Horror Stories

[Codeman]

When you folks are out riding around do complete strangers come up to you and tell you some horrific motorcycle crash story that they know of? Even if I am away from my bike and someone finds out I ride these people seem compelled to tell me the worst story they know. How do you respond? Just curious.

[David13]

Not a lot. Last year in Yosemite several people told me about a headon of two suv's on Tioga pass road. The day after I came thru'.

With the horror stories I just tell them it happens all the time; every day.

Then tell them about a worse one I know about. And don't spare the gory details, either.

That ought to cure them.

dc

[russell_bynum]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

[Dave39]

I have a few people, many relatives, who attempt to enlighten me about how dangerous it is to ride a motorcycle, especially at my age. I just remind them that being alive is dangerous.

[Penforhire]

Mostly relatives and coworkers. Now that you mention it, there have been a handful of random strangers over the years too. With anyone who really cares to discuss it I talk about the spectrum of risk and the need for some risk-taking behavior.

[elkroeger]

There was this time, we were following a motorcycle on the interstate, and then he hits this deer, and then....

[James Clark]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

 

[4wheeldog]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

 

Great answer. I hope I have your permission to use it.

[outpost22]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

 

Great answer. I hope I have your permission to use it.

 

Or, ask them what they do for a living/hobbies.

 

One guy told me I was riding a "donor cycle". I asked what he did, and he was a bush pilot.

Pot-meet kettle.

[russell_bynum]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

 

Great answer. I hope I have your permission to use it.

 

Of course!

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Usually they'll come up and ask about the temperature, weather and how to deal with it or the bike specifically but, had a somewhat similar situation:

Prior to changing careers, had a friend of a relative come up to me and complain about a cop and what he did and so on and so on.

When he was done, I said, "Ok, now let me bore you with a really stupid story that you will probably not care about". I don't think he got it.

[russell_bynum]

When he was done, I said, "Ok, now let me bore you with a really stupid story that you will probably not care about". I don't think he got it.

 

LOL!!

 

The very worst was when Lisa was pregnant. People came out of the woodwork to tell us how their sister's aunt's cousin's brother's mom's best friend's former roommate was in labor for five days, then had a C-section, it got infected, and she had to have her abdomen amputated. Or somesuch BS.

 

I never figured out how to deal with those idiots.

 

Then there were the people who would tell you how expensive kids are...usually quoting some ridiculously high number like "The average child will cost $2.5Million to raise from birth to high school graduation.

 

I did have an answer for them:

Me: "No problem...if it's a boy, he'll be a famous motorcycle racer and he'll make tons of money."

Idiot: "What if it's a girl?"

Me: "Porn star"

 

That usually ended the conversation in a hurry. (Mission accomplished!)

[aterry1067]

ROFL!!!!

[Polo]

I usually tell them that my father was a mortician and I was involved in the family business at an aearly age and I used to go to the morgue and often would get corpses of motorcycle fatalities in several pieces. Then I proceed to tell them about many other even gorier fatalities.

 

Once they are close to puking, I tell them that I never saw the same person twice, so I figured soon enough that you only die once, and the transition is rather short in comparison to life.

 

So I'll live my life fully until that time comes.

[ellaguru2u]

Being a retired traffic cop I have lots of worse horror stories to counter their stories.

 

[Codeman]

As you can see by my post count I don't post a lot, but I lurk here as often as I get a chance. You guys are a hoot. I too usually counter with a horror story of my own. One of these days though I will hand my keys over to them and very seriously ask them for a ride home as I am now convinced that riding home is far too dangerous.

[ragtoplvr]

you want your service done right , out of the $75 to 125 an hour has to come, special tools, building, insurance, utilities, workman's comp and unemployment insurance, part of the health insurance, taxes, utilities, technician wages, tech training. Also you have some unbilled tech time from things that go wrong, parts that do not fit or are wrong, that nut that rounds off, arguing with BMW on a warranty etc. It sounds high but they are not getting rich.

