Sponge Bob Fender Trauma

As I was leaving work one day this week, I noticed at the right fender on Sponge Bob, which has always been pretty iffy, had come loose again, loose enough to rattle while the engine was warming up. I mentally added securing it, again, to my todo list.

I headed on home. The rattle was noticeable, but I didn't pay much attention to it until I suddenly heard the fairly specific sound of metal on tire, a clunk, then no more rattling, just as I was traversing a railroad crossing.

I looked down and saw basically this:

Of course, I was moving at the time...

I turned around in a parking lot to got back and retrieve the fender.

It's a big yellow fender, you'd think it would be easy to see. While I was turning around, a commuter train came through. Even though it took me a little bit to get turned around, I wouldn't have thought anyone would have time to have stopped and pick it up, even stopping for the train. I couldn't find it anywhere.

Then, during one of the turns I made, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

The fender was still attached by one bolt, but had swung around forward and I just couldn't see it with my helmet on!

I laughed heartily and just held it up by me for the rest of the drive home, which was only about a mile.