Spent 15 min directing traffic last night....

[Jer]

So I'm coming home from a friends place last night....

In my car. No license yet....

I happenned upon a car+dog+motorcycle wreck that happened about 45 sec before I got there. Dog was dead. I couldnt tell which car that was stopped hit the bike. That tells ya something. Pieces of the bike's plastic are everywhere. Rider is trying to get up and is on one knee in the middle of the road. (shorts and t-shirt) Bike is in the ditch. Big Goldwing looking thing...

I turned my car around and used it to deflect traffic away from the scene and waved cars around. Others were helping the rider to his feet and off the road. Others were calling 911.

Not sure what happenned. But while I was waving the cars around, about a dozen bikes rode by. Thurs is bike night at many places in town. One of which is just down the road. Not a single rider was wearing a helmet. Or anything else that I could see would do for protection. The looks on their faces as they saw that it can happen were interesting....

[Comike14]

Originally Posted by Jer

So I'm coming home from a friends place last night....

In my car. No license yet....

I happenned upon a car+dog+motorcycle wreck that happened about 45 sec before I got there. Dog was dead. I couldnt tell which car that was stopped hit the bike. That tells ya something. Pieces of the bike's plastic are everywhere. Rider is trying to get up and is on one knee in the middle of the road. (shorts and t-shirt) Bike is in the ditch. Big Goldwing looking thing...

I turned my car around and used it to deflect traffic away from the scene and waved cars around. Others were helping the rider to his feet and off the road. Others were calling 911.

Not sure what happenned. But while I was waving the cars around, about a dozen bikes rode by. Thurs is bike night at many places in town. One of which is just down the road. Not a single rider was wearing a helmet. Or anything else that I could see would do for protection. The looks on their faces as they saw that it can happen were interesting....

First, good for you for stepping up and taking action like that. Not enough people do.

Second, what a dummy! Shorts and t-shirt?! No helmet? Lucky bastard to be *trying* to get up, if you ask me. Do you know if he was OK?

[Jer]

He was standing when I left. But he sure didnt look comfortable. Looked kind of stuck in a half bent over stance.

The fact that with the help of 2 others he made it to a nearby driveway was a good sign. He was in the turning lane of a 4 lane road when he was trying to get up. The bike was in the ditch.

Thats pretty far from the bike.

I couldnt see that he was bleeding. He could be the luckiest S.O.B. there is. Looked like he was in his late 40's to early 50's.

[Comike14]

Hope he IS alright. From experience, it's easy to get up and walk away initially, then find out just a few minutes later something's broken. That's why I never move immediately after something like that--I wait for pain to hit so I know where to take it easy.

But yeah, would serve him a good lesson if he lost a little skin on that one.

[rusty rider]

But yeah, would serve him a good lesson if he lost a little skin on that one

.

He is a fellow biker, I wish him no ill because of what he chooses to wear or not to wear riding a motorcycle.

Remember riding a motorcycle with Harley Davidson doesn't make you anymore superior than riding a GZ.

Wearing ATGATT doesn't make you anymore superior than the guy wearing shorts and t-shirt.

[Jer]

Wearing ATGATT doesn't make you anymore superior than the guy wearing shorts and t-shirt.

Depends what you mean by "superior" I think.

There's certainly an argument that you've got a brain cell or 2 up on the daredevil.

IMHO anyway.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Jer

Depends what you mean by "superior" I think.

Hmmmm. Don't really care for that tone, thank you. :cuss:

It pains me that the "government" in this so-called free country thinks it is necessary to tell mature adults what they can and can not do, over and above the laws necessary for an orderly society, that is. And I certainly don't need other individuals trying to do that.

So, ride your bike like you want and I will do the same.......but I will not call your intelligence into question if you elect to do it differently than I.......and I'd appreciate it if you would give me the same courtesy.

[Jer]

I don't think the government need be involved either.

And I understand the "how much risk are you willing to accept" thing.

I was clear to state that it was my humble opinion only. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. If someone wants to smoke at the gas pump go ahead. Hopefully nothing happens. Want to run with scissors? Have fun!

Not decisions I would make. And to me it says something about a persons thought process.

I dont think its indicative of intelligence. I think people that do the above things are well aware of the risks they are taking.

We can agree to disagree. No problems here.

[alanmcorcoran]

...if you think about it, even a little bit, riding a motorcycle under any circumstances is an unnecessary risk. The last thing we want to do is endorse a value system that rewards reducing or eliminating risk altogether or we will soon find ourselves wearing helmets in padded strollers pushed around by our Mommies. (Hmmm, why does that sound kind of... interesting?)

FYI, if you read the statistics, a helmet and gear may reduce your chances of death or serious injury, but they don't guarantee it. I don't remember the exact number, but in one of the Hough books it said something like 45% of motorcylist fatalities WERE wearing a helmet. I wear all the stuff all the time, but I don't begrudge the helmetless, or the big bike riders, or even the wheely-iers, for their choices don't infringe on me and, frankly, if I had a bigger pair, I'd likely be one of them.

I like shooting guns too, and I'd smoke pot if it were legal. Neither one of those is going to win any citizenship awards either. When I was younger, I was taught that this is what America is all about.

Rock on, Easy! To each his own!

[Jer]

Yep. I agree with that too.

Helmets dont make us invincible.

People die in car crashes everyday too.

I like shooting too. Its good fun. Weed? Usually makes me sick..... Not sure why. I wish it didnt. None of that stuff strikes me as "dangerous". Unless I'm letting my high buddies try and shoot an apple off my head. That seems like a risk not worth taking though.

I'm with ya on the "it doesnt infringe on me" thing too. Unless a motorcyclist hits me its not going to bother me any. And I'd rather they hit me with less gear on. They are squishier that way I'm sure. Less damage to me.