HN PHOTOS: A perfect Hyannis evening in the West End…

HYANNIS – [HN NOTES] – Perfect weather brought a healthy crowd to the West End of Main Street last evening. They arrived in packs, pairs, and as rugged individualists seeking midweek diversion, anything from grilled cheese sandwiches to henna tattoos.

HN spoke with Alexa (top HN Photo) who was out having a ball on her Kawasaki Ninja after a long day at work. Alexa, age 22, and a self-professed “tomboy,” says she grew up riding 4 wheelers. She started riding her first street bike about a year ago. Safety skills and awareness are essential for all motorcyclists and Alexa plans on soon completing a biker safety course. (One can never be too careful these days…) Last evening, she was out riding with a club of mostly men who visit Main Street every Wednesday evening for snacks and a little bit of hemming and hawing about this, that, and the other thing…

… you know, “biker stuff.”

HN NOTE: I can personally attest after years of riding motorcycles back and forth across this remarkable little peninsula during younger days, that there’s nothing more fun and satisfying than a motorcycle ride on a clear Cape Cod summer evening. The air holds an intoxicating hint of salty coolness well into the summertime, especially at dusk. Depending on your choice in scooters, the guttural harmonics of a well-tuned engine will drown out useless thoughts and worries… and if you are a young philosopher, as I once was, a long ride after work is a fine time to think about destinations unknown…

But alas, in a world where the price of solitude isn’t as free as it once was, there are risks to consider that have very little to with one’s own driving skills and very much to do with the skills and considerations of others (or lack thereof). And aside from the often poorly maintained, sandy Cape Cod roadways, there are inevitable murderers lurking around every corner, a modern, steady of stream of selfish ignoramuses out texting and driving, drinking and driving, drugging and driving, texting-drinking-drugging and driving, speeding-not-looking-texting-drinking-drugging and driving, etc…

… you know, “morons.”

And despite all that – *SIGH* – there were not any serious motorcycle-involved accidents last evening – thank God – and I would know if there were. But there was one guy, however, who flipped his pickup truck out on Route 6 in Sandwich shortly before midnight, after striking a guardrail in the median, for Lord knows what reason…

… and he was banged-up, but up walking around when the first trooper arrived on scene – hope the dude’s alright!

The highway needed to be completely closed down to westbound traffic for a period to time as a local towing company cleaned up the mess.

The Massachusetts State Police is investigating the cause of the crash…