A Modern-Day Evel Knievel

Back in the day, humans were a hardier bunch. As toddlers, we stood on the front seat of the Olds 98 with only our mother's flung-out arm for a seatbelt. School-age, we climbed into the back of the 1963 Chevy Stepside, burning our bare feet on the metal between the boards of the bed. By the end of grammar school, we were swinging our legs off the tailgate of a GMC pickup, seeing the world backwards at 70 mph on the interstate.

These days, kids are raised in bubble-wrap. Not saying it's a bad thing. Just different.

Present-day daredevils have probably never heard of Evel Knievel. Like the kid on a motorbike over in Sis-Town on Thursday.

He was on a side street by the lumberyard, across from the park and a Chinese place where The Pony gets delivery. You couldn't say This Kid was riding a motorcycle. It was too small for that, but too big for a mini-bike. Maybe a 100cc. As for "Kid," he was probably early 20s. Old enough to know better.

This is not a blind intersection. Not really an intersection at all. I was on Main Street, and he was waiting his turn to pull out onto Main Street from a side street. Nothing was blocking his vision. He could clearly see traffic coming in both directions. Not even a helmet to obstruct his sight.

Did he wait his turn as per the unwritten rules of traffic? Not-Heaven, NO!

This Kid stopped his motorbike, and walked it with his feet until the FRONT TIRE was OVER THE LINE. That's right. His entire front wheel was in the roadway. I had to swerve into the center turn lane to avoid hitting it.

Not quite a jump over the Snake River Canyon, but dangerous just the same.

Daredevils. They don't make 'em like they used to.