My mother, for reasons I will NEVER understand, let all 5 of us kids ride our bikes downhill from Cloudcroft NM to the level part near Alamogordo. She then drove behind us pulling the trailer to load the bikes into to get them back up the mountain. She clocked me at 55 mph, and my brother at 60, as I recall it. I do know that when I decided to pull onto the (gravel) shoulder while slowing, intending to stop for a rest break, I wore a lot of rubber off my shoes keeping the bike right side up — and succeeded. Wouldn’t have worked worth damn all on skates.
One time I was bicycling down a hill just as it started raining, and I had wet brakes and couldn’t stop. At one point the road turned left and there was a gravel uphill driveway in front of me, so I took that. Learning nothing, I continued back down the hill only slightly more in control.
Things didn’t get better when I got a car. One time I was driving at a fast clip in the snow when I approached an intersection. Unlike the road, the approach to the intersection was compacted into ice. I couldn’t stop and there were cars waiting at the intersection. Thinking quick, I deliberately skidded into the curb. It worked, but it knocked my steering out of alignment until I got it fixed several years later.
After not having skated in decades, I rented some nice skates on Venice Beach and skated uphill, all the way to Lincoln Blvd. Downhill was another story. After watching me stop by running into telephone poles, a pedestrian called me over and spent five minutes showing me how to make the drag-skate stop, until he was sure I could do it consistently. He said he was late for work but would never have forgiven himself, if he had read about my being injured in an accident after he had just walked on by.
My father told of his terrible skating accident. He went downhill, faster and faster with a concrete wall on one side and no way to stop. Like Calvin, he finally crashed and had pretty bad injuries though no broken bones. He remembered the Good Old Days as not so good for him.
‘Bactine’ alert! I did the same taking a diver off a bike when I was 9 or so. Brought home some River Edge, New Jersey real estate in my knees from someone’s driveway.
Back in the day, while driving on Route #80 West I saw signs for RUNAWAY TRUCK and an off ramp. What a name for a town? No, it was for trucks whose brakes had failed.
Maybe you just don’t stop. Keep going, weaving around the cars, until you bleed off your momentum. Or get into the street and try to slow down by making S-turns.
BE THIS GUY almost 3 years ago
A better option than going face first into a brick wall.
Templo S.U.D. almost 3 years ago
Time to get out the iodine for Calvin’s scrapes.
codycab almost 3 years ago
Hey, it worked.
marilynnbyerly almost 3 years ago
Shrubs. Always aim for the shrubs. The ones without thorns, I mean.
sirbadger almost 3 years ago
When he learns to ride a bike, Hobbes will give the same advice.
JudasPeckerwood almost 3 years ago
That’ll teach you to listen to a stuffed toy tiger.
Concretionist almost 3 years ago
My mother, for reasons I will NEVER understand, let all 5 of us kids ride our bikes downhill from Cloudcroft NM to the level part near Alamogordo. She then drove behind us pulling the trailer to load the bikes into to get them back up the mountain. She clocked me at 55 mph, and my brother at 60, as I recall it. I do know that when I decided to pull onto the (gravel) shoulder while slowing, intending to stop for a rest break, I wore a lot of rubber off my shoes keeping the bike right side up — and succeeded. Wouldn’t have worked worth damn all on skates.
Jesy Bertz Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Time for mom to bring out the Mercurochrome. That’ll teach him!
suwin.supasathian almost 3 years ago
Calvin looks like steering into a nuclear war head.
incognito almost 3 years ago
Yeowch! Gravel rash!
KA7DRE Premium Member almost 3 years ago
I wrecked my bike in a gravel intersection when I was a kid and embedded a piece of gravel in my knee….Extremely Painful it was !
C almost 3 years ago
Grass would have been a lot better bet.
Liverlips McCracken Premium Member almost 3 years ago
And he thinks the bike is out to get him!?
M2MM almost 3 years ago
That’s how I stopped on my very first bicycle ride. :P
fullmoondeb Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Oopsie!
in-dubio-pro-rainbow almost 3 years ago
Gravel and gravity – not a good combination, folks!
Red33410 almost 3 years ago
“That only was a suggestion.”
Jeffin Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Do a quick 180 and then you’ll be going uphill. That’ll slow you right down.
Say What? Premium Member almost 3 years ago
“Don’t rollerskate near hills!”
