Valentine One Radar Detector Moment of the Month
April 2004: Escaped Another One, Another Moron That Is

As a long-distance motorcycle rider, I encounter numerous morons but none quite as persistent as this one.

I acquired a pickup-truck "buddy" as he entered the interstate behind me. Did he see that I had a V1 up behind the windshield, or was it a bike thing? He got MUCH too close. I decided to speed up and lose him. Didn’t work.

Then we got into a dodging routine where he passes me, changes back to my lane, then slows down, forcing me to change lanes and pass him again. This continued for miles. Infuriating.

I slowed down, but he stuck with me then, too. What's WITH this moron?

Having learned his habits, and in the midst of passing him again, V1 gave the faint flicker of radar ahead. Ah ha! An evil plan formed. I continued to accelerate; he dropped in behind and hung on. I went rather faster than we had been, listening to V1's tone growing stronger. I knew the road and I was pretty sure I knew where the trap was—just over the coming crest.

About 400 yards from the top and clear of other traffic, I eased back and pulled into the right lane. Again the truck gunned it to get ahead. Just as he cleared my front, I braked quickly down to the limit.

As we topped the crest, V1 went full alert and the moron drove right into the snare. He had no time to react. I watched in my mirrors as the trooper kicked up a huge dust cloud pulling into traffic, lights on. As he gained on us, the pickup shed speed too and changed right, probably praying the trooper was after me. He slowed so much I passed him doing only the speed limit. Sure enough, the trooper dropped in behind the truck and they both pulled over.

V1 is a terrific defensive tool, but it can be used offensively too. I love it.

John Brown
Kalamazoo, MI