Leaving the Scene -- Part I, The Saga Begins

I have been riding motorcycles more than 45 years. I have had some close calls, but mostly I ride defensively, and until now I always managed to get out of the way pretty much unscathed. Somehow I thought that if some moron tried to run over me, getting out of the way would be a good thing, but apparently it doesn't entirely work that way.

A woman in an SUV, we'll use the term woman for the sake of propriety, swerved into my lane and ran clear up against my arm before I was able to accelerate enough to get ahead of her. The bike never touched the truck, nothing but my arm brushing by it. Wishing her long life and happiness, but pleased with my escape,  I continued on my way. An hour later a Seminole County Deputy turned up at my house. The bike was sitting where it always sits in my driveway. He looked it over, said he couldn't find any damage, and told me to call the Maitland police.

Somewhat mystified, I called them and found out the woman in the SUV pulled over and reported a hit and run, claiming the motorcycle ran up the shoulder of the road and smashed in the side of her truck. I asked them if they wanted me to come back immediately, but they said no, just call them in the morning.

I called in the morning and Maitland's finest policewoman came over to look at the bike.  She asked me for proof of insurance. I said I was wearing a helmet. She gave me a little lecture about motor vehicles in Florida requiring insurance. I replied that I seriously did not realize that. I could see little to be gained at that point by arguing with her. She took pictures of the mirror on my bike and asked me if I had come in contact with the truck in any way.

Like the idiot I didn't realize I was, I replied that the truck ran up against my arm. She took my license and gave me a ticket for leaving the scene of an accident. When she called in the ticket, she also reported that I had no motorcycle endorsement. I couldn't see much use in arguing with that either, but they must have cooled her jets on the insurance. When she gave me my license back she informed me that motorcyles did not require insurance if the rider wears a helmet. I thanked her for the clarification. She said to call her if I had any questions and to have a nice day.

I admit, by then I wasn't quite as into the nice day as she was. I had a few questions, but not that I was going to state in front of anyone less understanding than my friend Dan. I immediately called a lawyer. He said I didn't have to do anything until the court date on the tickdet. He would take a look at it as soon as the police report came out. When I got a copy of the police report I took it to the lawyer.

He looked up the case on the Orange County Court internet query system and said there was no record of it yet. Usually that would mean they did not consider it worth pursuing. He would check it again in a week. It might go away.

A week later it turned up in the system with an expired appearance date. He didn't know what that meant. He called the court. The appearance date on the ticket was wrong. Orange County usually schedules appearance dates in the week of the offense. Now I had failed to appear at my arraignment, so I immediately signed up with the attorney. He said he would take care of it. I hope he knows some things I don't. I already went that way once with George Bush.
I see how this works. You get a motorcycle license number. Then you try to run it off the road. What are they going to do? If it was a guy, they might kick your ass, but probably not some spacey chick. If they stop, you just keep going. If anybody asks, you never saw them. Who wouldn't believe it? If they do anything defensive, you claim they came out of nowhere and hit your truck. If they don't hang around, you can report them as a hit and run. What's the worst that can happen to you? They say they don't know anything about it, and it doesn't cost you anything. Nice scam.

Well, we'll see. It ain't over til the wheels fall off and the engines siezes up. Then it's back to the shop. I have a couple thousand dollars my Mom left me when she died in October. That isn't much, but I'd rather pay for defense than for a half-assessd crash claim. Stay with me.