Good rant shamelessly stolen from another site

[Doppel]

I'll never understand the motivation behind threads meant to stir up a bees nest here. They all follow one of two paths.

1) The collective group ignores the attempt at provocation and makes the thread talking about the topic in a positive sense as if the negative first post didn't exist.

or you have the way this one went.

2) Person rants. Person finds will reasoned reactions pointing out the silliness of the rant. Person gets upset and tries to make fun of the other posters. Person gets more reasoned reactions pointing out the problem with that view. Person ends up giving up and saying they are leaving, with a final futile attempt to get a rise with a pretty pathetic insult.

All in all, pretty resilient and level headed forum we have here.

Hehe, yes, basically this 🙂

 

[SSSnail]

I'd simply reply to him "At the end of the day, physics win". He, and any other riders, can take that however they wish.

 

[jagec]

Tell me again why I should be totally cool with people who forgo the protection of the big metal shell on the roadway for people with big metal shells (engineered to protect them if their shell hits another shell)? And if you argue that the road is for everyone, I'll point out that the big metal shell drivers are funding it much, much more, especially compared to the non-motorized bikers.

I hope you don't drive a compact.

Why don't you rationalize running over bicyclists next, or people who jog along country roads? I mean, they have it coming, right?

 

[Pacfanweb]

I hope you don't drive a compact.

Why don't you rationalize running over bicyclists next, or people who jog along country roads? I mean, they have it coming, right?

Don't see how you got that out of the post you quoted. Nobody is rationalizing running over anyone.

Nice strawman.

 

[Ferzerp]

I hope you don't drive a compact.

Why don't you rationalize running over bicyclists next, or people who jog along country roads? I mean, they have it coming, right?

Way to pull a sentence totally out of context to try to make up a brand new stance for me?


If you had bothered actually reading instead of looking for something to take out of context, you'd see that my entire argument is that I'd rather not have *anyone* splattered on my car, and in the remote chance that I do end up colliding with anyone else, regardless of at fault status, I'd prefer it to be someone with the protection afforded by a modern car and not someone sitting on a bit of metal with 2 wheels. Especially when that other person has already stated a desire to take more risks. This does not lead me to believe that they will make the proper choices when they find themselves in a dicy driving position.

 

[jagec]

If you had bothered actually reading instead of looking for something to take out of context, you'd see that my entire argument is that I'd rather not have *anyone* splattered on my car, and in the remote chance that I do end up colliding with anyone else, regardless of at fault status, I'd prefer it to be someone with the protection afforded by a modern car and not someone sitting on a bit of metal with 2 wheels. Especially when that other person has already stated a desire to take more risks. This does not lead me to believe that they will make the proper choices when they find themselves in a dicy driving position.

And people driving smaller cars, riding bikes, or jogging are all much more likely to get splattered on your car, since they have forgone the "protection of the big metal shell".

Point is, you're singling out motorcyclists when plenty of other groups take comparable risks. Everyone's got a level they're comfortable with.

 

[Ferzerp]

And people driving smaller cars, riding bikes, or jogging are all much more likely to get splattered on your car, since they have forgone the "protection of the big metal shell".

I don't like bicycles on the street either. Joggers belong on the sidewalk, or in one of the many, many areas reserved for that activity.

It's amusing that you're trying to equate the safety of a motorcycle with the safety of a small car. Do you really not know that they are in no way comparable?

Point is, you're singling out motorcyclists when plenty of other groups take comparable risks. Everyone's got a level they're comfortable with.

And my point is, it ceases to be just your risk and becomes my risk when you insist upon taking that risk on a roadway share with cars. You can take all the risks you want and I could very, very likely care not a bit less, but as soon as you increase my liability with your risk and couple it with self-righteousness, I'm probably not going to look very kindly on you.

 

[Doppel]

And people driving smaller cars, riding bikes, or jogging are all much more likely to get splattered on your car, since they have forgone the "protection of the big metal shell".

Point is, you're singling out motorcyclists when plenty of other groups take comparable risks. Everyone's got a level they're comfortable with.

Cycling and jogging are not comparable risks to motorcycles if we're talking about the number of cyclists, joggers, or motorcyclists in a given year who are injured and or die as a percentage of those who exist.

 

[Bignate603]

So, what do you want from me? An apology? I can't do anything about obnoxious people so give me a break m-kay?

I see obnoxious behavior from people driving cars all the time. Do you see me preaching to you about that because you also drive a car?

I don't want an apology from you, but it sure would be nice if you didn't go off the handle when anyone complains about a bad motorcyclist. I specifically said that the vast majority of motorcyclists are responsible yet you go nuts like I personally insulted your family. Drivers don't get upset when somebody complains about some idiot in a car that they saw on their commute, why should you when somebody complains about an idiot on a bike?

 

[JulesMaximus]

It's no use Jules, you're an outlaw biker. A menace to law abiding citizens, a scourge on the roads, a daredevil putting everyone on the streets at risk, and worse yet, possibly costing them a couple dollars.
You're already as good as dead, put your kids up for adoption, tell the widow Maximus goodbye, jump on that two wheeled death trap and ride over to the ER so they can harvest your organs.

