Unsafe at any speed?

Senator Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, is notorious for telling colorful stories about his weekends during a “moment of privilege” at the end of floor sessions. But Senator Don East, R-Surry, might be wishing Bingham had been a little less forthcoming tonight.

Bingham said he and East took a motorcycle ride this weekend with friends, starting at East’s Pilot Mountain home and heading up into Virginia to the Primland resort.

While they were riding with East’s friends, Bingham said, they were cruising along the curvy roads at 35-40 miles per hour. But eventually, the friends had to split off for home.

“When we separated, next thing I know we were running 80-90 miles an hour, and I was running along behind Don trying to keep up," Bingham said. "And I thought, well, since he knows where the curves are, surely I can stay on the road. But anyway, there were several places we hit over a hundred miles an hour. God, I was glad to get to his house.”

But the adventure didn’t end there, Bingham said. 

“We got to [East’s] house and he had a little car he’d bought from Harry [Sen. Brown] here," Bingham said. "It was a Charger SRT8, which I’d never heard of. And he said, I’d like to take you a ride in this car before you go home.”

“We got out to (Hwy) 52, and there’s a ramp there. Don asked me, says how far do you think it is to the end of the ramp? I said, I don’t know, 300, 400 yards. God knows we were running 145 miles an hour by the time we hit the end of the ramp.” 

“Then we drove around some of those crooked roads up in his part of the country, and I thought I was gonna push a hole in his floor or tear the door handle off," Bingham joked. "So if any of you do not want a hernia or a hemorrhoid, don’t ride with Don in his T8.” 

Senator East followed up with his own comment: “I plead not guilty.”

You can hear Bingham's story starting at 43:30 in the video at right.