Newbies can recognize squids--even when they wear gear and helmets... - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

Scribbles · 05-20-2006, 10:18 PM

Lancer and I have been on vacation for the last two weeks. We were in the Outer Banks this past week, and saw our first squid hiding in plain sight!

We were driving south on RT. 12 (coastal highway) through Corolla when we saw him. A man wearing an armored jacket, full-face helmet, gloves, and boots, riding a Hayabusa. He pulled out into traffic a few cars behind us, and rode for a mile or so behind us. Two cars in front of us were two older men riding cruisers. They were also in gear and helmets, and were enjoying the gentle twisties of RT. 12 themselves. Soon, we hear the revving of an engine (had the convertible on the trip--no motorcycles--we are still too new at riding for a trip like this), and the Hayabusa rider comes zooming past us in the other lane. Mind you, we are on a curvy road with no passing signs posted, and traffic coming in the other lane. He pulls up behind the two on the cruisers, and starts riding with them. He attempted to get the attention of the two cruisers several times by pulling up next to one then the other rider, but they were concentrating on their riding and did not acknowledge him. He started riding with only one hand on the throttle and the other on his hip. The guys on the cruisers were still not acknowledging him.

He rode behind them like that for a few more miles, and then revved his engine a few more times and passed them. Again while passing them, he pulled into the opposing traffic's lane in a no-passing zone. He scared one driver by just managing to swerve out of the way into the southbound lane. We half-expected to see him splattered on the front of some car later in our trip. Lancer made the comment--that is a squid, isn't it? I said "yes" to him, and we laughed about how foolish he was and how he was ruining the beautiful trip down the coast with his idiocy.