Public perception.

[Daffyd]

And as a white, heterosexual, non-religious male, I am the only person allowed to be discriminated against now.

You forgot to include 'middle class'.

[freddy72]

In my experiences I think the public percieve you by how you ride. If you ride well they generally give you space, if you ride like a dick they will treat you like one.

The same thing goes for car drivers if they drive well and pull over and let you past your happy, if they try driving like a dick and try to stop you passing you get pissed off and aggressive towards them.

[imdying]

I meant that I could rattle off a dozen examples of behaviour that would be perceived by the general public unfavourably.

If that's what you meant, then yes, I too could think of a number of examples also

You stated you don't think the general public have any perception of us.

Nothing concious at the forefront of their minds... I had an opinion on wedding dresses when pushed, but in general, nothing is further from my mind, if you see what I mean? Apathy isn't the world I'm looing for... if you ask them about bikers directly, you'll get an answer, but never would it come up in casual conversation... we just aren't on the radar. Perhaps a little more now given the price of gas, but that shows us that the only way to get us on that radar, is to hit them where it hurts.

I'm suggesting that when confronted with irresponsible behaviour that the very same general public will form a very definate perception of us.

No doubt, same for any group outside of the norm.... boy racers, paintballers, jet skiers, ethnic groups. I would argue that it's a prett brief opinion though... apathy lets them forget it again very quickly... sure you'll get a build up on a particular vein of though through regular exposure to said irresponsible behaviour, but untill we start killing babies and eating kittens, the apathy will still outweight any concious thought towards bikes. They just don't care.

I guess it comes down to 'If you're doing no harm then you're alright by me' tenet that most live by... what that harm threshold is, is what I'm guessing interests you the most?

[MIZXR]

But what's wrong with that? We are higher risk customers, after all.

I don't expect State or AMI to charge me the same house contents insurance premiums regardless of whether I choose to live in Devonport or Mangere; why should I expect ACC to charge me the same medical and income insurance premiums regardless of whether I choose to use a car or a motorcycle?

So what about rugby players they should have to pay a shit load more cause motocyles are not meant to be full contact.

[Boob Johnson]

What I find most interesting with these threads is you (Katman) have started an alarming amount of the identical themed threads in the last year or two in the (vain) hope to change an assumed problem.


The repetitiveness of these identical themed threads isn't what interests me the most, its the thought that you actually think you will make a difference when each & every time you have the vast majority of posters either telling you nicely or otherwise that you are way off base. Yet here you are yet again bangin on about the exact same thing & getting the exact same result, most don't agree with you. So where does the problem lie exactly?

I'd say you have far too much idle time on your hands & you need to spend more time working on your business, time on things that actually matter & will make a noticeable difference to you personally that or acctually put your money where your mouth is & make a career out of it.

All people are seeing here is what comes across as a bitter old man with a bee n his bonnet about goodness knows what, it sure isn't about the subject at hand.




The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over n over & expecting a different result.

[vifferman]

A short story;

When living in the UK, it was not so uncommon to be banned from pubs and coffee shops if wearing helmets and leathers. .... The patrons at the coffee shop started to complain about gangs, delinquent youth and that "we should all get jobs"....etc etc blah blah blah

Must be a UK thing.
My mother won a trip around Yurp a few years back, and was sitting at a pub/cafe in Oxford with her sister from Australia (who went on the trip with her) when some old duck started moaning about friggin' tourists etc etc blah blah blah. (Maybe it was the same old duck?) Anyway, she shut her up, because both my mother and her sister were born and grew up in Oxford.

Hang on - can't be just an UK thing, as the same thing happened to my father-in-law in the Netherlands: some guy in the pub was going on about "foreigners". My father-in-law was really pissed off, let him have both barrels, and said "If it comes to rights, I have more right to be here than you do!" (He was born there and lived there till he was 21).

[Tank]

Any person dreams of driving a ferrari, because they know they can. They 'know' they cant ride a massive roadbike in that fashion - its the impossible lifestyle pipe dream for them.

So let them watch on and dream, and we live that dream - you know its true. You wouldn't get them on the back of your modern GSXR1000 etc for anything except a lame double around the block, but you reach out and touch the face of god on it.

Mere mortals vs Gods. Bikers are admired. Except for cruisers - they are just cars with only two wheels. p/t

Steve

Yup, bikers are gods. Get a bike, join us.

you missed the point entirely - I was pointing out that you should admire a person for who they are, what they contribute to society, how they treat their family etc - not because of what they drive / ride.

Also - don't know what you have been smoking today but comments like reaching out and touching the face of God and referring to bikers as gods in a couple of post indicates that you are taking things (and yourself) just a little too seriously DB.

[Tank]

oh - and if God did ride a bike - it wouldnt be a HoBag

[Ixion]

He does. It's a Saint.

[Boob Johnson]

you missed the point entirely - I was pointing out that you should admire a person for who they are, what they contribute to society, how they treat their family etc - not because of what they drive / ride.

Also - don't know what you have been smoking today but comments like reaching out and touching the face of God and referring to bikers as gods in a couple of post indicates that you are taking things (and yourself) just a little too seriously DB.

He's having fun with it Tank, DB is quite "tongue n cheek". You get used to his style He's a good bugger I reckon & I thought his posts were great myself, that is a pretty accurate description actually & not alone. If you watch a utube vid on a bike called the "Y2K". Its a 350BHP helicopter motor in a bike (lol yep madness), anyway the guy goes on & tries to explain the only way he can how fast this thing is...........his words.........."its like the hand of God coming down & pushing you along". Now I can fully appreciate that statement cause im sure I met God the first time I rode my RF900

[Maha]

Really?

In addition to Oscar's example I could rattle off a dozen everyday scenarios where the general public would have a very definite and unfavourable perception of us.

You will win the 'Maha Prize of the Day' if you can enlighten us all with 'The List'....

[Katman]

You will win the 'Maha Prize of the Day' if you can enlighten us all with 'The List'....

But I don't like hokey pokey.

[alanzs]

At what point does a thread transgress into the "pointles drivel" stage?
Like my kids used to say on those long drives to somewhere "Are we there yet, huh, huh?"

[Bonez]

So where is your dozen examples then? Come on, I may even be able to help you with a couple.

You might have to help Katman out Mom.

[Maha]

You might have to help Katman out Mom.

Stay tuned Bonez..help is on the way....