I posted this on a motorcycle forum about yesterday's two-wheeled adventure. Thought it was worth sharing with you Georgia boys.
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...I took most of yesterday off and felt the need to go for a nice leisurely ride into north Georgia. I swear what I am about to describe is true and somewhat frightening. I grabbed lunch after a stop in Jasper and left downtown Jasper and saw a road name "Burnt Mountain Road" (turns into/joins GA 136 in a few miles) that seemed to head towards some nice hilly/small mountainy terrain. I took it northeast bound, and then at the Pickens County library, pull in to the right to just double check my map and see where it goes. Looks good, so I head back out to pull out onto the road. For those that know where I am, here goes for full effect: Just as I am about to pull out, there is a black Jeep Wrangler way back just crossing a stop sign about 1/2 mile up and headed northeast bound as well. Plenty of room to pull out. There are rumble strips in the lane that goes in the opposite direction to warn of the stop up ahead for that lane. I hear them go off, and for some reason I look right only to see a pale yellow old square style Jeep Cherokee driven by a female (this will become important later--not meant for gender bashing) halfway in what is to be my lane. I have not pulled out as I was somewhat in disbelief, and as I feel I am about to become witness to a head on. Sure enough, Cherokee does not move over and Wrangler is forced completely off road and comes to a stop. Cherokee then swerves back to the right and SLAMS on the brakes to make the stop sign. Wrangler buzzes out of there. I am about to pull out, when I notice the Cherokee do a 180 and now reverse direction. My mind tells me this person is drunk or on drugs, or delusional in some other way. I say to self, you do not want to be in front of this crazed/drugged person (especially on a bike). So I myself 180 it back into the library parking lot not knowing what this maniac is going to do. Who knows if she missed the library turn in? and is about to 4 wheel drift it into me as I wait there to pull out, only to hit me. Cherokee flies past the library in the same direction I plan to go. I now head out figuring 1. I may come upon steaming car parts in any given corner, 2. do however recognize maniac may change course and come my way again. I decide to wait for a pickup truck to shield me from the front and continue on. [SOME of you smart ones are saying I should have just totally reversed course--probably right]. Miles and miles go by, and then the truck turns off. I am all by my lonesome
. No sign of Ms. Maniac. I round a bend, and there she is, behind Mr. Wrangler. Being held up by a postal delivery vehicle. She starts tapping the Wrangler NASCAR style. He is stuck as he cannot get by the postal guy in a blind turn to pass. He drives off the road spinning up dirt and spinning in general as she is following him and trying to hit them. I am horrified and have just figured it out. SHE IS TRYING TO HIT HIM, KILL HIM, HURT HIM!! None of them are good options! They are maybe 100 feet away as I kept some distance knowing who I was dealing with. I quickly do a 180 myself and head for the nearest driveway... again not knowing how much car control these idiots have and how they would "shoot" back onto the road. They recklessly re-join the road and luckily they wizz by headed back to Jasper.
I continue on and pull into the Elliot Racing compound to visit with my racecar mechanic and a Dawson County sheriff is in there. I tell him the story and he says, "well, that's Pickens county, happens once a day at least!"
Moral of the story: I felt I did the right thing as far as pulling off the road each time. Smarter thing would have been go elsewhere after 1st encounter. May have been a little chicken when they went into the dirt chasing each other. BTW, if you see a woman in a pale yellow Cherokee on GA136--YOU HAVE been warned! I think it was a lover's quarrel gone bad.
ATL: Watch out in Pickens County
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