1986: I was riding my motorcycle on the capital beltway on a cold December morning during rush hour in heavy rain. I was on the way to the car dealership to pay them the $50 I owed them after they determined my '83 Ford Escort was dead due to a timing belt breaking....
The beltway has several bridges with metal seams running through the middle of the lane. I was behind a UPS double trailer and getting a lot of rain thrown into my face, so I decided to speed up a bit and get in front of it.

Just as I was alongside the cab of the UPS truck, my front tire got wedged between the two metal seams and skidded out from under me. I only remember thinking, "Oh God, I'm actually wiping out!!" I went down on my left knee, shattering my fibula and tearing the tendon. I then did a series of summer salts. Next, I was on my butt sliding like the old Levi pants commercials and noticing the UPS truck's wheels wizzing by me about 3 feet away! The driver of the truck had seen me go down in front of him and quickly moved out of the way, but broadsided a cement mixer to his right. If he hadn't been paying attention, I would have been flattened under his wheels.

I landed okay and began to access my condition when I noticed that I was still in the middle of the right hand lane. I had started in the third lane over and had traveled across two lanes in front of the UPS truck.

I quickly slid over to the emergency lane and waited for emergency personnel. Long story short: I was in the hospital for a week and had to have two pins in my knee for six weeks. It was four months before I stopped limping and I have a ten inch scar for life. Luckily it hasn't kept me from doing what I love best: ride my bicycle.

I haven't been on a motorcycle since....

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.