Intent to commit. If there is no alcholol or drugs involved, accidents happen to good people and thats how it is. It happens to cars, walkers and bikers.. The public perception of who we are has to change.
Last summer there was a guy on a crotch rocket , He flew by me and I almost hit him. I look for bikes and with the sun going down and his orange yellow bike, I didn't see him.
Its does suck but would it have been better if he was in a civic and a dump truck hit him.
No doubt bikers are just people. Some are good some are not. fact is most are the nicest people I ever met . Honest, generous to a fault, just bacially the kind of folk I call my friends. Well, us nice people have to change that perception one person at a time.
Its funny. I help run a food pantry in my area. We have over 200 families we assist on a regular basis. Very active in church and the community in general. Business owner. ex eagle scout. I ride my bike every chance I get. Most members of the parish don't know that.
One day on the way to our monthly meeting I was following a couple of senior women. I followed them right to the church. They were getting nervous when I kept making the same turns they were doing. When we got to the church I parked right next to them. When I and my wife took off the helmets they saw who it was.
They said they though some gang guy was following them. I told them. To be perfectly honest if I had a choice of trusting some one I didn't know and someone I didn't know that rode a bike I would opt for the biker. Told them judge people by what they do no what some friends aunt three times removed said happened to her 25 years ago. Some of the nicest people I know may look a little rough around the edges but I would be more apt to trust them then most.
I have a women I worked with for 10 years. I pull up to a red light. Shes in her Mercedes to my left. I wave to her. I wave again. She definetly sees me. I wave again. NOTHING she looks straight ahead.
Ignores me. On that Monday I said. What you don't wave to bikers. She said was that you. I said . You mean if a person waves to you on a bike you won't wave back. Talk about stuck up. Living by someone else experiences.
Yep another fool. I have kids wave all the time. I had a bunch of little boys admiring my bike at the supermarket. They were with there mom and dad, You know how kids like motorcycles.
I told the dad it's ok if they want sit on it. I said be careful not to knock it down. If the kids could have been more excited I can't iminagine. They were like can I come on dad....you know what I mean.
One wave to them in the car. Makes there day and alert the drive that were there too.
One person at a time. They will change.
Like I said change one person at a time. Some day it will make a difference. If more people had friends that rode they would certainly be more aware and careful out there.