I hate bad news....

[Sparkle]

I just got todays' Daily Townsman....second page has an article about a serious motorcycle accident on the strip yesterday. Skimpy info, no details ....rider stabilized at Cranbrook Hospital then airlifted to Calgary...police are continuing investigation...anyone witnessing...etc.

The driver of the mini-van was not injured.

The blurry picture of the mangled bike looks like a KLX250.....Slight damage to the mini-van is to the left-front according to the pic.

It's crazy out there..... please be careful.

sparkle.

[Ripple]

The strip is dangerous, labeled as a highway so I guess it's ok to weave in and out of traffic at 80kph in town eh? Personally I think if we don't have the manpower to police it they should put up barriers so you can only turn left onto it at controlled intersections.

Latest update was the minivan driver was turning left onto the strip while talking on a cellphone.

[Sparkle]

Well, I wish I didn't have to carry on with this thread...but I started it.

Sadly the rider didn't make it...the paper says Colin Adachi of Cranbrook passed away in Calgary. No other details except he leaves a wife and young family....I didn't know him, and I don't think he was a DSBC'r but he was on his bike trying to get a little enjoyment just like the rest of us.Myprayers go to everyone who's affected.

Like Ripple says the strip is dangerous. Between the shoppers, truckers, tourists and the street racers, there's not much room for bikes, and any contact is bad news.

Sparkle

[UnbForester05]

Sad news indeed. Reading some of the forums (DSBC, ADVRider) its seems too often that there is news of riders being badly injured or killed. My prayers and condolences go out to the victim's family.

Be careful out there everyone.

Unbforester05

[Jaeger]

Coming home into Cranbrook this afternoon, the radio was saying a motorcyclist was killed on Wattsville Road today. That would be about a stone's throw from my house. Police are saying speed and alcohol.

I'm not surprised. At least once a day a crotch rocket or somebody on a Harley blasts down Wattsville Road at highway speeds and beyond. Cagers too, of course, but they at least are wrapped in steel. Lots of deer around here, and if you're riding too fast, with a load on, and a deer jumps out in front of your bike... well, it is what it is. If it turns out the rider was pissed and speeding while riding, frankly, I won't be able to dredge up any sympathy for him.

The strip scares the hell out of me as well. But these days, any kind of heavy traffic with vehicles turning in and out of traffic scares the hell out of me. Between the cellphone stuck in the ear, the double-double in the other hand, and a cigarette perched somewhere, motorcyclists and pedestrians are just another annoyance to these people.

Having been a cop at one time, I'm pretty pro police. Having said that, I'm going to indulge in a little rant anyways. What the hell are we doing with all our traffic guys hanging around out of town picking off speeders miles from town? Is it too much to expect a few of them be tasked to doing enforcement on the strip? The only time they ever operate anywhere in town that I see them is seat belt checks by Tembec's office.

How about sending a message by nailing all these people running through yellow lights, following too close, turning on and off the strip without signalling, bicyclists weaving in and out of traffic without either a helmet or lights, etc? Christ, if they got at it, they'd have to send somebody back to the office on Theatre Road for more ticket books.

[Sparkle]

Totally Jaeger:

The most dangerous part of BC's highways, is the towns....and it seems the least patrolled. I don't know what happened to driver training, courtesy, rules of the road, and the all important police cars.

In one trip down the strip you can witness dozens of violations, most of them involving trying to be FIRST at any cost. And why do they feel they have to pass you on the right before they canturn left?

Especially beware of the green N signs turned sideways....I was told by one it's the mark of "Zorro" but I think it really means an IQ of Zero...as if we couldn't tell.

But it's not all them either...even the big truck professionals (the knights of the road) , are doing stupid things.

I guess it's up to us to stay alive. Afender-benderto acager is just an inconvenience but to a motorcycle it'sa life threatening event.

Sparkle

[Ripple]

Your info is a little out of date re running yellow. When your light turns green look both ways for somebody 100 yds back determined to get through the red. Had two friends nailed this way in the last couple years. The last was on Victoria in front Save-0n. Also people have taken to playing chicken with oncoming traffic before and after a turn since steering radius has decreased to the point you can't make a 90 deg turn anymore.
Motorcycle specific - you don't need all the space in your lane when they make a left at lights and since you are on a bike you don't need you whole lane around that corner either.
My pet peave is tailgating or not bothering to slow from 80 as you try to turn right off the strip. Apparently you are supposed to take that corner on two wheels or decide that corner isn't that important. This happens every day (drive for a living, test drives anyway). I have had to put enough thought into this to conclude that if I lose it trying to get out of the way it's my fault but if they rearend me it's their fault and therefore covered by company insurance.
I always wonder why people that don't feel comfortable driving more than 20-40kph sudenly feel confidant going 70 through the school zone.
Am I living in some alternate reality? End rant.