[Bitterroot Bugler]

My wife was chatting on the telephone with a friend this afternoon. Said friend is a fellow ham radio operator and avid listener to the Ravalli County Dispatch radio traffic. Today she is ONCE AGAIN trying to spin my wife into a frenzy of fear. "Three motorcyclists were seriously injured or killed on Highway 93 this week" or something like that. 'Disable his motorcycles or attempt to disallow his riding' were her main messages. (Both, by the way, as likely as preventing the sunrise)

I live in SW Montana, 33 miles from the Idaho border on some of the sweetest segments of Highway 93 that exist.

I quietly listened to their conversation and pondered how to bridge the logic gap that oftentimes exists between men and women, husbands and wives.

Incredibly, I apparently came up with an approach that worked. (Color me surprised - this almost never happens)

"If I spent an hour in Darby sipping coffee, how many motorcycles could I count?
50? 100?
Let's just say 800 a day for discussion's sake.
Sharon hears of 3 motorcycle wrecks in 3 days.
So one a day.
That works out to about one tenth of one percent.
Being killed by lightening is as likely."

I was very much surprised that this logic made it through the Male/Female LOGIC BARRIER.
She relaxed a bit on the topic.

She will forget this conversation.
I will have to repeat it.
Over and over until winter turns off my urge to ride motorcycles.
But I may have discovered a templet to employ on those occasions.

 

[wwb]

Riding drunk or riding stupid account for a good share of motorcycle fatalities and injuries. For those occasions where it's not the motorcyclists fault, riding with no helmet or other riding gear can turn a minor injury into a major injury or death. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Kuiil]

My wife was chatting on the telephone with a friend this afternoon. Said friend is a fellow ham radio operator and avid listener to the Ravalli County Dispatch radio traffic. Today she is ONCE AGAIN trying to spin my wife into a frenzy of fear. "Three motorcyclists were seriously injured or killed on Highway 93 this week" or something like that. 'Disable his motorcycles or attempt to disallow his riding' were her main messages. (Both, by the way, as likely as preventing the sunrise)

I live in SW Montana, 33 miles from the Idaho border on some of the sweetest segments of Highway 93 that exist.

I quietly listened to their conversation and pondered how to bridge the logic gap that oftentimes exists between men and women, husbands and wives.

Incredibly, I apparently came up with an approach that worked. (Color me surprised - this almost never happens)

"If I spent an hour in Darby sipping coffee, how many motorcycles could I count?
50? 100?
Let's just say 800 a day for discussion's sake.
Sharon hears of 3 motorcycle wrecks in 3 days.
So one a day.
That works out to about one tenth of one percent.
Being killed by lightening is as likely."

I was very much surprised that this logic made it through the Male/Female LOGIC BARRIER.
She relaxed a bit on the topic.

She will forget this conversation.
I will have to repeat it.
Over and over until winter turns off my urge to ride motorcycles.
But I may have discovered a templet to employ on those occasions.

View attachment 75392

Took a few MSF classes with wifey (together). She's fear-free when I go riding and a much better passenger when she comes with me.

 

[Bitterroot Bugler]

Montana ran out of class opportunities this year, but that is a great idea for next year ... enroll her in a beginner class ... If she'll go.

 

[vito]

I've been a rider for 40 years, but I don't live under the delusion that riding is as safe as driving a car or truck. Riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous, and while the danger can be managed it is still there. The biggest risk in a car accident is being thrown out of the car, when riding a motorcycle we are already "out" of the vehicle. I've had only one "accident" in all my years of riding, and that was caused by a mechanical problem caused apparently by gravel kicked up from the road, but I know that an actuary would raise my expected years of life if I gave up motorcycling. I do not intend to give up riding, but in truth its a lot more risky that concern over being hit by lightning.

 

[RogerC60]

I think @wwb summed it up very nicely in post #2. The risk is certainly there, but we can reduce it greatly by being smart. To what @wwb said, I'll add this: be diligent with your T-CLOCS inspections. Equipment failures very very rarely happen all of a sudden; they generally give you some warning, and you need to be paying attention.

 

[vito]

Being smart can mean a lot of things. Don't drink and ride. Wear protective gear. Don't ride in groups of idiots. Don't ride in the rain at night if possible, and in fact, avoid riding at night if possible. Don't ride when you're tired or preoccupied. Get training. Slow down.

 

[Offcenter]

When someone tries to tell me they are dangerous, I grab my head in mock horror, eyes wide open and say, "These things are DANGEROUS???? Oh NO!!! Why didn't you tell me that 54 years and 350,000 miles ago??? THINK OF THE DANGER I'VE BEEN IN!! "
End of discussion.

 

[vito]

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Ride carefully.

 

[Eagle Six]

We are only as good as our next ride, but past performance is a good indicator of our capabilities, Rubber Side Down!!

 

[DannoXYZ]

Being smart can mean a lot of things. Don't drink and ride. Wear protective gear. Don't ride in groups of idiots. Don't ride in the rain at night if possible, and in fact, avoid riding at night if possible. Don't ride when you're tired or preoccupied. Get training. Slow down.

Exactly. Been riding +40-yrs and always make sure I take every precaution possible. Never assume others see me and definitely not assume that they will follow traffic rules properly. Heck, had plenty of cases where they actively tried to crash me! Keep alert!!

Life is full of dangers. It's about assessing risks and mitigating them. If you never leave house, you'll never get into traffic accident or get stung by bees or hit by lightning!! Someone should do something about that pesky lightning, pass a law or somethin'

 

[Eagle Six]

It you never leave house, you'll never get into traffic accident or get stung by bees or hit by lightning!! Someone should do something about that pesky lightning, pass a law or somethin'

The house may not make you safe, twice over the years lightening has come into the house I was at and I think it was after me!!

 

[Bitterroot Bugler]

If we get to pass laws, let's make it to where bees are not allowed to sting people.

 

[DannoXYZ]

The house may not make you safe, twice over the years lightening has come into the house I was at and I think it was after me!!

ahhahahah!!!

 

[Eagle Six]

ahhahahah!!!

Funny now, but not so hilarious back then! It happens so fast not much you can do. It either gets you or not, fortunately in my two cases it was a not.

 

[Retired Guy]

Fear is used all the time in an effort to get people to do one thing or another. The wife was listening to the evening news a couple days ago and I don't know how many times I heard them say "People are afraid..." or "There is a fear of..."

I don't remember what "they" were so afraid of but "they" should keep "their" fears to themselves. Go to their safe rooms or whatever they call them.

 

[DannoXYZ]

fear is major component in advertising and sublimial messages.

"oh no! you won't be able to keep up with the Jones unless you buy our <blah blah> product"
"your kids won't be able to keep up in school!"
"you won't be happy unless you have this!"

 

[Eagle Six]

Fortunately fear prevents pilgrims from riding, unfortunately a few sneak by!

 

[Bitterroot Bugler]

There are two types of people ... blankie forts and motorcyclists

 

[oldenslow]

Drunk. No helmet. Eliminate those factors and the death rate on motos in my area drops to near zero. Even my 92-year-old mom acknowledges that, yep, I am likely pretty safe, the way I ride ...