Cellphones 1, Hitchers 0

[Hitcher]

Doh!

There are probably some things that should never be owned up to. This may be one of those…

Encouraged by yesterday’s successful two-up outing to visit friends’ six-week-old donkey colt at Manakau (the one south of Levin), Mrs H and I decided this morning to head off for another ride. The wind was easing and the cloud was starting to burn off. The prospect of a most pleasant motorcycling day dawned. Coffee and lunch at the Fish sounded like a good idea.

Traffic was light and well behaved.

We pulled up in the right-hand lane at the Maungaraki lights behind a Toyota Hiace van. To our left was one of those classic Daimler/Jaguar Mark-something things containing a 60-odd woman driver, in a hat (Danger, Will Robinson), texting. The lights changed to green, and our texting Jag driver moved forwards taking no notice of the road ahead or the world outside her vehicle. As her window was down, I decided to offer some advice:

“Put that bloody phone away, before you cause an accident!” I said, loudly, with righteous moral indignation dripping from my helmeted voice.

I then looked up to see that the Hiace hadn’t moved away with quite the vigour I had expected. Too late, my front wheel touches his bumper. Firmly.

Bike drops to ground, dropping Mrs H onto her recently-bruised left shoulder. Sigh. Unvoiced expletive.

Mrs H walks to the median barrier clutching her arm. I stand up the bike then go and help her remove her helmet and jacket.

Nice Couple in Subaru Legacy on their way to the Masterton air show stop to impress upon their wide-eyed children the inherent dangers of motorcycling and to give Mrs H a cold softdrink and sympathy.

I return to the ST, start it up and ride it up onto the median. I walk around it and do a damage assessment. It is unmarked! The same can’t be said for a black XXL Shoei XR1000.

Meanwhile texting Jaguar gran has stopped on the other side of the motorway and is still busy with her phone. I suspect she may have taken a photograph of us and sent it to her contacts list. The evidence of her cellular activities soon emerged. She is the goddess of goodness, the queen of the highway, the A&E pursuivant. I suspect that by now she will have sent a couple of hundred texts explaining all of this to everyone she knows. All done whilst driving her classic Jaguar. This woman is a saint, an example to us all.

Minutes later, the first of three Police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine arrive. Each with sufficient interval for me to relive my shame several times over. The Hiace driver had also stopped and came back over. He said he had felt a slight nudge. I told him he had done nothing wrong.

Nothing to see here folks. Move along!

Mrs H says she still loves me. Having recently engaged in a monumental piece of carelessness and taken a significant liberty with her well-being I wonder why.

She says she is very impressed with my power of prophecy and now wants to know what the full range of my recently-acquired seer powers are…

I am still cross with myself. Nothing hurts more than falling from one’s “high horse”. Pride went simultaneously with the fall this morning.

Today’s “duty god” is the god of cellphones. Be warned!

[avgas]

...and she drove 100m down the road still txting, taking out 13 innocents :angry2:

[Waylander]

A shining example of making your own prophecy come true. If she hadnt been txting you would not have yelled and thus would have noticed that the van hadnt moved and not run up his tail pipe :doh: Glad you and the Mrs are ok, hows her shoulder doin? lucky break on the bike :ride:

[NC]

Oh shit! Poor Mrs H :blink:

Hitcher, I thought you were one of the smart ones :blink:

[Hitcher]

Hitcher, I thought you were one of the smart ones
Gulp. So did I...

[Racey Rider]

Dam!

Lucky the Hiace wasn't split in two with "the Thing" nudging it so. :Pokey:

Good lesson for all Mr Hitcher. :yeah:

PS.
Don't you ever write that ST off will you, cause it will be the end of my "the Thing" jokes. :doobey:

PSS. Maybe one of the Mod's should drop you back to "L PLATE RIDER" status! :bleh:

[Motu]

Are you sure the driver of the Jag/Daimler was in her 60s? - maybe I'll be able to text when I get older,but it's beyond me now....

[MSTRS]

These things come in threes,. I hope No.1 occurred before the Wairarapa incident!

[marty]

A shining example of making your own prophecy come true. If she hadnt been txting you would not have yelled and thus would have noticed that the van hadnt moved and not run up his tail pipe :doh: Glad you and the Mrs are ok, hows her shoulder doin? lucky break on the bike :ride:

An excellent example of shifting blame. Well done that man!

[merv]

Must be earthquake weather eh!! Or some other such evil.

[Blakamin]

CSL said she saw you between a Cop car and abmbo... And I saw you yesterday when you were heading south and I was heading to ohau :eek5:

[Waylander]

An excellent example of shifting blame. Well done that man!

Mearly a clever way of stretching the truth a bit, still its funny how that part of it worked out aye

[merv]

How's that song go "keep your filthy eyes on the road ahead"?

[Rainbow Wizard]

My German friend said "My wife made the accident with her car". Never a truer word (make that 8 words) was spoken.

[Slim]

You failed to mention if you received any paperwork from the Police as a result of your incident.....

Hello again to Mrs Hitcher & get well soon. I hope there are flowers or a dinner out in your future very soon! ;)

[Joni]

Wow Hitcher...
Sorry to hear that!
:disapint:
However I was glad to read that Mrs H has healed enough for her to be back on the bike with you! :2thumbsup

[inlinefour]

What can go wrong often will. Don't be cheeky as it sometimes comes back to bite us on the arse (yea I've learnt the hard way also). Hope the shoulder and pride is recovering well. Take care. :ride:

[Paul in NZ]

Ah!

This is what happens when you don't cpme on the music video ride you see!

Paul N

ps - Glad Mrs H and your good self are OK!

[Hitcher]

No "paperwork" from the Police. The ambo guys were more interested in the bike -- until the big new red fire truck turned up...

