Craig’s Motorcycles
The Stop Sign
One evening after work, I took advantage of the left-hand lane that was, just as in the photo below, partially blocked with parked cars (no big problem on a bike). A VW Beetle turned suddenly into the side street from the other side of the main road. It did so just as I was accelerating with my view of the Beetle obscured by a truck. As the car suddenly appeared in front of my path, I slammed into the passenger door and vaulted over the front, at the same time being propelled rudely leftward by the windscreen and various other firm surfaces.
With most of my forward inertia still intact, I cleared the car and hammered into the base of the stop sign, taking the impact on my shoulder and finishing up in the gutter, where I probably belong anyway.
Another driver said that all he saw after I disappeared over the car was the stop sign fold ominously, and he thought I would be dead for sure. On the contrary, my shoulder wasn't even broken, a slight fabric graze and tenderness being the only evidence of so much excitement. I did have a sore wrist from landing hard too, but that was about it.
The car had big damage, and the bike was mangled yet again. I didn't have the heart to fix it this time, and a friend relieved me of it.
The photo below is an old Polaroid (accidental but appropriate double-exposure) showing my effect upon the signpost.

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