Missing My Riding Buddy

As I have blogged about before, I witnessed a great friend and fellow motorcycle rider get killed by a cell-phone-yapping yuppie. Six years ago today that horrible crash happened. Rick died on the scene. It was an awful sight, and I still have nightmares.

I haven't stopped riding, but I am still quite nervous, especially when statistics continue to show that more and more people use cell phones all the time, and many continue to yap-and-talk while driving. Worse nowadays are those who text-and-talk.

The Commonwealth of Virginia finally had a little bit of courage to pass a bill that the Governor signed into law to make texting while driving a secondary offense. This watered-down bill is better than nothing at all.

My own state's legislature (Maryland) has no guts, no courage, and no intelligence, particularly those who serve on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee before whom I testified, but who couldn't pass the bill out of committee this year. SHAME ON THEM!

They all yap on their cell phones all the time. Even when the committee was presented with strong evidence compelling the reasons to pass a measure to make talking on a hand-held cell phone while driving or texting while driving a primary offense -- and even with the support of the Maryland State Police (this year was the first time they got behind the legislation) -- the darn fools once again won't pass the bill. What a crying shame. And I am ashamed of each and every one of the committee members who voted against the bill. SHAME SHAME SHAME! BOO! HISSSS!

I commend my district's state senator for drafting the bill and getting co-sponsors for it. He is, at least, trying to do the right thing, even if some of his colleagues won't support him.

Meanwhile, I spoke with Cindy last night. Cindy was Rick's wife. She is doing okay. Their children are growing, and doing okay. But she was melancholy, and I can understand why. She moved out-of-state about a year after Rick's crash, but we have kept in touch. She misses Rick so much. The kids still ask about him from time to time, but their memories are short, and they don't know who their Daddy really was: a man of integrity, intelligence, political savvy, and who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. In many ways, he was my political soulmate, whose absence continues to be felt deeply.

I'll keep fighting for what's right. You would think that legislating common sense is unnecessary. Unfortunately, there are so many people who have no common sense at all, and continue to yap-and-drive lethal weapons down the highway.

Hang up and drive. The life you save could be your own.