 

Rod

[upflying]

Everyone I contact for not wearing a seat belt seems to have personal knowledge of knowing someone who would have been killed if they had been wearing a seat belt (optional: substitute seat belt for helmet) during a collision.

I ask, "what would have happened if they were wearing a seatbelt"?

Blank stare, crickets.

[baggerchris]

About two years ago I was sick and rode down the hill to Angels Camp Ca., to the immediate care. I'm 63 now and in pretty good shape with gray beard; hair and a long pony tail. Anyway there I am sitting in the waiting room with about 30 other folks in full atgatt and out from the Dr. room comes this ancient man hobbling along and obviously at least 80 years old; picks up his two younger companions and slowly starts to make his way to the outside door. He gets right up to where I am sitting; looks down and says in a real old; old man's voice: "I used to be young and tough like you young feller and then I had a motorcycle accident and LOOK AT ME NOW!!! He hobbles out the door and everyone in the whole rooms busts out laughing. Then about 5 minutes later they call my name and I start to go into the inner Dr. office when someone loudly says in back of me: "Go get em young and tough", and then the whole room busts out laughing again.

[bayoubengal]

I just look at them with a very serious expression and say "I was killed in a motorcycle accident not far from this spot 15 years ago tonight."

 

Then just stare at them.

 

Now that is just funny!

 

[Kathy R]

Fear is a funny thing and does funny things to people. Yes, I've heard more than a few riding horror stories.

 

 

About two years ago I was sick and rode down the hill to Angels Camp Ca., to the immediate care. I'm 63 now and in pretty good shape with gray beard; hair and a long pony tail. Anyway there I am sitting in the waiting room with about 30 other folks in full atgatt and out from the Dr. room comes this ancient man hobbling along and obviously at least 80 years old; picks up his two younger companions and slowly starts to make his way to the outside door. He gets right up to where I am sitting; looks down and says in a real old; old man's voice: "I used to be young and tough like you young feller and then I had a motorcycle accident and LOOK AT ME NOW!!! He hobbles out the door and everyone in the whole rooms busts out laughing. Then about 5 minutes later they call my name and I start to go into the inner Dr. office when someone loudly says in back of me: "Go get em young and tough", and then the whole room busts out laughing again.

 

Nice story

 

I get

1) Aren't you afraid?

2) Aren't you cold?

3) and people who don't ride giving me advice on how to ride

 

I pretty much politely listen, smile and then tell them the truth

1) No, I'm not afraid, much

2) Not as cold as you would think

3) and for those who don't ride, but are full of advice, I get back on the bike and off I go...knowing something about myself that they might never know about themselves.

 

 

[ryan_a1982]

I tell them I realize it can be dangerous. Then I tell them my grandpa and one of my best college climbing buddies both died on a motorcycle.

 

But...they were doing stupid stuff when it happened. There are always choices we can make that will take anything we do from 'fun and sane' to 'stupid and dangerous'. I try to practice safe riding skills and not riding drunk or otherwise impaired and I think I should be alright.

 

 

[dasronin]

The last time I had someone tell me a horror story about the dangers of motorcycle riding I responded with that I have been riding for 30 years and yes I have hit pavement before.

 

I then pointed to a coworker who had been injured 3 or 4 times riding horses, missing several days work on two of the times. "I wear a helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, and frequently riding pants... all designed to be protective. David wears a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. In the last two years he had hit the dirt more times than I hit the pavement in 30 years. I concede we tied on broken bones at one each. My bike is dumb and if I crash it is because I did something stupid or some clown in traffic around me did something stupid. In David's case he is on a horse that weighs at least twice what my bike does, and it has a brain and can for no apparent reason do what IT wants, something very stupid... no matter what David wants, no matter how correct David is in technique. Maybe you should be having this talk with David about riding horses, since I have never missed one days work with a motorcycle related injury in the 17 years I have worked here!"