Deceased Riders

[Espiritus]

OK, this is not a technical question so feel free to delete it, but I need to "talk" to someone and ALL of you are it. . .

Yesterday afternoon, I ran to the little grocery store up the road from me. This is a tiny place, that still runs a "tab" for local people, and where we all go to find out the "newest news." We have 77-official folks living here, so its a little town. As I was parking I noticed a woman and a man riding what appeared to be fairly new bikes pull into the church parking lot across from the small store, park the bike and walk across the street to get a drink. It was obvious that the woman was not very experienced and the bike was probably too large for her to handle. She looked uncomfortable and very shaky in trying to manuveur the bike just to park it IN A BIG CHURCH PARKING LOT. I didn't know either of them, and decided that it really wasn't any of my business, so I didn't say anything other than, "Nice bikes."

At 11 last night there was a single bike accident with a casualty and no one knew who the rider was. I immediately felt guilty and ran over to see the bike to see if it was that woman. It wasn't her, but it was a younger man riding a Suzuki Venture (I think), older bike with spokes, small tank, a 800CC or so. He died. It appeared that he ran straight into a tree on a part of the road that is flat and clear. No explanation, no skid marks. Nothing but a destroyed life and a bike that hit with enough force to push the wheel back into the cooler. The guy wasn't wearing a helmet and no one knew who he was.

Five days ago a 63 year old's Harley was side-swiped on the interstate close to here and died. A passing trucker saw his body laying off the shoulder and called it in. They know it was a white something that sideswiped him and kept going. No idea who, only that they didn't stop.

Anyway, this has gotten me thinking. What, if anything, should we say to folks who really appear too inexperienced to be riding? Here in Indiana folks go through a short course to get their permits, then they learn how to ride on the streets. They take the course on a little 250, and then buy these big bikes. When I tested out, we had to test on what we were going to ride and only were licensed to the CC that we tested on. I have an unlimited license because I tested out on the biggest bike available at that time. I gather that that is no longer the case. It seems crazy to me. Do we just pray and hope for the best? Should I offer a ride and a safe place to park a bike to a person who looks as uncomfortable as that woman did? What humanistic duty do we have towards our fellow fools out here?

Should we try to legislate common sense? We don't have a helmet law here in Indiana, assuming that common sense prevails, so the majority of folks that I see are helmetless and usually in tennis shoes. . .my insurance rates cover their catastrophic injuries.

Sorry for the philosophical ramblings. This really upset my kids when they saw me run out to see if it was that woman. I was so relieved (then guilty over that relief) when it wasn't her. This is not going to get me off the bike, but it does make me think. My kids are thankful that the bike isn't running. Makes me wonder if they are doing alittle something-something to make sure it doesn't run. . .

Anyway, I just needed to reach out to you all and write this junk down. Sorry. Please stay safe.

Cam

[blue giant]

Hi Cam,

Great post. It's nice to know there are still people in this world who care about the well being of strangers when they see an accident or misfortune waiting in the wings.

I find there are far to many people in this world who lack compassion for others, strangers or not.

Thanks for not being like one of those people.

Cheers,

Paul

[wa407mpp]

Unfortunately about all you can say is goodbye, under your breath of course, because they don't want to hear the truth that they have over extended themselves and are about to die. We were all given free will to do as we please and it is not my or your responsibility, to watch over those who won't lesson anyway. It's their life.

[webbcraft2150]

Riding a motorcyle has inherent risks most of us are aware of everytime we get on a bike. Most of the time it is these "risks" are what pushed us into riding. We all arm chair quarterback bike wrecks, and most of the time we can blame pilot error. Sure, the cager pulled a boner move, but could the rider have anticipated this? Most of the time we will never know. I have been hit three times, and each time I was stopped. Hence I keep a very good eye on the mirrors now.

It is always sad when a fellow biker goes down, for any reason. All we can do is make sure our own skills stay sharp.

[DJinNH]

Knowing the risks we all take as riders is pretty much the reason why I like to wave at each biker as they ride by.

My version of "Stay safe out here."

Don

[stoked]

I will never understand the desire to protect people from themselves at the peril of ones own liberties. Just different strokes I guess. Allowing govt beurocracts to determine ones ultimate safety scares the hell out of me. Protecting others from someones actions I'm fine with for obvious reasons.

But anyway, I see far more people dieing every week in car accidents, gang shootings, and just hanging out at the club. My grandfather died from heat stroke mowing the grass when he was only 50. Seems about once a month or so I hear on the news a person is hit running across the highway.

There are so many ways to get yourself killed that are so much less enjoyable than riding a motorcycle. Please don't support the govt regulating that one.

[olebiker]

Solo riders have been known to do strange things on long trips. I have a buddy that was riding out west on an old 305 yammie (see topcat there was more than one). He was bored and took to closing his eyes and counting then opening his eyes. On one long count he opened them to find he was just driving over the lip of a cliff. The moral of this story is who knows why that guy drove into a tree.

[ross]

my aren't you the spirited one.....

hey there Espiritus....have caught a couple of your replies and postings and you sound like "our kinda people".....my SWMBO laughed her *ss off to your reply to the SWMBO poll......that was good humor....but truthful.....you sound like a very honest and open person....i know how ya feel about the "newbies" out there that don't have a concept of the dangers within........flip-flops, no gear (other than a helmet)....(ya know mi....helmet law.....and thank "god" for that!!)....the list goes on....but when you can see that a person is struggling with what they have (even if it is a "harley")......one, that has experience, should stop, and at least, offer some words of wisdom.....i have done it many times and i still listen to others that have been riding longer.....the stories are all out there.....one of the guys i work with just had his brother-in-law killed last year......8 day old harley....been riding for years and finally had the $$$ to buy the thing....sitting at a stop lite, early morning....ya know where this is going.......sadly, drunk kid in "fast and furious" car, speeding down the road 100+ mph....hit him so hard, that you could not even tell what kind of bike it was, let alone a harley....blew the cell phone he had in his jacket 150 away from where he wound up.....very sad funeral.....as far as the bureaucrats (sp?) go....this is the land of the free and everyone does have rights to do as they want.....to have gov't rule these rights takes away the freedom that our troops are now fighting for....best i can offer is that if you see someone that "is not sure" about what they are doing, take a moment and offer some word of encouragement and wisdom.....sometimes you will be amazed at the questions that will be asked and the new "riding buddy" you have just made....hey there Espiritus...."stress relief" is good and if ya wanna pm us and talk, we will try our best 2 hear ya out....just my 2 cents though.....hopes this offers support to all the "newbies" out there...feel free 2 ask away...that is the "heart and soul" of what this site is all about.....ross