In the middle of the BIG ONE!

[SLEDGE]

I was riding home from work at 3:00pm today on I64. I happened opon a simi trailer truck, I was about 6 car links behind him when he went around a gentle right hand turn at about 60mph. The truck lost it's load. I saw it fall from the side of the trailer than everything went white! I thought what the Sam Hill! I knew I was in for a ride. I held on to the bars and backed off the gas staying off the brakes hoping to ride it out. Still in a white out I could no loger keep it up so the bike and me went down going about 30mph I think. I scambled to my feet to get off the road,as I didn't want to wait to see if I was going to be run over.The road was coverred in glass 2"to 3" deep! I turned the bike off as the motor was still running. I checked myself out. I didn't have a scratch on me!!! The bike is a mess, rear sub-frame bent, windsheld a right off, system case rashed, valve cover ect. That truck was halling plate glass.It lost half its lode in that turn. with me behide it. There was about 50 yards of glass and pieces of lumber on the road with me 2/3 of the way in it. The white out was caused by some of the glass turning to dust!
All I can say is ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME! I had on my leather jacket,gloves, boots and helmit.I didn't have on my over pants however,just a pair of jeans.
The Good Lord was watching out for me today! Thank You Lord.

[duckdave]

Dude, that was almost certainnly tempered glass. If it had been plate you probably would not have any arms or legs. As it is, you are one lucky puppy. Glad you made it TTL. Sorry 'bout your ride.

[towerworker]

Thank the Lord you're ok!! Bike can be replaced.

++1 on the ATGATT!!


wayne
04r

[SLEDGE]

It was not tempered glass!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock:It was Plate glass broke into big pieces!!!!!!!!!!!

[boxermania]

sledge

Born again today....Yes, give thanks and praise the higher powers.......good luck....

[TonyT607]

sledge

Born again today....Yes, give thanks and praise the higher powers.......good luck....

+1. And don't forget to thank your Guardian Angel.

And play the Lotto.

[Beemeridian]

44

[Boxer]

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Pardon me while I break down this word for reading. This sounds serious. I too would not ignore it. My mother died at 57 from something similarly exotic and mysterious in her lungs.

[wncbmw]

WOW! Riding through a lost load of plate glass! That could have had a much less happy and more gruesome ending!

Glad you are OK and yet another testimony to ATGATT! I don't think I would want to go down in glass in a t-shirt, sneakers and shorts!

[jbuzbee]

Glad your OK, and yes luck had nothing to do with it. If God wanted you . . ..

+1 on seeing a doctor - particulate matter in the lungs is nothing to shrug off. If the glass did indead atomize as you've described you've been exposed to about 10 years of asbestos / fiberglass. Please see someone.

jb

[SLEDGE]

I have a regular doctor's appointment on monday will see about my lungs than. Another person invalved in the mishap took some pictures of the seen and said he would e mail them. When he dose I will attempt to post them

Thanks everyone.

[digga]

I have a regular doctor's appointment on monday will see about my lungs than. Another person invalved in the mishap took some pictures of the seen and said he would e mail them. When he dose I will attempt to post them

Thanks everyone.

Great to hear you're OK

I think you should change your sig' line now

[awagnon]

I have a regular doctor's appointment on monday will see about my lungs than. Another person invalved in the mishap took some pictures of the seen and said he would e mail them. When he dose I will attempt to post them

It probably is a good idea to see a doctor, but mainly as a baseline in case you have problems later, so they can't claim you had a pre-existing illness. I seriously don't think a single exposure will harm you, though it probably is "dose dependent" or related to the amount of exposure. In any event, I'm not aware of any proven treatment now to prevent silicosis from developing later in life from this exposure. Still, it's remote. Also, as an oncologist, I'm not aware of an increased cancer risk from this particular exposure.

Glad you weren't hurt otherwise. I hope they buy you a nice new bike. By the way, there were a couple of articles in Motorcycle Consumer News several years ago concerning dealing with insurance companies if you are in an accident, when it wasn't your fault. You can probably get them online at MCN website. If not, go to the library, or I have them. They have some useful information about negotiating a settlement. You may be disappointed in the reality of the process.

Al

[duckdave]

SLEDGE,

Sorry for acting so certain it was tempered. I just could not understand your surviving a run-in like that with plate. I've seen how a couple of loose sheets can literally chase a man around, and I've seen the damage done. You are doubly lucky. And I'm still sorry 'bout your ride.
-dd.

[Dr. Strangelove]

+1 on awagnon

pneumoconioses are serious, but they result from long term exposure or seriously nasty inhalants.
Glass is silicon, not asbestos.

are you coughing it up? was it crusted in your nose? if the answer is no, you probably had minimal exposure if at all. and how long were you there, minutes? an hour?
But see your doc, he may want to get a baseline chest xray.

glad you're intact

and, maybe have a chat with the guardian angel as to why (s)he let that happen in the first place.

John

[Samiam]

Sledge, I'm glad to were not cut to ribbons or worse! That's scary, and not something anyone wants to be in the middle of.

I trust the glass company is going to take care of your medical expenses and the bike. Play hardball with them and consider getting a lawyer.

"Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" is a delicious word. It's a shame that it is such a horrible condition.

[LotusJones]

That's an amazing story. I've heard of the 'belt sander test' in protective gear evaluation but you are taking it too far!! Lucky AND prepared. Your tale should become one of the cautionary vignettes in the next edition of Proficient Motorcycling...

Seriously though, I want to reassure you regarding your risk of, so called, "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis". I'm not a Pulmonologist but I am an Internal Medicine doc. I agree with Dr. Stranglove's and Awagnon's comments. By all means see your provider, get a baseline chest xray and pulmonary function tests, but don't lose too much sleep over your silica (glass) exposure.

"Silicosis" usually occurs after DECADES of exposure. "Acute Silicosis" can present within weeks to years of a massive exposure but as Dr. Stranglove said, if you weren't coughing it up or digging it out of your nose you didn't likely get much down to the lungs.

As for "The Longest Word In The English Language", I don't want to step on Beemeridian's toes but I highly doubt that is (or was ever) a legitimate medical term - delicious nonetheless...

-LJ