A$$hole motorcyclists who spoil it for others

OK, I've finally seen enough that I'm going to post a little bloggy-poo.

Just this summer alone, I've seen a lot of bikers who don't seem to understand that having a bike license does not entitle you to turn into an inconsiderate, oblivious douchebag.

Other people I know, who are experienced riders (15, 20, or 30 years of experience), are also getting pissed off about these things, because they say it makes the roads unsafe, even for the good riders. I agree.

Here is a list of things that, I think, might cause a general erosion of respect for folks who travel on 2 wheels:

--Excessively loud pipes. OK, there's factory loud, which is one thing. That's at least tolerable, I guess.

But then there's LOUD AS A BASTARD. You know the ones. Yes, we hear you. You're quite a showstopper. Now go put on some new pipes and stop being such a showboat asshole. I don't know ANYONE who's impressed by that, except other morons. And I don't really believe that those crazy-loud pipes "save lives", as much as they're designed to attract attention and piss folks off.

--Wheelies and other stunts that just BEG for a washout. I see this a lot, and every time, it's in the sportbiker crowd. (Not all sportbikers are like that, don't get me wrong here. But we always notice the ones who are.) These people deserve a broken collarbone, and should have to pay double for the ambulance to take their "LOOK AT MEEEEEEEEEE!!" asses to the ER. They're distracting other people, and creating an unsafe situation on the road.

Funny Pics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

--People who hang their helmets on the seat. Let me say this: I think that if you don't want to wear a helmet, then fine, don't.

But don't bring it along with you and hang it on the helmet lock like it's some kind of magic talisman.

Although.....if you DO finally flip your bike, and in the wreckage they see that you've got a helmet available, at least they'll have something to scoop your brains up off the road with, chips-and-dip style.

--People who ride drunk. I don't even need to EXPLAIN why this is bad.

--Tailgating bikers. Once again, I don't need to explain why this is going to eventually create a problem. I see this a lot in traffic. So for these impatient souls: Unless you want to headbutt a trunk-lid when someone has to stop short, back the hell off and keep a space cushion between you and the vehicle in front. Remember THAT from your bike class? I do.

More Funny Pictures and Myspace Layouts atpYzam.com

--Bikers who pull out in front of cars, without even LOOKING. Yeah, this happened to me this summer, and I've seen it 4 other times since then.

I almost ate a guy on a Sportster (NOT wearing a helmet, either, mind you!!) with my front bumper. Friggin' moron. He was pulling out in front of me, and didn't look both ways when doing so. Only when I piled the brakes on, hammered on the horn, and shouted obscenities out the window did he look my way. And HE looked at ME like I was in the wrong!!

THESE are the people you read about in the paper who get seriously hurt, and someone always cries "Drivers don't look out for bikers, they need to be more aware of bikers, blat blat blat".

Not so much. In many cases, I've noticed that it's not the DRIVERS who aren't paying attention. So I'd say that's partially a crock of shit.

More and more I see stories of fatal accidents involving bikes. There are times that I wonder......what happened?? It's not always the guy in the minivan, you know.

I still haven't bought a bike, and I've had my license for 4 years. Part of it is because I have other things that I need to spend a couple grand on besides a bike.

But that's not all of it.

The other reason is because I keep reading the paper. I don't want to be the good rider who STILL ends up as road pizza because of a growing indifference to bikers which, I think, is partly because of the reasons listed above.