Sarasota_Steve
So I started riding motorcycles when I was 12 years old. It was actually a 50cc moped in my case. I have 36 years of experience (I'm 48 for the math challenged). Today, I was lectured, once more, on how dangerous motorcycles are.
I went with my mother in law and my wife, to pick up a mobility scooter for my mother in law. She had her right foot amputated a few years back, wears a prosthesis but does not like to use her cane, wheelchair or her walker so she decided to give a scooter a try.
The sales person was in his early 30's I guess, wearing a leg brace and had some muscular damage to his left arm. I did not ask but for some reason I assumed Afghanistan or Iraq Vet. Once the transaction inside the store was completed, we went outside to load the scooter in my truck where the sales person saw my 'motorcycles are everywhere' bumper sticker and commented he liked it. I thanked him and proceeded to disassemble the scooter to load it in my truck and he cautioned me to be safe and stop riding if I could.
I said that riding is in my veins and I don't think I'll ever stop. He said his injuries were from a bike accident. He proceeded to tell us, that he used to be the Road Captain of a large group of sportbikes and he used to ride all the time, doing stunts in the street, 8 mile wheelies etc. My wife and mother in law assume that's what I do every time I ride my bike.
The sales person, who would not shut up, kept going that his 'crew' used to be 50 riders and 30 of them have passed from bike accidents. It's not us - he said - it's the cagers that don't see us - I thought to myself, -in your case, I'm not sure about that- but did not voice it.
He also said that when he had his accident, his girlfriend was on the back of his bike, and he was doing 80 mph. on a 6 lane road in the middle of the city when an evil, inattentive, bad bad cager cut him off. He said he even gunned it prior to impact but he clipped the front end of the car, flew and landed on the street, his girlfriend flying and landing on the side of the road. Later learned she's ok, not with him. Happily married with kids.
Again, I hate hearing stories like that. I'm aware of how dangerous is the sport I choose to do. I'm cautious and wear the right gear 99% of the time. I must confess I sometimes ride my 250cc scooter without a helmet, jacket or gloves.
My wife used to tell me she loved me right before I left for a Sunday ride. That simple "I love you" used to bounce in my head all ride long and bother me because she thought I'd have an accident and that was the last thing she said. But instead of considering myself lucky I guess, because someone loves me, I used to think - I'm gonna have an accident today - over and over. I asked her to stop and nowadays I tell her - See you later, around 3 or 4 I guess -
My mother in law goes to an amputee support group monthly meeting and people talk about the difficulties they share and ways to overcome them. My wife attends the meeting instead of waiting in the car. Every time, they love to point out if there is a new person, and if it's a younger person, it was due to a motorcycle accident. Ok, Ok, I get it's its dangerous. I take every precaution possible but I'm also aware and ok with the fact that one day I may not come back from a ride. And that's ok with me.
I've been riding with mostly the same guys since 1998. That was my Bandit 1200 years, later SV 650, later SD and now SDR. Over the years, we've had some guys loose their lives, but NONE, ZERO to motorcycle accidents.
Again, the mobility scooter guy and his crew used to ride like assholes. Complete and utterly assholes. It's a shame that some of them lost their lives, but that is not how I ride and how I like motorcycles and motorcyclists to be represented. I also do not condone the Harley lifestyle of going bar-hopping while wearing a bandana an a tank top. But that's their life and I'm not going to preach to them. Their life, their decisions.
I went with my mother in law and my wife, to pick up a mobility scooter for my mother in law. She had her right foot amputated a few years back, wears a prosthesis but does not like to use her cane, wheelchair or her walker so she decided to give a scooter a try.
The sales person was in his early 30's I guess, wearing a leg brace and had some muscular damage to his left arm. I did not ask but for some reason I assumed Afghanistan or Iraq Vet. Once the transaction inside the store was completed, we went outside to load the scooter in my truck where the sales person saw my 'motorcycles are everywhere' bumper sticker and commented he liked it. I thanked him and proceeded to disassemble the scooter to load it in my truck and he cautioned me to be safe and stop riding if I could.
I said that riding is in my veins and I don't think I'll ever stop. He said his injuries were from a bike accident. He proceeded to tell us, that he used to be the Road Captain of a large group of sportbikes and he used to ride all the time, doing stunts in the street, 8 mile wheelies etc. My wife and mother in law assume that's what I do every time I ride my bike.
The sales person, who would not shut up, kept going that his 'crew' used to be 50 riders and 30 of them have passed from bike accidents. It's not us - he said - it's the cagers that don't see us - I thought to myself, -in your case, I'm not sure about that- but did not voice it.
He also said that when he had his accident, his girlfriend was on the back of his bike, and he was doing 80 mph. on a 6 lane road in the middle of the city when an evil, inattentive, bad bad cager cut him off. He said he even gunned it prior to impact but he clipped the front end of the car, flew and landed on the street, his girlfriend flying and landing on the side of the road. Later learned she's ok, not with him. Happily married with kids.
Again, I hate hearing stories like that. I'm aware of how dangerous is the sport I choose to do. I'm cautious and wear the right gear 99% of the time. I must confess I sometimes ride my 250cc scooter without a helmet, jacket or gloves.
My wife used to tell me she loved me right before I left for a Sunday ride. That simple "I love you" used to bounce in my head all ride long and bother me because she thought I'd have an accident and that was the last thing she said. But instead of considering myself lucky I guess, because someone loves me, I used to think - I'm gonna have an accident today - over and over. I asked her to stop and nowadays I tell her - See you later, around 3 or 4 I guess -
My mother in law goes to an amputee support group monthly meeting and people talk about the difficulties they share and ways to overcome them. My wife attends the meeting instead of waiting in the car. Every time, they love to point out if there is a new person, and if it's a younger person, it was due to a motorcycle accident. Ok, Ok, I get it's its dangerous. I take every precaution possible but I'm also aware and ok with the fact that one day I may not come back from a ride. And that's ok with me.
I've been riding with mostly the same guys since 1998. That was my Bandit 1200 years, later SV 650, later SD and now SDR. Over the years, we've had some guys loose their lives, but NONE, ZERO to motorcycle accidents.
Again, the mobility scooter guy and his crew used to ride like assholes. Complete and utterly assholes. It's a shame that some of them lost their lives, but that is not how I ride and how I like motorcycles and motorcyclists to be represented. I also do not condone the Harley lifestyle of going bar-hopping while wearing a bandana an a tank top. But that's their life and I'm not going to preach to them. Their life, their decisions.