Arguing with the police.......(long, like I usually do)

[ArenaBoy]

About 2 years ago I was driving up to Traverse City and at one point along the road I saw a guy wearing a sleeveless shirt, shorts, and a face helmet. He also had a backpack on him. The shirt was flying up a bit underneath the backpack and I remember thinking "That is going to be a peeled grape right there."

I don't mind bikers, some of my friends are bikers but what drives me insane is when the idiot biker likes to weave in between lanes, something commonly done in Thailand from what a friend told me.

[Geek King]

The sad thing is, the people wearing the least protective gear are the ones doing the stupidest things on the road. Full kit bikers are usually the best drivers on the road.

[protege]

I always try to give bikers plenty of room...simply because it's my experience that the vast majority (locally) will do something stupid. Whether it's going way too fast for conditions, riding *between* the lanes (saw some idiot on a Harley do that yesterday...and nearly got hit), or simply pull out in front of me. They all seem to have a death wish, and apparently think I can stop on a dime. At traffic speeds, it can take a bit to stop...and if they're in the way, they're *going* to get hit. If they hit me, at most I'll get a broken window, some dented metal...but they're going to land in the hurt locker. Not all bikers ride like that, but again, sadly, the vast majority do. I have no problem with the ones who ride responsibly, and wear the proper safety gear.

Some of you might remember me talking about the bike accident I witnessed at my grandmother's farm. Like most of those fools, this guy was no different--loud exhaust, traveling pretty fast, etc. But, at least he had a helmet, and that's what saved him. All I heard was a loud roar, a squeal of of rubber, the locking of brakes, and then "Oh SHIT!" as the bike hit, and the rider went flying He somehow lost control of the bike, went off the road, and slammed into a culvert. He was lucky to be alive--a few more feet, and he could have been impaled on a fence post...and if someone was coming the other way, he'd be dead He was lucky to only come away with a broken shoulder and a stiff neck!

[MadRocketScientist]

He came to work one monday with a cast on his hand. I asked what happened. He got in an accident. (Oh, man, what happened?) A road raging yuppie was tailgating him. Followed him off the freeway into Oakland when Superbiker got off to get away. Yuppie got too close and clipped his rear, sending Superbiker flying. Yuppie got out of his car and started to walk towards Supperbiker, yelling all the while. Superbiker got up, completely unharmed aside from some minor bruising. (Wait, then how'd he break his hand?) On the yuppie's face.

The guy who taught my rider safety course told us how he took care of tailgators on the highway. He carried a pocket full of 0.25" to 0.5" ball bearings. If someone got too close, he'd sneak them out of his pocket and release over his head. After one or two hit the windshield, generally the driver would back off.

Failing that, he carried a large handgun and would make it obvious to the driver.

Said he had friends who did not even bother with the ball bearings and held to the belief that if a car was tailgating or otherwise driving so as to endanger their life, they just pulled the gun out and pointed it. Not my idea of how to handle such a situation, but there were days I would have loved to have done something like that.

[Jadedcarguy]

The guy who taught my rider safety course told us how he took care of tailgators on the highway. He carried a pocket full of 0.25" to 0.5" ball bearings. If someone got too close, he'd sneak them out of his pocket and release over his head. After one or two hit the windshield, generally the driver would back off.

Failing that, he carried a large handgun and would make it obvious to the driver.

Said he had friends who did not even bother with the ball bearings and held to the belief that if a car was tailgating or otherwise driving so as to endanger their life, they just pulled the gun out and pointed it. Not my idea of how to handle such a situation, but there were days I would have loved to have done something like that.

I saw a T-shirt the other day that said "Honk if you've never seen a shotgun fired from a moving chopper".

I so wanted it.

[JustADude]

I saw a T-shirt the other day that said "Honk if you've never seen a shotgun fired from a moving chopper".

I so wanted it.

Gotta wonder how often people honk...

[morgana]

I saw a T-shirt the other day that said "Honk if you've never seen a shotgun fired from a moving chopper".

Oh, I *so* have to have that!

[Jadedcarguy]

Oh, I *so* have to have that!

It was in an ad in Hot Bike or Easyrider, can't remember which.