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Let’s Talk About.. The UH OH!
Now I’m talking about the Uh Oh! moments… Those moments where you know that the proverbial pile has hit the fan and things are going to be chaotic. Now I know you are all thinking BUT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT SCOUT!? This is a motorcycle maintenance article. Never fear I am here to explain it to you!
As some of you may know, I was in Akron, OH over the New Year’s holiday and a friend and I decided to go get new tattoos. While I was getting mine done we heard a very loud explosion and commotion outside. When we, along with everyone else, responded to see what had happened, the first thing I noticed was that my truck was no longer where I had parked it… it was half a block away and sitting nose to nose with a van that had just hit it head on. It was slightly chaotic to say the least. Then we found out the driver of the van was in the middle of a suspected opiate overdose. This is where the Uh Oh! kicked in for me. I had just gone through a narcan / opiate refresher course at work and remembered that I had an overdose kit containing Narcan in my now demolished truck. I was able to locate it and assist Akron Fire with administering it to the driver.
I think of the Uh Oh!, and then I think of how we respond… and that is what I will call the Mental Maintenance that we need to have for riding a motorcycle… especially in a group. At work we call this the What If Game… so in motorcycle context… what if this car comes into my lane… what if something flies off that truck… what if I suddenly need to change lanes. This all mental maintenance, keeping aware of the situation around you so you can respond appropriately. I, luckily, had people there that were helping me every step of the way. I was focused on helping the driver. My friend took care of my truck, including making sure there were pictures at the scene and getting my personal property out of the truck before it got towed away. Another friend was able to come and pick up my stuff and take it back to the house.. It was a team effort.
That makes me think, as do most things, of how I can translate this into useful motorcycle knowledge. I believe if you have a group of people that you ride with regularly you should practice the Uh Oh! moments. Have a plan in case of various emergency situations. Who has the first aid kit? Who has the tools? Who is calling a tow truck? Who is making hotel accommodations? Who is making notifications, if any, to husbands, wives, significant others or family members about what is going on? Who is staying at the scene and who is leading the rest of the group to a safe location to wait? Now the Uh Oh! isn’t necessarily always a catastrophic or true emergency… It could be a bike that doesn’t start. It could be a flat tire. It could be a headlight fell out… It could be many small things that can be chaotic in a group. These are things that are perfect for mid-winter discussions, when everyone is calm and relaxed. How will the group proceed if someone is unable to continue… Will everyone go home? Will someone go with that person? Does that person want to go home on their own? Is it safe for them to do so? It’s time to gather emergency contact info from members, any allergies or medical info that you feel comfortable sharing and anything that might be needed in the Uh Oh! moments. An emergency plan is a great part of group riding maintenance.