Mom! Don’t read this!
I’ve ridden on a motorcycle only once in my life. I’m lucky I lived.
Ginger, Lisa and I had driven from Boulder to Estes Park, a small town at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, to go to a country-western bar where a band we liked was playing. This was in the days before roofies and other twisted bad acts that make women so vulnerable. But still …
During the early part of the evening, a guy kept pestering me to dance with him. I didn’t want to; just had a bad feeling about him. So I politely (I thought) brushed him off and spent the next few hours dancing with a man I was interested in. He and his buddies had ridden into town on their motorcycles from Iowa. They had set up tents at a campground outside of town and were staying for a few days.
At last call, my friends and I returned to our table to retrieve our jackets. I reached in my pocket, and my keys were gone. Everything else was in my pockets, but my keys were missing. So was the guy who’d been pestering me!
Stranded 30 miles from home at 2am, the bar clearing out and not knowing anyone to call at that late hour, I prevailed on my dancing partner from Iowa for help. We verified that my car was parked where we had left it, and my friends got a room for the night at a motel down the street.
I strapped on a borrowed helmut and climbed on the back of this stranger’s motorcycle, intent on getting to Boulder to retrieve a duplicate key for my car. That 30-mile ride, under the starlit summer sky in the crisp mountain air, was as close to a magic carpet ride as I’ll ever come. Crazy afraid I’d set out with a mad rapist; awestruck by the sheer solitude on that dark stretch of mountain road.
I’m positive I used all my motorcycle karma that night. I dare not ride one again!
bemuzin 
Comments on: "M is for Motorcycle" (26)
Haha wow what a story reminds me of my wilder younger days! How long ago did this happen?
Many, many moons ago! Probably 30 years. But the band was really awesome LOL
Hehe it’s good to remember
What a great story! Does it have a happy ending? I too have only ridden on the back of a motorcycle once, but I agree that it’s magical. 🙂
The guy was such a gentle gentleman. I was very lucky and got back to pick up my friends, my car and head home. Whew!
Don’t do motorcycles, they scare me but I am familiar with Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park. You’re lucky but it was a different world. That’s one of those experiences that still retain the magical tint years later.
It was a different world. Not having cell phones; being (somewhat) safer in bars. Lots of things have changed.
How funny! I told a wild tale too, tho mine involved chemistry and critters. Love this story!
Katie, I hope some of my readers have found you. Your art and your musings are something I look forward to every day.
What a great premise for a story. You need to write more of it. 🙂 You’ve got fans.
Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
Oh lordy. Fans… that’s a stretch 🙂 I hardly think I need to open the Pandora’s box of my wilder years. I’m thankful I made it through them once!! Hub always tells me (fondly), “I married you to take you off the streets!”
You daredevil! Once was enough for me….eating my hair and screaming till my knuckles turned white didn’t work for me. Gimme a F1 car any day!
🙂
Speed? Not my thing!
Great story, I’ve ridden on the back of a bicycle .. does that count? No, I don’t think so. Brave soul, and fun story.
Silvia @
SilviaWrites
Only if it’s a story you can’t tell your Mom 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
That must have been nerve wracking! I so desperately wanted to try riding on a motorcycle in Switzerland, when our school group met up with a friendly band of cyclists. Sadly, the teachers wouldn’t allow it and I’ve never ridden one, to date.
Wouldn’t that have been a lovely place to be open-air!
Yes, it sure would have been! 🙂
I’ve only been on a motorcycle once (when I was very young), but I loved it. Although in your situation, I would probably have been way too stressed out to enjoy the ride! I know that route from Boulder to Estes Park…I’m sure it was a beautiful ride. 😀
Marci – You’re about the 4th person who has ridden only once or not ever. Where are the blogging motorcyclists ?!?
I haven’t been up to Estes since last year’s devastating floods. We will go this spring.
Interesting choice of word for M. I’ve never sat on a motorcycle.
🙂 none of my readers appear to be motorcyclists!
A good tale for M Sammy 🙂 It is a good job our mothers didn’t know half of what we got up to when we were young 😀
Hows it going in the challenge? Half way through now. I got a bit bogged down yesterday so didn’t do much commenting, and I’m away next week so that will be difficult. Still I think I have all the posts ready to go. Almost xx
No kidding on what Mom’s don’t know!!
A to Z is a whirlwind, but has been very worthwhole for me. I have met wonderful blogging friends and know our connections will continue.
I leave this morning for a few days. Safe travels to you next week, too!
Hahaha. I never had the guts to ride a motor cycle !!
Apparently neither did my other readers!