Motorcycle Forum banner

So I picked a fight with a parking garage arm...

3K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  wadenelson 
#1 ·
Yesterday was a disaster... it was literally a script you would use for a straight-to-DVD comedy. It started in the morning with my bike turning over a few slow times and then the battery dying without the bike starting. The battery was old as I found out later in the day, boosted it, got to work, bike died at work, wouldn't even come CLOSE to turning over. Had a series of disasters at work, had to pay a fortune for a new battery that I could get within walking distance, tore my pants, and later the neighbor called me for something that broke at the house during the day. Disaster... anyhow, finally got to installed the battery and snapped a terminal connector on the bike. Had to then hunt around the office for wire strippers or some kind of knife. By the time I left work I was tired, boiling warm from working on the bike in the parking garage right next to the heater, starving, and very cranky. Get the battery in, temp fixed the busted wire and go get my things in my office.

Come back downstairs, get suited up and leave... get to the parking gate arm to leave the garage, it goes up and as I start to move forward it immediately drives back down between me and the windshield, smacks my chest and as I start to bend it forward, it decide to go back up, smashing me in the chin, peeling the chin strap up and rips the helmet off my head, sending it spinning 20 feet away. I held the clutch to stop the bike from jutting forward and caught it as it fell over, saving any damage. I back the bike back in the garage, put in N, get off the bike and in absolute fury walk towards the arm with every intention of tearing it clean off the box housing when the security guy just happened to be there and saw it all. Instead of killing the garage arm, I switch course and retrieve my helmet and go back to my bike.

They were very good about it though, he was 100% concerned with me and the bike and I told him I was tired and losing my **** and I needed to just go home and would let him know what was busted in the morning.

Came in this morning and they had already opened a full investigation report, the entire building admin was aware and had reviewed (and probably chuckled) at the incident and it was clearly a gate malfunction. No damage to the bike but they were more than happy to pay for a new helmet to replace the one that was ragdolled by the psychotic gate arm.

Needless to say, by the time I got home, I barricaded the doors and windows and huddled under the covers until Tuesday rolled around.

F*** Monday.

Dan
 
See less See more
G
#8 ·
Glad to hear you're ok. Most parking gates have a pin that breaks to keep the gate from breaking and minimize damage to the vehicle. If you had keeped going, that pin would have snapped. And no, security should not have giving you a copy, someones job is on the line for sure if anyone finds out.
 
G
#13 ·
There could have been legal action after the video was recieved, so I am surprised they gave it too you. Security personal are not allowed to release any video of anything unless approved. That tells me they either trust you tremendously or security is lax, one of the two. :)
 
#16 ·
Chuckle

I started laughing when you said the arm came back up and got you under the chin. Sorry.
We do not have those sorts of things on the Island.
No street lights or traffic lights either.

But I am going to the big city soon, and was planning on going through a parking gate like that.

Unkle Crusty
 
#17 ·
I started laughing when you said the arm came back up and got you under the chin. Sorry.
We do not have those sorts of things on the Island.
No street lights or traffic lights either.

But I am going to the big city soon, and was planning on going through a parking gate like that.

Unkle Crusty
Hahah yep the arm came back up as I was bending it forward against my chest for a split second and it suddenly went back up... the arm caught the chin strap, pulled it over my chin and just took the helmet right off. Thank goodness I wasn't wearing my half helmet (it's cold here now so I switched to the full) otherwise I would have got the arm right in the jaw and damaged my pretty face lol! :icon_cool:
 
#18 ·
Language



I just thought of something.
Did you swear in both official languages? We just do it in English out here on the Left Coast.
I had a bilingual CB400 many years ago. Bought it off a French kid who was out here, and got home sick for his girlfriend and things.

Unkle Crusty
 
#25 ·
By the way, we had a Halloween costume contest at work, which was judged by a number of the company executives. They made their way down to my department to check out who had dressed up and the COO tells me that had I dressed up in my helmet with a metal bar wrapped around my head, I would have won first place. Hardy friggin har har. lol

I actually love our executive team for exactly this reason... completely down to earth and hilarious.
 
#26 · (Edited)
My buddy, who feels traffic signs and roadway markings are merely a "suggestion..."

So we come up to the train tracks at Grand Ave and Peoria, and he goes right past the line.

Mind you, his bike is not ON the tracks, merely directly underneath the crossing arm.

Freight trains blast through here all day long.

I said nothing. I merely turned on my cellphone camera pointed it and waited for the money shot.

Maybe next time.



be sure and watch until the 'TRAIN' goes past...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top