By Jim Fisher

The City of Bloomington tried to kill me!  Not kidding here. They tried to kill me. Don’t know why but had it not been for my 38 years of avoiding such traps they may just have succeeded.  When someone commits a deliberate act with the knowledge that such an act can cause great injury or death that makes the act premeditated. Why then, is the city of Bloomington is trying to kill me?

Let me explain;

I was riding to work on my BMW. I had coasted to a safe speed to lean into the left turn at the intersection with Veterans Park way. There were 2 left turn lanes, I was in the left. I was going a little under 25 mph and leaned into the curve for the smooth centrifugal arch BMWs are known for.  That’s when they sprung the trap; I didn’t see it, all of a sudden both wheels slid out from under me. I instinctively put my left foot down and was dragging it on the pavement holding the handle bars for my life but I was sliding into the right lane, the car in the right lane saw the imminent impact to the underneath of his car and he swerved to the right. He swerved into the straight lane and I into the R left turn lane when finally the wheels caught traction and I was able to gain control of my bike.  In the milliseconds that followed I looked around my immediate situation to figure out what had just happened and then I saw it, Sand! The City of Bloomington had put sand on the pavement at the intersection. Death to bikers!

Now I know that the city of Bloomington isn’t the only government entity try to kill us. The county has tried many times; Cruisin on that hot summer day when all of a sudden the road is covered with loose gravel, unannounced!  Most of the time you can see it because it is gravel and you have time to react when the wheels of your bike suddenly lose traction and it’s like a car on an icy parking lot. We know how much the county hates bikers because it would not be that much of an inconvenience to go over the loose gravel with a roller to press it into the hot pavement. Efficient use of the gravel, make the road safe for everyone. But hey, you can’t kill bikers if you make the road safe.

I have ridden my BMW in the USA from sea to shining sea and all over Europe!   That Bike is like a brother to me. We have survived a car crash together and a deer hit on the interstate.  We have survived many attempts on our life by the county.  But Sand! That one is premeditated.

Jim Fisher has lived on a small farm outside of Hudson for 30 years. Jim has been married to Jayne for 36 years. Together they have raised two daughters.  (no grandchildren). Jim has served on the Unit Five Board of Education. Jim works with the McLean County Tea Party.

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