I first rode a motorcycle when I was five years old, and it was a huge thrill. There's something very visceral about riding, no comparison to simply getting to your destination by car. My Dad rode motorcycles, and I rode his back in high school, and later rode with friends.
Riding a motorcycle is a lot of fun, and the maneuverability gives you a lot more options. With more options - more opportunities to get yourself killed.
All too often, bikers seem to think that all black garb is a good way to go. It definitely looks very cool.
The problem with black is that it blends into the background of urban settings. In this pic among the greenery, the biker stands out well - but on your average city street, he would not.
I've had motorcycle riders among friends and family get into many different accidents, large and small and more often than not, it seems as if other drivers - that is, car drivers - are the ones at fault. But you have to remember that the bikes are the minority, so if they are in a collision, odds are high that the collision is with a car.
Bikes are so maneuverable that it's often very hard to ignore the itch to ride between lanes, riding the line while there's a car on either side of the biker. It's tempting to weave in and out of slow traffic, skirt obstacles that a car could not, like a fallen tree, malfunctioning railroad barrier, or open manhole. Motorcycle riders take more risks, if just from slick road surfaces.
Any time I'm on a motorcycle, I always keep in the forefront of my mind how exposed and vulnerable I am. I tell myself that I might as well be on a bicycle - I'm not riding a powerful, impervious beast but an unwieldy, dangerous piece of machinery.
Bikers need to be dressed to be seen, not to look cool. The bike's color scheme needs to be designed to be seen, not to look cool - like so.
When I ride, I imagine that all the other drivers out there would just love to run me over, and then back up over my carcass to make sure I'm good and dead. I do my best to prevent that.
Thoughts?
Well written article. I especially like the part where you say you ride as if everyone wants to splatter you. It was also wise to point out that even if it's the car's fault, the bike loses.
ReplyDeleteWinnebago?
ReplyDeleteLOL! Ah Anonymous, you must be one of three people.
ReplyDeleteYes, we must definitely watch out for Winnebego as well!!
I used to ride to work and back through Sydney peak hour traffic, for four years I had several close shaves and on low speed off with minimal damage. In every case I was the only one to blame, even being cut off and finding I have nowhere to go but the foot path was my fault. My golden rule is expect and plan for the unexpected, from bug guts on the visor to alien abduction. If I don’t have an out planed or leave and escape route, it’s my fault. Now I’m in Singapore and looking at buying another bike, the number of bikes and scooters on the road is a lot higher but the drivers are worse. So there might be a balance there somewhere.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes down to the balance of risk, everyone can see me in my florescent riding gear but no one is looking ether.