Thursday, December 18, 2008

18 December, 1995/1996

FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Two years in a row I almost died on this day.
- 1995: I crashed on my bike and apparently landed on my head. I became self aware about 3 hours later in Urgent Care at the Gila Regional Medical Center. Still my most expensive bicycle ride. Cost something like $4000 in medical bills. I had no insurance at the time.

- 1996: I was in Orange County, CA when I pulled in front of the offices of Bike magazine a Toyota pulled behind me. A guy got out of car walked up to my car and put his automatic pistol in my face. He said, "Orange County Sheriff's Department! Put your hands where I can see them, or I will shoot you! I will shoot you right now!!"

Anyway this led to me being handcuffed and placed in a police car for about 2 1/2 hours. They rifled through my car looking for a gun and money. They thought I was a bank robber. I was only let go after a FBI car with bank employees inside drove by to look at me. I wasn't their man. I was let go, but the FBI took my picture because "I looked like a bank robber." I cut my hair after that.

You can read more about this in the April 1997 issue of Bike magazine. Look in the Splatter section. There is a picture of me in the back of the black & white sheriff's car.

2 comments:

Small Adventures said...

Glad yer still w/ us,Mims!
I think I woulda sued,man...really =)

Steve

Mimbres Man said...

I talked to a lawyer friend afterwards. He did free work, quid pro quo, but he said it wasn't worth it.
My thumbs were numb for 3 months.