Subject: Re: Observation
Author: Charlie Mullendore
Date: Feb 24, 2002, 4:17 PM
Post ID: 1709713214
Hi Jim,
It could be due to the large number of new and re-entry riders on the road these
days. To many it's no different than a car - what I mean is they feel no
connection to other riders. If they see someone broken down on the road (no
matter what kind of vehicle) they pass on by without another thought. Or they
may think "sucks to be him/her" and pass by smugly, secure in the knowledge that
their XYZ 1500 Road Gobbler will never make them suffer the same fate.
It is my belief that riders who work on their own bikes are more likely to stop
and try to help. A lot of us like a good challenge of the mechanical variety and
when we see a broken down rider it's a chance to test our abilities. Besides, we
have probably been in the same situation ourselves sometime along the way.
Mostly I think it just boils down to plain old selfishness. "Me first and to
hell with the other guy." "I don't have time to stop and help" or "I'm too cool
to even wave, much less stop to help."
As long as I considered myself a motorcyclist and not just a motorcycle owner,
I'll continue to stop and try to help. The H-D dresser dude I stopped to help
with a flat while out on my Cagiva dual-sport last year acted offended that I
had. On the other hand, a while before that, the Norton Commando rider who
forgot to turn the fuel back on after leaving the gas station was very thankful
(and mildly embarrassed). The times may change, but I won't let them change me.
Cheers,
Charlie
Jim Beeler wrote:
| Soap box mode on: I just sent out for a ride on my 700 this afternoon and got about 5 miles from my house on a two lane country road when it quit on me. With what little tools I had with me, I figured that the 35 year old coil fails after it gets hot. After little while I had spark again and rode home. The point of this is while I was pushing it to a location where I could work on it and during the 30 minutes I was working on it, I was passed by probably a dozen motorcycles. Not a single one even slowed down, much less asked if I needed help. What's up with that? It's not like a 50 year old clean cut guy is going to hurt someone. Years ago when I was more actively riding, nobody would EVER ride past another rider on the side of the road without asking if they needed help. Even now, if I see someone on a motorcycle on the side of the road, I stop and make sure everything is OK. Usually they are just streching or something but every now and then they have a problem and I can help. Am I the only one that does this anymore? What's happened to the Camaraderie? Soap box mode off: Jim |