Posted on 09/23/2011 1:49:16 PM PDT by Da Bilge Troll
The framed photograph hanging in his family's deli in Mehlville shows James Ruma at his best. The front wheel of his motorcycle is high in the sky, the back wheel planted on the pavement.
It's an image of thrill-seeking that stands in sharp contrast to where Ruma is now, drifting in and out of consciousness at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Ruma is expected to live, but his family wonders whether his final ride was last weekend.
On Saturday, Ruma, 32, of De Soto, was one of about 2,500 bikers who converged on St. Louis area highways for the "Ride of the Century," an annual event that has escaped major attention until this year. It drew so much anger from startled drivers that organizers are now considering canceling the event. And if it does happen again, state law enforcement has pledged to step in.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
I was expecting to read that he was run over or riding totally stupid but walking into traffic on a highway is not too smart.
Was the truck driver charged with anything? I didn’t see any further mention of it.
Well, this is a remarkably stupid article.
The guy was hit while walking down the side of the road to retrieve something he dropped. Had nothing at all to do with his being a motorcyclist. Exactly the same thing could have happened had to tried to retrieve something fallen from his car.
Sheesh.
Famous last words.......I once caught hell here when I reported seeing in my drivers side mirror some jackass doing a wheelie starting about 100 yards behind me on a four lane while I was doing the 50 mph speed limit and he flew by me. I said that had I had a larger vehicle I would have pulled into the left lane just to see how far he could fly without his bike...........LOL! F'n idiots!
I don’t disagree with you but consider this.... they will kill themselves fast enough without help. As a Rider, the very fact that you would actually consider pulling out in front of some one like that and the laugh about it, gives me chills.
Tell me if he had not been pulling a wheel stand and was passing you would you have thought about killing him like you just described?
Just because some one is an idiot on two wheels really doesn’t endanger anyone but the soon to be road pizza. Where as driving a car or truck is a little more dangerous to others.
The flying Walenza?
You would be surprised how much inertia a biker has.
When I split lanes, I notice three types of drivers: Most stay put. A few give bikers more room. And not a ride goes by where there aren’t three or four cars that try to swerve into me.
No, I’m not talking about cars that are changing lanes. I mean the angry ones that are mad about being stuck in traffic—that they are helping to create—and hate that I can keep going.
I’ve taken off a lot of mirrors of those cars that purposely swerve into me and keep going. I’ve also dented a car pretty good with my knee. Sure, my hand or knee is sore for a while, but I’m sure the people that swerve into me that have to pay for dent repair and new mirrors wish they didn’t do that.
BTW, I have friends that keep ball bearings in their pocket to crack windshields of aggressive cars.
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