Bikers, We Are So Grossly Misunderstood

[Split-Brain]

Here's something passed on to me by a fellow member of the biking community. It originates from our brother bikers stateside, and I feel it's every bit as relevant here as it is there.

I'm sure there will be comments.



THE BIKER

I saw you, hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line.
But, you didn't see me, put an extra $10.00 in the church collection plate last Sunday.

I saw you, pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But, you didn't see me, playing Santa at the local mall.

I saw you, change your mind about going into the restaurant.
But, you didn't see me, attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.

I saw you, roll up your window and shake your head when I drove by.
But, you didn't see me, driving behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.

I saw you, frown at me when I smiled at your children.
But, you didn't see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.

I saw you, stare at my long hair.
But, you didn't see me, and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.

I saw you, roll your eyes at our leather coats and gloves.
But, you didn't see me, and my brothers donate our old coats and gloves to those that had none.

I saw you, look in fright at my tattoos.
But, you didn't see me, cry as my children where born and have their name written over and in my heart.

I saw you, change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere.
But, you didn't see me, going home to be with my family.

I saw you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be.
But, you didn't see me, when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.

I saw you, yelling at your kids in the car.
But, you didn't see me, pat my child's hands, knowing he was safe behind me.

I saw you, reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road.
But, you didn't see me, squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.

I saw you, race down the road in the rain.
But, you didn't see me, get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.

I saw you, run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time.
But, you didn't see me, trying to turn right.

I saw you, cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in.
But, you didn't see me, leave the road.

I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass.
But, you didn't see me. I wasn't there.

I saw you, go home to your family.
But, you didn't see me. Because, I died that day you cut me off.

I was just a biker. A person with friends and a family.
But, you didn't see me.



Please feel free to repost this around in hopes that people will better understand the biker community .

I hope you never lose someone that rides. Have a great week my friends.
Keep it shiney-side up !!!

 

[CodeMonkey]

Not a biker myself but was an interesting poem.
Having said that some of the Hells angles i know are some of the nicest guys(well unless you **** them off).

 

[vim_fuego]

Once I was working the door of a family pub in Newquay on a bank holiday Monday...A good wedge for essentially a milk run compared to the nights I used to work on the club doors...The owners brief was keep the p*ss heads and undesirables out as the main money earner was feeding the families over-priced meals...The day chugged along nicely with only a word or two needed to a few drunks who fancied a pint in there until down the road walked two of the largest, ugliest hells angels I've ever seen...They were from a local sect that shave the front of their heads but leave a mane/mullet bit at the back...Theres always lots of bikers in the Central bar up the hill from where I was standing and some of them fancied coming in...

Now they looked pretty f*cking awful to be honest so I step in the way of their entry wandering what the hell I was going to do if they kicked off...I explained the bosses policy and the sort of pub it was and they fully understood but asked if they could still come in on a trial basis...they promised to act in a civilised manner so what could I do?

They'd been in their about 15 mins when a women came to the door to tell me something about the bikers...sh*t I thought, it's all going terribly wrong...But no! The women told me how a couple of lads had been spitting and generally fooking around and one of the bikers had walked across, said something in the lads ear and both of them were 'changed characters' afterwards...I repositioned myself to better watch them and witnessed both of them finish their meal, tidy their table and take the plates back to the kitchen where they thanked the staff for a nice meal...

On the way out I caught one of them and apologised fully for earlier and told them that as long as they came down in numbers 4 or less in a staggered fashion then they were cool by me and the boss could swing...

 

[Albert Park]

Looks like a pop at car drivers.

 

[Scaley brat]

Looks like a pop at car drivers.

Leave your CD, DVD, Mobile, climate control, and sat nav alone when driving and no-one would ever jump to that conclusion DT_Xtremez_14: Oh BMW drivers, using indicators would be nice you barstuds !

 

[Almost_done]

Looks like a pop at car drivers.

No it’s not a pop at car drivers, it’s just asking them to be more considerate and actually LOOK before they do the manoeuvre.

 

[Albert Park]

No it’s not a pop at car drivers, it’s just asking them to be more considerate and actually LOOK before they do the manoeuvre.

