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Poll
New Bike?
2002 Triumph Daytona 955i CE (Ashton Green) 33%
2002 Triumph Daytona 955 (Yellow) 11%
2000 Triumph T595 (Red) (Consignment) 0%
Keep 1995 Triumph Trophy 900 (British Racing Green) 55%

Votes: 9

 Mortality Forcibly Reconsidered

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
May 12, 2002
 Comments:

I have had reason to think about my mortality again recently.

diaries

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I Am A Criminal Suspect (Apparently)
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I ride a motorcycle to work a few days a week. One's perspective on the world is different when the only thing between you and the pavement is a leather jacket and a fiberglass helmet. One day last week I rode onto the freeway on-ramp using the car pool lane (which is legal in California). The metering lights were on; I could see the reds and greens from the other two lanes' metering lights for the single-occupancy vehicles. The red light in the car pool lane metering light was inoperative, but the green light worked. I rolled up, waited for the green and took off.

The next day I drove the car and had to use the single-occupancy lane immediately next to the carpool lane. The carpool red metering light was still inop. Much to my amazement and then creeping horro, a huge delivery truck came barreling down the carpool lane and blew through the light - as if it was not an inop red but was in fact not metering at all. Mind you, there were 5 or 6 cars in the single-occupancy lanes whose lights were working and being obeyed by the various cars in the lanes. So, obviously this guy was of limited intelligence; he was unable to decide that maybe he should assume the light is burned out and to stop and wait for his metering green light.

If this guy had been behind me the day before, I would have been a hood ornament. Not injured, dead. Period. I broke my own rule about cell phones it he car and immediately called the highway department to report it and tell them why i was upset about it. They had the bulb changed Monday (I reported it at 4:45 PM on a Friday, so I consider that a pretty good response).

This weekend I was driving on the interstate and witnessed a car spin out and bounce off the center divider It then bounced back into the traffic lane perpendicular to the lane itself. The chaos of the car spinning out of control, the dust and smoke from tires created a 0 meter visibility are for 20 meters or so around the car. The traffic was heavy to begin with, so there was no doubt an ensuing set of collisions due to this person's mishap. I was on the opposite side of the freeway, so I was not effected, but I was shook up because IF I had been on that side and involved with that guy when he went out of control I may not have been able to respond quickly enough. At the speeds we all normally drive on that freeway stretch, my reaction time would have eaten quite a bit of my available manuvering space.

I again broke my rule and dialed 911. I was put on hold for over 5 minutes before I hung up in disgust and no one from the California Highway patrol 911 office ever called me back. I have no doubt that other people were calling in the accident, but the fact that I was put on hold for more than a few seconds was galling, to say the least and for 5 minutes was inexcusable.




Just what is it you expect? (none / 0) (#1)
by elenchos on Sun May 12th, 2002 at 10:23:42 PM PST
Automobiles are unsafe at any speed.


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


Well, (none / 0) (#4)
by zikzak on Mon May 13th, 2002 at 05:57:12 AM PST
So is Ralph Nader, but we haven't managed to get rid of him yet.


Ralph Nader has a posse. (nt) (none / 0) (#6)
by elenchos on Mon May 13th, 2002 at 05:31:37 PM PST



I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


OBEY NADER (n/t) (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue May 14th, 2002 at 05:36:55 PM PST



I'm pretty sure (none / 0) (#12)
by derek3000 on Wed May 15th, 2002 at 06:41:29 AM PST
that someone I know is good friends with the Andre guy. I'm not sure who it is though. Kinda cool, huh? That Shades Apart cover was OK, I guess.


----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

Sorry (none / 0) (#13)
by derek3000 on Wed May 15th, 2002 at 06:42:25 AM PST
I meant cover as in cd art, not cover as in song.


----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

 
Sir, (none / 0) (#2)
by Martino Cortez PhD on Sun May 12th, 2002 at 10:34:20 PM PST
I am greatly disapointed in you. As you know, in a recent survey, it was found that most of Adequacy readership had a personal driver. You do relise that only the most talented can drive safely.

Please do us all a favor. If you do not have somebody drive & fly you from destination to destination, you are not worthy of posting here.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.


--
Dr Martino Cortez, PhD
CEO - Martin-Cortez Financial Corporation
Copyright � 2002, Martino Cortez.

 
Telecommuting has clear advantages. (nt) (none / 0) (#3)
by The Mad Scientist on Mon May 13th, 2002 at 01:42:59 AM PST



 
Motorbike vs car (none / 0) (#5)
by walwyn on Mon May 13th, 2002 at 03:49:40 PM PST
What I always hated riding a bike was the car drivers who overtook you in the same carraigeway as if you weren't there. Oh and the bastards that come speeding up the inside lane and then swerve out in front of you. Surdy studs in the soles of your boots make a beautiful sound as you rake them along side of the miscreant a mile or so further along the road.


 
the last time I rode a motorcycle... (none / 0) (#7)
by johnny ambiguous on Mon May 13th, 2002 at 05:49:58 PM PST
...I broke my neck.

Good luck to you, though, & I remain,

Yours WDK - WKiernan@concentric.net


Getting into my Chevrolet Magic Fire, I drove slowly back to the office. - L. Rosen

 
Be More Aggressive (none / 0) (#8)
by Icebox on Tue May 14th, 2002 at 08:11:38 AM PST
You should be taking advantage of the bike a little more. Stopping at a metering light is silly, just twist back the throttle and use the bike's performance and size advantages to slip in between the cars.

Although just about any bike will out-quick a car you might want to think about upgrading. Triumph's are nice for touring but to sprint your way through rush hour traffic you really need something with a little more throttle response and lot more flickability. Yamaha's R1 fills the bill, or if you want to stay european I hightly recommend the Ducati 998 or 748 (be sure to specify biposto to give the ladies somewhere to ride).

The best part about these bikes is that no mouth breathing, hamburger eating, mullet cut, Metallica shirt wearing, 35 year old teenager with a Roots kit on his primered 1985 Mustang GT that hasn't missed an episode of NHRA Today since he grew a pubic hair can hang with you. By the time he stops thinking about how well his favorite wrestler did last night you'll be a half a mile away, all by yourself, listening to the sweet sounds coming from your Yoshi cans and trying your best to not die.


Triumph Performance (none / 0) (#9)
by doofus on Tue May 14th, 2002 at 10:09:34 AM PST
Triumph's are nice for touring but to sprint your way through rush hour traffic you really need something with a little more throttle response and lot more flickability.

Go check out the Daytona 955i. Fuel injected and at least 130 horsepower (US). My old '95 is a pig and flickable was not in the design spec for it, but it still has about 90 HP and a bottomless well of torque. It's fun to ride and I'll probably keep it even if I splurge on the Ashton Green '02 Daytona 955i Centennial Edition. Drool...

And yeah, I'm a Euro-bike snob.


Ok then (none / 0) (#10)
by Icebox on Tue May 14th, 2002 at 02:29:21 PM PST
I always forget about the Daytona 955, it is a relative newcomer to the Triumph line. I should know better, as I am a Euro-bike snob as well. The Yamaha R1 merits mention only because I once swapped a guy for my 998 for a week. Nice bike, and lots of power, but it still doesn't handle like a Euro.




 

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