Motorcyles and Skydiving...

[JAC 0]

How would you respond?

I have a dear friend that I've known for 16 years. We've dated in the past, and speak just about every day. He had a motorcycle in his early 20's, and once again bought one in April. He likes to tell me how he does wheely's (sp?), and gets tickets all the time from doing such or speeding. He had to take his bike into the shop because the lights went out on it while he was riding the other night, and he had to drive about 30 miles home without any lights. Of course this scares the crap out of me, but I keep quite. He then proceeds to tell me how he will take it up to 150+mph on some of his rides with his friends. He tells me his bike starts to shake at around this speed and higher. When I expressed my concern for his high speed rides, he throws the skydiving card at me. He heard of the fatality at bridge day and proceeded to bring this up. I am a conservative skydiver and canopy pilot, and I know that problems can still occur when you do everything right. I'm sure he is concerned about me skydiving, and I tend to not speak about it with him because of this.

Often in our conversations I bite my tongue, and sometimes I think he says things to get me riled up.

So what do you do when they throw the skydiving card at you?

[WatchYourStep 0]

I'm a guy who rides a bike. If he is riding high speed and likes to ride wheelies, ask him if he has a steering dampner on his bike. If the tire gets a shake around 150mph I'm guessing not. They are a great investment and can be picked up and installed for under $300. One of these would have potentially saved at least two fellow riders in my area last year.

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[JAC 0]

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I'm a guy who rides a bike. If he is riding high speed and likes to ride wheelies, ask him if he has a steering dampner on his bike. If the tire gets a shake around 150mph I'm guessing not. They are a great investment and can be picked up and installed for under $300. One of these would have potentially saved at least two fellow riders in my area last year.

Do you ride wheelies? I never discourage him from riding or doing tricks, but I was concerned when he mentioned the high speeds. I couldn't care less about his tickets either, until I have to hear him complain about attorney fees and court dates.

Genuinely I'm just concerned for his safety, and I'm sure he is concerned for mine as well.

[redwings 0]

Tell him you don't take silly chances, and if somethind bad does happen, you know you're the only one getting hurt. Remind him that his actions on the roads have a potential to cause others bodily harm.

By the way, has he been to the drop zone before? Watched you jump? That might be a good thing for him to see.

Just my 2 cents.

Why don't you just go to the police station in a red clown suit and let everybody know what we're doing here?

I have a phobia for moobs. Thanks, youknowwhoyouare.

[JAC 0]

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Tell him you don't take silly chances, and if somethind bad does happen, you know you're the only one getting hurt. Remind him that his actions on the roads have a potential to cause others bodily harm.

By the way, has he been to the drop zone before? Watched you jump? That might be a good thing for him to see.

Just my 2 cents.

No, he hasn't been to the dropzone before nor seen footage. He actually said he would consider jumping but that he thinks it's over to quick. I'm still smiling from my jumps last weekend.

[redwings 0]

Ah, might be a good time to bring him to the drop zone. A lot of times it helps to let them watch us go through the motions.

Why don't you just go to the police station in a red clown suit and let everybody know what we're doing here?

I have a phobia for moobs. Thanks, youknowwhoyouare.

[WatchYourStep 0]

The wheel on my bike has come up a foot or maybe two. The risk reward ratio to me isn't worth it for wheelies, although I am guilty of high speed riding. A good steering dampner will help in both of those situations.

Riding at high speeds is similar to swooping. You better be on your A game because your room for error is very small and if you do get hurt it's probably going to be pretty bad.

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[Conundrum 1]

Sounds like your friend is an idiot on a motorcycle, and it gives other riders (like myself) a bad name.

Riding a motorcycle like he does, can't be compared to skydiving, it's apples and oranges.

Ugh, people like him irritate me.

[The111 1]

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Tell him you don't take silly chances, and if somethind bad does happen, you know you're the only one getting hurt.

Not true.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[The111 1]

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Riding a motorcycle like he does, can't be compared to skydiving, it's apples and oranges.

It's taking informed risks, in both cases.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[Conundrum 1]

Yes both are taking risks, however, they aren't comparable if one person is continuously pushing the limits, and acting like a squid, while the other one is trying to be as safe as possible (regardless that even things can still go wrong). If he was being a safe rider and not fucking around all the time (on the street no less) then he might have a valid point, but he isn't, so he doesn't.

