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Sidecars, Rig Driving
and the
SKUNK RALLY
The world is
unpredictable and unsafe. Mountain climbing, bungee
jumping, bathing, driving sidecar rigs and SKUNKs
are dangerous. Many books have been written about
these dangers, and there's no way all can be listed
here. Read the books.
Driving a rig to or at a SKUNK Rally may occur both
on and off roadways, sometimes intended, sometimes
not. The weather and other drivers can make matters
worse. SUV cell phone soccer moms and others of
that clan may not see you, just as emergency
personnel report that they don’t see multi-ton fire
or medical apparatus, with sirens blaring and lights
flashing. The semi tailgating you may have a
transcontinental driver approaching 42 hours without
sleep at the helm and as it passes you may lose a
wheel, mud flap or blow a tire, one may drive
through fences or be locked on the “bear side” of
fences.
On the road it
may rain, snow, sleet, hail or typhoon, or worse.
Weather can be dangerous, regardless of the
forecast. Be prepared with extra clothing, including
rain gear. Hypothermia, heat stroke, lightning, ice
and snow, etc. can kill you. At the SKUNK Rally it
WILL, at minimum rain and
typhoon/tornado, occasionally accompanied by falling
bears.
Traveling, roads
may be sand, water, mud or horse poop covered. There
may be guard rails, there may not. Roads edge may
lead to grassy meadows or other plots, to deep,
swift, cold rivers or to sheer drops. At the SKUNK
Rally the attitude tis:
“Roads, who needs them?”
There are no
lakes, rivers or other bodies of water (except ice
cubes) at THE RALLY so there is no risk of drowning in the tub or
breaking your neck in the shower: no bathing is
allowed.
SKUNKs that
stink together, stay together, as the tribal lore
goes.
You may crash or
be crashed into. You may fall, be injured or die.
There are hidden dangers. You could break your leg
or worse you could lose your scent(s). There are
wild animals, which may be vicious, poisonous or
carriers of dread diseases. Large quadrupeds may run
in front of you large bugs may smash into your face
or knuckles, you may hit a well fed, fully laden
buzzard, not able to lift off in time, therefore
evacuating on you from both ends. Off the road you
may encounter poisonous snakes and insects. Plants
can be poisonous as well as Kevin's coffee.
You are on your own!
Beware:
SKUNKs are
omnipresent!!!!
Real dangers are present everywhere. A rig is not a
recliner in your living room and road ways are not
as well maintained as your hall way. SKUNKs are
not poodles or kitty cats, they bite, smell and can
carry diseases. Rigs can have tires go flat,
engines catch fire or flip over and more. Roads or
trails can be, and are, steep, slippery and
dangerous. They may or may not be well maintained,
marked or otherwise designed with your safety in
mind. They may be negligently constructed or
repaired. They are unsafe, period. Live with it or
stay away.
Know where you are whenever possible. Traveling by
rig, in addition to being dangerous, is surprisingly
complex. You may get lost. Carry food, water and
first aid supplies at all times. Your rig may break
down. Carry repair tools and parts, a credit cart or
two and cash at all times. If you are a “traveler”
you will be traveling places where cell phones don’t
work. Look in the mirror and ask yourself,
“Would I
trust that person with my life?”
Even if you know
what you're doing, lots of things can go wrong and
you may be injured or die.
The other drivers
on the road may be stupid, reckless, or otherwise
dangerous. They may be mentally ill, criminally
insane, drunk, using illegal drugs and/or armed with
deadly weapons and ready to use them. You are on
your own – even your Motorcycle Safety Class may not
help.
When driving a
sidecar rig, you may die or be seriously injured.
This is true whether you are experienced or not,
trained or not, equipped or not, though training and
equipment may help. It's a fact, rig driving is
extremely dangerous. If you don't like it, stay at
home. You really shouldn't be doing it anyway. There
are any number of extremely and unusually dangerous
conditions existing on and around the road, at THE
RALLY and
elsewhere. Others may or may not know about any
specific hazard, but even if they do, don't expect
them to try to warn you or they may give you bad
advice. SKUNKs
never lie
, but some have occasionally been known to
exaggerate.
You are on your own.
The unexpected may
happen and squash you like a bug. Don't think it
can't happen.
Rescue/medical
services may not be available quickly or at all (see
lack of cell phone coverage above). Local medical
squads may not be equipped for or trained in
motorcycle or other trauma. If you are lucky enough to have
somebody try to rescue you or treat your injuries,
they may be incompetent or worse. This includes
doctors and hospitals. Also, if you decide to
participate in the assistance of some other
unfortunate, that's your choice. Don't do it unless
you are willing to assume all risks. However, any
SKUNK will be quite willing to cut your hair and
even give you $10 for the privilege.
YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF! Don't listen to anyone
else!
In short:
Join the wonderful, wacky world of
SKUNKDOM
and have fun but attend THE RALLY at your own risk!!
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