Road Schmutz
 

So last week on one of my regular routes, sitting just to the right of the fog line, was a sack of potatoes.
Find anything on the road recently?

Two summers ago I was finding banana peels by the 2-3 every mile. Then it finally dawned on me that it was the "trash" left from a touring group coming through. About a month later I was counting broken rubber bungie cords all over the place it seemed. That was after a heavy camping/tourist week. Junk tells a story. I've learned to keep a sharp eye out for destroyed tires because the steel cord wire is hard to see and can stick a quick hole in your tire...usually the rear tire, of course.

I've picked up 6 wheel balance counterweights in a 1 mile section of the road in the past 3 months ..

couple years ago..

A heavy Pipe-wrench with the handle bent over, ..made that way .
maybe to tighten couplings with a chain-fall, or jumping on the handle.

nearly new Silver colored Tarp.

and pulled a whole families bundle of bicycles all tied to a bike rack , off the roadway .

The rack was welded, not well enough, to the Back Bumper of their travel trailer ,
so they were unaware the welds had failed, and the additional help from another motorist
pulled along side them and told them, they doubled back ,

and we met a bit further up the road in one of the parking lots, they expressing gratitude ..

I found a $10 bill in the snow on a ride :-) Paid for my next car wash with it.

Around here, I usually smell it before I find it.

Last ride.

He was going to cross 7 lanes of 45 mph traffic.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=311335

While climbing a hill last weekend at a cycling camp in PA I found a small sized vice grip pliers on the road side. I didn't mind stopping and picking up the tool one bit on the 87 mile ride while climbing that 1,200' hill. Tool was light and I got a breather 2/3'rds of the way up the climb.:D

Yesterday a red-tailed hawk and a crow that it had just killed tumbled into the road ahead of me. The hawk took off when it saw me.

My best find was my Coolpix camera which I've taken with me on bike rides since.

http://static.bhphoto.com/images/ima...345/601936.jpg
It's great for ride photos and videos.

Found a nice cellphone once, slightly battered from falling out of someone's pocket.

It was locked, so I couldn't even try the "call home" route. I took it into the provider's store to see if they could trace the owner.

I guess it wasn't new enough to have ICE(In Case of Emergency) #s. I have my home phone in my ICE # selection. Unless I'm mistaken, ICE #s are available even if the phone is locked.

Oh, BTW and FYI, 911 is always available, even if there is no contract or minutes on the phone.

Tools, bicycle inner tubes, cell phones, and once, money. But mostly just broken glass.

I brake for tools! Just a few days ago, I found one of those multifunction screw drivers - two flat blades, two phillips heads and two hex drivers. Previously found a perfect condition Stanley 25' tape measure, claw hammer, retractable utility knife, various other screw drivers, wrenches, etc.

Of course there's the usual roadkill.

What really gets me is all the trash, especially the beer cans and the vodka bottles.

- Ed

Used to find butchered cattle remains, on two occasions, in the ditches when I worked on seal coat paving crews. One guy on our crew found a perfect stone arrow head once right in front of me.

Me too! All my "Snap-on" tools are road finds. Othre than that, it's more often banana peels and empty gel packs. Come on, people! If it came out of your jersey pocket, it can go back in there after you've emptied it!

If I had a dollar for every one of these I stopped and "helped" across the road. I just hope I moved them in the right direction.

We see that a lot here. Always take them in the direction they were moving. They really want to get across that road and will just try again if you put them back where they came from.

Many hand tools, sockets, a craftsman 1/4" ratchet handle, a LARGE craftsman adjustable wrench (had a time carrying it back in my center pocket), a digital camera now used my daughter down at Baylor:thumb:, a Park multi tool, an ice pick:eek:, Oakley sunglasses...

I've helped two snapping turtles across the road (you have to hold them out by the tail, keeping an eye on their mouth).

Had to laugh at this one. My husband, son, and I commute along Rte. 76 in Philadelphia and have a slow passage to our exit. This gives me lots of time to observe the side of the highway. Just yesterday, I commented on how many bungie cords were on the side of the road! We counted six in less than a half mile strip. I told my son that the lesson learned is, don't count on bungie cords to secure your valuables--apparently, they fall off!

Future french fries!

I also found this:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=311520

which I stashed behind a tree, and came back and picked up with the car, planning to sell it on craigslist. No takers and it's still sitting in my shed.

I've brought home tools, nice towels (to be used as rags), and more. It usually takes me about 40 yards to decide I want something, and walk back and get it.

The last one I saw was a 2' long snapping turtle. He made it quite clear that he wasn't interested in my help.

$20 bucks, a shot glass, and a Reese's peanut butter cup with just the tiniest crack in the wrapper (I was so tempted!)

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=311527http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=311528Some of the locals who come out to encourage riders.

I used to ride oilfield service roads and found tons of wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers. I found $40. once and of course tons of change.

I once found a fork in the road! Literallly.

Lots of water bottles.

Fork In The Road
 

You know what Yogi Berra said, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."