[The111 1]

"Pushing the limits" is subjective, IMO. I don't know much about bikes, but I had a friend who did long wheelies and rode 150+ mph all the time for years on end and showed me all the videos. I don't think he was "pushing limits" since he was doing the same thing every weekend, with probably a dozen friends who were all doing the same things.

They wore safety gear, and only did their stuff on deserted roads where there was no traffic. In other words, they minimized risk, just like we do.

The original poster never mentioned whether or not the guy is in traffic, or what safety gear he wears. All she said is that he goes fast and does wheelies. That in itself cannot be called any stupider than skydiving IMO.

Oh, and he got a ticket. Well, I have a few of those too, and I drive a Corolla with the flow of traffic.

Unless we all skydive alone over the desert, we are putting other people at an extremely remote degree of risk, also.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[JAC 0]

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"Pushing the limits" is subjective, IMO. I don't know much about bikes, but I had a friend who did long wheelies and rode 150+ mph all the time for years on end and showed me all the videos. I don't think he was "pushing limits" since he was doing the same thing every weekend, with probably a dozen friends who were all doing the same things.

They wore safety gear, and only did their stuff on deserted roads where there was no traffic. In other words, they minimized risk, just like we do.

The original poster never mentioned whether or not the guy is in traffic, or what safety gear he wears. All she said is that he goes fast and does wheelies. That in itself cannot be called any stupider than skydiving IMO.

Oh, and he got a ticket. Well, I have a few of those too, and I drive a Corolla with the flow of traffic.

Unless we all skydive alone over the desert, we are putting other people at an extremely remote degree of risk, also.

He has gotten at least 10+ tickets since April. He was riding at 150+ mph on Houston's 610 Loop. This is on a highway and he typically rides between 10-12pm at night. Nowadays Houston is never deserted.

As far as safety gear, he wears a helmet and a motorcycle jacket.

He rode dirt bikes as a kid and believes that his past activities with that is more dangerous than what he is currently doing.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Often in our conversations I bite my tongue, and sometimes I think he says things to get me riled up.

Tell him the topic is off-limits, and enforce it by walking away from the conversation if you need to. You can say very simply "I worry about you when I hear these stories and I don't want to talk about what you're doing." That way, you're not contributing to his need for whatever validation/drama he gets by shocking you, getting you riled up, etc. You are probably not going to change his behavior, but you also don't need to feed his need for whatever attention he's getting by his behavior.

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So what do you do when they throw the skydiving card at you?

See above. Don't give him the chance. And offer to take skydiving off the list of topics, too.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Douva 0]

I've been riding motorcycles for twelve years and skydiving for eight. If your friend were riding fast and performing tricks and stunts on tracks or in the desert, while wearing safety gear, I'd say he's participating in a legitimate sport and taking reasonable safety precautions. But if, as I get the impression, he's one of those guys riding down the Interstate in a T-shirt and jeans, doing this stuff when there are other cars on the road, he's an idiot with no right to compare his reckless actions to a regulated, sanctioned sport that requires formal training and safety precautions. The next time he compares what he does to skydiving, tell him that when you're moving at 150 mph, you're at least a half a mile above the ground, and then ask him how close to the ground he is when he's moving at those speeds. Then ask him how long he has to react if something goes wrong and what kind of emergency procedures and safety precautions are in place for such contingencies. I'd be willing to bet you have much better answers to those questions than he does.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[JAC 0]

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Often in our conversations I bite my tongue, and sometimes I think he says things to get me riled up.

Tell him the topic is off-limits, and enforce it by walking away from the conversation if you need to. You can say very simply "I worry about you when I hear these stories and I don't want to talk about what you're doing." That way, you're not contributing to his need for whatever validation/drama he gets by shocking you, getting you riled up, etc. You are probably not going to change his behavior, but you also don't need to feed his need for whatever attention he's getting by his behavior.

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So what do you do when they throw the skydiving card at you?

See above. Don't give him the chance. And offer to take skydiving off the list of topics, too.

Thanks for your advice.

