My Birthday 9/11.
I woke up in Holdiday Inn Express in Ludlow Mass. I eased myself out of bed waiting for the pain. I felt fine so I was either dead or maybe undead.
I did a few stretches and felt nothing. I walked around the hotel room and…all felt normal!
I double checked to make sure I was not dreaming…..and I wasn’t.
I was pain free! Just a deep ache for coffee.
It was really early but i figured impound lots were open 24/7. A nice guy answered the phone, I found out later that they have training to help calm the flipped out caller who’s super pissed his car was just towed.
He told me that they could also bring it to the Harley Dealer with my AAA and I could tag along.. Things were beginning to work out it seemed.
I took a cab to the impound lot and was humored by the sign.
It reminded me of a time, in another life when I was young and on a first date with a girl named Melina. We’d gone to a concert in Boston Massachusetts, Aerosmith. Anyway, upon returning to my car, we walked up to an empty space.
There was an instant knot in my stomach. I thought it was stolen but found a local merchant had seen it. It had been towed ! Apparently there was a sign, or used to be….because I could not find it, and neither could he.
So for me it was the same as being stolen…and I was going to steal it back!
The store keeper told me that the impound lot was close to where we were and I could just walk up the hill and see it. So we walked on up so I could scope it out. I remember standing on a the hill looking down over a vast field of cars. I remember thinking that they must have “stolen” all of them. I found mine pretty quick, as it was under a big spot light right in the middle of the lot. I saw a clean path to an open gate. I told my date to wait here where it was safe and I’d come by and pick her up in a few minutes.
I snaked down the hill and climbed over the chainlink fence using my jacket to cover the barbed wire.
I heard dogs almost right away. So I paused. It grew quite. I continued staying low between cars. I remember it smelled intensely of gasoline. I’d learn later that is what saved me from being dog food.
As I rounded the row where my car was, I looked up at my date. She was just a small silhouette backlit against the cold night sky. She waved to me, and then made that heel toe rocking move to signal she was anxious. I waved back. I got to my car and unlocked the door and slowly climbed in. Shutting the door quietly. I sat there thinking for a moment…. I’d gun it right out of there, make a dash for the open gate. I started the car and floored in reverse, headlights off, then slammed the column shifter into drive and punched it. Gravel sprayed everywhere, tinkling all over the cars in the rows behind the tires.
About a dozen german shepards came flying out from between the cars. Giant spotlights burst on …and the gate! The gate began to close.
I kept moving full speed ahead…. but it became clear I was not going to make it.
I slammed on the breaks, there was no way my car could push through all that metal. Dogs lept all over my car. Three were drooling, bearing fangs, and steaming up my front windshield, paws dug into my hood and staring me down in the windshield barking wildly, with those panicky squeaks dog make when they are hysterical.
A man with a gun appears, surveyed the situation and began to walk slowly towards me, the barrel was dead on me.
I rolled down the window a crack, dog drool flooded down the interior. I said:
“Hey this is my car, and I just want to leave, you had no right to steal it!”
I came around and pointed the barrel right at me. He huffed one command and the dogs all left.
“Roll down your window, and put your hands out where I an see them.”
“I’m not armed”, I rolled down the window and put my hands on the wheel.
“Could you get that gun outta my face!”
“You got balls kid, this is a private lot, I towed your car because it was parked in a tow zone, and I got a contract with the city.”
“Yeah well, would have been nice to of put up a sign”
“It was marked”
“No it was not, and I can prove it”
“No one’s ever jumped that fence and took a car from here, you’re lucky the dogs didn’t eat you alive. How’d you get in here?”
“parachute”
“Very funny. Look it’s 200 bucks and I won’t call the cops.”
I was silent, pissed, trying to calm myself down, I thought over just gunning it an breaking the gate but I’m sure he had my plate and now my face…that would be stupid.
“I’m calling the cops” He said.
“I got 80 bucks I need 10 for gas, I’ll give you 70 just to leave, the spot you took my car from is unmarked, we can go the hard way where you’ll probably get nothing, I’ll go to jail for breaking in, and my girl is up on the hill waiting for me in the dark and probably scared shitless and she’ll have no way home. So what do you say?”
He searched his beard and just stared at me.
“Common it’s our first date…”
“You got balls kid, reminds me of myself when I was your age. Give me the $70 and get the fuck outa here.”
I pulled the wallet gave him the cash. As I drove out I remember all the dogs sitting like military guards all in a row. Every since that moment, I’ve loved the smell of gasoline. Saved my life.
I picked up Melina, she’d seen the whole thing. I was surprised she ever want to see me again, but she did and she had a new look in her eye.
So back to the present. The guy in the photo saw me just standing there and said can I help you?
“Sorry, yeah, just that sign, reminded me of something.”
