Harm's Way, Tragedy Through Stupidity
August 06, 2015
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"Tractor Trailer Plows Into Parked Bikes Along NC Interstate!"
Those were the headlines a few weeks ago. Apparently a tractor trailer swerved off the route after the driver vicious asleep too ran into vi motorcycles parked on the side of I-85 inwards North Carolina. Two motorcyclists would halt upwards dead, 4 injured too the truck driver arrested too charged amongst felony hitting too run too 2 counts of misdemeanor give-up the ghost yesteryear vehicle. Some reports stated that the solely argue the truck driver stopped after was because he had a apartment tire.
My initial answer was anger, fifty-fifty hate towards the truck driver. After all, the slice of shit had killed 2 motorcyclists out of carelessness too kept going. Open too nigh instance of correct too wrong. No demand for farther thought, although something kept troubling me. Some flake of a idea remained similar a slice of nutrient stuck inwards the teeth, but my encephalon was assigned to pressing tasks too before long moved on to other things.
Until concluding sun morning. As I was returning from 1 of my ritual sun morn dirt wheel rides (which select generally supplanted my street wheel rides), wheel safely stowed inwards the dorsum of the van, I made my means downwards the on-ramp off of 195 to merge on I-95 Northbound.
The on-ramp starts every bit 2 lanes, too then merges, to the right, to 1 lane earlier depositing you lot into the speeding traffic of 95N. As I headed downwards the ramp, which is at to the lowest degree a 1/2 mile long downhill run amongst vehicle speeds from 50-70 mph, the traffic, fairly heavy for a sun morning, all began to swerve, LEFT. 'What the hell?", I idea too all of a abrupt the argue for this maneuvering came into view. Fifteen motorcycles too at to the lowest degree xx riders too passengers were stopped on the side of the on-ramp. Some were seated on their machines, others were leaning on the guardrail, 1 woman, dressed inwards tank top too shorts, was walking from 1 wheel to the other on the traffic side of the breakdown lane. I saw lots of "beanie" helmets, bare arms too fifty-fifty to a greater extent than or less bare legs. There appeared to hold upwards no emergency, no mechanical issue, no pressing argue for the java break.
Then it struck me, that nagging feeling I'd had since hearing nigh the accident inwards North Carolina. Why inwards hell were all these motorcyclists putting themselves inwards harm's means to start with? I select seen it many times, these cavalcades of chrome festooned land-yachts parked precariously on the sides of interstates, traffic whizzing yesteryear at 80mph patch weekend warriors smoke cigarettes too shoot the shit.
Can these riders non run into the beak folly inwards such an act? Motorcycles, bar none, are the MOST vulnerable vehicles on the highway. Even an Amish buggy offers to a greater extent than protection. The solely advantages nosotros select over the 4-wheeled cruise missiles programmed to assay too destroy are the abilities to out-accelerate, out-brake too out-maneuver them, but these require science too preparation to brand total purpose of. We hold upwards inwards a province amongst hordes of sleepy, self-absorbed, drugged, angry, aggressive, texting, make-up applying, earbud wearing incompetent fucktards behind the wheel. A motorbike is exactly to a greater extent than or less other target for these poorly piloted projectiles. At the rattling to the lowest degree nosotros should hold upwards moving targets.
Nothing brusk of a life-threatening scenario volition convey me to the side of 1 of our nation's highways, whether on 2 wheels or four, the risks are only also high. I don't know why the motorcyclists inwards North Carolina were on the side of the highway, too patch I would never elbow grease to lay blame on them for this tragedy, I practise know for certain, however, had they non been at that spot when that idiot vicious asleep, 2 to a greater extent than motorcyclists would silent hold upwards alive.
Can these riders non run into the beak folly inwards such an act? Motorcycles, bar none, are the MOST vulnerable vehicles on the highway. Even an Amish buggy offers to a greater extent than protection. The solely advantages nosotros select over the 4-wheeled cruise missiles programmed to assay too destroy are the abilities to out-accelerate, out-brake too out-maneuver them, but these require science too preparation to brand total purpose of. We hold upwards inwards a province amongst hordes of sleepy, self-absorbed, drugged, angry, aggressive, texting, make-up applying, earbud wearing incompetent fucktards behind the wheel. A motorbike is exactly to a greater extent than or less other target for these poorly piloted projectiles. At the rattling to the lowest degree nosotros should hold upwards moving targets.
Nothing brusk of a life-threatening scenario volition convey me to the side of 1 of our nation's highways, whether on 2 wheels or four, the risks are only also high. I don't know why the motorcyclists inwards North Carolina were on the side of the highway, too patch I would never elbow grease to lay blame on them for this tragedy, I practise know for certain, however, had they non been at that spot when that idiot vicious asleep, 2 to a greater extent than motorcyclists would silent hold upwards alive.
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| Horrible tragedy. All the to a greater extent than therefore because it was preventable. |