[Ducati] RE: Rude Lane-splitters

[Scott Cloninger]

Nice piece, Gabe.  I guess we've all been in a situation like
this....and they all suck.

A few years ago Tim Simpson (a former list member and current Bimota
rider from Fyffe, AL) and I were riding in the North Georgia mountains
when we passed a slow moving truck.  This was one of those mega-jacked
up redneck lookin' things with really big tires that sling everything
dropped onto the road surface over the last 3 centuries onto the
following vehicles.  Oh...and did I mention it was raining cats and
dogs...making the slinging effect ever worse?  Anyway, I was leading,
and after following this truck for a couple of miles I was aching to see
a passing zone.  We cleared a turn and there was a straight a couple of
hundred meters long, but it was still painted with the old double
yellow.  I made a command decision that I'd rather pass safely on the
double yellow than continue to have very impaired vision, so I pulled
out and passed.  Tim followed.  The difference between the two passes
was that mine made the truck driver so angry that he tried very hard to
put Tim in the ditch!  We completed the pass and held a speed that kept
Cap'n Redneck at bay.

A few miles later we pulled into the town or Ellijay, GA to find "The
Man" waiting for us.  He pulled us over and asked us why we passed on a
double yellow.  We chatted a few minutes and up comes Cap'n Redneck.  He
proceeds to yell at the top of his lungs, "That's them, Officer.  That's
the assholes who passed me!!"  (Sorry, I can't quite summon the
linguistic skills to mimic the twang of his backwoods accent...so you'll
have to use your imagination).  Tim replied, "Yea, well you tried to run
me off the road, you Psycho".  To which the truck driver retorted "Yeah,
I tried to put you in the ditch...and I'll do it again if'n you ever try
to pass me on a double yellow again!!"  Bear in mind, this is all in
front of a cop!!

Tim looked at him, then looked at the local Sheriff and said, "That's
right officer.  I passed him on a double yellow.  If you'll write my
ticket for reckless driving now I'll gladly pay the fine for it.  By the
way, how about charging this fine human being with attempted murder.
You have his confession and two witnesses to the act.  I think that's a
slam dunk conviction."  Our new truck driver friend suddenly realized
what he had done, and the look on his face immediately changed from
anger to serious fear.  He began stammering and bumbling, but was saved
by the Sheriff, who simply decided to tell everyone they should probably
think before breaking the law again.  

I still think we got the short end of the stick from the Sheriff, but I
guess all things considered we did OK.  It would have been a shame to
put that beautiful DB4 into the ditch.  8)

Think before you do something really stupid!!

Scott Cloninger, P.E., MBA
Engineering Manager
CEI Enterprises, Inc.

BTW...If I had it to do over, I'd do it again, I'd just make it a really
rude pass rather than the gentle one I used the first time.  Is that
wrong?  8)
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