Kudos to Miguel at Gun Free Zone for the title, I could not think of a better one.
Our friend and fellow blogger Borepatch was on a motorcycle trip to Florida and met up with bad roadway, and broke some bones.
You can read an update on his condition here.
I wish him all the best, and I have corresponded with him and told him so. My prayers are with him.
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I write this here, not to chastise anyone, but to share . . .
I am reminded of the weekend before I turned 16. My father, a consulting forensic engineer, took me to a junk yard and showed me some vehicles. Two had been driven and crashed by drunk drivers. One of them had a broken windshield and blood on the hood.
On the hood.
The driver had been the sole occupant, and had not survived.
He also showed me two motorcycles. One was still wrapped up in the front end of a pickup truck. The other was just mangled, and the rider had merely laid it down on a clear road, because of a gust of wind.
Neither rider had survived.
The trip worked. The lessons were clear: drinking and driving will get you killed, and motorcycles against anything, lose. I have never driven after drinking, and I have never ridden a motorcycle.
Fill Yer Hands 
I always wanted to ride a motorcycle, but my disabilities prevented doing so.
I’ve one friend who lost part of a leg, another who lost her grandson.
I still see it as a personal choice.
Wish I had it.
gfa
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I have to say, I agree with you, it is a choice and I didn’t want to imply otherwise. Mine was driven by my Dad. I wish I had listened to him on other things as well. But those are stories for another day.
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Thanks. I thought as much.
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Pingback: Please Help Borepatch | Fill Yer Hands
Not trying to be derogatory so I hope it doesn’t come across that way…everyone has to make their own risk/reward calculations and act accordingly.
With that said: Risk avoidance and fear of catastrophe are no way to live life. Risk is a part of life. Getting out of bed in the morning is a risk. Staying IN bed is a risk.
For some people, the rewards of riding motorcycles aren’t worth the risks…they simply don’t enjoy it enough. I can understand that. I don’t particularly enjoy Rap music. Tastes vary.
But to never have tried something because others have had bad results?
What your father didn’t mention when he showed you those crashed bikes is that historically, over 1/4 of fatal motorcycle crashes involve alcohol, over 1/3 involve excessive speed, almost 1/4 involve operators who weren’t properly licensed.
“Sport Bikes” account for 4 times more motorcycle crash fatalities than any other type of bike.
Borepatch’s situation sounds like one of those “freak accident” type of things in that he was moving at very low speed and it sounds like his injuries were caused more by the bike falling on him than the crash itself (important safety tip: if you’re bike is going down, job one is “get off”).
A few years ago, my sister was in her Chrysler Sebring and was T-boned by a pickup truck that ran a red light (he was futzing with the radio and didn’t even slow down). She has a permanent brain injury and physical disabilities as a result. Although she’s somewhat functional, she is incapable of fully caring for herself.
Should I swear off cars?
Stuff happens. That’s life. And that’s no reason to avoid living it.
Of course, I may be a bit biased: I’ve been saying for years that my long-term goal in life is to die in a fiery motorcycle crash.
Been riding for over 30 years now and I haven’t reached that goal yet.
Maybe tomorrow. If so, don’t mourn me; I went out with my boots on.
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I agree, everyone as to make their own choices. Mine is not to ride, and to be honest it has been borne out in other areas that I won’t go into.
Having said that I am not in any way criticising anyone else’s decision, least of all Borepatch’s. I think his legacy speaks for itself in that regard.
I just wanted to show how I got where I am. YMMV.
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