“Serving overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!”
— Matt
More Beep than Bump
In small-town America we enjoy watching people get around in all types of open air vehicles: bikes, golf carts, buggies, ATVs, motorcycles, etc. Car and truck drivers don’t always respect these vehicles, so one has to be extra careful when on the road in an open vehicle.
Overseas travel in congested cities is unfortunately a full-contact sport. When back in Indiana I took a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course which has saved me from many road mishaps. I remember instructors saying, “Never trust anyone. Never assume the right of way. Always assume a car may go through a red light, so be ready to stop even on a green light. Always assume a truck creeping into your lane isn’t checking his mirror, so be ready to swerve over.” I have taken it a step further overseas and bring a tugboat along with me when on the road on my dinky motor scooter.
Living near a major seaport, I have enjoyed the sounds of the tugboat captains tooting back and forth with other boats to coordinate nautical traffic. They let out a powerful beep as they approach a boat they are going to bump to push and maneuver to the right spot. Realizing that cars and trucks were taking unnecessary risks around me when I was on my motor scooter, I decided that I needed a special weapon. I searched and found an Italian company that makes powerful, compact boat air horns. With the help of a local automotive electrician, I wired in a big red button on my handlebars that toots a powerful boat horn.
When I approach an intersection and I’m not sure if cars will yield to me, I tap the powerful boat horn. If a car begins encroaching in my lane, that is another good time to touch the air horn. Drivers immediately slowdown in perplexed bewilderment as they look for what sounded like a boat approaching port, or maybe a large dump trunk, but all that can be seen is a dinky little scooter. Drivers never seem to realize that the sound is coming from a little scooter, but the reaction is the same – slow down and be cautious.
If some dogs are all bark and no bite, I am a tugboat that has all beep and no bump.
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
mattsmishaps@gmail.com Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
