Why don't folks wear gloves when they're riding?

[motorbyclist]

A question for those that say just HTFU - Do you ride every day?

For those of us that commute by motorcycle the situation can be quite different to those that just ride on weekends. Something that is only a minor inconvenience if only done once a week can become a major hassle if done daily.

Which is not meant to excuse a lack of gear, just wondering whether there's a correlation.

every day rain or shine unless both my road bikes are unavailable or i'm carrying a sizeable cargo (cargo usually being one of the bikes)

can't afford to not use the bike

can't be arsed waiting in traffic

love riding - htfu years ago

For goodness sake. If you guys are going to be so hardcore about what other people wear on bikes why don't you just join the Popo and rant at people for travelling 2 kms/hr over the speed limit on an open, empty highway.

well i never commanded anyone else to wear gear, but i am allowed to express my concern for another's safety and i am also allowed to say what i think is a "safe" way to ride and what gear i myself wear

it's called freedom of speech - now who's the nazi?

I object to nothing, and will gladly offer advice, based on my own experience, if asked.

Wearing all the gear isn't necessarily safer. There's nothing safe about riding a bike after all, and some people think a one piece leather suit with a hump makes them invulnerable. They'd probably rider "safe" nude.

while you're right, i don't think a lot of the guys who never wear gear ride safer because of it


classic one me and Drider saw was a girl on her scooter (pink open face helmet and a few scraps of clothing beyond that) approaching the roundabout on boston road in heavy traffic. she shot up the left hand side of the traffic, looked left and turned right without so much as slowing. never looked right and due to her position the cars with right of way never saw her till she was in the roundabout... i doubt she ever realised how close she was to some serious harm

[James Deuce]

well i never commanded anyone else to wear gear, but i am allowed to express my concern for another's safety and i am also allowed to say what i think is a "safe" way to ride and what gear i myself wear

it's called freedom of speech - now who's the nazi?

Godwin's law trumps the "Freedom of Speech" argument.

Freedom of Speech does not give you the right to anonymously bag people for not following your view of the world. Freedom of speech provides you with a mechanism to debate your point of view with those who disagree.

You're just whining about someone expressing their freedom differently to you.

[Ragingrob]

If everyone just wore the gear all motorcyclists would get less shit from people and be more respected, rather than having an image of dumb teens who think they're cool. Anything can happen out there, even not thinking of other road users! If you're cruising along at 100kph in jeans and shirt of hoody even and your front tyre blows for no apparent reason, you're gonna be skidding and bouncing of the road using your skin as tread, mmm yummy!

[swbarnett]

If everyone just wore the gear all motorcyclists would get less shit from people and be more respected,

And if everyone was the same race there wouldn't be racism.

Vive Le Difference!

[Ragingrob]

And if everyone was the same race there wouldn't be racism.

Vive Le Difference!

People aren't born with gear or no gear...

[swbarnett]

People aren't born with gear or no gear...

But they are born with free will.

Who a person is at any point in time has two components - genetics and environment. Respect their right to be who they are. To try to impose your views on personal safety on anyone else is prejudice. Their safety is their own concern.

By all means try to educate but temper that with the sensitivity to recognise when your input is not appreciated and respect their right not to listen. And under no circumstances have we the right to legislate anything where the direct consequence is limited to the person legislated against.

[Ixion]

If everyone drove cars there'd be none of these problems. Actually, even better, if everyone went by bus. Guess where the compulsion because it's for your own good path ends up ?

[HenryDorsetCase]

If everyone drove cars there'd be none of these problems. Actually, even better, if everyone went by bus. Guess where the compulsion because it's for your own good path ends up ?

Trains that run on time? Fewer undesirable minorities cluttering up the place? Lovely marching music played in the streets? More "lebensraum"?

Whats bad about any of that?

[Ixion]

It's all good fun until someone loses a war. Then you're hanging upside down from a lamppost.

[Ragingrob]

But they are born with free will.

Who a person is at any point in time has two components - genetics and environment. Respect their right to be who they are. To try to impose your views on personal safety on anyone else is prejudice. Their safety is their own concern.

By all means try to educate but temper that with the sensitivity to recognise when your input is not appreciated and respect their right not to listen. And under no circumstances have we the right to legislate anything where the direct consequence is limited to the person legislated against.

