Inlaw1
Well-known member
At some point in life, especially riding motorcycles, we have a bit of blind luck. But is it blind luck? Or Guardian Angels? I guess I could tell several tales that should of turned out bad, but didn't because of blind luck throughout my life. Or are there Guardian Angels? I've been lucky in my life as I'm sure a lot of us have, I'm probably lucky I've lived this long considering some of the things I've done in the past.
Whether it's blind luck or Guardian Angels, I had one of those moments today. On my way home from work this afternoon there were storms rolling into San Antonio. On loop 410 eastbound traffic does it's usual slow down before the 35 interchange. Since the rain has been coming down and I don't have rain gloves on or the rain cover over the tank bag, and I can see it's going to get a LOT worse ahead of me, I pull to the side of the road. The suit I have on will hold up, but the Held gloves are already getting soaked. I'd like to get the rain gloves on.
Now, I know this isn't the smartest thing to do, pulling to the side. But the shoulder is wide, it's at a point where traffic always slows, and has already slowed. There is plenty of wide shoulder and I'm off right up next to the guardrail, it's actually right past a bridge, I'm elevated a bit. I turn on the 4-ways and tell myself "be quick, get the gloves on, cover on and be rolling in less than a minute".
But it doesn't take anytime for things to go wrong, quickly. The next thing I hear is that fateful sound of metal on metal *BAM* and cars sliding. Before I have a chance to glance in the mirror, or look behind me, before I can think "I'll just have to hope for the best at this point" a blue Taurus comes past me about 30 mph brushing my left leg enough to cause me to jerk away from the car. I really didn't realize at the time that we had actually made contact, all I knew was now my bike is falling over, but why is it falling over? He didn't hit me, he went past me! But the bike is falling... and there is no stopping it at this point.
With the bike on it's side, the rain coming down and neither gloves on things start to get worse. No one is stopping, the rain is picking up quickly, very quickly. One guy does stop to help me get the bike up, but by then I've pretty much got the job done, quick assessment to see if there is any major damage or oil is leaking from a side cover (a later assessment reveals mirror, skyway slider, slight pipe damage.. no bags on thankfully), get the bike started and pull the bike down to where the Taurus has come to rest against the guardrail.
Now the rain and wind really increases, to the point I can't let go of the bike. If I try and park the bike and make a run to someone's vehicle it's going to blow over no matter which stand I put it on.... and it gets worse, like tornado worse. Straight line winds that had to be 60-80 MPH with rain that almost blocked my view of the blue Taurus parked in front of me. Luckily a Tahoe pulled up right behind me with flashers on. Turned out he was also involved, the car had hit him first then glanced off the cement bridge abutment that I was just past and shot past me and into another mini van before stopping where he was.
I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to hold out much longer with the winds and rain and it took everything I had to hold the bike there. When it was over and the Paramedics, fire, PD showed and we were able to look around. Signs were blown out, they were blown down and a very good size tree down on the frontage road was snapped in half.
The Taurus... I don't know how he missed me. The car brushed my leg. If he had struck me while sitting there at the speed he was traveling... I'd be in intensive care right now. Or worse.
I'm thinking that's Guardian Angel right there. And I will never pull to the side of the road like that again.
Whether it's blind luck or Guardian Angels, I had one of those moments today. On my way home from work this afternoon there were storms rolling into San Antonio. On loop 410 eastbound traffic does it's usual slow down before the 35 interchange. Since the rain has been coming down and I don't have rain gloves on or the rain cover over the tank bag, and I can see it's going to get a LOT worse ahead of me, I pull to the side of the road. The suit I have on will hold up, but the Held gloves are already getting soaked. I'd like to get the rain gloves on.
Now, I know this isn't the smartest thing to do, pulling to the side. But the shoulder is wide, it's at a point where traffic always slows, and has already slowed. There is plenty of wide shoulder and I'm off right up next to the guardrail, it's actually right past a bridge, I'm elevated a bit. I turn on the 4-ways and tell myself "be quick, get the gloves on, cover on and be rolling in less than a minute".
But it doesn't take anytime for things to go wrong, quickly. The next thing I hear is that fateful sound of metal on metal *BAM* and cars sliding. Before I have a chance to glance in the mirror, or look behind me, before I can think "I'll just have to hope for the best at this point" a blue Taurus comes past me about 30 mph brushing my left leg enough to cause me to jerk away from the car. I really didn't realize at the time that we had actually made contact, all I knew was now my bike is falling over, but why is it falling over? He didn't hit me, he went past me! But the bike is falling... and there is no stopping it at this point.
With the bike on it's side, the rain coming down and neither gloves on things start to get worse. No one is stopping, the rain is picking up quickly, very quickly. One guy does stop to help me get the bike up, but by then I've pretty much got the job done, quick assessment to see if there is any major damage or oil is leaking from a side cover (a later assessment reveals mirror, skyway slider, slight pipe damage.. no bags on thankfully), get the bike started and pull the bike down to where the Taurus has come to rest against the guardrail.
Now the rain and wind really increases, to the point I can't let go of the bike. If I try and park the bike and make a run to someone's vehicle it's going to blow over no matter which stand I put it on.... and it gets worse, like tornado worse. Straight line winds that had to be 60-80 MPH with rain that almost blocked my view of the blue Taurus parked in front of me. Luckily a Tahoe pulled up right behind me with flashers on. Turned out he was also involved, the car had hit him first then glanced off the cement bridge abutment that I was just past and shot past me and into another mini van before stopping where he was.
I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to hold out much longer with the winds and rain and it took everything I had to hold the bike there. When it was over and the Paramedics, fire, PD showed and we were able to look around. Signs were blown out, they were blown down and a very good size tree down on the frontage road was snapped in half.
The Taurus... I don't know how he missed me. The car brushed my leg. If he had struck me while sitting there at the speed he was traveling... I'd be in intensive care right now. Or worse.
I'm thinking that's Guardian Angel right there. And I will never pull to the side of the road like that again.
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