Quote:
Originally Posted by varmint
i sold my car three years ago. no need for one in los angeles. everything worthwhile can be done on a bike.
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+1
Damn straight. Driving in this town sucks. I tuned up my 'cycle last weekend and haven't been off it a single day since. I haven't driven in that whole time (well, I drove the cars around the block on street cleaning day, but that was it). My disdain for SoCal traffic is well-known and I've made no secret of how much I hate going pretty much anywhere outside a 3-mile radius of my place if avoidable. A motorcycle goes an AWFULLY long way towards easing the displeasure of getting around in this region, where crushing gridlock and p!ssing away hours of one's life as a result is a virtual certainty otherwise.
I know the risks, I accept them. Maybe this sounds foolish, but I would rather accept the risks of injury/death than sit on the goddamn 405 freeway ever again. Just my nature I guess. I hate having my time wasted.
Also, with gasoline going to >$5 a gallon in the very near future, I like the idea of getting 35-40 mpg without really trying. I'm sure as a motorcycle rider you know and understand the (many) benefits - cheap insurance, no smog B.S. to deal with, car pool lane access, ability to split lanes when necessary, park pretty much anywhere, good mileage, etc. etc. etc. However, there are those things that can come up (as your experience showed) that are beyond your control, but can still kill you. It's a risk and only you can decide if you're willing to accept it.
What happened to you before could have happened to anyone and I don't care if you're the most skilled rider in the world, it probably would have ended with the same outcome. That's life. However, I've had plenty of stuff happen while out driving too. Just yesterday a guy here on Pelican nearly got killed by a 2x4 falling off a truck in front of him ("luckily" it only hit the tail of his 911, shattering it and tearing the decklid off). Sometimes stuff happens. I guess if it's one's time, it's one's time. That said, you have to decide whether you are willing to maybe give "that time" more opportunity to raise its head.
Personally, if it had been me in your situation I'd get another bike. I hate the traffic in this town
THAT bad. Of course 99% of the time I avoid it by just simply staying home, but for the other 1% of the time, it's nice to know I have a "traffic negation device" sitting downstairs waiting for me.