Long read in regards to the motorcycle crash
- Thread starter thrasherfox
- Start date
Good on ya!!Sunspot, I will agree with you again. I don't "blame" Candice for what happened, however, her own choices led her to that point. It is not fair that his recklessness caused her so much hurt, but there were chances for her to step out and make a decision that could have prevented this.
And for the record, I am in his age catagoryand I think his actions were terribad. I never ride without gear, a passenger will never get on my bike without gear, and no booze pass the lips when I am riding. Just the way it works. It's a set of rules and choices I make. His age is no excuse, the bar is no excuse, the officers actions are no excuse. It's decision he made that put him there. Sad but true.
and now that the dead horse is deader...
Sounds like you have the right attitude and have mitigate the risks as much as possible.
When it is our time to go it is our time to go, but why push the issue. why temp fate. maybe sometimes people do leave this world sooner than they should have just because the thumbed their noses at death and death said "ok your out"
I too have always wore at least a helmet from day one of riding motorcycles, since I was 21, even before there were helmet laws.
I had an accident wearing a nylon jacket, they had to scrub gravel out of my left arm from wrist to elbow. I didn't feel the accident, but I sure felt them scrubbing the gravel and asphalt out of the meat of my arm, that happened a few months after I started riding, since then I have been an advocate of wearing as much protective gear as is reasonable.
Since then I have seen soooo many accidents where people were jacked up real bad with either skin ground off their bodies, heads crushed, all not wearing any gear. I have also seen people go down at high speeds, bikes being totaled and the person jumping up and walking over to their bike cursing because the bike is totaled, but because they were wearing full gear they had a few bumps, few brusies, maybe a little sore but nothing a few motrin couldnt help.
Rayabusa0818
Never Forgotten
Let's see: Intoxicated, three times the speed limit, running from the law, and endangering other people.
Someone please help me understand why I should have any more sympathy for Nick than for someone that walks into a convienence store with a loaded gun
These are criminal actions. Just my $.02
I am saddened for the families, the injured rider on the Goldwing, and for the biking enthusiasts that are unreasonably stereotyped because of these insane actions.
Someone please help me understand why I should have any more sympathy for Nick than for someone that walks into a convienence store with a loaded gun
sunspotbaby06
Registered
Let's see: Intoxicated, three times the speed limit, running from the law, and endangering other people.
Someone please help me understand why I should have any more sympathy for Nick than for someone that walks into a convienence store with a loaded gunThese are criminal actions. Just my $.02
I am saddened for the families, the injured rider on the Goldwing, and for the biking enthusiasts that are unreasonably stereotyped because of these insane actions.
I do apologize for the stereotypical comments regarding age, I was attempting to explain why I feel our community is so "stirred up" by the this particular incident. My personal witnessing unfortunately has been a majority of those riders exhibiting reckless behavior have been the barely-legal-to-ride and barely-legal-to-drink age group. Between our road and Dead Man's Curve less than 1/2 mile across the field from our house, its a wonder we haven't experienced more crashes in the area.
thrasher - I read bloodbrother's post... it sure seems I've read several of their other posts suggesting the police and bar were the ones at fault... and yet he says "no one is making excuses... just defending..." Myself, I cannot find anything about Nick's actions that are either excusable or defendable.
As if last weekend's incident weren't enough (and this one isn't getting NEAR the publicity of Nick & Candice) - check out this story:
wreck injures teens
Makes one wonder if there's something in the water around here...
I didn't see it as you stereotyping people in this age category... well, if I did, then I probably agree, but... I like to remind those in our age category that not "everyone is doing it". There are plenty of examples here of young riders who always wear their gear.
