Aggressive riding behavior

[Rougarou]

Illogical in whose opinion, yours or the riders?

 

It's not a matter of opinion. The statistics are quite clear on this: in any given time period, the number of riders involved in violent encounters with hostile individuals is vanishingly small compared to the number of riders involved in violent encounters with the pavement.

 

I suppose absolute maximum safety might be conferred by wearing ATGATT AND carrying a sidearm (though there's still the question about being injured by falling on your own gun during a crash), but that's not what we're talking about here: we're talking about either choosing to carry a gun, or choosing to wear riding pants/boots. My assumption (yeah, I know...) is that a rational rider, in considering what safety gear to buy/use, seeks to maximize their safety within the limits of their budget. $500 spent on pants/boots will improve one's odds of coming home intact by a much greater amount than $500 spent on a sidearm and holster.

 

The only explanations I can see for choosing to ride with a gun instead of moto pants/boots are:

• the rider is factually misinformed about what things are most likely to injure him/her; this would be a logical decision, but based on faulty data.

• 
  
• the rider somehow finds moto pants/boots to be a greater physical inconvenience/discomfort than riding with a sidearm. That's a real issue; OTOH, I don't have to take my pants off every time I encounter a "no guns allowed" sign in a restaurant or gas station. Moreover, this doesn't change the fact that moto pants/boots improve a rider's safety more than a sidearm.

• the rider is making a gun-versus-pants/boots decision based on emotion rather than on a reasoned assessment of the hazards (i.e. "I know what the stats are on the relative frequencies of crashes and fights, but I just feel better when I've got my gun with me"). This is an irrational/illogical decision.

 

But if you are without the weapon and the time comes that you need it,....what will those pants/boots do for you?

 

This is like seat belt opponents who avoid wearing their seat belt so they can make a rapid exit if they crash into a lake: it ignores the data indicating which events are more/less likely to occur. Pants/boots won't help in a gunfight, but a gun won't help in a crash - and a crash is, by a gigantic margin, the more likely event.

 

I'm not debating which action is most or least likely to happen, only the opinion of the rider as to which action that they are protecting against and feel is most logical, in their mind, to do so.

 

Your morals aren't my morals, your logic is not my logic and your common sense is not my common sense,.....everyone differs, everyone chooses which protection they want to abide by contrary to what the "stats" state. My chances of falling are fairly decent, but I've also ridden with shorts and flip flops (my gosh no!!!) on main and back roads at speed and puttering. I've accepted those consequences of the blind cage driver, un-seen gravel/sand in the turn, left turn collisions or any myriad of issues that could put a kink in my day.

 

We are all different, we all accept which dangers "our" minds tell us are more prevalent. And I highly doubt anyone on this board is truly ATGATT,.....more along the lines of SOTGSOTT. Oh, I'm sure they feel that they are ATGATT because of a helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and boots, but what about a LEATT or Airvest?,.....something is missing in the "All the Gear" part, or is ATGATT just a catch-phrase with acceptable equipment?

[Shiny Side Up]

A note from the 5th SF Recondo School - The infamous 5 "P's"...

"Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance"

 

Plan for the worst - Hope for the best.

[Rougarou]

A note from the 5th SF Recondo School - The infamous 5 "P's"...

"Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance"

 

Plan for the worst - Hope for the best.

 

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance,......there's seven P's.

[John in VA]

"Proper" being the contentious word in this thread.

[Rougarou]

"Proper" being the contentious word in this thread.

 

Ya, depends on who sees what as "proper" for the event

[Shiny Side Up]

A note from the 5th SF Recondo School - The infamous 5 "P's"...

"Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance"

 

Plan for the worst - Hope for the best.

 

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance,......there's seven P's.

 

Oh crap - an E-7 leg...

[Rougarou]

 

Oh crap - an E-7 leg...

 

Collarbone,....swing landing trainer got me on the umptenth go through in '94, Marine got a slam dunk by the black hat....only chance I had for the school. I asked the docs to tighten the straps on the contraption they put on me so I could finish. They said DQ'd six months,,......bastards, coulda done it as I was chopping wood four days later.

[Shiny Side Up]

 

Oh crap - an E-7 leg...

 

Collarbone,....swing landing trainer got me on the umptenth go through in '94, Marine got a slam dunk by the black hat....only chance I had for the school. I asked the docs to tighten the straps on the contraption they put on me so I could finish. They said DQ'd six months,,......bastards, coulda done it as I was chopping wood four days later.

 

Hey Sarge - Well that stinks!!

42nd Co - Hated the swing trainer - was never ready for the Blackhat to release the rope. Loved the 34' and 250' towers.

Was there in '69. Graduated on the drop zone.

Sorry you missed all the fun.

[Rick Ward]

A good tight body position is key...but inevitably it turns out to be feet, ass and head on impact.

 

[Rougarou]

I thought I'd recognized the riding gear emblem,....she might not be armored but she's ready for a slide.

 

 

Speed & Strength

[waynerd]

I thought I'd recognized the riding gear emblem,....she might not be armored but she's ready for a slide.

 

I stand corrected...and retract my "track suit" comment. Nice job.

 

Though I still can't endorse the gym shoes, even if they were Kevlar...

[Bud]

I'm 70 years old and have never found myself in a situation where I felt that I needed a firearm. YMMV

 

But then again I don't ride in East St. Louis at night even though I wear the gear.

 

I have been down twice and have appreciated not being seriously injured because I was wearing gear.