Now he’s in a bed, probably annoyed that he can’t go for a ride next weekend. The doctors will ask if he was wearing a helmet. He was. Of course he was. Riders like him are the ones who always wear the helmet, because they’ve seen the guy who didn’t. They’re not amateurs. They’re just unlucky.
It’s a weird thing, getting older and still chasing a thrill. You trade your skateboard for a lawnmower, but you keep the need for speed. This guy will be back on his bike in six months. Maybe not the same bike—bikes get totaled faster than a sandwich in a pool hall—but he’ll get a new one. Because that’s what you do. You heal, you complain about the insurance, and you go back to the A50 like it’s a bad habit you can’t kick.
Motorcyclist killed in A66 collision with car - BBC News
So yes, a 66-year-old rider got hospitalized. And yeah, it’s a serious thing. But if you know him, you know he’s already telling the nurse about the time he outran a rainstorm in 1987. He’ll be okay. He’ll just have a new story to tell, a scar to show, and a wife who’s already hiding the keys to his bike.
The Takeaway
Next time you see a motorcyclist on the A50, give them a little extra room. They’re not just riding; they’re revisiting their youth in a very expensive, very dangerous go-kart. And if you’re the rider, maybe slow down a tad. Your knees will thank you. Your blood pressure will thank you. And that pile of gear you wear? It won’t prevent you from looking silly in the hospital, but it’ll keep you alive to complain about it.
Here’s hoping the 66-year-old gets home soon, finds his remote, and spends a week doing absolutely nothing. Because that’s the real thrill at that age: a sofa that doesn’t crash.