Edit: I guess we should close up this thread and go post in the My Little Pony thread, it's safer.

Too late. I was killed today on my hooligan death machine. This was posted by the ghost of JulesMaximus.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

A few hours ago I got off the phone with a guy I've hired to do some work on the trees on my property. He doesn't know when he can get out here, because one of his lead assistants had an accident today on his motorcycle and broke both of his legs. :/

Look, I'm not a motorcycle rider, and to be perfectly honest, I really don't care for them. I think too many riders are utterly reckless and inconsiderate on the road -- many car drivers are as well, but riders seem to be so in a larger percentage. I'm also not a big fan of the ridiculous amounts of noise, which bother me much more when I am *not* in my car.

But all that said, preaching to motorcyclists about the dangers and so forth strikes me as both pointless and hypocritical. It's not going to change anyone's mind, and we all make decisions that are risky in one way or another, to a greater or lesser extent. People get hurt or killed in lots of different sports and activities. And even deciding to live where you have a long commute increases your chance of being in an accident.

It's not really any of my business if you want to ride a motorcycle. Just, please, stay in your lane and obey the rules of the road at least as well as the average car driver?

 

[Doppel]

Too late. I was killed today on my hooligan death machine. This was posted by the ghost of JulesMaximus.

haha, good one. This kind of glib sarcasm is going to feel really great if you ever do get in a serious accident on your motorcycle. You could probably print up the thread and have a good laugh about it with Mrs. Maximus, too.

 

[nerp]

Your loud pipes are silent inside my car. Outside of my house, they're just obnoxious.

 

[TheKub]

It seems as though most of you have missed the point of the fellows rant though.

Your right. That poor little goldfish. 🙁

 

[Meghan54]

Well, there are always two sides to every rant, typically though, the rant focuses on the single viewpoint of said ranter.

I've been riding bikes since the 1970's and as we all know, but maybe won't acknowledge or admit, there are bad riders and bad drivers. The bad drivers are the inattentive idiots and they abound, quite true.

The bad riders, on the other hand, aren't simply inattentive, they're obnoxious and seem to think everyone else on the road owes them whatever space they deem to want to possess at that particular moment. Or think it's funny to blast past doing 80 in a 45. And on and on. We've all seen those squids....goddam dangerous and give the entire motorcycling group a bad name.

Case in point. Driving on the Mid-Cape last evening, heading home from Boston. On the four lane section and I'm closing up behind a group of bikers riding all sorts of bikes, from Harleys, some Jap liter and sport bikes, down to one on what couldn't be larger an a 125cc, given how stretched out the engine sounded doing 70mph.

I signaled, moved over to the left lane, and began passing the group. Just before I pulled even with the squid on that shitty 125, he ever so slowly begins creeping into my lane....no signal, nothing. I beeped my horn----I'm closing fairly quickly at at least 10mph faster than he was traveling. No reaction except to move over more into my lane. Thank goodness I was paying attention or I'd have bumped that idiot off the road. He then creeps along the group and finally gets to the front of the pack and then ever so slowly moves back into the right lane, where he should've stayed in the first place. You don't pull out in front of another vehicle that's traveling much faster than you when it's 20-30 ft. to your rear and attempt a 2mph pass.

Shithead rider, that one was.

 

[apac]

Saturday night I was driving back from a wedding at about midnight. I was awake but exhausted from the wedding festivities. As I navigated a major highway interchange in Denver I was already going a little over the speed limit, probably 55 in a 45. I had about a split second to realize what the quickly approaching light in my rear view mirror was before a rider on a sport bike flew by me on the shoulder of the single lane exit ramp. He was easily 30+ mph over the limit.

If I had drifted a little to the left, he would have died. If there was unseen debris on the shoulder, he would have died.

I have nothing against crotch rocket riders, but I do believe that the demographic that ride them tend to be young and fearless. Young people are more likely to make bad decisions, and fearless people will blindly ignore risks even if those risks are staring them in the face.

Now, on the plus side I thank those riders for only putting their own life in danger. If you are doing something stupid on a motorcycle and get in an accident with me, I survive. If you do something stupid with a car and hit me, we are both get a life flight.

 

[foghorn67]

You guys need to stop buying compacts, hybrids, sports cars, muscle cars. Tape yourselves in a ball of bubble wrap and grab the keys to your new L-ATV.
There are so many contradictions from most of the anti-motorcycle guys here.

 

[MixMasterTang]

Cycling and jogging are not comparable risks to motorcycles if we're talking about the number of cyclists, joggers, or motorcyclists in a given year who are injured and or die as a percentage of those who exist.

Around the same amount of Pedestrians die every year when compared to the amount of motorcyclists. You keep bringing up statistics but have not even posted 1.

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

 

[MixMasterTang]

Here are also some more stats. Roughly 20% of Motorcycle deaths were people without a valid motorcycle license. Roughly 40% were not wearing a helmet. 34% were under the influence of alcohol.

