Found! The Van That Could Have Killed Me.

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A few weeks ago, I wrote about a van coming at me in the wrong lane in the curves of US-178. 

Fortunately, I wasn't killed. 

I had the GoPro camera rolling, so I captured his irresponsibility.  I couldn't identify the vehicle because the front license tag is not state-issued.  ...but it is distinctive, as is the vehicle. 

Well, I now know the license number of this van, because it was seen August 31, 2016 at 10:17AM in the side parking lot of the Hollingsworth building at 147 East Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712.

Here is a picture of that building.  The parking lot where the van was parked is on the right of the building. 

The building houses:

• Quotations Coffee Cafe
• Wells Fargo Advisor
• Main Street Limited
• McGuire, Wood and Bissette attorneys
• Camp Pacs
• Cardinal Title Center 
• Danny Hollingsworth Dry Wall 

Whoever owns the van is probably either an employee or a patron of one of those businesses.  The building to the right in the picture, across the parking lot, is the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce, at 175 East Main Street.  

Here is the picture of the VW Vanagon that could have killed me, parked at the Hollingsworth building:

Look familiar?  Here is what it looked like to my GoPro on that day on route 178: 

April 16, 2016

Note the distinctive front license tag, the white roof, the bumper bolts, the brown color, and the roof rack. 

Here is the license tag number:  North Carolina BKE-92370

I don't know who the driver is.

 Yet.  

If anybody knows him, let me know. 

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This Could Have Ended It All

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I survived. 

See Update Here.....  

It was on US-178, north of SC-11, April 16.  About here on the map:  

Around 4.2 miles north of SC-11, at "B" on this map:

Click here for larger map.

The road was clear. The weather was good.  The curve was not too tight.  I had my GoPro recording. 















Somebody in a chocolate brown VW Vanagon must've thought his side was on the left of the double yellow line. 

Or maybe he was drunk.  Or high.  Or texting.  Or something. 

See for yourself, especially at about 1:45: 

Here are some stills taken from the video. 

Nice curve.  Going pretty slow.

Look just right and above center, peeping out from the motorcycle cowling. 
I could see him coming before the camera could. 

Oh, oh.  This doesn't look right.

Getting closer.

And closer.

Totally on the wrong side of the double yellow.
I start a little correction to better avoid him.
I had already moved a little closer to the center of my lane, as I
frequently do when there is an oncoming vehicle. 
I otherwise would have been more to the left of my lane for this curve. 

Still coming.
Completely over the center line.
Totally oblivious to the issue at hand.
He is close enough for me to read his front license
tag, though I wasn't looking at it right then.

I manage to skate by him.
Fortunately, there was room enough between the van and that guardrail.
Notice the rack on top of the van, maybe for a raft or tubes. 

My adrenaline starts pumping big time a couple of minutes later.

Looking back on the incident, I note that I didn't panic.  I didn't chop the throttle.  I didn't slam on the brakes.  I stayed away from both the van and from the guardrail. 

It could have been much worse.  I thank God that it wasn't. 


Can anybody identify this drunk
.                                                     stoner
.                                                      texter
.                                                       idiot
.                                                           ?  

See Update Here.....  

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Bold Canadian Whizkid Bicyclists

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April 27, 2015

I went for a very short ride today that included US-178 between Pickens, SC and SC-11.  This is the stretch that has lots of sweepers in it.  When I got to the Holly Springs Baptist Church at SC-288, I spotted some of the Canadian bicyclists who practice on the hills of our state while it is still too cold and snowy to practice in Canada.  It was in the 70s here today, but was only 48 degrees in London Ontario where they may be from, for example.   They were unmistakable, wearing their maple leaf-emblazoned outfits.  

I saw some other Canadian bicyclists a few weeks ago on US-276 while on my way to the Blue Ridge Parkway.   

This group had parked in the church lot and they were preparing their bikes for the ride.  So far, so good. 

I also spotted three of them walking across 178 to a grassy place. 

OK.  I admit that I have had to use the facilities and camouflage of nature on occasion when nature calls me when out riding. 

But what I didn't expect to see today was that one of them stopped with his behind even with the edge of the road, and began to take a whiz.  Right there, with cars going by and me turning back toward Pickens.

The other two guys at least went 30 feet off the pavement to a line of bushes.  They didn't go behind the bushes, mind you, but at least they were a little further away from the road to handle their business.

I didn't know Canadian cyclists were so bold.  Maybe the boldest of the three doesn't have much to show for himself.

C'mon, Canada guys.  Have a little respect for us.  Enjoy our roads, but do your thing a little more discreetly.  Besides, public urination will get you a citation in South Carolina. 

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Real Squid Sighted

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You know what a squid is, right?

In case, you don't, according to the motorbikelicense.com blog, it is used to describe "a motorcycle rider who lacks common sense. This will be in relation to their display of riding skills, lack of suitable motorcycle protection attire, or often both." 

Well, the other day, I saw a squid going one better [one worse??] than I have seen previously.

