I'd like to think the Rapture occured.

I wrote this last year, what's it about May long weekend? A deer this year, a dude in a pickup last year. I was cleaning off my desktop when I found it.

Saturday on the long weekend I decided to ride my motorcycle to a lake where some friends were camping.  It was warm out and hardly any wind.  I managed to fit my headphones under my full face helmet and was enjoying music on the trip.  I took an alternate route (note to non-bikers, bikers believe there are no straight lines).  

After 45minutes I was approaching the highway where I had to turn left, running parallel to the highway were railroad tracks and one those tracks was a train.  I was thinking of crossing in front of train, but it is stupid, trains are actually moving faster than they appear.  I stopped and watched it go by while listening to music.  I live on the prairies, this was a long train.

The train past, it was about a mile long and I crossed the tracks and turned left.  500 yards down the road is was a construction sign; then a wobbly motorbike sign; then those stupid groves in road (about 8 miles of them).  I proceeded along at 80 kph (50 miles per hour).  The bike was wobbling and as long as I thought happy thoughts, I didn’t think I was going down.  About three quarters through the wobbly bit, a saw there was a pickup truck on my ass.  I mean ½ car length behind me.  I did the math, if I went down, I was road kill. 

The speed limit in the construction zone was 80. I was doing 80, so I just trudged along.  He/she did not appear to want to pass, just ride my ass (I don’t think it is that hot). Anyway, the wobbly part stopped and freshly paved road way was under me.  I twisted my right hand and was going 140kph, the truck became smaller and smaller.  

It was a Saturday on a long weekend, there were no construction workers or any indication that construction was going on. But they didn't cover the signs, there is a fine in there someplace, just sayin.

The train was beside me, I did what guys do with trains on bikes, any kind of bike; We race them.  The train was not going 80, I think it was going 120; I worked my way up the train.  Then I had a nasty thought, if a cop were to catch me I am truly fucked.  140 in an 80 which has construction signs…..

After having that though, I saw a car coming the other way.  It was a while car.  It was getting closer. It had a roof rack. It hit the brakes as it passed me. I slowed to 120 (still fucked).  I have useless mirrors on my bike; they give me a great view of my shoulders, not the cars behind me (so I am dropping a shoulder, leaning etc. to see if the cop is coming.  Don’t want to make it any worse.  I am going 100 at this point. I couldn’t see the cop coming but the pick up was.

Bikers have two defense mechanisms, one is passive the other is aggressive.  The aggressive one is obvious; speed.  A lot of bikers especially the ones on sport bikes would twist it and take off at about 200-300 kph.  My bike is a cruiser; I could get up to 220, but why push it. The passive defense mechanism is how we dress. Black jacket, jeans, riding a shiny bike.  Even trained professionals are screwed by this one. We all look the same, a cop who rides a bike may be able to figure out some stuff, but the bikes and riders are similar. 

Here is what happened, and this is the truth.  First off, it was Saturday 21 May 2011, Rapture Day.  I am heading into the small town where I have to turn left, cross the tracks and turn right on another highway.  As I slowed down, the black pickup was on my tail again.  While looking for the place where I had to turn left, I saw another train.  This one was headed West.  I figured, if I timed this right, I could cross tracks and then the two trains would effectively block anyone from following me.  Speed on a bike assisted with this.  I did just that.  I cross the tracks and then made sure I was going exactly the speed limit as I worked my way through the town.  The secondary highway ran parallel to the tracks and the other highway. Pickup did not turn, he was still traveling East at about 120 in an 80 (the speed at this town).  As I left the town, I saw red and blue flashing lights at the crest of a hill.  I suspect it was my cop and the black pickup.  That’s what’s logical to me.  The reason the cop didn’t get me; the black pickup prevented him from doing a U-turn.  The cop still has to follow the rules of the road, even with lights on; he can make a U-turn ‘When safe to do so’.  The second, not so logical, but possible reason for no ticket.  The cop was one of the 200 million chosen and as he was making the turn to come get me, he ascended into heaven.  Either one works. 

Footnote: this morning I left the campsite to get home as it looked like it was going to pour.  As I was traveling West on the secondary road, doing 105 in a 100, I passed a cruiser going East.  No brake lights.