This day just is not going well and 11:59 can't come soon enough.
I won't bore you guys with everything that has transpired so far today, but let's just say I've had much better days.
Anyways, I decided to get some 9 therapy and headed to my local dealer to meet my wife to pick up a new helmet for her. I ended up with one as well so we would still "match" (Scorpion EXO 500, solid black with drop down sun visor).
As I'm leaving the dealership on the bike, I run it up a little in 1st gear so I can hear it when I back off the throttle. As it ushers it's gratifying, unrestricted exhaust tones (Debaffled V&H Bigshots); I evidently scared the livin' crap out of a kid bringing a customer's bike around from the back of the building to the Maintenance entrance on the side of the building. We were no where near each other,(at least 40' apart) nor were we on a collision course, but he put that bike down on the asphalt in the parking lot. I stopped as soon as I saw him go down to make sure he & everything else was all right. And wouldn't you know it, the owners of the bike he was bringing around were setting a hundred feet or so behind me, saw everything, and were livid!
There is no question as far as who had the right of way or anything, but the owner's wife, was real quick to throw me under the bus saying I was "tearing out of there" and that I "scared the guy bringing the bike around". As the conversation went along, they realized how young the employee was that was bringing their bike around (Of course a HD 883 sportster, that they just installed new front & rear tires on, slippery of course,) they started ragging on the kid saying "the business should know better" and that "a kid can't handle a harley" I refrained from uttering any HD taunts.
I assured them that the employee wasn't doing anything wrong and that when he tried to stop the bike just probably got away from him. The dealership owner came out & talked to all of us and looked over the bike. Rear turn signal, mirror stem, foot peg, clutch handle were scuffed, he reassured the owner that he would get the parts to repair anything that was damaged and get it repaired for them right away. They left and the owner came up to me to thank me for stopping and making sure all was good and not just taking off. I told him that the employee was not messing around and that it was just an accident. He reassured me that the kid probably did just get scared and hit the brakes too hard or something.
I feel bad for the employee, he was in tears and looked like someone had just run over both of his dogs. I hope he doesn't lose his job over this.
Now for the "GOOD" of all this, My wife was in our 4runner and left the dealership right in front of me. The street we live on is right off of a busy 4 lane highway. She was heading Northbound and was stopped in the left lane waiting for the Southbound traffic(Blinker on). She noticed a car coming up behind her that was still at speed. She started going forward to allow for some more room for the car behind her to slow down or do something. He ended up locking up his brakes and sliding up beside her into the southbound lanes.
Had I been in front of her waiting to turn onto our road.... well, it's not a pretty picture, and if I'd been right behind her, which is more likely, well....that picture is even uglier.
I think I'm just going to go sit on the couch, put on my new helmet (Chillin STLTGER style), pop in a movie, stay away from all flammable materials, anything with an engine, anything sharp, and all electrical appliances, & wait for the day to be over. Just to be on the safe side.
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Originally Posted by RODLAD
Go Big or Go Home
