A definite OH S**T! moment...

[cactusjack]

This happened to me less than an hour ago. Let me set this up for you. I walk out of the building I work in, get on my bike and ride about 1200' to the southbound ramp of the Loop 202 freeway. I enter the freeway, and 3 miles later, it ends and the southbound lanes split, left to get on the Loop 202 E, right to head west. I go left and enter a big "flyover" ramp about 100 feet above the interchange below in a big, sweeping 90 degree turn. The ramp is 2 lanes, with maybe a 2' shoulder and concrete barrier walls on both sides. I always ride the left lane on the ramp, because it has an easier merge at the end.

I'm following a work truck - a pickup towing a small flatbed trailer. I've seen all kinds of things come off these trailers over the years, so experience tells me to follow at a greater distance than normal. I'm about 5-6 car lengths behind it, at about 65 MPH. We head up the ramp, and start to turn and I hear a "clank". I'm thinking the truck ran over something on the road. I see a 4'-5' long section of wrought iron railing flip up from the passenger side trailer wheel, fly back over the trailer, still spinning, and it hit the edge of the left hand barrier wall. I instinctively ducked my head and started slowing, preparing for the worst possible outcome. I couldn't move to the right lane because there was too much traffic. To my disbelief, the section of railing flips over the barrier and falls to the interchange down below. I have no idea where it landed, I hope it didn't go through the roof or windshield of someone's car.

I'm watching this truck closely, and I see another piece of railing slide off the flatbed trailer and it did pretty much the same thing the first one did. I thought this one was going to nail me. It didn't seem to hit as high on the barrier as the first one, but it too went over the edge. This time, the driver of the truck starts slowing down and puts on his flashers, as soon as it's clear, he pulls to the right, BLOCKING MOST OF THE RIGHT LANE! I wanted to get out of there before some unsuspecting driver came around that curve and rear ended this guy. I started accelerating hard to get away.

As I passed the truck, the driver's window was down and he had one of the absolutely dumbest expressions I have ever seen on a human face. I yelled at him "tie your f***ing load down, a**hole!" He just looked at me with this blank stare and for a split second, I think he realized he could have killed somebody. I just hope the 2 sections of railing didn't do any damage as they fell to the lanes 100 feet below.

[abbo]

Glad you and bike came out okay, but you can't fix STUPID

[Yellow Jacket]

Glad you missed it all Cactusjack! It's amazing how many people don't have a clue that stuff can come off a trailer or truck if it isn't tied down! :(" title="" border="0"/>

[cactusjack]

I am feeling lucky tonight. With the traffic on that ramp and no escape route, it could have gotten ugly in a hurry.

[audiogooroo]

You must be living right Scott. At least we all hope you are! :)

Glad you came through unscathed.

[traveler]

Glad your ok . It reminds a buddy of mine following a car with a mattress tied to the top down the mountain from work last summer . you can guess what happened ,the mattress came loose and took him out . the car didnt stop ! he spent a week in hospital broken leg ,wrist, ribs punchered lung and lots of road rash . really lucky he didnt land in on coming traffic. or go over railing. he got new o8 nad out of it though.

[paul]

Had one of my guys return to the shop one day early with a 3 cell all metal Maglite stuck in his wind shield. He said it bounced off of a motorcycle and down the freeway into the glass. Pay back?

Seriously, Glad you werent hurt, hope no one else. Good lesson about following anything too close. I have been leary of trailers or fools with pickup beds stuffed w/ sh#&$t for a long time.

[waterman]

Glad you weren't hurt CJ. It is amazing how some people don't give a crap. How fast can we get this thing loaded and get out of here??? attitude is stupid. I always tie things down to where I think they will stay and then give it one more wrap. Some people think I'm anal about that but like I tell them, "Better to take a little more time on this end than to ruin your day and possibly someone elses later."

[schoeney]

See CJ..There are advantages to living in the crappy weather....most of us didn't ride today and didn't have an "oh sh*t" moment!

Glad you are OK...hope everyone below is OK too.

[rksaw]

CJ, I am so glad that you are alright. One of my first "chaplain calls" here was for the firefighters who dealt with the "scalping" of a woman just walking on a sidewalk when sheet metal came off a trailer. God was watching over you on the ride home.
Rich

[nomad561]

You should be able to stop people like that and slap the s**t out of them.
Glad you made it without incident CJ. I have seen so many riders that will ride their bike the same way they drive a car and wouldn't have time to get out of a situation like that.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Wandering Nomad "Darksider"

You should be able to stop people like that and slap the s**t out of them.
Glad you made it without incident CJ. I have seen so many riders that will ride their bike the same way they drive a car and wouldn't have time to get out of a situation like that.

I find that I drive my car like I ride my bike, not the other way around. Riding has definitely made me a more attentive and better driver.

[johnb]

Cactusjack, glad you made it safely! I too find I am drive my car more like I ride my bike. Here in Westchester NY I wish that everyone had to ride a bike to experience just how dangerous they are.

[fish]

lucky you CJ
I'm always looking ahead for possible hazards and anticipating the unexpected thats what years of driving bus will do to you.

[Idaho]

Hey CJ, guess it just wasn't your day, or maybe it was your day, or ....... this is confusing. Glad you are okay. So, what are you going to do to get the seat repaired? LOL