OT Idiot lights-out drivers

[Mr Macaw]

So he was referring to the distractions as keeping him awake? Did the excuse work? I think the best way to keep awake is to drive fast.

[Phil Kangas]

"rbowman"

My last motorcyle trip was to Flin Flon Manitoba with a friend back in July

2006. We were on the border with Saskatchewan looking at the map and considering continuing on but said 'nah' , we'll go back through Winnepeg! Funny thing though. All the way up to FF and back we were asked 'where you going?' . When we said FF the standard answer was ' are you crazy? are you nuts? nobody goes to FF! '. Even from a RCMP cop and at the customs booth in International Falls Minn.! But it was a good trip not to be regretted. Now I'm too old and disabled to ride due to MS but the memories are good. phil k. 69 yrs old...

[Mr Macaw]

Anywhere you haven't been before is a good place to visit.

[rbowman]

Don't know. That was someone else who mentioned the kid brother.

Why? Back when there was no daylight speed limit in this state I'd cruise at around 100. If I had a Hayubusa it would have been closer to

140. You get from a to b faster but it's no more interesting.

[Mr Macaw]

I'm not talking about interest, I'm talking about the things you have to do. If you're going twice as fast, there's twice as much information to process, and twice as mcuh stuff to do with the controls. I have on occasion driven slowly on a motorway. I tried a long journey at 55mph for economy, and I went at 70 when I was running low on points on my license. On both occasions I felt myself nodding off due to absolute boredom. But driving at the usual speed of 100mph, I have enough to keep me occupied controlling the car.

[Mr Macaw]

I've never been to America. So I don't know what point you're making.

[rbowman]

And you've never been to East St. Louis...

[rbowman]

Do what with the controls? The Harley has a poor man's speed control -- a screw that holds the throttle in position. I've been known to take my hands off the bars, stretch out my arms, and play airplane when I'm bored. Unless there are side winds, there's enough gyroscopic effect a bike will go straight forever and the road damn well does. You're in fifth, really wishing there was a sixth, so you're not going to be shifting for an hour or two. That's mostly because the tank on a Sportster isn't that big and you'll have to stop in Lame Mule for gas. Information to process? I never got into counting the prairie dogs in eastern Montana.

[Mr Macaw]

Even if it's a straight road, surely if you're going at the max speed of the bike, you have to be more alert and careful.

[rbowman]

The only difference between East St. Louis and Mogadishu is the natives speak English. Sort of. I shouldn't single out ESL; there are plenty of places in the US you don't want to visit.

"Down in the part of town where when you hit a red light you don?t stop"

'Johnny 99' Bruce Springsteen

[rbowman]

Alert and careful of what? Passing antelope? They usually don't play in the road.

[clare]

Kid brother took out a herd of 16 or more with his rig one nignt.Blood, guts, and antelope shit all over the truck and pretty much destroyed the fiber-glass hood.

[Mr Macaw]

Balance. Staying in a straight line. Avoiding any potholes.

[Mr Macaw]

I saw 10 female deer crossing, then slammed into the chasing male at about 90mph. The deer bounced off the hood, was sliced in two by the pointy end of the canoe, then one half took out the mirror. Intestines all over the engine bay, it stank for ages. I was stopped by the police a month later with the car in pretty much the same state, but the numberplate had split right through and was hanging off. I was told off because my numberplate might come loose and kill someone. I said that only happens in the movies and he lost his temper.

[rbowman]

You're not paying attention. The faster a bike goes, the greater the gyroscopic effect. A few years ago during a bit of insanity called the Iron Butt Rally (10,000 in 10 days, iirc) a rider had some sort of coronary event and fell off his bike. They had a hard time finding the actually body since the bike proceeded for quite a distance on its own and was found leaning against a guard rail.

Strangely, there aren't that many potholes on the highways in the west. Compared to cities and the eastern roads they are lightly traveled. They are also well drained compared to urban roads.

[Mr Macaw]

But the slightest movement would send you on the wrong direction.

No frost problems?

[rbowman]

Obviously, you weren't alert and careful :) Wildlife, and on the open range, domestic stock are a problem unless you're riding a bicycle. I'm sure if you look hard enough there have been deer versus bicycle accidents too.

I had one who had safely crossed the two travel lanes and was standing on the grass median. When I was about 50 yards away he suddenly remembered he'd left something where he came from. Since I was driving a Kenworth it was 'THUNK! thunk, thunk, thunk, sorry Bambi.' That was back when the bumpers were steel and it did bend it a bit.

[Muggles]

My son nearly hit a deer a few weeks ago, and avoiding it he ended up jumping a ditch and someones driveway in the process. It took like $11,000 to repair the damage and 3 weeks to get it done.

[Mr Macaw]

Why do people buy vehicles that expensive? Or was most of the damage to the driveway? Surely a wall doesn't cost anything like that much.

[Muggles]

It was a new car and had full coverage insurance.