Well I dunno, because their personal choice affects everyone else sometimes too. If a biker crashed into me and died because they had no gear it would wreck MY life aswell as theirs and all their family's. Pretty selfish choice to wear no gear... Would you say that suicide is personal choice or would you impose your views to not kill themselves?

[Ixion]

Well, based on the statistics it's pretty obvious that the really danger is young drivers and riders, not older ones not wearing "gear".

So, I take it you'd support having the licence age (for any licence) raised to 26 ?

Cos otherwise, you'd be being pretty selfish. After all, if you as a young and accident prone person crash into me and die , it'd stuff up my life too.

So, 26 OK by you ?

[Ragingrob]

Well, based on the statistics it's pretty obvious that the really danger is young drivers and riders, not older ones not wearing "gear".

So, I take it you'd support having the licence age (for any licence) raised to 26 ?

Cos otherwise, you'd be being pretty selfish. After all, if you as a young and accident prone person crash into me and die , it'd stuff up my life too.

So, 26 OK by you ?

Older riders lead by example don't they? If young teens see old "cool" guys riding with no gear, why should they?

This isn't a question of the young people not wearing gear, it's every rider who doesn't wear gear. I'm sure we could raise the license age, but then 26 year olds will still be learners. From what I see on the road the actual majority of tossers who run people off the road and intimidate people are 30 and 40 year olds in their holdens and fords going through mid-life crises.

Why'd you pick out 26 anyway? I'd fully support raising the licensing age up to 18 or so, but 26? Everyone getting married and still can't drive?

if you as a young and accident prone person crash into me and die

Why am I accident prone? Never having got a scratch on my bike I can't see why? I wear all the gear all the time and ride to the conditions...

The whole "accident prone" motto for teens is based around being "invincible" yeah? Surely all the older riders out there with no gear must think they're invincible too, it's a question of mindset, not age.

[Ragingrob]

The main point I wanna get across is that sure people can say "It's their choice and if they get hurt then bad luck and HTFU", but in reality not wearing gear can also affect other people involved in the crashes and that should be a thought when you decide what to wear also.

[Ixion]

Older riders lead by example don't they? If young teens see old "cool" guys riding with no gear, why should they?

This isn't a question of the young people not wearing gear, it's every rider who doesn't wear gear. I'm sure we could raise the license age, but then 26 year olds will still be learners. From what I see on the road the actual majority of tossers who run people off the road and intimidate people are 30 and 40 year olds in their holdens and fords going through mid-life crises.

Why'd you pick out 26 anyway? I'd fully support raising the licensing age up to 18 or so, but 26? Everyone getting married and still can't drive?



Why am I accident prone? Never having got a scratch on my bike I can't see why? I wear all the gear all the time and ride to the conditions...

The whole "accident prone" motto for teens is based around being "invincible" yeah? Surely all the older riders out there with no gear must think they're invincible too, it's a question of mindset, not age.

26 because statistics and trick cyclists both agree that , on average, that is when youff becomes sensible and safer.

You're *statistically* accident prone because you're young. You want to impose your prejudices on others generally, just because "that's what I think". Why shouldn't I do the same ?

The logic being that an older rider even without gear is less likely to be a drain on ACC (which is the argument used by the gear nazis) than a young rider, with or without gear. So the most EFFECTIVE way to reduce the ACC bill (cos that is what you're worried about, right, that's what you keep telling us) is to ban young riders.

As to older riders being invincible? Well, I guess they *have* gotten to *be* older riders, after all.

[Ragingrob]

26 because statistics and trick cyclists both agree that , on average, that is when youff becomes sensible and safer.

You're *statistically* accident prone because you're young. You want to impose your prejudices on others generally, just because "that's what I think". Why shouldn't I do the same ?

The logic being that an older rider even without gear is less likely to be a drain on ACC (which is the argument used by the gear nazis) than a young rider, with or without gear. So the most EFFECTIVE way to reduce the ACC bill (cos that is what you're worried about, right, that's what you keep telling us) is to ban young riders.

As to older riders being invincible? Well, I guess they *have* gotten to *be* older riders, after all.

I haven't mentioned anything about the ACC bill Ixion...

Look, my opinion was solely based on the welfare of peoples lives... I would be quite devastated if I was in a crash for some reason and a rider died when it could've been prevented by wearing gear.

But I guess now if someone dies because they weren't wearing gear I'll have no sympathy for them or their family, it was their choice so who cares! If that's what you want everyone's views on motorcyclists to be.