The guys in this picture I found on the 'net are somewhat overdressed, as a matter of fact, compared with the guy I saw. 

From motorbikelicense.com.  Used without permission. 

The fellow I saw was riding a naked sportbike, a little beat up.  As might be expected, as an aspiring squid, he was not wearing a helmet: Wouldn't want to be overdressed, now would we?  He sported a fine pair of shorts and a very protective tee shirt, however.

But what struck me was that he was wearing no shoes. 

Not even Cons in black, or the much more stylish light blue, like the guys in the picture above.

He was coming to a stop at a light, and, as he did, he downshifted from fourth gear.  How he had upshifted with a bare foot, I don't know.  Must have a calloused big toe. 

It was also a very hot day, and the pavement had to be scorching his soles as he stopped (with both feet down). 

Smart. 

Maybe the heat of the day had fried his brain.

I didn't see him take off to find out if he demonstrated further squidlike behavior, and I didn't get a picture for you before he was gone from my sight. 

Any one of us who rides can get into a situation where we are no longer sitting astride our scooters, but rather, sliding or bouncing along the tarmac.  No matter what style of rider you are, and whatever the laws say, it is just stupid to ride a motorcycle without the whole lot of protective gear.

 

Remember this about pavement:

It is just as hard,
whether you are dressed for it or not. 

I hope the guy I saw got home all right.  

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Harrangue: The Skinny on Sassafras

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A couple of weeks ago, I meandered around the countryside on my trusty Ninja, and one of the places I stopped was at the top of Sassafras Mountain.  This is the highest point in South Carolina, at 3,554 feet above sea level. 

Back in 2011, I went there too, and was pleased to find an attractive wooden deck constructed so that the view to the south and west was finally visible from the top. Before that, there wasn't a good place to see into the distance in any direction that I could find. 

I thought that was great.  The area was still off the beaten path, but rather easily accessible by way of a potholed road ending in a gravel parking lot. There were usually fewer than six cars there at one time, and always a quiet place. 

The Foothills Trail runs nearby, and there are lots of people who traipse either from here or through here as they enjoy the scenery.  They recently paved the road, so it isn't potholed any more. 

Not elaborate, but a nice, simple place to get away from it all, I thought. 

Well, when I visited there the last time, that fine platform was gone, replaced by an ugly structure with a foot-high step to get onto it from the ground.  

A little research provided some additional information.  It turns out that the new platform was designed by Clemson University graduate students in architecture and landscape architecture.  They have good intentions to make a path up to it, but this thing's been there for several months with nothing else done yet. 

Dan Harding, associate professor of architecture and director of the Clemson Community Research and Design Center said, “The concept hinged on an idea that used a primary wood structure with a light, sky-blue-painted steel railing designed to leave visitors feeling as if they are floating over a wonderful rock out-cropping while remaining safely contained by the railing, which disappears into the expanding horizon.” 

Oh.  Makes me get all goose bumpy -- really touchy feely sounding, isn't it.  

I think the old structure did that just fine, and had the added benefit that it was already paid for.   

The article says that the new platform “employ[s] best practices associated with sustainable construction and resource management.”  I don't think so: The pretty blue steel railing has already begun to rust, and it provides no better view of the valleys and lakes below than the platform that was scrapped. ...and that one didn't look like a circus prop -- maybe for the human cannonball spectacle. 

I wonder what they thought was wrong with the old platform?  I also wonder whether any of the engineering students -- Masters Degree students, remember, not beginners -- had also studied economics to determine whether there had been any payback on the previous simple structure, seeing as how it was only about two years old at the time it was demolished, was perfectly functional, was unobtrusive, and was in good condition. 

I doubt it. Seems to me better that they determine that this would be a waste of money and go design something really useful. 

The funding for this unnecessary eyesore was provided by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources – in other words by your tax dollars.  Darn, that topics comes up a lot these days. 

Even more distressing, I found that there are plans for a tall observation tower to be built on the site. 

From the SCDNR webpage

This will be an even worse eyesore. 

They are attempting to get private funding, but you can bet that your tax dollars will be taken, too.

My vote: Let's keep it simple. Let's not make this a top tourist attraction, lest it be spoiled further ...and maybe not spend more money at all!
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Guys Like This Give All of Us a Bad Name

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It was a beautiful day for a ride, but I had to work, so only got out for a short time. On my way back, a group of 30 or so mostly Harleys was stopped at a light going the opposite direction from me. They were sprawled over their left turn lane and the two adjacent driving lanes.

When their light changed, some of their group positioned themselves in front of our lanes to allow their entire group to pass as one. They turned left from all three of their lanes.

We who were blocked had to wait two changes of the light.

Guys like these give all of us a bad name. They blatantly broke the law so their group could stay together. They should have been in at least four separate groups, each with its own leader and sweep.

I gave them a thumbs-down and shook my head to indicate my irritation at their brazen, selfish, illegal action. One of the lane blockers looked as though he wanted to come see who I was, but thought better of it when the last of his group went by and threatened to leave him behind.

Thumbs down, group, thumbs down!
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