Upon further review, they may come across as "stereotyping", but it's a well deserved one statistically. Sadly I believe I am a minority for gear in this age group. Case in point, I was riding home from work Wednesday. It's 90 degrees outside and I am wearing my leather jacket and gloves, and of course my helmet. Another early twenties guy on a R1 pulled up next to me at a light to get on the freeway. Looks at my gear and laughs at me, says it's too hot for that shid. I just shrug and go when the light goes green. Couple of miles down the freeway, he is two car lengths ahead of me, I see him flinch hard then slow down. As I pass I see where a rock got him in the arm and "we got a bleeder!". Not an extreme example, but I felt vindicated. I wonder if he heard me laughing as I passed....
Upon further review, they may come across as "stereotyping", but it's a well deserved one statistically. Sadly I believe I am a minority for gear in this age group. Case in point, I was riding home from work Wednesday. It's 90 degrees outside and I am wearing my leather jacket and gloves, and of course my helmet. Another early twenties guy on a R1 pulled up next to me at a light to get on the freeway. Looks at my gear and laughs at me, says it's too hot for that shid. I just shrug and go when the light goes green. Couple of miles down the freeway, he is two car lengths ahead of me, I see him flinch hard then slow down. As I pass I see where a rock got him in the arm and "we got a bleeder!". Not an extreme example, but I felt vindicated. I wonder if he heard me laughing as I passed....
Graduated motorcycle license, will probably be on the agenda in some state legislation (in the near future).
I heard about a guy on a cruiser in Arizona, cruising along the freeway minding his own business, not doing anything wrong.
Wasn't wearing a helmet and WHACK!! huge bug hit him in the forehead, knocked him off his bike and he hit the ground with no helmet at freeway speeds, he died.
I am ALWAYS getting fricken huge bugs smacking my visor and everytime it happens I think to myself two things 1) Dang I am glad I was wearing a helmet and 2) how in the heck do those guys without a helmet stand all the bugs whacking them in the face
If it was what I think it is, where you have to start out with a low CC motorcycle for a few years, then you can move up to higher class CC's every year, I would TOTALLY agree with that concept.
I know3 we have some good young riders out there that it would suck for them, but I think overall it would be a good thing.
I am sure they would grandfather in current riders
sunspotbaby06
Registered
My personal experience & opinion (for what its worth)...
my husband was teaching me to ride & my sister-in-law (who has her license, but chose to give up her bike after her 3rd near miss in one week & just be happy as a passenger on her hubby's Goldwing) told me a friend of hers was the instructor of the Beginner Rider Course through U of I. She said "he told me to tell you to get your arse out there, even if you're not registered, you might get on as a walk-in". Figured I had nothing to lose, so I went.
Got very lucky - 1 young guy showed up with no gear, 1 didn't show at all, and 1 gal showed 2 minutes late (and yea - those guys were wicked strict about the "no late arrivals" rule). 3 spots, 6 of us looking for them. I was the last name drawn.
Best thing as a novice rider that could have happened to me. I learned more in those 3 days than I had in 8 months. I came home telling my husband what I learned and he would say "I didn't know that... I don't think I can do that" - how empowering, he's been riding 25 years! And I still find myself hearing the instructor's words in my head while I ride. And I was still so stoked about it, as soon as it became available to register for the Experienced Rider course, I was so there (licensed for a year and 3500 solo miles under my belt).
Boy did I feel out of place - not only was I the youngest person in the room and 1 of only 2 women riders, but everyone else there riding 10, 15, 25 years! What a newb! HOWEVER, on one of the skills... it was a guy on his Road King who had been making snide remarks about women motorcycle riders to our classmates who dropped his bike.
Again, I left feeling I had learned so much. I, for one, cannot understand why there isn't more required than the written & the small course at the DMV to obtain one's motorcycle license. And I also cannot get over how many guys my husband has been out riding with who don't even HAVE that classification on their license, and have been riding for 10-15 years that way!