From the pain in my leg, I suspect I have turned my right knee in probably some feeble attempt to hold up a toppling ST.

Sigh. Now waiting for delivery of the "Gold-plated Idiot with Palm Leaves" award.

[toads]

Hitcher, you have shot up in my estimation due to the sheer honesty of admitting your incident, I think all of us have had times where we've dropped ourselves fairly in "it", but this was highly understandable ( the righteous indignation regarding the lady with the cellphone).
It was murphy's law that horribly conspired against you and Mrs H, I hope she hasn't been deterred from bike riding altogether by recent events!

[k14]

sorry to hear about the "incident" hitcher. i admire your honesty and i'm sure alot of us here (me included) have done alot worse.

hope you, mrs hitcher and the bike are ok.

[2_SL0]

This will sound bad, But Im glad to hear that others suffer a similar error as I have done. It certainly puts a large dent in the ego and pride department. We are only human. :)

[crashe]

So how is Mrs Hitchers shoulder now?????

and how is your knee doing?

The person on the cell phone probably has no idea what she has even caused..... driving off txting her wee heart out.... to all her friends....

[Posh Tourer :P]

No "paperwork" from the Police. The ambo guys were more interested in the bike -- until the big new red fire truck turned up...

From the pain in my leg, I suspect I have turned my right knee in probably some feeble attempt to hold up a toppling ST.

Sigh. Now waiting for delivery of the "Gold-plated Idiot with Palm Leaves" award.

You are a Gold plated Idiot? You should be more careful, you'll scuff yourself.....



Or did you mean the Gold-plated "Idiot award" with Palm Leaves?

[Ms Piggy]

We pulled up in the right-hand lane at the Maungaraki lights Minutes later, the first of three Police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine arrive. Each with sufficient interval for me to relive my shame several times over. The Hiace driver had also stopped and came back over. He said he had felt a slight nudge. I told him he had done nothing wrong.
I saw you both! I was headed South along the motorway, having just farwelled at the gals & guys at Caltex Rimuatkas. I knew you must have been ok as both yourself and Mrs H were standing but, I was a bit worried that you were parked in between a Ambulance and a Fire Engine :unsure: I didn't turn around b/c I felt there would be nothing I could assist with.

Glad you are both ok :hug:

[bane]

Are you sure the driver of the Jag/Daimler was in her 60s? - maybe I'll be able to text when I get older,but it's beyond me now....

I think if I had seen someone 60+ texting, I would have fallen off my bike too!

the only text messages I can send are the ones in the phone templates :Oops:

oh well, my best to Mrs H, and glad you and the bike are fine.

[StoneChucker]

Damn Hitcher, Cathy sent me a text about what she saw, and I was hoping you weren't involved :( At least you and the Mrs are ok, and the bike is unscathed. As you imply, the ego is the worst damaged of all :Oops:

It's been the day for accidents then, 2 others I know of :argh: I really hope Jane isn't deterred from riding, as this is rather an unusual sequence of events. Coming home tonight in the rain, there seemed to be what looked like foam on the road between the Silverstream turnoff and the roundabout shortly after. I slowed down, and changed from 2nd to 3rd and accelerated slightly. Well, the back wheel started to spin, and the back tried to overtake the front of my bike. Luckily I figured out what was happening, and pulled in the clutch - no harm done, just a scare haha :sneaky2: It could easily have been worse.

Take it easy out there guys. This motormacycling is actually a rather dangerous activity.

[StoneChucker]

I do on occasion text whilst driving. But it's ok, I'm a good driver :laugh: (and it's not like I have one of the Nokia's, with the circular key pads, just to make it more difficult)

[Biff]

Poor Mrs H (and Mr H's ego). A month the H fambly would rather forget me thinks.

I just don't understand how using a mobile phone when in control of a motor vehicle is legal in NZ. It's a freakin joke. Those things are deadly when you're talking driving a car, but texting!!!!??? The sooner they ban their use (without a hands free kit) when driving (or riding!) the better.

[erik]

... Minutes later, the first of three Police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine arrive....

3 police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine!?! I wonder what the lady in the jag told the emergency services to get that kinda turnout?

I hope your wife's shoulder and your knee are ok.

[Waylander]

use of hands free while riding??? i ignore the damn thing when i mannage to feel the vibrator going off in my pocket and you can forget hearing the ringing :kick: if its an important call they know better than to call me when im on the bike :done:

[jrandom]

Poor Hitcher.

Now, see what being a grumpy old bastard does to you? Can't be too good for your blood pressure, either.

And what are you doing dropping that ST? Eh? I want to ride it to your funeral scratch-free, thank you very much!

Muttermuttergladyou'reallrightmuttermutter.

[riffer]

Crikey Hitcher, you're a worry.

Hope you and Mrs Hitcher have a nice hot bath together, have an early night and get you weary sorry bodies into bed for a good nights sleep tonight.

:hug: to you both.

[Racey Rider]

3 police cars, an ambulance and a fire engine!?! I wonder what the lady in the jag told the emergency services to get that kinda turnout?


"Hello Police? I'ld like to report a miner traffic incident involving a Big Red THING" :eek5:

"Ooo,, a ST1300! We'll be right there.
ALL of us!! :Police: :Police: :Police:

[sels1]

and I was heading to ohau :eek5:

And I saw you in Pinky when you were coming back thru Te Horo!
I had Mrs S on board testing her new helmet/jacket/gloves/boots.

Hitcher - hope everythings ok with yr bodies and bike - regards to Mrs H.

Wont tell Mrs S, she dosent need to hear any falling off stories at this time...

[Jamezo]

I think if I had seen someone 60+ texting, I would have fallen off my bike too!

my grandma is a 1337 textz0r! I'm awaiting with glee the day she rices up her Corolla and dons Fubu.

:soon: