Tall Tales

[Conquiztador]

It's raining, the kids are at home so I can not ride anywhere. And I am bored. I was thinking about biker tales. My own ones and the ones I have heard. And I started to wonder how much "artistic freedom" the tale teller allows him/her self when recounting something worth the effort.

At times when you read something on here it stares you in the face. Other times you just get that feeling that naaaahhh, probably not exactley how it transpired. But I am also sure that some on here are actually telling the truth. Honestly!

A couple of months ago I was sitting at the kitchen table with someone I consider a good friend. We were, as per norm, talking bikes. He rides a Guzzi Sport. The tale went something like this:

"I was out riding with a friend and we were overtaken by a group of patched up guys (he told who they were but that is not important here) most with apehangers. As these guys normally know how to ride and very seldom get stopped we decided to hang on. They were going really fast with their Harleys but we were able to hang on. As we came out to an opening I noticed that the wind really grabbed them and made their bikes zig-zag all over the road. So I waved to my mate to slow down from the 250k/h we were doing as I knew it would be tricky for him on his lighter bike" (forget what he was supposedly riding, but it was a jap sports bike).

Now, when he was telling this tale he knew that I knew that he was stretching the truth a fraction. But we did not allow that to affect anything. It is something that is quite the norm actually I have noticed when listening to stories. At times it might be a story of something where I was part of it and I can clearly notice what is not 100% as it went down. But again, nobody really cares.

How important is this for you when it is nothing but a story to entertain (and not a factual recollection as a result of an accident etc)?

[firefighter]

Depends if it's to an insurance company or not.......

If so, you have a bit more 'artistic' freedom!

It does'nt really matter I guess but I try not to embellish too much. There are those people, and we all know one who we know tell many a tall tale and you stop listening to them and start avoiding them after a while. I do anyway as it gets a bit tiresome knowing that most the shit coming out of someones mouth is going to be heavily fabricated.

[Rhys]

Harley at 250kph

[Sharry]

Actually, I find if I pick up a level of excesive emelishment that changes how the story pans out I then become generaly disinterested as the rest of it may be bollocks also...

[Bender]

I've worked in the media for more than 30 years, so I am allowed to subscribe to the theory "never let the facts stand in the way of a good yarn."

[Conquiztador]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

[Dare]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

Take everything with a grain of salt and only believe yourself and firsthand accounts from those you can trust? Living life in black and white is more mythical than chupacabras.

[Pussy]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

You ever met Kerry Dukie?......

He has a blackbelt and bar in bullshit

[Bikemad]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

so in reality....it was a chick on a vespa doin 25 KPH that you had trouble keepin up with????????

[Conquiztador]

You ever met Kerry Dukie?......

He has a blackbelt and bar in bullshit

Never had the pleasure.

[Conquiztador]

so in reality....it was a chick on a vespa doin 25 KPH that you had trouble keepin up with????????

And therein lies another issue regarding Tall Tales. People will only ever hear/read what they want to hear/read. It was not about me and nobody had any problems keeping up. Not in this tale anyhow.

[Bender]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

You ever sat in a court of law? Seen how two or more people, witnessing a single event, can describe something that is totally different. Same with neighbourhood disputes, car crashes, boating acccidents, you name it.

It all depends on your perspective. If you know any journalist you'll find they are the most cynical people you have ever met, because they live in a world of shifting bullshit and their job is to try to unearth what really happened. It's not always easy or even possible.

Unless you see it yourself, you can't trust anyone's recollection of an event, not 100% There used to be a saying that the "camera never lies," but that was before someone invented photoshop.

[imdying]

We were overtaken by a group of patched up guys with apehangers, these guys know how to ride, they were going really fast with their Harleys, 250k/h.


How important is this for you when it is nothing but a story to entertain

When a tale is that far fetched it's a bit painful to listen to

[Bender]

Nah, you just store those bits of bullshit into the "bullshit bin" in your head, accept them as such and enjoy the rest of the tale for what it is.

Either that or push back at them, say "that's bullshit" and have a good argument. You can go as far as having a knuckle-up if you're pissed enough and enjoy that sort of thing.

[pritch]

So actually, there is a big chance that much of what you are told is at least partly fabricated. If we take this to the next level then we could say that everything we are told has a part in it that is not true. Where does that lead us?

It leads me to wonder why the Hell I bother to read the newspaper. Everytime there's something mentioned with which you are intimately familiar you know they got it wrong, presumably therefore the rest is either inaccurate or incpmplete as well?