I know when our kids are old enough - I'll be signing them up. They all love to ride with me, (the youngest refuses to ride with her dad now!) and the older two (boy/girl twins) want to learn & get their own bikes so we can ride together as a family. Their idea - and to me that's pretty cool. I just hope by then, there is more awareness of the increasing number of bikes on the road & much more education & skills required to obtain licenses.
my husband was teaching me to ride & my sister-in-law (who has her license, but chose to give up her bike after her 3rd near miss in one week & just be happy as a passenger on her hubby's Goldwing) told me a friend of hers was the instructor of the Beginner Rider Course through U of I. She said "he told me to tell you to get your arse out there, even if you're not registered, you might get on as a walk-in". Figured I had nothing to lose, so I went.
Got very lucky - 1 young guy showed up with no gear, 1 didn't show at all, and 1 gal showed 2 minutes late (and yea - those guys were wicked strict about the "no late arrivals" rule). 3 spots, 6 of us looking for them. I was the last name drawn.
Best thing as a novice rider that could have happened to me. I learned more in those 3 days than I had in 8 months. I came home telling my husband what I learned and he would say "I didn't know that... I don't think I can do that" - how empowering, he's been riding 25 years! And I still find myself hearing the instructor's words in my head while I ride. And I was still so stoked about it, as soon as it became available to register for the Experienced Rider course, I was so there (licensed for a year and 3500 solo miles under my belt).
Boy did I feel out of place - not only was I the youngest person in the room and 1 of only 2 women riders, but everyone else there riding 10, 15, 25 years! What a newb! HOWEVER, on one of the skills... it was a guy on his Road King who had been making snide remarks about women motorcycle riders to our classmates who dropped his bike.
Again, I left feeling I had learned so much. I, for one, cannot understand why there isn't more required than the written & the small course at the DMV to obtain one's motorcycle license. And I also cannot get over how many guys my husband has been out riding with who don't even HAVE that classification on their license, and have been riding for 10-15 years that way!
I know when our kids are old enough - I'll be signing them up. They all love to ride with me, (the youngest refuses to ride with her dad now!) and the older two (boy/girl twins) want to learn & get their own bikes so we can ride together as a family. Their idea - and to me that's pretty cool. I just hope by then, there is more awareness of the increasing number of bikes on the road & much more education & skills required to obtain licenses.
I think the graduated license would actually be a good thing in the overall. It would suck for the younger riders who are capable, but it would remove a lot of the idiots from the pool as it were. Well, without removing them from the planet too. A lot of the guys who go out and buy a liter bike and end up dead in a week may actually have a shot if they learn on a bike that is a bit more forgiving. If nothing else it may help insurance rates and the general stereotype of sports bikes.
As for the course being mandatory... I don't know. I am torn on that. It is amazing the amount you can learn from it. It's required to get on most military bases with a motorcycle. And statistically I think it's proven it's point. But just how much control do I want some yahoo in a government position who has never been on a bike having...
I think I would prefer that they recommend it more, and that it be put out there a bit more. I have met a few guys in the last couple months who all had never heard of the MSF, or anything like it, and had just got their license. Two of them even said that had they heard of it they would have go that route instead.
Either way, I agree with R8, the politicians will have their fingers in there soon enough.
As for the course being mandatory... I don't know. I am torn on that. It is amazing the amount you can learn from it. It's required to get on most military bases with a motorcycle. And statistically I think it's proven it's point. But just how much control do I want some yahoo in a government position who has never been on a bike having...
I think I would prefer that they recommend it more, and that it be put out there a bit more. I have met a few guys in the last couple months who all had never heard of the MSF, or anything like it, and had just got their license. Two of them even said that had they heard of it they would have go that route instead.
Either way, I agree with R8, the politicians will have their fingers in there soon enough.
sunspotbaby06
Registered
This incident only proves all of us riders are just as at risk from other riders as we are from every car, truck or bus on the road.
I guess I would feel better knowing all riders were required to be as educated in safely operating a motorcycle as we are in learning to drive a car while in high school. Again my opinion, but perhaps checking these folks who come in to purchase bike plate renewal stickers for the motorcycle classification on their license wouldn't be such a horrible idea either.
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