Ladders

**The End** · 4th December 2014, 16:21

Travelling home this afternoon on my normal 70km commute as I carry on straight towards Auckland Airport and enter that oh so sweet right hander, I'm following a silver Toyota Corolla and am adjacent to a rather large twin-trailer truck.

Riding in the slow lane doing 90 (because I'm a responsible mother f*cker) I suddenly see the bright illumination of the Corolla's taillights followed by a fast decrease in forward momentum. Wondering why on earth a Corolla with an apparent free moving lane in front if it is suddenly braking, I ease off the throttle and begin to apply my own brakes. Without a moment's notice, the aforementioned truck begins to swerve and it is at this stage I feel the cheeks of my arse begin to clench tighter than they already are and I begin to squeeze my brake levers even harder.

Whoop, there it is, out of no where; a huge fucking aluminium ladder sitting in the middle of the lane.

The twin-trailored truck dodged the aluminum beast by drifting (yes; think Fast and the Furious Drifting, it makes this story more exciting) to the left and the Corolla driver had no where to go. All those years of watching YouTube motorcycle fails (as well as numerous grumps on here) have taught me two things:

If you crash your motorcycle, you get fucked up.
Don't give into the temptation of target fixation

Realising I had no where to go, nor any way of coming to a complete stop (thanks to the laws of physics and the Corporate Cab taxi now sitting on my tightly clenched arse) I had a brainwave: Stand up.

Oh, New Zealand Transport Agency Road Code, you taught me well. Standing on the pegs lifts your centre of gravity, stabilising the bike in a drive-over-something-you-shouldn't situation.

So I stood up on my pegs, rode (unwillingly) over that aluminium ladder w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶b̶o̶t̶h̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶i̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶d̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶p̶a̶s̶s̶ ̶f̶l̶a̶s̶h̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶s̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶r̶o̶w̶d̶s̶ ̶c̶h̶e̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶ and experienced one hell of a jolt followed by a brief tank-slapper. I then slowed some more before pulling over and inspecting the bike.

So here I am; a little over an hour later having a Steinlager (bummer about the 102m dive), still suffering from the post adrenaline I-really-need-to-poo syndrome writing this to you, my fellow riders.

Don't let this turn into a circlejerk about my riding but rather let this serve as a reminder: keep your eyes open on the road. A moment of inattention is all it takes for the road (or ladder in this case...) to hurt us, or worse; take our lives.

Ride on

.

**buggerit** · 4th December 2014, 16:37

So, how the fuck did ya get the ladder home?, must of been a cunt in rush hour.

I had a similar moment with a rolled up truck tarp in the centre of the fast lane of the southern a few
years back, stood about 400mm high so was a dodge rather than over the top.

**Reckless** · 4th December 2014, 16:37

One lucky, skilled, quick thinking, SOB are you!

Great read and Great result!! enjoy the BUZZ!

**R650R** · 4th December 2014, 16:42

Sorry but you got me all horney talking about a b-train drifiting... nothing like the squelch of 32 tyres abandoning all hope on a poor wet tar bleed excuse of a state highway with a multi-hundred thousand dollar export load late for the airport... *said in Raymond Reddington tone

*

So a tradies ladder ends up on m'way... your behind a b-train who has enough time to brake and swerve around it without taking out the car, you get lucky riding over it and then have the cheek to tell us about the need to pay attention.
Sorry but under the above described circumstances you should have had ample time to brake and take another line, never mind the taxi. Unless you were following too close to the truck and car to see whats ahead of them...
just saying...

**The End** · 4th December 2014, 17:10

Originally Posted by R650R

Sorry but you got me all horney talking about a b-train drifiting... nothing like the squelch of 32 tyres abandoning all hope on a poor wet tar bleed excuse of a state highway with a multi-hundred thousand dollar export load late for the airport... *said in Raymond Reddington tone

*

So a tradies ladder ends up on m'way... your behind a b-train who has enough time to brake and swerve around it without taking out the car, you get lucky riding over it and then have the cheek to tell us about the need to pay attention.
Sorry but under the above described circumstances you should have had ample time to brake and take another line, never mind the taxi. Unless you were following too close to the truck and car to see whats ahead of them...
just saying...

There's always one.

Excuse the poor artwork skills (never did go to Ms. L's art classes at school anyway) but the roadmap looked something like this when it all happened:

Between the car driving through the apex and the truck's positioning; believe me when I say there was no way I could have seen it. I was paying attention, I was looking forward, and I did not see it at all until it was out from under the Corolla in front of me.

Even if I did screw up and the entire situation (including the ladder which I must have left on the road) was my fault, is there really any harm in sharing what happened to maybe remind people to keep their eyes open?

**haydes55** · 4th December 2014, 17:10

Did you bend the rims? Good work staying upright. I had similar situation, but with a block of wood. The car in front drifted to the left and I didn't see why til the chunk of wood popped out from under the car. A quick counter steer right then left. A car almost took it out a minute later when I got back to the wood to kick it off the road (txting and looked up just in time).

**The End** · 4th December 2014, 17:16

Originally Posted by haydes55

Did you bend the rims? Good work staying upright. I had similar situation, but with a block of wood. The car in front drifted to the left and I didn't see why til the chunk of wood popped out from under the car. A quick counter steer right then left. A car almost took it out a minute later when I got back to the wood to kick it off the road (txting and looked up just in time).

The good part is fortunately no damage other than a slight dent in the front tyre. Stopped off to see the lads at Drury Performance Tyres on my way home to get a second opinion on the tyre and they reckon I'll be sweet to keep riding on it. Although they did mention I'm due for a rear soon. Queue burnout time

**Maha** · 4th December 2014, 17:34

Just take it one step at a time.

**Woodman** · 4th December 2014, 17:47

Wonder if anyone RUNG the cops?

**ellipsis** · 4th December 2014, 18:16

...the best ladder I have ever owned, 5m extension, came from a highway find...it was in the exit of a big HW75 tight corner...it would have caused big grief to a bike...