May 2, 2004

• Eventful

  Eventful 

   

  Isn't it interesting how the most ordinary, mundane things can become eventful in a heartbeat? It's interesting to me anyway. Yesterday's trip was nearly three hundred miles round trip when it was all done. Traffic was dreadful so I'm really glad I took my bike. It was chilly in the morning so I wasn't too happy about it until I hit the traffic and passed through it quickly because I was on a motorcycle. In California a motorcycle is allowed to share a lane with a car which gives us the opportunity to move through stopped traffic. It can be dangerous, but what about driving is safe? It's all a matter of managing the risks the best we are able. The trip up was the usual Southern California traffic. The trip home got eventful. I missed a freeway and had to take two alternate freeways. Fortunately I used to live in the L.A. area so I knew how to get around with the numbers. Heading home on the 405 instead of the 5 must have been karma. Click on any of the pics for a full sized version.

  From a distance I could see billows of black smoke ahead but I couldn't tell what was burning. In Southern California it could be a fire by the side of the freeway from someone tossing a cigarette out the window or a brush fire set by migrants living in a field or kids or an arsonist. One never knows. It's dry and hot and things turn to tinder quickly here. When I got there it was none of the above but this instead.

   

  Fortnately, I had remembered to bring along my video camera to take some video while I was visiting my friend. Since the freeway was blocked off going both ways and I was on a motorcycle I was right up front and decided to remove the helmet and gloves to take some video. After about half an hour or so the freeway was awash with diesel fuel, water and foam from the firefighters. It was warmish with all that protective clothing. About five motorcycles gathered where I was and a Highway Patrolman told us since we were on bikes we could ride back down the freeway to the off ramp to get around the mess because the freeway would be closed for hours. I didn't hesitate an instant because one never knows who will come along and change the order. It was a parking lot. People were out of their cars with the doors open and it was a tough couple hundred yards. Reminded me of broken field running in football. But I made it with a story to tell and no harm done to me.

  

  • 6:24 pm
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