outpost22 Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 First of all I was NOT on a MC at the time, but was thinking about what if I was. Sitting in a left turn lane in the cage, in an industrial area that I ride in all the time. An 18 wheel chip truck makes a right turn at the corner (swinging out toward me and turning right). I happen to look up and a wood log about 8' long and 15" in diameter comes rolling off the roof of his trailer right towards me from 12' in the air. It lands about 8' from my drivers door and rolls to within 3' of the cage. Made the hair stand up on my neck. I put on the flashers, got out, and rolled that log up against a curb so no other poor soul would run into it in the oncoming fog and darkness, and went on my way. In reflection, I think about how many times I sit at an intersection like that with the bike in neutral. Me thinks from now on it stays in gear for moments when an emergency escape is mandatory. I usually do this in traffic anyway, but in that case I was sitting all by myself. Not any more... Link to comment
RT Russ Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Glad to hear you are OK (other than soiling your Armour) Hawk Link to comment
CoarsegoldKid Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I'm also glad you didn't get hit. A buddy got nailed by a drunk making a right and hitting him in the left turn lane, sitting in neutral, waiting on the light, in the wee hours of the morning. I just turn. The hell with the light not sensing my bike. Link to comment
upflying Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I am always in 1st gear while stopped in traffic. Too bad you didn't have a chain saw so you could bring home some firewood. Link to comment
Quinn Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Sorry it wasn't a Wells-Fargo truck. -- Link to comment
Indy Dave Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 Sorry it wasn't a Wells-Fargo truck. -- Link to comment
tallman Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I'd contact the appropriate authoritties w/info on the truck and unsecured load. Link to comment
Bernie Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 My bike is always in first gear and brake lights activated. I had to see people park there bike at a red light. Some even put down the side stand and act like they are in a parking lot. Very foolish. You have to be ready to go at a moments notice. People do not have time to steer there cages with cell phones and texting, what else are you guys expecting from them. Link to comment
Nice n Easy Rider Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 My bike is always in first gear and brake lights activated. I had to see people park there bike at a red light. Some even put down the side stand and act like they are in a parking lot. Very foolish. You have to be ready to go at a moments notice. People do not have time to steer there cages with cell phones and texting, what else are you guys expecting from them. +1. But if I don't need the brake to hold position, and if there are already cages stopped behind me or if I don't see any cages coming up behind me, I'll release my hand grip on the brake to give my fingers a chance to relax. But if I see cages approaching in my six I grab the brake again to activate my pulsing brakelight to try to get their attention and prepare to move if I don't see them slowing. Link to comment
Bernie Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 I do the same, plus I always offset. I am usually stopped in the left side of right lane or right side of left lane, but never in the middle. Plus if I am stopped behind cars, I always try to have a escape lane ready, if the jerk coming up behind me decides not to stop. Link to comment
Green RT Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Three years ago, two colleagues of mine were killed on a mountain road when a log hauler lost a load of logs as it was passing them in the other direction. The logs sheared off the top of their SUV, beheading both of them. It was a really sad day for their families and everyone who knew them. Link to comment
Selden Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Despite all the preparedness in the world, sometimes your luck runs out. I have seen several news reports of storm fatalities in Atlanta, where a falling tree hits a car just as it's driving by, killing the occupant(s). One of these occurred about a mile from where I live. Not much you can do in a situation like that, although statistically, these things are very rare. Not that that is much consolation for the friends/relatives of the person who gets nailed. Link to comment
EddyQ Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I'd contact the appropriate authoritties w/info on the truck and unsecured load. Correct. The trucker should have stopped and at least moved the log he dropped. Link to comment
yabadabapal Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Log haulers have always scared the crap out of me. The speeds and loads that they carry on some of those long winding back roads is nuts. Link to comment
outpost22 Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 I'd contact the appropriate authoritties w/info on the truck and unsecured load. Correct. The trucker should have stopped and at least moved the log he dropped. This was not a log hauling truck. It was the kind with the large enclosed bin, like a chipper truck. I think this log had fallen on top of the truck bin, maybe from a yarder or crane that dropped it there accidently. It came rolling off the top of the bin (the roof). Very weird. Since it was getting dark AND foggy, I rolled the log out of someone else's path rather than try to chase down the truck. The truck was long gone by the time I returned to my cage. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Since it was getting dark AND foggy, I rolled the log out of someone else's path rather than try to chase down the truck. The truck was long gone by the time I returned to my cage. Thank you, from all the folks who don't know what you did for them. You may have helped someone get home, alive, that night. Link to comment
Laura Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I do the same, plus I always offset. I am usually stopped in the left side of right lane or right side of left lane, but never in the middle. Plus if I am stopped behind cars, I always try to have a escape lane ready, if the jerk coming up behind me decides not to stop. +1 for first gear at stops. I also have kept an eye on my mirrors and if someone is coming up fast I pump the brake lever so the brake light blinks and hopefully gets their attention. I've done this in my car also and it saved my a$$ a couple of times. Cagers need to pay attention, wake up, get off the phone and put down the electronics! Link to comment
Jeepster Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Cagers need to pay attention, wake up, get off the phone and put down the electronics! Yeah but that ain't gonna happen any time soon. So we all just better learn to protect ourselves. +2 For sitting at a light in gear, at a slight angle and pumping the brakes as cagers approach Link to comment
Mike Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Spooky stuff. I've heard a lot of folks pontificate about the fact that all parties to a collision are at least partly at fault, but sometimes that just isn't the case. You got a notch in your good kharma belt for moving that log out of the way of others. Link to comment
SageRider Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I've heard a lot of folks pontificate about the fact that all parties to a collision are at least partly at fault, but sometimes that just isn't the case. Amen to that.. I'm (fortunately) living proof of that. Try a head-on with a large school bus after said bus lost wheel assembly, brakes and directional control in a curve on a 2 lane mountain road. No chance whatsoever, except not to be there in the first place... Link to comment
Les is more Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I'm glad you were able to drive away. Oh, and thanks for being the guy that didn't just drive away and leave others to pay a price! Link to comment
steve.foote Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 We watch them down here, too. This one overturned ten minutes before I got there. Link to comment
outpost22 Posted December 30, 2009 Author Share Posted December 30, 2009 We watch them down here, too. This one overturned ten minutes before I got there. Yeah, so why didn't you just roll them off the side of the road like I did? I bet you could have cleared them if you were on a trials bike. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.