Friday

I wake up this morning and immediately tune into the weather channel.

Though it's now warm and sunny, strong weather systems are moving in and out of the area, especially to the south.

The forecast for tomorrow is for mostly sunny and warm. As it stands, it seems likely that I won't be crossing south into Georgia today.

I decide to keep my room and head to the rally tomorrow. There are plenty of fine roads just about everywhere here, most of which I have yet to experience.

Now, I need to think about my chain. Adjusting my chain tension requires loosening my rear wheel nut. I have the right wrench in my toolkit but, with its 4 inch handle, it's hardly sufficient to loosen a 32mm nut (big) that has been torqued to 80ft/lbs.

I need to get some leverage. As I scout around the motel, I notice a group of about 20 cyclists. They're gearing up for a daylong mountain ride and have their tools splayed across the front of their rooms. Within minutes, I easily (and gratefully) borrow an adjustable wrench that gives me all the leverage I need.

Heading out on the BRP this morning, I'm once again surprised at how little traffic there is. The air is fresh and there is a light breeze. It feels good to be back on the road. However, keeping to the posted limit requires unwavering restraint and I manage. I'm in the mood to enjoy nature and the mountains this morning and am in no hurry. Furthermore, enforcement is severe on the Parkway and I've already had one unexpected good outcome yesterday.

As the miles roll by, I see some sort of SUV off in the distance. There are many tight curves and I seem to be gaining on it quite steadily, even as I stay within the posted limit. Soon it's two hundred feet in front of me. By the next set of curves, I am right on it. I back off a touch. But at each new corner I am right up on him again. He seems to be slowing more than necessary, but I'm not sure. Elderly drivers can be more cautious.

Several miles down the road, I see him wave his arm out the window. I interpret that he wants me to pass but there are double yellow lines and I wave my left hand to him signaling that it isn't necessary. I back way off, but again come right up to him as he slows dramatically more than I do. At one point, I think I see a flash of his white back up lights, but this is just a quick flash and I attribute it to a passing reflection of the sun.

After a few more approach/retreat cycles, he waves again. This time I correctly interpret that he's asking me to back off. I'm thinking that this is probably an older driver and that I'm causing undue stress to him. This goes on for another five minutes. No matter how much I back off, I'm always right back on him as he creeps around the corner. I decide the best thing is to pass him.

I begin to pass on a nice stretch of double yellow road. As I pull up beside him in a moderately slow pass, two things happen simultaneously followed quickly by a third.

1-My left hand goes up to wave to him

2-In my peripheral vision, I make the crest of a state trooper on his shoulder

3-His light bar goes off

Aw man!

I had been so concerned about him feeling stressed and it's a trooper!

Same routine as yesterday. Find a spot to safely stop.

The officer who greets me now is not in a good mood. He's in his fifties, of average height, trim and fit. He storms out his truck and wants to read me the riot act. No use explaining that I passed him for his benefit, he perceives that as arguing. And he seems to enjoy wielding the power right now. So now it’s all about yes sir, no sir.

He mentions several times how he could ruin my day and how he could get me on at least three moving violations. Yes sir.

This whole interlude goes on for about 20 minutes. During all this time we're both standing next to the bike and he has my driver's license in his hands. He confides that they have a field day with sportbike riders on the Parkway, that they eat them for lunch. Yes sir.

And then, he slowly begins to calm down. I guess he realizes that I'm not there to tear up the roads, I don’t know.

After all, I followed him for a good ten miles not knowing that he was a trooper and he witnessed that I was riding at the speed limit and in a prudent manner.

He gives me back my license, wishes me a good trip and, knowing that I'm ultimately headed to Georgia mentions that I'm welcome to come back to North Carolina anytime!

That's it. No official warning. I'm amazed. Pulled over twice in two days. Not one warning.

As I think back on this little event, I realize that this was no elderly man being overly cautious in the corners. This was a state trooper slowing down excessively for a rider going at the speed limit. Was this bait? Or a form of road aggression?

No matter. It’s behind me know.

Bruno
Montreal, Canada