[Author Index] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]

Re: [ST] Lucky Dunc



>From: "Masiak, Richard" <Richard_Masiak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

>Damn!  How'd you get so lucky.  If that were me, I'd a gotten thrown in the 
>slammer for goin' so fast.  Especially if it were one of the back woods po 
>dunc towns.  Aren't they notorious for throwing away the key and you're 
>never heard from again?
>




(folks, this turned into a much longer story than I intended, sorry.)

OK, here's the story Rich:

Headed to Hot Springs with five other riders.  Me and one other rider have 
broken away from the rest of the group.  I'm on my RED Sprint-ST and Anthony 
is on a ORANGE KTM 950 Adventure.  Those things haul ass by the way, and 
with Ant at the helm it is quite fast in the corners as well.  We had been 
riding all day up from the DFW area, all back roads, across the Talimena 
Drive and were on 270 headed east towards Hot Springs.

270 is a very nice, fast road.  But it does tend to draw a bit of traffic, 
moreso than most of the roads we had been on up to this point.  No matter to 
us really, just find a safe open stretch and blast on.  We were having a 
real fine time, Ant right on my tail the whole way.  This is a guy that has 
ridden all over the world and he had the biggest grin shining out the front 
of his helmet.  Life was good.

As we were cruising alone I suddenly saw THREE county sheriff cars coming 
the other way at a pretty good clip.  They went zinging past in the other 
direction and I literally stood up on the pegs, fist in the air!  Looked 
like they were headed to something important and that meant we should have 
free sailing ahead.  I kicked it up another notch, Ant followed.  A few 
miles down the road we come around a corner and there is another County 
Mountie coming our way.  Hmmm, another one, I thought.  We were not doing 
anything wild at that point and I thought nothing of it other than he must 
be headed to the same place as the rest.  Wrong.  As I'm checking my six I 
see him coming back our way.  Not good.  He had his lights on full tilt 
boogie and was fast approaching from behind.

Ever the optimist, I slow down and hug the shoulder, thinking/hoping he had 
just gotten a call and was in route to some hillbilly crime and would just 
zoom past us.  Well he was in pursuit, but it was us.  We slowed, he slowed, 
we pulled over with him right behind.  What happened next is, well, 
interesting.

Remember, this was the same weekend Hurricane Rita was coming ashore down on 
the TX/LA coast.  We are busy pulling off gloves, helmets, earplugs and the 
like as the Deputy Sheriff is strolling up.  And he is the prototypical 
country Sheriff, all 250 pounds and hat and sunglasses.  Jackie Gleason from 
Smokey and the Bandit to a "T".

First words out of his mouth, I swear, was; "Now just what in the hell do I 
have to do to get you crazy fuckers to slow the hell down around here?  I'm 
getting cell phone calls from the locals telling me there are a couple of 
madmen on motorbikes terrorizing the roads, passing on the double yellow and 
speeding like banshees!!!"

I say, "Well sir I'm sure we don't know anything about that"

Deputy, "You damn sure do know what I'm talking about, boy, now what do you 
think I oughta do about this?"

Again, I can only fein ignorance (easy for me to do), and say, well gee 
officer I really don't know what to say.  He takes a look at our tags and 
says, "I can see you boys are from Texas, are you up here with the rest of 
that rabble from down there?"

Now at this point I'm thinking we are well and truly screwed.  I can only 
think he knows about the little rally we are having in Hot Springs where a 
hundred or so crazy riders are gathering for what we have named the 
"Homeless Hodown".  No matter that there are riders from all over the 
country attending, I'm thinking that is what he's referring to.  So, I 
say,"Gee officer, sir, I really don't know what you are talking about" (do 
you see a pattern developing here?)

The Deputy just grins real big and says, "Hell I'm talking about all my damn 
relatives from Texas that are staying at my house, getting out of the way of 
that Hurricane coming through.  Buncha lowlifes they are, eating all my food 
and having a party while I have to be out here chasing down lowlifes like 
you two."

Now, Ant and I finally relax a bit, seems the Deputy ain't so bad.  He then 
goes on to say, "Well I ain't gonna give ya'll any tickets this time, if you 
will promise me to slow the fuck down, ok?"
(I am quoting this conversation verbatim so don't hate me for the profanity)

In unison, Ant and I say, "Yes sir, we promise".  He says, "Hell boys I'm 
from Texas too, y'all just need to quit scaring the hell out of the locals 
on these damn sport bikes."  "Now, let me see your licenses, I gotta run 
them, neither of you two are escaped convicts or ax murderers are ya?"

Ant, who is from England, quickly and in his best British accent says, 
"Well, sir I'm not, but I only met this guy (me) today so I can't vouch for 
him."  Great guy Ant  :-)   The Sheriff looks at me and I quickly add, "No 
sir, I'm clean, not even a speeding ticket"

As he is running us through the computer he looks back up the road to see 
two of our riding partners sitting on the side of the road about a quarter 
mile back and says, "Are those two with you guys? What's the matter with 
them, too big a pussies to come on down here?"

I say, "No sir, they are just holding our bail money."   Laughter all around 
as our reports come back clean  :-)   Then he tells us to slow the fuck down 
one more time, and admonishes us that both his sons are Highway Patrol and 
cover the road ahead into Hot Springs.  He also gives us the advice to make 
sure and obey the speed limits within all the towns (like, the speed limit 
isn't that important outside the towns) tells us to have a nice day and be 
careful.

Ant and I give each other a wink, don our gear and are off to the Hodown.  
Knock on wood.
I learned one thing from this, Red and Orange together do tend to draw 
attention.  :-}






eLDonut
jinete en la tormenta

STeve


_______________________________________________
Triumph Sprint ST/RS mailing list
Send list posts to ST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Change your list options at www.Triumphnet.com