[JAC 0]

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If your friend were riding fast and performing tricks and stunts on tracks or in the desert, while wearing safety gear, I'd say he's participating in a legitimate sport and taking reasonable safety precautions. But if, as I get the impression, he's one of those guys riding down the Interstate in a T-shirt and jeans, doing this stuff when there are other cars on the road, he's an idiot with no right to compare his reckless actions to a regulated, sanctioned sport that requires formal training and safety precautions.

He rides in shorts, t-shirt, motorcycle jacket, helmet. Sometimes jeans. Some of his tickets are due to no motorcycle license. He needs to take the safety course, but hasn't yet.

I try not to argue the "whether he's a safe driver" aspect with him typically, and instead shift it to other drivers that don't see motorcyclist, which I know occurs more often then not. I've heard too many stories. Hell in the same conversation of his "evening that the lights went out" he said before hand this guy almost ran him off the road because they didn't see him.

[Douva 0]

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If your friend were riding fast and performing tricks and stunts on tracks or in the desert, while wearing safety gear, I'd say he's participating in a legitimate sport and taking reasonable safety precautions. But if, as I get the impression, he's one of those guys riding down the Interstate in a T-shirt and jeans, doing this stuff when there are other cars on the road, he's an idiot with no right to compare his reckless actions to a regulated, sanctioned sport that requires formal training and safety precautions.

He rides in shorts, t-shirt, motorcycle jacket, helmet. Sometimes jeans. Some of his tickets are due to no motorcycle license. He needs to take the safety course, but hasn't yet.

I try not to argue the "whether he's a safe driver" aspect with him typically, and instead shift it to other drivers that don't see motorcyclist, which I know occurs more often then not. I've heard too many stories. Hell in the same conversation of his "evening that the lights went out" he said before hand this guy almost ran him off the road because they didn't see him.

I started to say "T-shirt and shorts," instead of "T-shirt and jeans," but I decided to give your friend more credit than that. If he's riding around in shorts AT ANY SPEED, he's being careless. If he hasn't even bothered to get his motorcycle license, he's just being foolish. The next time he compares it to skydiving, tell him everything I already told you; then pull out your USPA card and say, "And plus, I'm licensed to do what I do."

Yahoos like your friend are the reason it costs something like $2,000 a year to insure a sport bike and the reason I can't buy health insurance that covers me when I ride.

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[Genego 2]

As a jumper and a police motorcycle officer just tell him that at least skydiving gives you a second chance to survive when things go wrong. Main and reserve, if something goes wrong when he is riding at 150+ he has no backup. There isn't anything he can do until gravity is done with him.

The idea that skydiving is the only high performance sport that gives you two chances is one that I have used effectively to shut down the type of person who wants to make it seem as if we are one second away from death everytime we jump.

I live with fear and terror, but sometimes I leave her and go skydiving.

[DSE 3]

[Douva 0]

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I started to say "T-shirt and shorts," instead of "T-shirt and jeans," but I decided to give your friend more credit than that. If he's riding around in shorts AT ANY SPEED, he's being careless.
Yahoos like your friend are the reason it costs something like $2,000 a year to insure a sport bike and the reason I can't buy health insurance that covers me when I ride.

[DSE 3]

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I started to say "T-shirt and shorts," instead of "T-shirt and jeans," but I decided to give your friend more credit than that. If he's riding around in shorts AT ANY SPEED, he's being careless.
Yahoos like your friend are the reason it costs something like $2,000 a year to insure a sport bike and the reason I can't buy health insurance that covers me when I ride.

