| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Getting the Last Word Back in 1972, my wife at the time was renovating a ’58 BMW R 26. We had bought the bike for really short money, and while I was rebuilding a ’53 Triumph in the spare bedroom, she was rebuilding the R 26 in our bedroom. (We had a big bedroom, and there was plenty of room for the bike) One day, she needed some parts from a dealer about thirty or forty miles away, and my friend Bill offered to give her a ride up to the shop on his Harley, which she accepted. While at the shop, Bill was talking to some BMW riders who were sneering at his bike and talking to him in a condescending manner. This did not sit well with Bill, but as Sue wasn’t done with her business, he put up with it and was just waiting until she was finished and he could leave. Finally, she was done, and as they were preparing to leave, one of the BMW snobs told Bill that he should put a windshield on his bike. Bill looked him dead in the eye and said, “If I wanted a windshield, I would have bought a car’, and rode off. In 1981, I took an 11,000 mile trip around the country with my best friends. Ron and Melia had returned from Kenya, and Bill rode with us as far as Louisville, Kentucky, before he had to come back to Massachusetts. We had stopped for gas somewhere in Pennsylvania, and were relaxing in the gas station when a guy on a Gold Wing pulled up by us. He took one look at my Superglide and started telling us all how he used to ride Harleys, but now he was on a good bike. His Harleys always broke down, and the Gold Wing never did. His Harleys were uncomfortable, and the Honda was like a couch, he had to burn Super in his Harley, and his Honda ran just fine on Regular, his Harleys vibrated and his Gold Wing was super smooth. And on and on. Bill and I just sat there listening to him rant (Bill was on a Sportster). Finally, after filling his bike and paying, he came back and as a parting shot said, “And I’m getting 42 miles per gallon! My Harleys never got that!” To which I replied, “Oh, really? I’m getting 62.” He just rode off without another word. I used to ride out to Springfield, Illinois every year to see the Springfield Mile My route from Massachusetts was The Mass. Turnpike then Interstate 84 to Scranton, PA, down I 81 to The Pennsylvania Turnpike to I 70 west to Indianapolis then Interstates 74 and 72 to Springfield. For variation, sometimes I would take I 80 across Pennsylvania to I 71 south to Columbus then pick up I 70 and head west. One year, I decided it was time to try something a little different. I decided to take I 90 all the way to Chicago, then head south on I 55. I only did that route once. Anyway, I took I 90 across New York and when I got to the toll gate in Buffalo, the Toll Collector said,” $10.10” (this was back in 1996; now it’s a lot more!). I told her, “You should be wearing a mask and have a gun pointed at me for charging so much”. She replied, “If I had a mask and a gun, I’d charge a lot more”. I paid and rode on without another word. Sometimes, getting the last word in is good; sometimes someone’s got a better last word. | ||
| Ltbuell |
..sometimes as it is..turn your head and cough.....that'll be $110.00 thank you very much and have a nice day..... |
