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Motorcyclists Have a "Bad Name"

by Jacee
(Herriman, UT)

Ok - I'll get a discussion started, because I just want to know your opinion. Why do you think the cager public seems to assume that if you ride a motorcycle, you are "bad"?

I can't tell you how many times my husband and I have been the recipients of "the middle digit display" while just riding along on our bikes. It doesn't matter if we're going slow, fast, changing lanes, not changing lanes - anything. It doesn't even matter what kind of bike we're riding (we've had several over the years).

We try very hard to be "polite" riders. We always signal our intentions. We don't cut too close to cagers - even though we could because MC's maneuver so easily. Yes, we go over the speed limit sometimes, but so do the cagers. The speed limit on our freeways through the city is 65 mph. Most cars are going 80-90 all the time (unless there is a cop leading the pack). Our bikes have stock pipes and are not very noisy unless we're going uphill in 1st gear. That's about as noisy as they get, unlike "some" stock pipes.

A short story: We were coming home from a ride one day along a 6-lane highway. There were only 3 of us on the entire road at that point - my husband, myself and another motorcycle. We were definitely going over the speed limit as the road was empty. We caught up to the other motorcycle (a large cruiser-type) at the next stop light. He flashed his cop badge at us and announced that he was an off-duty cop and we were giving motorcyclists a bad name and to knock it off. So, we stayed behind him the rest of the way to our turn-off. Guess what? The speed limit (again) was 65 mph. HE was going 85-90 - we stayed right with him to clock his speed. So why was it okay for an OFF-DUTY copy to go over the speed limit and chastise us???? How arrogant and hypocritical can he get? (Okay - I'm finished with that rant.)

I just don't understand people's "automatic" attitude about motorcyclists. I know it probably started a long time ago with the Hell's Angels (and they were bad boys), but come on! Motorcyclists are moms, dads, attorneys, doctors, plumbers, computer programmers, waiters and waitresses, real estate people, etc., etc., etc. We're not a bunch of rebel rousers - we're just a bunch of people who love to ride.

Jacee

P.S. Hmmm . . . maybe I should ask this on a non-motorcycle forum for some input from cagers.

Comments for Motorcyclists Have a "Bad Name"

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Mar 14, 2010

A thought..
by: Alystar McKenneh

I don't tend to bash people but let's take a look at this.... first of all I disagree with the term cager. Who came up with that, I have heard it over the years and have very rarely known a person in the US who ONLY OWNS a bike and not a car as well. And if you are one of those 1/2 percent who does not drive or own a car then sorry but...

It is a term of arrogance and if you were slowed down to 85 or 90 then I have to ask... what were you doing? Over 100mph? The cop was obviously understanding that we tend to ride faster on motorcycles than in our cars and allowed you to do 25 miles over the speed limit without making a fuss.

He could have done the speed limit and made you follow along, which he obviously did not do. He wasn't an ass or he would not have been doing 85 -90 and allowed you to travel just as fast.

I can't remember a time when someone flipped me off and if you get flipped off a lot then I'd take a look at my riding style. Again I don't mean to bash you by any means but you almost sound like you separate yourself out from other people when you suit up and ride your bike.

Everyone here drives a car and even though we all ride we get just as pissy when someone is zipping through traffic as if we should see them. Or acting as if they own the road because they have suited up that day in leathers instead of the usual take the kids to school in the family car outfit.

I have never been in a car accident but I have been hit from the side by someone on a bike passing me on the right as I made a right turn. I have had a guy pull up next to me, gun his engine like he wanted to race and open the throttle wide and flip his motorcycle almost on top of me because his ego expanded greatly when he stepped on those two wheels.

And a girl who used to fly in between my boyfriends bike and mine when we were sitting at a light on PCH was killed because she tried that cute trick too many times. She was thrown into the ocean by a car coming down Topanga Canyon trying to catch the yellow light and get on PCH before our light turned green. RIP

Even bikers get tired of bikers who drive like fools. I'm not saying you do; I'm just sayin.....

Dec 03, 2009

Bad Name
by: Anonymous

Still dealing with the stigmas of days gone by. You have to love the media for that one. As with anything one bad apple ruins it for the barrel. They cop sounds as though he was doing a little power tripping, what's new, lol.

Happy riding and keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down. Cheers

Nov 22, 2009

The Cop
by: Anonymous

He was obviously an ass.

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