Mon
Apr 21 2008
10:45 am
Motopix
By: R. Neal

Some motorcyle pics from the 129 Tail of the Dragon after the jump...

Topics:
bizgrrl's picture

There is quite a lot of

Submitted by bizgrrl on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 2:15pm.

There is quite a lot of burned forest along 129 where a motorcyclist wrecked and started a fire. The firefights had to start additional burns to protect the woods. I wonder if the motorcyclist will have to pay anything for the damage to the forest.

Factchecker's picture

He's damned lucky if he survived.

Submitted by Factchecker on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 7:47pm.

I'd vote yes, he should pay damages. Have fun, but personal responsibility and all... Besides, he could afford titanium spokes or whatever, if he's typical.

djuggler's picture

What makes you think that

Submitted by djuggler on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 9:56pm.

What makes you think that the cyclist wasn't being responsible. When someone in a car hits a deer, are they being irresponsible? What if this rider simply hit an oil slick or debris in the road? Let's not jump to conclusions.

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

bizgrrl's picture

I don't know that it has

Submitted by bizgrrl on Tue, 2008/04/22 - 6:25am.

I don't know that it has been reported that this single motorcyclist was irresponsible. However, on this road you can sit for 5 minutes on one of the S curves and see many, many irresponsible motorcyclists. When someone is driving responsibly, they may get passed by the speeding motorcyclists.

Reminds me of the irresponsible drivers on Alcoa Highway.

djuggler's picture

Motorcyclists are not the

Submitted by djuggler on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 9:47pm.

Motorcyclists are not the only people who cause forest fires. Cigarette smokers flicking butts cause forest fires. Car accidents cause forest fires. Careless campers cause forest fires.

Also, a motorcycle accident doesn't imply that the motorcyclist was be wreckless or fast..simply unfortunate. Which is the same for many car accidents. Along the dragon it is possible that fast was involved but the nature of the road and the nature of traffic do not always allow speed.

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

Factchecker's picture

Easy...

Submitted by Factchecker on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 11:07pm.

Of course, depending on liability...

redmondkr's picture

I rode the Dragon several

Submitted by redmondkr on Mon, 2008/04/21 - 11:40pm.

I rode the Dragon several years ago on a bike not long after a rain had washed gravel across the road in one of those blind curves. I was riding slowly enough to have no problem, but I had a little pucker on the seat by the time I got to Deals Gap. I couldn't help wondering what might have been.

It's interesting. The other day when this news first broke, one of the local news outlets mistakenly reported that the cause of the fire was an automobile accident.

Some commenters immediately started trashing the mad bikers that frequent that road. Others made disparaging remarks about how any idiot who could read could see that the article stated plainly it was an automobile involved in the accident. Somehow, the hapless auto driver was considered a victim and the biker was a villain.


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