Bruce Springsteen has had a lot of “Glory Days,” but recently could have had some “Better Days.” Although the rock star was “Born to Run,” his motorcycle wasn’t. It broke down in some “Badlands” of New Jersey. If it hadn’t been for some “Human Touch” from some “Blood Brothers,” Springsteen might have been “Dancing in the Dark” all alone with a “Hungry Heart” in “This Hard Land.”
A group of U.S. veteran bikers in Jersey saw a stranded guy with his motorcycle on a back road recently and pulled over to help him. “Bikers gotta stick together,” Dan Barkalow, who was the first biker to spot Springsteen near Allaire State Park, said. “I stopped to see if he needed help, and it was Bruce.”
The Boss’ rescuers were from the Freehold American Legion in Monmouth County. Springsteen grew up in Freehold, so you can imagine what it was like for these hometown heroes. They were unsuccessful in getting the motorcycle started, so they let Bruce hop a ride with them to a local bar and grill until the tow truck arrived.
“We sat there and shot the breeze for a half hour, 45 minutes till his ride showed up,” Barkalow said. “Nice guy, real down to earth. Just talked about motorcycles and his old Freehold days.”
The Boss bought them a round of beers and let them take some pictures before he left a $100 tip. He also got the veterans phone numbers. Who knows. . .maybe they will all be riding together someday down “Thunder Road!”