I'm not gonna argue over this. You have an opinion, so do I. Having read it several times, I'm sticking to my guns.
Just remember, it works both ways.

 

[lisab]

Well I think its a beautiful poem very touching, the road belongs to all those that pay tax be it on 2 wheels or 4 if we ALL had a bit more consideration for each other the road would be a safer place to be!!!

 

[Almost_done]

Well I think its a beautiful poem very touching, the road belongs to all those that pay tax be it on 2 wheels or 4 if we ALL had a bit more consideration for each other the road would be a safer place to be!!!

Lisab, I whole heartedly agree, but today I gave a full spleen vent to a fooking stupid driver who pulled out on me as I was going round a roundabout, she didn't even look to see if it was clear she just looked straight ahead , didn't stop, just pulled out, luckly I was able to manouver and avoid her.

 

[CodeMonkey]

Lisab, I whole heartedly agree, but today I gave a full spleen vent to a fooking stupid driver who pulled out on me as I was going round a roundabout, she didn't even look to see if it was clear she just looked straight ahead , didn't stop, just pulled out, luckly I was able to manouver and avoid her.

Hate to say it but it's not just biker s that have to look out for this kind of driver, when younger was knocked not just off bike but off roud by some beehatch that didn't give me enugh clearence(ended up on side of road with bike between legs).

and when up near ISK and ISL many a driver didn't know what fecking lane to be in or when to cut you off.

 

[Seymour Tw@tt]

As an ex-biker I have mixed feelings about this. The poem at the beginning could be levelled at any person in society who doesn't look "conventional" (biker, skinhead, punk, etc). Then the bit about the accident is the sobering part...

I was knocked off my bike with only bad grazing and cuts many years ago by a hit and run car driver. It could have been infinitely worse. I hated cars for a while but got over it. I was part of a bike group of enthusiasts, interested in the mechanics of bikes as much as riding, but the difference I note now, when looking back, is that we didn't do "ton-ups".

These days most bikers I know and see are f*cking maniacs. The number of times I am overtaken when doing the national max limit is the norm - and they leave me standing. They must be doing the ton no problem. At least.

The guys I speak to just laugh and say "Ahh you're getting old, mate." Trouble is, it's nothing to do with age - a 100+mph bike is a f*cking missile. The rider is 100% certain to die, but so will any vehicle they collide with and most likely the people inside.

So, please, if you are a biker, consider speed. Not all car drivers are crap and don't think of bikes (some of us are ex-2wheelers), but a high majority of bikers I do see are maniacal speedfreaks and on a crazy road to nowhere. It does work both ways...


DT_Xtremez_21:

 

[R_Squared]

So, please, if you are a biker, consider speed. Not all car drivers are crap and don't think of bikes (some of us are ex-2wheelers), but a high majority of bikers I do see are maniacal speedfreaks and on a crazy road to nowhere. It does work both ways...


DT_Xtremez_21:

I agree, I have noticed that more recently there does seem to be greater amount of tw@ts on plastic rockets more recently and attrittion tends to weed these weekend speed jockeys out quite quickly. One bad scare usually works to slow them down a bit. That said, I am just over-awed by the inconsiderate and virtual blindness of a vast amount of 4 wheeled tw@ts too.
When working as a motorcycle courier I was knocked off 6 times by car drivers, all insurance companies found in my favour each time, and it was the old excuse of 'didn't see you mate'. Really? Try opening your f@cking eyes then.
I am no perfect driver, anyone who claims to be close is full of sh1t, but observational; skills are just not taught as intensively during training to drive a car than they are on a bike. A quick glance in the mirror without turning your head is never enough, no wonder most people start to just focus on the 10 feet in front of them.
Personally, if I get taken out again by someone who didn't see me, I'll make sure that he definitely gets to watch as I kick him in the b@ll@x.
It does work both ways, however most of the 'speedfreaks' are just out for a weekend blat and will climb back into their Mondeo's Monday morning, we all have to put up with sh!t driving all the d@mn week, A bit lopsided In the favour of car drivers in that case then I think.DT_Xtremez_32: ::

 

[Tigger]

skills are just not taught as intensively during training to drive a car than they are on a bike.

