"Pride Before Fall"

Alan Masters

Picture this! “Back when I was a youngen” in the UK I use to take my 1959 Panther, 3T Sport MC, with my acoustic guitar to band practice, most Saturday mornings. It was strapped on the rear carrier with bungee's (or string, not sure if bungee's were invented then?) without a case, the fret board pointing backwards. One wet Saturday I was traveling thru town, making a right turn at a busy junction, when I noticed a bus queue with some beautiful damsels in the line up. Believing myself to be a highly skilled rider, I proceeded to show off my stuff by leaning the machine over to give them a thumbs up as I went by. However, it turned out to be a bum’s up instead as my bike slid out from under me and the guitar hit the pavement with an “El Kabong” sound of twanging strings and shattering wood! Somehow I ended up sitting on the bike’s engine as it slid spinning down the road on its side in front and full view of these lovely damsels. Thank God momentum carried me past the bus stop out of view where I picked up the pieces and tried to cover the burn holes in the ass of my pants! Moral of the story, don’t try to show off in the wet with universal tire treads!

Cheers!
Alan Masters