Thursday, November 23, 2006

VW - Bug Eats Lexus! (News at eleven)

Friday. Had to run some errands in town. Took the baja instead of the bike. Guy talking on a cell phone decided he wanted to occupy my lane. With me in it. Lexus. No turn signal, he just decided to move over. I stayed alongside, smiled. Went to cut me off, apparently willing to play bumper tag with a baja that has crash bars on the sides as well as front, back, top, bottom and a few places in between.

We were up to about 60 on a 4-lane city street, intersection coming up, light is green and I'm signalling for the turn. The Yuppie Prince, not in a turning lane, is being forced to Plan Ahead for the first time in years. He decides to floor it. After all, $50,000 vs a baja bug?

I gave the accelerator a gentle touch of toe and at that precise, wonderful moment, I ate the fan belt! Engine immediately went to about nine thousand rpm, slams me back into the seat like something out of ‘Road Warrior’ breathing nitrous. Lights come on, horn goes off, speedo winds up to something seriously silly as I shoot through the intersection on the tail-end of the green, hang a left, coast into Carrow’s parking lot leaving the Yuppie Prince in his $50,000 cage to sort it out with Deputy Dawg, who he almost creamed diving into the intersection on the yellow. The Deputy was still writing in his little book by the time I got the spare belt installed.

Sometimes God frowns. But sometimes She smiles, too.

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