They are on the advanced course, in fact it forms a large part of it. Thing is once you get in the habit of good observation it becomes second nature. Quite often you'll know the idiot is about to pull out before they do. If you don't have eye contact then get off the gas.

It's not just bikers they miss. Some muppet rammed a guy that stopped to let me out on a blue light run last week. I'm stationary at a junction making all the noise in the world, and he fails to spot the poor bugger in front of him. Then he says ''I couldn't hear your siren'', so just to make sure he knew what it sounded like, I put it on while he was on his phone, and asked if he could here it now ! Don't think he liked the way I made my point.

 

[scaleywife]

Have never been a bike rider, I think my family would all die of progressive heart failure from the blood pressure rises if I did!

However, I used to have a moped. I dropped it once when I had just ridden througha flood. So, ther I am lying in the middle of a back road a bit stunned, wearing thick trousers undera skirt and long blonde hair out of the back of my open face skid lid... not one but TWO cars drove straight past me, both drivers looking back and then driving off and leaving me to push a moped nearly 2 miles.....

Hows that for inconsiderate!!

 

[Noodle]

Got hit about 8 weeks ago going into work by a bin wagon, got a few broken bones, lots of bruises and one more serious problem.

The bin wagon also hit the mini in front of me, and wrote that off a well as my bike.

Still waiting to hear whats gonna happen.

Turns out the bin wagon was doing his crossword when his foot slipped off the brake!

 

[R_Squared]

They are on the advanced course, in fact it forms a large part of it. Thing is once you get in the habit of good observation it becomes second nature. Quite often you'll know the idiot is about to pull out before they do. If you don't have eye contact then get off the gas.

Absolutely, I am all in favour of advanced driving courses for all motorists, but as you are more than qualified to attest, the majority of drivers are not advanced motorists. It was only during my basic bike training and test was observation made such a vital part of road survival.
I still think a mandatory period of 2 years on a sub 125cc motorcycle should be mandatory for all those wishing to use the roads in a motor vehicle, prior to taking a full car driving test. That will quickly weed out the inattentive, lazy and nervous. Exactly the people who cause the majority of f@cking accidents in the first place.DT_Xtremez_32:

 

[tourettes]

Got to agree with Tigger, since I took my bike test I've become so much more aware of other road users and the levels of observation have gone through the roof. Still doing life saver glances when I'm driving my car!

 

[Tigger]

It was only during my basic bike training and test was observation made such a vital part of road survival.

Being a former biker was definately an advantage when doing the advanced course. I don't care what anyone says, people who have ridden bikes for any length of time develop a sixth sense for trouble.

Part of this is because bikers learn to look much further up the road than car drivers. How many car drivers worry about whether the apex of a bend is coming back to them, or position themselves for a good view round it ? For the most part they just drive and worry about a hazzard when they're virtually on top of it.
I also how many folks bother about microclimates ? You can guarantee bikers do.

Sold my bike a few years ago now, but I'm still doing the lifesaver.

 

[TheHogwartsBEngO]

Oh BMW drivers, using indicators would be nice you barstuds !

nothing like sweeping generalisations eh? I'm not saying I'm perfect, but it's just too easy to make stereotyped statements isn't it.

I've seen all sorts of cars not using indicators.

worst are Van drivers (and burds in small hatchbacks) - frequently with phones clamped to their ears on roundabouts. And worst still are Jaguar drivers - i've seen some incredibly impatient, aggressive and down-right stupid driving from them.

And I am still amazed at the stupidity of some (not all) bikers - weaving in and out of traffic, overtaking where there is a right turn etc etc. And then they have the nerve to blame the driver for not looking when they get side-swiped.

 

[wolfy]

Got hit about 8 weeks ago going into work by a bin wagon, got a few broken bones, lots of bruises and one more serious problem.

The bin wagon also hit the mini in front of me, and wrote that off a well as my bike.

Still waiting to hear whats gonna happen.

Turns out the bin wagon was doing his crossword when his foot slipped off the brake!

You better watch out when LQ and Mo4 are next on line, riding a bike whilst pregnant!!