Commuting…The strange. The Odd… And the FUN

[Forseti]

around here its turkeys. They will take flight just in time to take you right off the bike.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[Forty Years Ago]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

Don't dodge them.

Sounds suspiciously like illegal immigrants in Los Angeles

[HairBear]

A deer came out onto the road up ahead. No problem as it was up there a ways. Just closed the throttle a little. Then it stopped on the double yellow, & turned around, & started going back. So I slowed down some more. Then it turned around again & started back across the road. I slowed down some more. Then it turned around & started heading back the wat it had come. I slowed down some more & yelled, "Make up your fucking mind!" & It ran up the hill where it had come from. I laughed out loud & rolled on the throttle.

[Marylander]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

Don't dodge them.

I think the geese are actually pretty smart. They have learned that humans will give way to them, whether in a vehicle or on foot. I refuse to give in. The geese on campus where I work have now learned to get out of the way when they see a motorcycle coming. Also, as crazy as it may sound, I growl at them and walk right through their groups when I walk across the open field at the front of campus (no other people around so I don't think anyone notices how crazy I act). Since when did prey animals begin to believe that they were intimidating? At least deer continue to show appropriate fear. ;)

[Mistress of the dual]

Originally Posted by Mambo Dave

I just made this up for another forum in a thread about road riding and the dangers / risks for parents... might as well put it here...



I claim that this is damn near the same as commuting to work in the rain here in south Florida. They honestly run out of emergency vehicles to have police at each one, so one hydroplaned car will have maybe an ambulance, instead, another a police car, another a fire truck, and then I pass some that don't have emergency vehicles yet... but I'm sure not going to stop on I-95 in a downpour while on a motorcycle. Not before the wreck, and not after the wreck... No f'n way with all the deaths that happen to people outside of their cages on that strip.

This is hilarious!!! I was just thinking the other day how riding in traffic is like playing dodge ball.

[ALinUTAH]

Funniest debris I've seen on the highway...

Somebody wanted to move one of those flimsy sheet metal sheds. So he put it on a flatbed trailer and threw a strap over it. Then he headed up the interstate towing his 8 foot square sail. Anybody want to guess how far he made it before it buckled in the wind and went squirting out the back? It happened far enough in front of me it was no threat to me.

I saw a dirt bike fall off the back of a motorhome once. That was kinda scary. And sad. -al

[woolsocks]

Riding to my gf's house after work around dusk I was riding about 40 mph in a 45 mph zone. There was construction and a bunch of cones laid out. Apparently I missed the correct cones marking my route and I ended up going into the wrong lane of traffic coming towards me. Oh boy! Shit! Luckily I realized the error and got back on the correct side. Thankfully no cars were around! Whew! I went back to see what happened and why I missed my route and I discovered that a bunch of cones had blown into the ditch marking where I should have went. Anyway, I picked them up and put them back in place...hopefully no one else makes my stupid mistake!

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by woolsocks

Riding to my gf's house after work around dusk I was riding about 40 mph in a 45 mph zone. There was construction and a bunch of cones laid out. Apparently I missed the correct cones marking my route and I ended up going into the wrong lane of traffic coming towards me. Oh boy! Shit! Luckily I realized the error and got back on the correct side. Thankfully no cars were around! Whew! I went back to see what happened and why I missed my route and I discovered that a bunch of cones had blown into the ditch marking where I should have went. Anyway, I picked them up and put them back in place...hopefully no one else makes my stupid mistake!

Man, that was good of you. Thank you from the family member of a life you may have saved.

Originally Posted by Mistress of the dual

This is hilarious!!! I was just thinking the other day how riding in traffic is like playing dodge ball.

Glad you and the others appreciate my form of comedy... and my 733T paint.net (too cheap to own photo shop) shop-skillz.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by Marylander

I think the geese are actually pretty smart. They have learned that humans will give way to them, whether in a vehicle or on foot. I refuse to give in. The geese on campus where I work have now learned to get out of the way when they see a motorcycle coming. Also, as crazy as it may sound, I growl at them and walk right through their groups when I walk across the open field at the front of campus (no other people around so I don't think anyone notices how crazy I act). Since when did prey animals begin to believe that they were intimidating? At least deer continue to show appropriate fear. ;)

Not to mention that the damn things can fly! I refused to let some dumb assed bird impede my progress just because it is too damn lazy the take flight. I have yet to hit one but I would not feel bad about it if I did.

[Wuwei]

There was construction and a bunch of cones laid out.

I am very wary of any construction area as they just don't seem to care about creating dangerous situations. A couple of years ago I was riding through the DC area, which is often a nightmare of traffic and construction, and I saw some signs that said something like "Caution, uneven pavement." I really wasn't thinking too hard about it as traffic was still rolling along at a good 70 mph clip so I was a bit surprised when the "uneven" part came up and it was a good six-inch drop off from new pavement onto heavily grooved old pavement. I literally flew through the air for a few feet before landing on the squirrely grooved stuff with plenty of loose gravel for good measure. This continued for miles, with occasional large bumps back up onto the six-inch higher stuff, with only the most minimal ramp up of pavement. At speed it would have been very hard to change lanes on a motorcycle as some of the lanes were at the six-inch higher level and almost no ramp up. Nasty!

[MotorCade]

That reminds me - surface streets here in the San Fernando Valley are often really poorly maintained, and I put a good foot of air underneath my tires late last week when I went over a buckled section of concrete. Fortunately, it had been a crap road for the previous half mile, so I was already standing. I saw the buckled section, but it didn't look to be any worse than a speed bump, so I kept my speed at about 50 (-ish) and hit it - but it was way more aggressive than it looked and sent me airborne, with my tail kicking up. If I'd been in the seat, I'd have lost it.

[woolsocks]

Originally Posted by Wuwei

I am very wary of any construction area as they just don't seem to care about creating dangerous situations. A couple of years ago I was riding through the DC area, which is often a nightmare of traffic and construction, and I saw some signs that said something like "Caution, uneven pavement." I really wasn't thinking too hard about it as traffic was still rolling along at a good 70 mph clip so I was a bit surprised when the "uneven" part came up and it was a good six-inch drop off from new pavement onto heavily grooved old pavement. I literally flew through the air for a few feet before landing on the squirrely grooved stuff with plenty of loose gravel for good measure. This continued for miles, with occasional large bumps back up onto the six-inch higher stuff, with only the most minimal ramp up of pavement. At speed it would have been very hard to change lanes on a motorcycle as some of the lanes were at the six-inch higher level and almost no ramp up. Nasty!

The construction has been going on for about 6 months in that area now, so every time I go by it stays the same and then once every 4 to 6 weeks it switches so they can work on another part of the road. I need to not be so complacent as I'll never know which day they decide to switch the cones, or the cones decide to walk off the road like they did last night

[Marylander]

I came over the hill at the intersection of 193 and Viers Mill Rd (DC area) just keeping pace with traffic and there was a grooved pavement to old pavement transition with NO 'ramp'. I hit it and heavily bent the front wheel on my hawk gt. Of course there was no air left in the tire afterwards either.

[Forseti]

all I'm going to say is my barkbusters saved my left hand today when a big crow decided to commit suicide. Likely would have broke my hand if the guard wasn't there.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[WVhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Marylander

I came over the hill at the intersection of 193 and Viers Mill Rd (DC area) just keeping pace with traffic and there was a grooved pavement to old pavement transition with NO 'ramp'. I hit it and heavily bent the front wheel on my hawk gt. Of course there was no air left in the tire afterwards either.

Wonder how many car wheels they ruined also.

You could have crashed very easily, I think the state would have gotten the bill for that one.