Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/36926
The Long Way Home by JIM JONES Have you ever thought about what you would do if you have a mishap when you are far away from home? I have. After crashing last year in Arkansas, it really had me thinking about the “what ifs” of motorcycle riding. This is the time of year when many of us are mak- ing plans to travel. July is the BMW International Rally in Pennsylvania and the Wing Ding Goldwing Rally in Knoxville, Tenn. In August there is the 71st Sturgis Rally in South Dakota. There are hundreds of other events and destinations that will take us and our bikes far from our homes. This year, I have plans to ride off-road through Colorado and Utah. Since my MedjetAssist is an annual membership program (not insurance) which provides the arrangement of worldwide air medical evacuation and consultation services to its enrolled members when they become hospitalized while traveling. crash, I’ve added a few more survival tools for my riding peace of mind. First, you need to be prepared. It is never a good time to learn to swim while in the middle of a flood. Neither is trying to develop a plan in case you crash. The first responder(s) should you crash, will probably be your riding buddy or buddies. My riding friends have exchanged healthcare information, phone numbers for each other’s loved ones and we tell each other where important medications will be in the event one of us needs something. This includes medications and allergic reactions medications. Also, you should know your friends blood type and any other pertinent information. A first-aid kit has been added to my emergency supplies, which contain materi- als for hard wrecks. Let’s face it. Most first-aid kits will do nothing for a real motor- cycle crash, so we have created our own first-aid kit which will have provisions for broken limbs, ribs and/or deep cuts. It is very possible that we will have to make it to some kind of road intersec- tion, so a GPS is a must. Knowing your location will save you time of telling first responders where to meet you if needed. If you do wreck, you will need to mark the location of your friend on your GPS. Don’t forget to do this because if you leave your friend you may not remember how to find him or her when you return. You cannot always count on cell phone protection and during a crash, and that time may be the difference between life and death. I’ve added a SPOT Personal Tracker to my bike (www.findmespot.com) that will provide a variety of information and rescue help. With the press of a button your SPOT will transmit your location via satellite and the folks at SPOT will dispatch rescue services to your location and notify the people that you have designated on your SPOT alert list. The SPOT will get you to a hospital but then what? What if you are too hurt to travel back home or in an unsatisfactory hospital and need transporta- tion? What if your bike is unable to be ridden? Now there is a new service called MedjetAssist. MedjetAssist offers an assistance program specifically tailored for the motorcycle rider. This unique program was developed with the help and input of motorcycle enthusiasts. MedjetAssist is an annual membership program (not insurance) which provides the arrangement of worldwide air medical evacuation and consultation services to its enrolled members when they become hospitalized while traveling more than 150 miles from their primary residence. The evacuation benefit is good whether travel- ing in the next county, state or outside the country. The Motorcycle Protection plan can be added to any annual membership for an additional fee ($25 per year). MedjetAssist also provides medical ICU air transport and evacuation to a hospital of your choice. They provide up to $3,500.00 for the return of your mo- torcycle to a shop or dealership of your choice. They will arrange to have your bike returned to you if you are physically unable to ride because of a crash. Medjetassist is cheaper than what you would expect to pay to get your bike to a dealership (depending on where you are) so it is worth checking out. There are a host of other benefits and plans by this company. For more information and terms check out www.medjetassist.com. With a little preparation and planning you can do a lot to help ensure you are not left high and dry. Ride Safe! 22 UCW JULY 20-26, 2011 JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com JULY 23 • WOUNDED WARRIOR POKER RUN at Froggy Bottoms Bar. Ride 12 p.m. Raffle, free food, live music. Benefits Wounded Warrior Fund. 977-8124. AUGUST 5-6 • 2ND ANNUAL CHARLIE MIKE MEMORIAL RIDE sponsored by Combat Vets Motorcycle Association 15-1. The ride starts at 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park 311 W Cornelius Harnett Boulevard in Lillington. There is no charge for the ride but donations are accepted. The ride is an Iron Butt ride. The riders will go 1000 miles in 24 hours. The Iron Butt Association will acknowledge all those who participate in this event. For more information call (910) 286-0184, click here to send e-mail, or go to http://nc.combatvet.org/cm.html. SEPT. 3 • WE RIDE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T remembrance run at HotRodz. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the ride leaves at 11 a.m. $20 per rider and $10 per passenger. The first 200 registered riders receive a limited edition ride t-shirt. The ride ends with a DJ, prizes, 50/50 and a stunt show. For more information call 574-7451. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www. patriotguard.org for more info. TUESDAYS BIKE NIGHT at Chili’s Grill and Bar in Southern Pines. Happy hour, drink and food specials. All bikes welcome. 4 p.m. to close. REVERSE $ JULY 23rd $ RAFFLE $ For more information call LEGENDS at 4624 BRAGG BLVD. &$$1PwwC svw FUXYARE Gwsxs Yabww(v ws1v wswws wswvxws vsu swu x vsy 0!uvsw &!v 20 $$$ w"Gv uv %) $$$" Cs3%$!))%!&22' xss w" WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cash & Prizes! ,000 in Ov er $1