One of the perquisites available to a magazine editor is the opportunity to spout opinions from time to time. Two recent incidents coincided to inspire this little outburst, and if you don’t like what I have to say, just turn the page, tear this page out of the magazine and jump up and down on the photo of my face, or flush it down the commode.
This past Saturday was a glorious day for riding here in the Valley. Sunshine, blue skies, no smog, a three-day holiday weekend, and temperatures in the mid 70s brought out lots of motorcycles. Many riders and passengers were taking full advantage of Arizona’s freedom to ride without a helmet.
Sunday morning’s newspaper obituary page carried a short article about a 48-year-old rider who died on his birthday when his motorcycle failed to negotiate an interstate ramp, landing bike, him and his wife in the landscaping. He died at the scene; she suffered minor injuries. The newspaper account included the terse comment, “Neither was wearing a helmet.”
Wednesday morning’s Washington Post newspaper included announcement that Maryland’s Senate Committee on Judicial Proceedings voted seven to four to repeal a law that requires adult motorcyclists to wear helmets. Minutes later, they voted unanimously to require children who are up to 8 years old and who weigh less than 80 pounds to be strapped into specially made booster seats when they climb into the family car. The inconsistency of these votes apparently eluded the politicians.
I know that the helmet law issue is the single most inflammatory topic among motorcyclists. Most of us abhor governmental intrusion into our personal behaviors, and there is significant justification to believe that many legislators would be relieved to outlaw motorcycles from the public highways outright in the name of protecting us from harming ourselves (and sometimes others).
While it may seem farfetched that legislators might attempt to totally shut down a thriving industry like the motorcycle and powersports business, there’s no doubt that those of us who ride two and three wheels are an almost insignificant minority of total highway users. Most people couldn’t care less if motorcycles were banned; indeed, many would welcome it. Knowing it can get away with a succession of little restrictions easier than one massive one, the U.S. government has successfully restricted access to increasingly larger parcels of public lands and appears to be tightening the noose.
While this may infuriate you, remember that the general public thinks we’re nuts to ride motorcycles! The risks we deem acceptable are foolhardy to them. They ask, why relinquish one’s protective cage just for a bit more breeze in the face? Why not just roll down the windows?
At one roadside restaurant, a little old lady who spotted my riding apparel demanded, “Do you wear a helmet?” as a litmus test of my sanity. When I replied in the affirmative, she patronizingly patted my hand and said, “Good!”, then marched away, satisfied she’d assured my safety henceforth. Simplistic as her level of understanding was, she believed she had my best interests at heart. That’s one of the major difficulties – much of the public believes the whole topic of motorcycle safety is addressed if everybody is obliged to wear helmets, and many motorcyclists, resentful of any agency obliging them to do anything they don’t want to do, choose to ride bare-headed as a symbol of their declaration of freedom.
I’m aware a substantial number of motorcyclists believe they can get in the face of the public and its representatives with a “Bad As I Wanna Be” attitude and demand what they want. And maybe those tactics work for awhile and up to a point. But I believe that in the long run, we motorcyclists need all the friendly, positive public support and understanding we can get — not just for our safety while riding, but also for the day that might come when opportunistic politicians decide to restrict or eliminate our riding altogether.
I strongly believe one very important way each of us individually can gain greater public support for all of us collectively is by voluntarily adopting the behaviors of responsible, risk-managing motorcyclists who dress and act with forethought and care. When we display a high level of preparedness and professionalism we earn respect from onlookers.
To illustrate, when a sport bike rider dressed in full leathers, boots, gloves and full-face helmet zips past me, I think, “Okay, he knows what he’s doing.” Often as not, if I watch him select his line, he proves as much, too. On the other hand, when I see a duffer riding in sneakers, tee shirt and, at best, a bandanna on his head, I think, “This guy hasn’t got a clue.” Often as not, if I watch him ride for a block or two, he affirms my suspicions with mediocre riding skills, too. Are these unfair assumptions on my part? Of course! But if I, a fellow motorcyclist, tends to make sweeping generalizations about motorcyclists based on first appearances, it’s not unreasonable to believe the general public does, too.
We are always in the public eye when we’re out riding. Whether or not it is fair, what we do and how we look can and will be held against us in the court of public opinion by those who don’t understand.
In my view, we need to be good, not bad, examples. That means wearing full motorcycle apparel (over-the-ankle boots, long pants, long sleeves, gloves, eye protection and a helmet) whenever we ride, no matter how inconvenient. It means not riding in an obnoxious, irresponsible or inattentive manner. It means riding sober or not at all. It means being friendly and polite in traffic and at every other interaction with the non-riding public. It means leaving the bad attitude at home. It means being willing to be a good example in a society where being “Bad As I Wanna Be” garners headlines and TV talk show bookings. It means taking responsibility for our safety beyond what the law mandates. And it means not becoming just another statistic the obit writer can dismiss easily because “Neither was wearing a helmet.”
Some day, we’ll need all the positive public support we can muster.
Don’t look now, but that day may come sooner than we think.
