SONS OF TEXAS
MOTORCYCLE TOURING ASSOCIATION
SONS OF TEXAS
MOTORCYCLE TOURING ASSOCIATION
Sunblock Can Kill You |
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By James R. Davis
Maybe you think that might be a bit of an
exaggeration?
Nope.
Yesterday Elaine and I participated
in the third annual Lime Run hosted by
the Lone Star Ladies. It turns out that
we manned one of the stops on the run
which meant that we were in the sun all
day long. We used a sunblock on our
faces, necks and arms so that we would
not get 'over-done'.
We had about a 100 mile ride to
get home. 12 miles from home I went
blind, at 70 MPH!
One minute all was right with
the world, the next instant both
my eyes stung and gushed tears
so badly that I was forced to
shut them both completely -
blinking did not help - I could
not see a thing!
I slowed down and hit my
Push To Talk button:
"Elaine, we have to stop - I
have something in my eyes!"
Mind you that I was
wearing a full-face
helmet, glasses, and the
shield was down on the
helmet. It didn't
exactly make any sense
to me either - how could
something get into my
eyes like that?
Elaine happened
to be driving her
cage rather than her
bike yesterday and
was in front of me.
Fortunately we had
put a hand-held CB
into her car that
very day! She slowed
and steered
interference for me
for about a quarter
of a mile.
With one of
my eyes totally
shut and the
other blinking
rapidly (and
painfully), I
managed to be
able to see
enough to guide
the bike one
lane to the
right on the
freeway, then
mercifully there
was an off ramp
right in front
of us - we took
it.
Off the
freeway we
pulled right
into a
vacant lot
off the
access road
and again I
was unable
to open
either eye.
I felt for
the
kickstand
and got it
in place
just as she
jumped out
of her car
and came
back to see
what was
wrong. Not
sure if I
was level or
not, I
wanted both
hands to
stay on the
handlebars
and asked
her to take
my glasses
off for me.
Tears
poured
down my
face
from
both
eyes -
not from
the
pain,
though
there
was
plenty
of that,
but from
whatever
was in
my eyes.
Elaine
ran to
her car
and got
a bottle
of water
and a
handful
of
Kleenex
tissues
for me.
I washed
my eyes
with the
water
and then
applied
the
tissues
and all
was
instantly
well
again!
It
turns
out
that
some
of
the
sunblock
on
my
nose
had
vaporized
with
the
heat
in
my
helmet
and
my
dark
glasses
wrap
around
my
head
and
touch
my
face
all
around
my
eyes
-
keeping
the
vapor
in.
The message is simple: If you use sunblock on your face be sure to wipe it off before putting your helmet on! (Incidentally, you can buy sports-oriented sunblock products that purport not to sting your eyes.)
Sunblock can kill you. Honest.
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