Think Bike, Think Biker

April 1, 2013 – Yesterday Kirk and I had to do some various chores so the new bike didn’t get as much riding as I wanted. But maybe that’s OK considering the drivers we encountered in our short outing. We only went as far as Horseshoe Bay on the old highway. It’s close and easy for us, but I familiarized myself with both my scooter and my first motorcycle on those curves and on the varying speed zones. So it seemed a good place to start to break in the new motor and scrub in the fresh rubber on the tires. And stop for a Starbucks of course.

On the way back I was following a big black suburban that didn’t seem to have any idea what a solid yellow line meant. More than half the time the driver was well across it on that narrow, narrow road, frequently on blind corners. I hated being near him, but in the end decided it was safer behind him than in front. He wasn’t the only line crosser, there were several others, he was just the worst.

At two separate stop signs, vehicles simply ignored the sign altogether. In one case I was already rolling into the intersection when a woman in a minivan just kept on going. Kirk honked and she merely waved as she sailed on past my front wheel.

I lost count of how many drivers came off side streets and didn’t even touch the brakes until they had half their car past the stop sign with the front wheels well into the street. One driver just sailed out of an alley without slowing down or even looking left.

So, everyone on two wheels, please remember that drivers simply fail in an epic manner to think that there are those on the road not safe inside a big steel box. There are those who get into the car and are so distracted by their phone, the radio, their coffee, their pets, their kids, that they forget that they are driving a dangerous machine capable of killing another human being. So look out.

And to drivers, please remember that your head does pivot and you should test that theory every time you change lanes, enter an intersection, pull out from the curb. Please remember that motorcycles, scooters, cyclists, and pedestrians can “hide” in your blind spots, behind that pillar between your front and side windows, and should never, ever be turned left in front of when traffic is moving. That second you are trying to shave off of your commute could end someone’s life.

Some riders are douchebags, absolutely, I totally agree. When I started riding I discovered that a lot of people I knew rode, but that I didn’t know they did, because they weren’t in your face “I’m a motorcyclist” types. I like that. It’s a good way to be. Some people think they are something special because they put on a helmet and the attitude is beyond me. It’s not a lifestyle, it’s not a special thing, it doesn’t make them better or different. I wish more people would look in the mirror in the morning when they are naked, that’s who you are! Love that person! If you have to colour it in with “I’m a….” then you love the idea of being something or someone, but you haven’t really learned to be comfortable with who you really are yet. We shouldn’t define ourselves by what we do, who we hang out with, or what mode of transportation we use. We shouldn’t have to fancy ourselves up with titles or identifiers. If one does, then I think that individual is either trying to hide behind something, or trying to find something. Either way it’s kind of sad because it makes a person less appealing when they don’t think they are interesting enough to just be themselves without a smoke and mirrors show. Riders like these are the ones that give us all a bad name because they are out to prove something, I’m just not sure what or who they are trying to prove it to.

Riding does set one apart, but only because the majority of the population of drivers in North America hate them. And that’s reason enough to stay low-key about riding. Yes, riding has a sense of community, just as boating does, but it doesn’t make one special for being part of it, it makes one a target. It’s not some glorious new space that one has entered. It’s just a bike for goodness sake, not a new identity!

Those who I meet who throw it out there come off as having either a massive ego doing all the talking, or as an insecure individual trying to portray some sense of importance. It just means they ride a motorcycle instead of drive a car. That’s all. Big deal. Get over it. Some people ride a bicycle and some people walk, and some people run, and some do all of those things. People who trumpet to everyone that they are something special because they ride a motorcycle are silly, and their egos make them more dangerous to ride with.

But luckily most riders aren’t that way. Most don’t need people to think them any different because they choose to use an alternative form of transportation. Some of them may be your friends or neighbours and you may never know because they don’t announce to the world that they ride. Some actually just ride for their enjoyment and aren’t egotistical maniacs who have to advertise it to everyone.

So yes, some riders are out to prove something, but some riders just want to ride and stay alive. So how about helping everyone – riders, drivers, cyclists, pedestrian – out and take just a bit more care as we enter the season when the rusty riders come out from hibernation and stretch their wheels again.

I found this video on bcsportbikes.com the other day, and it’s a good reminder for riders and drivers alike – The stats are sobering.

Stay alert.