“Yeah we get a lot of crazies in here”
“I called about the Road King.”
“Oh yeah follow me.” He unlocked the door and let me in. This is what I love about western New England everyone’s so friendly. We walked through several warehouses to the one with my bike. Yep the lights were all smashed in the back as I remember from the rainy freeway. Otherwise it looked ok.
We’ll load her up on the flat bed. She’s a big bike, just waiting on another man to help.
“I can help”
“No we got it.” Just then a young guy, about my age in the Boston story appeared. He’d be my driver..looked so young though…They all look 17 these days when they’re under 35. This is him.
The Harley place was a ways off. About a 40 minute drive. I called them from the cab of the truck and they were ready and willing to help, as nice as the rest of the folks in this part of the country. I was worried, because Harley service departments, like many auto and motorbike service departments, can be over whelmed and somewhat cold at times. Not today though. I was about to meet the nicest dealership I’ve every encountered.
TSI Harley Davidson in Ellington Connecticut.
Bill Kelly, the service manager greeted us with a smile and a handshake. He jumped right up on the truck and helped the driver take her down. None of this “…we can’t touch the bike for liability reasons” ….just good ole New England workmanship.
Ben Lafayette, the shops service consultant, went over the bike with me and came up with a solid plan that they’d execute right away. He showed me a place I could set up a mobile office for my laptop, wifi, power, coffee… It was there I wrote up day 13, the day before, the day of the hit.
Time flew by. I wrote and did a little Harley accessory shopping. The waterproof gloves I’d bought weren’t really water proof at all. I guess it rains differently, less wet rain maybe in China. My fault. The Harley gloves I know would be the real deal, brand..it is and always will be about branding.
Ben came by a few times like a doctor would when your kid swallows a GI Joe or something and needs surgery.
He let me know they were actually taking parts of a showroom Road King to get me up and running! New England! God I miss home.
Finally after just a few hours. Ben came in and said the frame seemed fine. It was just the rear lights, and all the hardware that they were attached to that had to be replace. The fender was not warped just scratched and the custom exhaust pipe, although moved over a half inch, slightly bent bracket, was mechanically sound.
My thanks to Josh Lee the mechanic that did all the work! If any one ever deserved a gratuity it’s these guys. They saved me missing my the rest of my trip.
I must say TSI Harley-Davidson will forever be spoken of with reverence in my Motorbike circles.
All done ! Bill and Ben see me off.
I lost two days but would be making that up by riding more and writing less.
I headed for my brothers in Greenland New Hampshire. Really looking forward to seeing the kids and taking them for a ride. I’d sent my niece Sophie a special pink helmet with flowers for one of her birthday gifts.
I headed North East. Right away I see this girl texting on the freeway, blow my air horn, and shake my finger back and forth. I was wearing the scary skull mask today to strike fear into the hearts of distracted Massachusetts drivers, and she panicked BIG Time. I didn’t do that again, as it was as stupid as texting….but it felt good to do it once and I bet she’ll never summon the angel of death again.
I must say that from the point of view of a rider, we see people texting all day long. My friend George, who drives a modern shuttle bus sees even more. It’s as bad an epidemic as drunk driving and has the same results. Voice texting works fine, and lets you keep your eyes on the road…and then of course, there’s good ole hands free phone calls, they still make texting look like smoke signals, but texting is as much a fad as it is a way to communicate. I guess people like the aloofness of it. Talking is jut too personal these days.
Enough of that. I’m not perfect either. I’ll try to be more vigilant in order to ride more safely, and I’ll continue to save my “extreme training” for deserted back roads and the desert.
I powered on with just the kids in mind. Did not stop for any photos just barreled away.
I wanted to greet the countryside air with some thunder from the pipes so the kids could hear me coming through the woods…and trust me, this bike can do that.
I voice texted my brother with coordinates as I came in closer. He said he’d get the kids ready.
I turned down his street, it was a crisp day in the country. Greenland New Hampshire is beautiful and wide open countryside. I was ready to rev it up a bit and announce my arrival when I rolled up on this old man on a bike in the road, peacefully riding along. I’d signal and pass slowly.
https://vimeo.com/141373474
I would soon discover that it was MY BROTHER! Come to greet me. He once owned a Harley and a Honda…like many men, they’ve had to
….downgrade….
another byproduct of the distracted driver, motorbike stigma paradigm.
As you’ve seen in and earlier post, I’ve joined the rider priest hood and like the Catholics, we have three vows, but instead of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. They are Harley, Chastity, and Another Bike.
The kids all came out to meet me. I had small gifts in the bags. Charlotte the youngest was a bit frightened by the bike.
The other three came for rides. Starting with the my favorite little Furiosa -Sophie.
Then the boys: Fast Owen
and Pro Nate
Then it was time to relax, catch up, and hit the sack. LONG DAY.