Umm...I ride my bike in shorts, jeans, no helmet, sneakers, with sunglasses and my mp3 player virtually every day, and have ridden this way for nearly 30 years. I'm not at all responsible for you not being able to pay for your insurance; I have health insurance that covers me when I ride. I've had two incidents in 30 years; the first I hit a black dog in the middle of the night, I was wearing shorts and no shirt. Neither shorts nor no shirt contributed to the accident, and wearing jeans, shirt, or helmet wouldn't have changed the outcome. Second incident, I was hit by a guy running a red light. I was wearing jeans and a Tshirt, no helmet. Wearing anything else wouldn't have affected the outcome. Both cases offered a broken leg and in the second, a broken elbow and wrist. The people to blame are the morons that buy crotch rockets and ride too fast in their first 3 weeks of owning their bike, and aren't wearing helmets when they crack up. Riders like Ben Roethlisberger are your issue. Just like there are responsible skydivers, there are responsible motorcycle riders. Can I blame the cost of my insurance on hook-turning skydivers that misjudge altitude? Or should we all just quit having fun with our lives and wrap ourselves in bubble wrap?
Or maybe we should simply live our lives pointing the finger at everyone else for whatever goes wrong in our world.
If it costs you 2000.00 a year to insure a sport bike, either you have your own bad driving record or you have a very bad insurance carrier. My 25K bike costs me less than 500.00 per year, full coverage. My Valkyrie (around 14K) costs less than 300.00 per year, full coverage, and my dirt bike is very inexpensive to cover (liability only), but I have an excellent driving record, even as a "careless" motorcycle rider that has had at least 25 bikes in his lifetime, and laid down 2 of them. But, my mother no longer cuts my sandwiches for me either.
There are idiots on 2 wheels and there are idiots under canopy, and just because someone wears jeans on a motorcycle or doesn't have an AAD doesn't make them an idiot.

[downwardspiral 0]

$2000?!?! You need to try State Farm or AAA. I pay under $500 per year for full coverage on a '03 Yamaha YZF600R with AAA in Southern California. and that's with only a permit.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[Broke 0]

I say ask him if he signed his Organ Donor card, because that is the way it is headed.
I skydiving safe the inherent concept is unsafe, but we can do it safely.
About the tickets don't do the crime if you can't take punishment.
He sounds too stupid. One would think that if your bike starts to shimmy at high speeds that you should ease off the throttle, but he pushes past that. That is a ticket to disaters. Shimy = instability. If he doesn't care about his own life tell him to kill himself somewhere where he can't take anyone with himself. Also it would be nice if they didn't have to shut down a mojor highway to conduct a fatality investigation. Also the local EMS responders would appreciate to not have to respond to a big puddle of human goo when their services are needed very desprately elsewhere.
I could go on and on

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[Douva 0]

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I started to say "T-shirt and shorts," instead of "T-shirt and jeans," but I decided to give your friend more credit than that. If he's riding around in shorts AT ANY SPEED, he's being careless.
Yahoos like your friend are the reason it costs something like $2,000 a year to insure a sport bike and the reason I can't buy health insurance that covers me when I ride.

Umm...I ride my bike in shorts, jeans, no helmet, sneakers, with sunglasses and my mp3 player virtually every day, and have ridden this way for nearly 30 years. I'm not at all responsible for you not being able to pay for your insurance; I have health insurance that covers me when I ride. I've had two incidents in 30 years; the first I hit a black dog in the middle of the night, I was wearing shorts and no shirt. Neither shorts nor no shirt contributed to the accident, and wearing jeans, shirt, or helmet wouldn't have changed the outcome. Second incident, I was hit by a guy running a red light. I was wearing jeans and a Tshirt, no helmet. Wearing anything else wouldn't have affected the outcome. Both cases offered a broken leg and in the second, a broken elbow and wrist. The people to blame are the morons that buy crotch rockets and ride too fast in their first 3 weeks of owning their bike, and aren't wearing helmets when they crack up. Riders like Ben Roethlisberger are your issue. Just like there are responsible skydivers, there are responsible motorcycle riders. Can I blame the cost of my insurance on hook-turning skydivers that misjudge altitude? Or should we all just quit having fun with our lives and wrap ourselves in bubble wrap?
Or maybe we should simply live our lives pointing the finger at everyone else for whatever goes wrong in our world.
If it costs you 2000.00 a year to insure a sport bike, either you have your own bad driving record or you have a very bad insurance carrier. My 25K bike costs me less than 500.00 per year, full coverage. My Valkyrie (around 14K) costs less than 300.00 per year, full coverage, and my dirt bike is very inexpensive to cover (liability only), but I have an excellent driving record, even as a "careless" motorcycle rider that has had at least 25 bikes in his lifetime, and laid down 2 of them. But, my mother no longer cuts my sandwiches for me either.
There are idiots on 2 wheels and there are idiots under canopy, and just because someone wears jeans on a motorcycle or doesn't have an AAD doesn't make them an idiot.

A. You edited my quote to make it appear I said something I didn't.

B. I'll respond to the rest of your unwarranted, overly defensive rant when you fix "A."


"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." --Hamlet (III, ii, 239)