill saved what your foolishness almost destroyed: your own butt. You walked away from what could have been a huge mistake. Most of us have been riding for ever (it seems) and we all remember days like Wednesday. We've all done it. However it seems that you, unlike so many riders I see on the road, have a conscience. I'm glad about one thing concerning that unfortunate accident: the timing made you stop and think. I hope the guy in the G6 got to the hospital in time for the emergency, and that your horseplay didn't slow him down. Funny how our own immaturity assumes that speeding cars on local highways are always trying to race against US... Oftentimes, speed is motivated by emergency, we just don't know. But then, you've heard the old adage that the lead foot knows it all.

Funny how the human mind works. Somebody tries to pass a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist thinks, "Really?" The race is on, in that little mind inside a helmet. But nobody thinks about the elderly lady who is busy planning what she's going to make for her grandaughter when she comes to visit... while she's driving along in the slow lane at the speed limit... at the exact moment when the idiot speeds by with engine racing at 10,000 rpms. It scares the living snot out of the poor lady. Her mind was somewhere else and didn't notice what was charging up behind her. So now her heart is pounding in her throat as adrenalin does it's job. Meanwhile, our biker friend has taught that worthless cager a lesson he'll never forget. "Don't mess with ME." As a matter of fact, the cager has no choice but to humbly slow down to the normal speed limit and behave himself from this day forward. Of course, now he'll be thinking, "I was sooooo foolish to ever try to pass a motorcycle on a public highway, I'll NEVER EVER do that again."

REALLY? Is that anywhere close to reality? Wouldn't it be interesting if the judge could read the mind of those on the stand, and this was all revealed in a courtroom? Somebody would be in jail for a very long time.

When ya stop and think about it, this is the way too many of us used to think, and a few of us still do. It's scary.

Hopefully you learned something, and maybe a few youngins on this forum will as well. I'm glad for your sake you were lucky that day. And I'm glad for the sake of the others involved with another idiot on a motorcycle (their opinion, not mine) weren't hurt either.

Thanks for posting that story

Ride safe and enjoy your newfound wisdom.

Gary

darksider #44