Ø High BAC levels are a major problem among motorcycle operators;
Ø Half of the fatalities are related to negotiating a curve prior to the crash;
Ø Over 80 percent of the fatalities occur off roadway;
Ø Undivided roadways account for a majority of the fatalities;
Ø Almost two thirds of the fatalities were associated with speeding as an operator
contributing factor in the crash;
Ø Almost 60 percent of motorcyclist fatalities occur at night;
Ø Collision with a fixed object is a significant factor in over half of the fatalities;
Ø Braking and steering maneuvers possibly contribute for almost 25 percent of the
fatalities;
Ø Helmet use among fatally injured motorcyclists below 50 percent; and,
Ø Almost one third of the fatally injured operators did not have a proper license.
Øsingle vehicle motorcycle crashes in 1990 were 1,469 or 45 percent of all motorcyclist fatalities.

So while I do not know Jules personally, I have read enough of his posts to know he always wears a helmet and other protective gear, has a valid motorcycle license and doesn't ride (or drive) under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But these true stats probably don't matter to most of you since your made up stats fit your argument better.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I hope none of the anti-motorcycle crowd in here drove a car before they were 20 either and let their girlfriends drive them around.

In 2009, about 3,000 teens in the United States aged 15–19 were killed and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes.1,2

Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population. However, they account for 30% ($19 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% ($7 billion) of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females. •Males: In 2006, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 15 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.1

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Shades...of....gray

Choosing not to ride doesn't make you pathologically risk adverse and riders aren't juggling flaming chainsaws while binge drinkings. Why does this seem like such a difficult concept to grasp?

 

[Doppel]

Around the same amount of Pedestrians die every year when compared to the amount of motorcyclists. You keep bringing up statistics but have not even posted 1.

http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

Because they are very easy to find on google, like you found.

That statistic you posted is meaningless without also saying how many pedestrians vs motorcyclists there are.

So while I do not know Jules personally, I have read enough of his posts to know he always wears a helmet and other protective gear, has a valid motorcycle license and doesn't ride (or drive) under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But these true stats probably don't matter to most of you since your made up stats fit your argument better.

Isn't that what you just did?

I hope none of the anti-motorcycle crowd in here drove a car before they were 20 either and let their girlfriends drive them around.

I did and was lucky to survive it. I am quite opinionated about how fvcking terrible teenagers are behind the wheel. I think the driving age should be increased and/or they should be under mandatory GPS monitoring. They are absolute maniacs behind the wheel. I know this from first hand experience 😀

 

[foghorn67]

Shades...of....gray

Choosing not to ride doesn't make you pathologically risk adverse and riders aren't juggling flaming chainsaws while binge drinkings. Why does this seem like such a difficult concept to grasp?

Because there are a few here that think they are so practical and reasonable we should all learn from them. They also give out lessons and attempt to expound upon normal conventional wisdom.
No matter how much you enjoy it, it's an excess.

 

[CFP]

You can't relate at all to the problem so you bash the writer because of your own ignorance?

I CAN relate to the writer because I encounter that sort of behavior ALL THE TIME from co-workers who don't ride, friends who don't ride, perfect strangers who don't ride, etc. Do you see the pattern here? :whiste:

Reading comprehension fail? I think so. Nowhere did I say his points were irrelevant or wrong, or that I couldn't relate to them. In fact, I agree with the author. However...

The article is written poorly. It is predictable, hyperbolic, and bitter. It's not clever, subtle, or even remotely entertaining to read. The language use is poor, and it is written as if he was having a good ol' bitch to his other biker buddy.

It is obvious that the author feels he is imparting EXTREMELY GOOD AND NEW INFORMATION, and it is written in that way ie. author first, points second. You see his ego rearing its ugly head with his shameless use of sarcasm, as well as the generalisation of "greasy fingers" on the steering wheel. Good one, pal!

I agree with everything he says, and have no problem "relating." But it's a poorly written article, at best. I wouldn't want the majority of non-motorycycle riders to think that the author is what I am like, if I was a motorcycle rider.

 

[heymrdj]

You mean like everyone responding with their anecdotal evidence in this thread?

Hey pot, kettle is calling you.

You of all people with your anti-SUV spewing hatred constantly ranting and raving about soccer moms in big cars because you just happened to see the car when it wasn't packed up. But yeah you go on and exercise that right to be on a motorcycle while bitching about everyone else that drives something bigger than your boring car.

I love motorcycles, I ride when I can. HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited FTMW. But I was so happy to see the a hole in our complex get a citation two weeks ago from my phone call. I asked him 1.5 months ago to please stop riding around and around the complex. "This is America mfer, I can ride around here if a f'n want to." The ass hat continued nearly daily to ride his HD Iron 883 with straight pipes around our small complex. He would literally go around and around about 12 times, then go out on the road, floor it, come back about 3 minutes later, and go in circles. Rinse and repeat for over an hour at a time. I would lay there trying to sleep mid afternoon so I could go to 3rd shift, and his bike is loud enough you could feel the bike rumble in the bed/wall. I finally, after a month of dealing with it nearly daily, had enough. I called the police when he started riding, they stopped him as he was coming back into the complex, and gave him a noise citation and a fixit ticket.

So please, keep YOUR anecdotal evidence to yourself. Because you have seriously shown this forum that it's always anecdotal if it's not YOUR view.