This Is Why I do the ATGATT Thing

Wednesday was a rainy day in the Central NJ East PA area, but I had to pick up my Aprilia Caponord from EUROSPORTS in Coopersburg (about 35 miles from my house.) There I was all geared up making my way to the dealership in a Piaggio 350 scooter. Oh, the beautiful colors of autumn, the leaves, the birdies … speaking of birds, a rather large wild turkey came out of the thick woods running across the country road where I was riding at a mild 35 Mph.

The bird was obviously suicidal, maybe it was depressed about the prospects of its impending fate as a Thanksgiving dinner main course. “If I’m going to die I’m taking someone with me” might have been its motivation. In any case, it ran into my right side and knocked me over sending the scooter and me sliding for a good 50 feet. The bird did not make it… and I collected the feathers to prove it.

A good pair of Dainese boots were ruined, along with my Tourmaster Transition armored pants, a pair of Street & Steel waterproof gloves and some minor damage to the Firstgear 3-season WP jacket. Yes, I lost some good gear, but the only injury to my physical body is in my right hand, where the turkey hit me. My self-esteem got injured too and my appreciation for wild animals went down three notches.

I see some of my fellow bikers riding thirty thousand dollar bikes, wearing thousand dollar helmets and fancy leather jackets. But, alas, their butt’s skin is a sixteenth of an inch worth of denim from coating a country road somewhere with human flesh.

Dudes, dudetts, WEAR ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME!!! Here are some pictures to show you why it’s a good idea.

I wish you all a Happy Autumn (careful choice of words, as I would not want to wish you a Happy Fall.)