Thread: Caught out

It was either the third or fourth time that I had been called for jury duty.

I had a company car at the time and it was a real PITA to fill out the paperwork for personal use of the car. I rode my small motorcycle to the court house. I was selected to be questioned. The prosecutor asked, "I see you ride a motorcycle. Do you think that the police are out to get you because you ride a motorcycle?" I looked at him and said, "The police are no different than anyone else. Anything on four wheels is out to get you." At that point the judge interrupted saying, "Do you mean that you have to ride defensively?" I looked at the judge and said, "Your honor it is worse than that. It is winter time with snow on the ground. I'm riding through farm country, flat as can be. I have my headlight on and I can see at least a half mile in every direction. I am approaching a cross road that has stop signs. I can see that the driver never looked. I am here today only because I slowed and almost stopped even though the other driver had stop signs but didn't. As he pulled out and saw me, he was startled."


The defense attorney then accepted me as a juror without any questions. We convicted the defendant of reckless operation on a motorcycle.


BTW - There are only three types of motorcycle riders.
1 ~ Safe, defensive cautious

2~ Idiots riding to their funeral


3 ~ Idiots that have arrived at their funeral

Many many years ago when I did my first advanced riding course they did an evening of theory and a full day practical.

2 things surprised me. The first was the majority of the class going on about ow much they learned in the theory. I'd already thought of everything they raised. The second was the minority of idiots who insisted on arguing with the instructor.

It does not matter if you are in the right. It does not matter if they get a fine, lose their licence or go to gaol. You are still dead.

Originally Posted by damian

It does not matter if you are in the right. It does not matter if they get a fine, lose their licence or go to gaol. You are still dead.

YES! You don't want to die defending the right of way.

In spite of what the experts say, I always preferred to ride in the lane next to the driver, behind the vehicle and preferably where the driver couldn't see me in the side mirror. The driver could do anything that they wanted and they couldn't get me. Also the vehicle provided protection from cross traffic vehicles and vehicles turning across the roadway.

When I was very much younger I was taught a Saftey Poem. It goes something like this;

Here lies the body of George O'Day.
He died maintaining his right of way.
He was right, dead right as he rode along,
But he is just as dead as if he were wrong.