Of old motorcycles and ignorance.

I have an older model motorcycle, a 1985 Harley Davidson 62ci XLX for the stupid people 62 cubic inches is 1000 cc. Well today I picked it up from its annual winter service; why service the bike in the dead of winter? Well for starters most people don't consider the time of year and preparation for events. Too many imbeciles who can barely walk and chew gum at the same time but have plenty of cash will fall upon the motorcycle dealership shops and independent repair shops in droves wanting their vehicle preped for Bike week in Florida in two days and they are now number 600 in line due to not thinking ahead. Yeah most people are stupid, only it ain't against the law to be stupid.

When I was a bit younger and working in an automotive repair shop, people would not consider the week before the new season as a good time to get car repairs done. After all little Timmy or Daphne needed school supplies and the rush is on to get em. But if they acted ahead of time they's have what they needed and could spent that last week of summer leisurely preparing for the soccer mom mini bus season. Drop the mini-van at the shop get it serviced and have it back intime for the first PTO meeting or teacher confrence due to disciplinary problems from junior taking behavioral cues from Ma & Pa road rager.

But back to the motorcycle. Its an older bike one which I've had for 21 years of its existence, not being the original owner. The original owner being given a very long term vaction from society by a state legal system. But it has served me well over the years, travel to Canada, florida, Nebraska and various points inbetween. sometimes with sleeping roll firmly strapped on the bike. Most car drivers (aka cagers) don't comprehend motorcycling as a mode of transit. They say it is unsafe, uncomfortable and other things probably not repeatable in a blog which might be read by children. Well let us be reasonable, yeah right, Cars today are the unrealistic vehicle when compared to resources used and space needed to accomodate them. The motorcycle makes for a better commuter vehicle by its very nature. 4 motorcycles can park in the space on car takes up. 1 motorcycle can use 1/4 of the fuel and oil a typical car needs and can be more fun to operate. True motorcycles may not have airconditioning or heat for those days you are stuck in gridlock or on the highway waiting for an accident to clear. But typically a motorcyclist can get by those problems where cage enshrouded driver is stuck waiting and waiting.

As for a feeling of freedom a car offers, where is that freedom when you are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic that doesn't move? Drive a cage suffer road rage.

So yeah I'm pretty much calling the people who drive their cars everwhere ignorant. But it isn't their fault, afterall they didn't teach their children by example not to share the road with others, such as bicyclists or Gasp! pedestrians. And its the zoning board and planners faults for not having side walks right?

Lets face it when other road users need to share space on the highway, motorcyclists are probably the one group which can accomodate the needs of other users. They use less road space and can give clearance when a cage driver will hug the shoulder and run a bicyclist or jogger into a drainage ditch.

So if you drive a car, I'm gonna say you are ignorant, self serving, and wasteful compared to other road users.

And as for how much safer cars are today, well thats in direct response to how much unsafer car drivers have become.

Well if I've irritated some folks fine, if I caused a few people to think again how they do things fine, if you don't want to perruse my rambling rants any more thats fine too.
But remember your still ignorant.

Cheers & prosit,
Q