| Author | Message | ||
     Whatever |
We got off work early Wednesday because of the snowstorm... of course my 'evil influence' friend got me over to the Casino to play slots... and I had just donated another ten bucks to the Indians, one last quarter to hit the road and won 20 bucks so I leave. The snow was still coming down and there was roughly 6 inches on the ground. I left to go home the 'safe' way down 55 to K and back up through elcho. Some moron started to tailgate me straight out of the Mole Lake Casino parking lot... so I was driving maybe 55 mph (the speed limit). At K I start to tap the breaks and slow down. Idiot is still tailgating me and there is 6 inches of snow on the ground... so I slowed down to 30 mph for the turn... and I probably should have slowed down to 10 or 15. Started to slide and lost control of the car (and really know how to drive in snow, but I was tryin to steer clear of the stop sign at the intersection...). Hit the freakin' stop sign... and I drove cab in Madison in the snow for three years without an accident and drove my Buell 3000+ miles in August without a problem. So I checked out the front of the car and it was fine, stop sign is a little bent... then I backed up and went home. I am glad those damn air bags didn't go off... I heard they can hurt...  Charlotte | ||
| Mikej |
Glad you're okay, and yep the airbags often cause more injury than the accident (dislocated limbs/joints, strained necks, black eyes, worse if wearing glasses). Took a training class in Detroit and was told unofficially of someone being ejected from their car by the airbag somehow. I hate tailgaters and would like to have some legal means to deal with them. | ||
| Bomber |
char -- no need to be embarrassed at all . . .. . . here's to the idea of a good (legal or extra legal) way of dealing with tailgaters . . . . . . you sure he wasn't just trying to pick you up? | ||
| Newfie_buell |
So you had an intimate encounter with a STOP SIGN!!!! At least your OK - Airbags are great in a serious collision the problem is that sometimes they have a tendency to go off over very minor impacts. I have seen accidents where the physical damage to the front of the vehicle was not very much but due to the airbag deployment the vehicle was a total loss because they are so expensive to replace. If you don't have them get 4 deep lug studded snow tires for maximum traction - thats what I run on both my 2000 Windstar and 89 Saab 900s and both are fantastic in the snow and ice. | ||
| Cj_xb |
Too funny Char, wish I'd have been there I could have kicked tailgater's A$$ !!! LOL Your okay, car's okay, airbags are okay so now it's just another memory to add to your collection !! CJ  | ||
| Turnagain |
I would've given 'em a big ol' BRAKE CHECK! if I was into bumper stickers, I'd have printed up: Back Off or Pass, Just Get off My Ass! take care up there  | ||
| Whatever |
Dude, I just got new tires... send me some of those for Christmas??? would you??? I was actually extremely lucky that I hit that stop sign I was trying to avoid... because if I hadn't I would have gone down an embankment into the wetlands below... I skipped work yesterday to not deal with driving. I went through there at 10 mph today... I will put on my flashers and slow way the heck down if I see another tailgater in this weather, then they will have to go around me and leave me alone.  PS 18 inches of snow in Hurley this week... I am going skiing and hot tubbing.... hehehehehehe!!! | ||
| Arbalest |
I always thought it would be fun to set up a rack of flashbulbs on the rear shelf. If someone is tailgaiting, just fire off a couple flash bulbs. By the time he could see again, you would be far enough ahead of him, not to have to worry about him for a while. | ||
| Mikej |
I've thought of getting a 55 gallon drum of those biodegradable packing peanuts and rigging them to a tip-string in the pickup. If some asshanger gets too close all of a sudden it will be snowing. For the Buell I've thought of rigging up one of those old early '60's VW windshield washer tanks with the electric sprayer in them and fill it with oil, get too close and they get a squirt. Figured if I did that and if some officer got pickey due to a 'gater complaint I could just say "but all Harley's leak oil".  . Oops, I feel a slight divergence in the thread topic, sorry about that.  | ||
| Nevco1 |
Char...Sorry to hear about the incident but glad to learn you are ok. To add to MikeJ's list of airbag related problems, smoking materials, especially pipes, are dangerous. However, even more hazardous to your health are pens and other things you stick in your shirt pocket. A deployed airbags have killed by driving these items into your body like a knife. Got these tips from the airbag repair training classes around 1990. Seems nobody wanted to work on the airbags and the Locksmith Industry picked up on it. Quite a few deaths and serious injuries were inflicted on the service techs. Can just imagine what can happen in a minor fender bender. | ||
| Firemanjim |
I have a feeling alot of these stories are urban legends,though you can be injured by being to close to the airbag,esp if you are small/frail.The gases released are nasty and you can get flash burns from release and bruises etc.And if you are dumb enough to NOT wear your seat belt and get hit with an airbag,you could be in for a ride.These things don't go off in fender benders,need force to trigger them.Now, we have to be careful when we dismantle your car with extrication tools cuz they can trigger the damn things--and they keep adding the all over,side curtain etc.And just disconnecting the battery does not always disable them.Been on countless accidents with airbags deployed. Hell I think the damn front bumber shocks and those rear lid shocks are as bad in an accident or fire,they go off like rockets,can launch a front bumber real good. | ||
| Daves |
Glad you are OK. See what happens when you talk about selling your bike? Bad Karma. Ride to the edge! Dave Iowa HD/Buell (Buell Cycle Center) | ||
| Dynarider |
Had the airbag go off in my Daytona about 10 years ago & the worst I got was what almost looked like rug burns on my forearms from the bag itself. That was it tho. | ||
| Benm2 |
Tailgaters are best handled with a manual transmision. Drop down two gears with the clutch in (coasting), forget you shouldn't do this to your car then dump the clutch. Within 0.10 to 0.5 seconds, FLOOR IT!!!! While the right pedal's on the carpet, trigger the brake lights with your left foot. Two or three times at this usually works okay. But, always remember that tailgaters can be insane, and may not take kindly to such antics. Be prepared to disappear if required (200hp sports cars help here). Safest option, especially in snow, is to let him past. If he/she's that good, you'll never see them again. If there not, you can wave at them when THEY hit the stop sign! | ||
| Whatever |
I face the dreaded corner again in 15 minutes... oh how I LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEE livin' in Wisconsin.  | ||
| Bradj |
Charlotte! Be careful out there! I have quite an investment in you...with the V-twin fuel cell / Nobel prize thing. I had to call in a lot of karmic favors to get you back on the on the right path! | ||
| Road_thing |
Yeah, what Brad said--I'd hate to never see the Road Thing Center for Environmental Reclamation! Glad you're OK, Char... r-t |
