Posted by
GunsInTexas on Friday, June 08, 2007 4:54:50 PM
I WROTE THIS MARCH 18, 2006 WHILE I WAS WORKING IN BATON ROUGE. I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD PUT IT HERE.
I was out for a nice ride around Baton Rouge this evening. I went by the Dealer in Denham Springs, CALMES MOTORSPORTS. It was a nice shop, not flashy. They had maybe 10 vics and maybe as many each of Suzukis and Kawas.
There was a black woman there with her 15 yo daughter. The mom was looking at buying a cruiser. She was looking at a 250 Suzi and a 650 Suzi. I butted in and asked her if she had taken the MSF course. She was going to but hadn't yet.
I related the story of Etta starting with the Savage and graduating to an 800 Suzi then to her 01 SC. She was taller than Etta and I suggested she sit on the Vegas too. She really liked it. Both the salesman and I recommended she wait until she takes her class, then decide what bike to buy. I told her I had never been in that dealership before, but they seemed like a good place to shop. She thought I worked there.
So I drove west over the Mississippi and enjoyed the cool late afternoon weather.
I get within 1/2 mile of my hotel, so I stop to fill up. I get on the street, I am in the right hand lane of a 3 lane one way boulevard. I only go about a block, so I couldn't have been going more than 30? Anyway, a cop walks across the road from the left lane, stopping traffic as he does. The middle lane has a moving truck in it, so I can't see him and he can't see me....until I am right on top of the guy.
So all I see as I come to the front of the truck is a cop walking right out in front of me as I am going 30 mph.
So instinctively I grab the front brake, move slightly to the right...and slip right into a wide joint in the road running parallel to my direction of travel. My tires lose traction...and I go down on my left side.
Luckily I have a crash bar. It bent back, driving the spring-loaded floorboards, but not hurting them. The left turnsignal is bent back. Will need to replace, I think.
I hit the ground pretty dang hard, scraped the skin off my left elbow and my left knee (through the bluejeans). My left elbow, knee and hip are pretty sore. And the thumb on my right hand is sprained. My head hit the street, but I had that shorty helmet on, so it was ok. It did come off though.
SO the guy helps me up, asks if I need an ambulance, I pick up my bike and 2 cops help me push it off the side.
I am just sitting there shaking my head, initially a bit pissed with the cop. He is a young guy, recently out of the military. He says he would never have stepped out in front of me. I said yeah, but *I* don't know that!!
Anyway, hell I am on the cops side, most always. Turns out he is from my Dad's home town and he could pronounce my last name!
It's ok, but I am going to be one sore SOB tomorrow. Hell, I couldn't lift my leg high enough to shift with the floorboards up so high.
I think I am going to drink a bit.