Doug Taylor Premium Member almost 3 years ago
and in Quebec the legal drinking age, speed limits and stop (Arrêt) signs are just a suggestion.
jagedlo almost 3 years ago
Gravel? Really, Hobbes?
Prey almost 3 years ago
Had this one saved for years, one of my favourites along with the fly swatter and the light bulb from Garfield..
anamchara42 almost 3 years ago
I love the flying gravel in the third panel.
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Well, it works for 18 wheelers but their a lot less fleshy and bloody.
BearsDown Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Friction can be your friend, depending upon where you apply it.
BRBurns1960 almost 3 years ago
It’s a technique.
scote1379 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
HUH, Seemed like the thing to do at the time!
formathe almost 3 years ago
GRAB A POLE,, GRAB A POLE,, too late.
dv1093 almost 3 years ago
Belly laugh today!
tremaine53 almost 3 years ago
Sometimes, every option you have stinks, and you have to look for the option that stinks the least.
kathleenhicks62 almost 3 years ago
Is that a bit of remorse on Hobbes’ face?
christelisbetty almost 3 years ago
I carry around a couple of pieces of gravel under my skin, some 30 years before they disintegrated.
johndifool almost 3 years ago
Puddy tat fowgot to pack a pawatoot again.
Ermine Notyours almost 3 years ago
One time I was bicycling down a hill just as it started raining, and I had wet brakes and couldn’t stop. At one point the road turned left and there was a gravel uphill driveway in front of me, so I took that. Learning nothing, I continued back down the hill only slightly more in control.
Things didn’t get better when I got a car. One time I was driving at a fast clip in the snow when I approached an intersection. Unlike the road, the approach to the intersection was compacted into ice. I couldn’t stop and there were cars waiting at the intersection. Thinking quick, I deliberately skidded into the curb. It worked, but it knocked my steering out of alignment until I got it fixed several years later.
alexius23 almost 3 years ago
Learning can be painful
sonnygreen almost 3 years ago
How ironic! They just showed the reason for run-a-way ramps on Quora. Nice going Calvin. You were lucky an 18 wheeler was already in the one you used.
mistercatworks almost 3 years ago
After not having skated in decades, I rented some nice skates on Venice Beach and skated uphill, all the way to Lincoln Blvd. Downhill was another story. After watching me stop by running into telephone poles, a pedestrian called me over and spent five minutes showing me how to make the drag-skate stop, until he was sure I could do it consistently. He said he was late for work but would never have forgiven himself, if he had read about my being injured in an accident after he had just walked on by.
Heroes are everywhere.
SunflowerGirl100 almost 3 years ago
My father told of his terrible skating accident. He went downhill, faster and faster with a concrete wall on one side and no way to stop. Like Calvin, he finally crashed and had pretty bad injuries though no broken bones. He remembered the Good Old Days as not so good for him.
Masterskrain almost 3 years ago
LOVE the “SKRUNCH!!”
roberta.forbes.pyle almost 3 years ago
Steer onto a LAWN and fall down.
BC in NC Premium Member almost 3 years ago
‘Bactine’ alert! I did the same taking a diver off a bike when I was 9 or so. Brought home some River Edge, New Jersey real estate in my knees from someone’s driveway.
wiley207 almost 3 years ago
Geez, that’s gotta hurt! The more sensible place to fall would’ve been on the grass!
ron almost 3 years ago
He’s flying by lawns. Grass is a better and less painful crash site.
moondog42 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
My absolute favorite Calvin & Hobbes comic
txmystic almost 3 years ago
some suggestions are better than others
Bilan almost 3 years ago
Funny. That technique works fine for semis.
eolan59 almost 3 years ago
Brings back childhood memories of doing something really stupid that caused a lot of pain
neatslob Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Hobbes is just brimming with good advice.
Ceeg22 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Steer onto the GRASS
globalenterprize1990 almost 3 years ago
Back in the day, while driving on Route #80 West I saw signs for RUNAWAY TRUCK and an off ramp. What a name for a town? No, it was for trucks whose brakes had failed.
Nick Danger almost 3 years ago
It works for truckers
leopardglily almost 2 years ago
Cripes that had to hurt!
Totally Not a Killer Dolphin 3 months ago
Maybe you just don’t stop. Keep going, weaving around the cars, until you bleed off your momentum. Or get into the street and try to slow down by making S-turns.