I don’t know why, really, but I love making little motorcycle videos. In the past, most of the biking videos I’ve made have been of me or others with me having fun on twisties at a good clip. Sometimes, though, I like making videos just to show off the beauty of the places I see. One of my favorite local areas takes me in and around some of Kentucky’s famous horse farms. The countryside here is both unique and beautiful – rolling hills, shade trees, little ponds, strong horses and their babies, and so much more. Although I hate Kentucky during the long, boring, and gray winters, I adore this state all through the summer. In my opinion, summer in Kentucky is nearly unmatched in natural beauty.
Some might say it’s harassment. Some might say it’s needed targeted enforcement. Others, such as myself, believe it’s a little political showboating. Whatever the reasoning behind it, the Lexington Police Department, with apparent help from the Kentucky State Troopers (they seem to be moving back into Lexington), made their presence well known in East Fayette County last night.
Up and down Athens-Boonesboro Road, Old 25, and Richmond Road, there were countless traffic stops of both cars and motorcycles. Police cars were hidden, were out in the open, were speeding, were creeping, and were running in gaggles of twos and threes all night long. Personally, I’ve never seen such a show of force by any agency. Although I think it was somewhat of an overkill, I have to admit, it was a pretty cool sight to see.
On the other hand, I think last night had more motorcycles out cruising the roads than I’ve seen in a very long time – also a cool sight to see. I assume all the activity of both bikes and police had a lot to do with the approaching long holiday weekend.
It’s nice to know the police have our backs (except when I called them over a stolen motorcylce, of course).
Paranoia goes to an all-time high when you’re out on the highway on a motorcycle. It’s almost as if you have spidey-senses and can see every soccer mom, cell phone toting teenager, confused out of towner, line-crossing redneck, and every other type of cager hazard. What you rarely anticipate, although there are certainly plenty on the roads, are drunks.
I followed this guy for miles and miles and assumed he was going to hit someone. The photographer in me, admittedly, got a little excited thinking about how I’d get to digitize a tragedy (yeah, that’s bad, I know…but that’s business). Fortunately, my helmet has a built-in bluetooth cell phone thing so I can make emergency calls. I called the cops a couple of times on this guy, gave them detailed directions, and even gave them a perfect description of the auto — but, to my knowledge, no one showed in the span of 30 min.
At the very least, I got some cool footage. I wish I had been a little closer since a wide angle lens can make one look really far away.
Of all the inexcusable road mistakes one can make, I place DUI at the very, very top. It’s irresponsible. It’s one thing to put your own life in danger, but it’s an entirely different deal when you are choosing that risk for other people. Losers.
Of course, I don’t *know* he was drunk — maybe he was just a really bad driver and was having a hard day (nudge nudge wink wink).
This guy could get years in jail for recording the state police officer who pulled him over and drew his weapon.
…the video that Graber posted on YouTube one week later — taken with his helmet camera — of a plainclothes state trooper cutting him off and drawing a gun during the traffic stop near Baltimore.
In early April, state police officers raided Graber’s parents’ home in Abingdon, Md. They confiscated his camera, computers and external hard drives. Graber was indicted for allegedly violating state wiretap laws by recording the trooper without his consent. Read more at ABCNEWS
Another video…
I’ll try to have more on this in the next day or so…
