A rider died today

Ritalin Boy · 06-12-2012, 02:07 PM

So sad....

I'm at Laconia Bike Week. Earlier today I had what was too close to a front row seat to a horrible wreck.

New Hampshire is a choice state, you can choose to wear a helmet or not. As you can imagine many people ride sans lid. There's a ton of traffic that will only build, scantly clad women lining the road, bikes everywhere and makeshift bars under tents. A situation ripe for distractions.

We're at a place called the Funspot which is on rt 3 a main road to rally central. This afternoon a guy on a custom cruiser got going a little too fast, got a little to distracted and center punched the back of a mini van. He bounced off the van and tumbled down the road with a few head smacks. The bike exploded. Literally, as in big boom. I suppose custom bike builders don't think about crumple zones or keeping the gas in the tank in the unlikely event of a crash.

The girl serving pizza heard him screaming in pain, then he was quiet as he bled out from a massive head wound. From riding to dead in just a few minutes.

It made me mad.

Right about now a mother, father and perhaps wife and kids are being informed that he's gone. Sometime soon the word will spread to his friends and co-workers if he had any.

All those people now have to deal with the loss and for his immediate family the void that will never be filled. That to me is more tragic than the death of the rider, he made a selfish choice and will never ride again.

I support your right to choose to wear a helmet or not. Granted I believe that a helmet is one thing that never gets ignored and riders who choose not to wear one are to some degree playing Russian Roulette with their lives. I bet this guy felt he was a highly skilled rider and he would *never* have a problem, especially at bike week where it's hard to go more than 30 within 10 miles of Weir's Beach.

But he did.

Next time you exercise your right to choose not to wear a helmet think not of what may happen to you but think of all the people who care about you or depend on you and imagine what it would be like for them to get the call or visit from the police to inform them you're dead. Or think of the young lady selling pizza who heard a horrific scream and got to watch a man die for really no good reason.

Fuck.

Augie · 06-12-2012, 02:18 PM

Thanks for the reminder Rob, I too choose to wear a helmet. We both have been places where Helmets are optional and still we choose to wear one.

I send out my condolences to his family and friends. Any loose of life buy a rider is a sad event.

Forty Years Ago · 06-12-2012, 02:18 PM

I agree with you 100% but you know the ABATE folks are gonna flame you.

A week ago Sunday I went down hard on my pedal bike. Totally unexpected. Cracked my Giro helmet. Without it I would be dead.

apeirce · 06-12-2012, 02:20 PM

Well stated. We all take risks, some of us take steps to mitigate them. Also sorry that you had to bear witness to his poor choice.

Twilight Error · 06-12-2012, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forty Years Ago

I agree with you 100% but you know the ABATE folks are gonna flame you.

Abate can go to hell. A man is dead, for what? What does the world gain by this tragedy that the ABATE drones can crow about? He died doing what he loved? No, he died screaming in pain, bleeding out from a head wound.

Pantah · 06-12-2012, 02:35 PM

I say fuck them all. If they don't care, nobody cares. Not even those so-called loved ones. Motorcycles are mostly for idiots and the idiots have nothing to offer and nothing to lose.

Anybody into the sporting aspect of motorcycling wears protection because they expect to fall off the thing a lot. Fuck the others.

Ritalin Boy · 06-12-2012, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pantah

I say fuck them all. If they don't care, nobody cares. Not even those so-called loved ones. Motorcycles are mostly for idiots and the idiots have nothing to offer and nothing to lose.

Anybody into the sporting aspect of motorcycling wears protection because they expect to fall off the thing a lot. Fuck the others.

I live in a world where everyone has someone.

Even you I bet.

turnenem · 06-12-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pantah

Anybody into the sporting aspect of motorcycling wears protection because they expect to fall off the thing a lot. Fuck the others.

Word!

g®eg · 06-12-2012, 03:23 PM

very sad
nicely written Rob

opium89 · 06-12-2012, 03:38 PM

Selfish, indeed. To me, this is just Mother Nature's way of cleaning the gene pool. The stupid are simply not meant to survive.

Go-4-It · 06-12-2012, 03:58 PM

I think the point is that this was a needless death that hurt the vibe there. Nobody expects to die but it doesn't hurt to prepare for the worst. I've ruined 2 helmets and never thought about the cost either after I thought of how close you can come and still survive. ---------------------- A death scream is hard to forget.

fhowell55 · 06-12-2012, 04:04 PM

i know a person who was /is the top officer of Oklahoma Abate.
she was leading a helmet protest on the steps of the state capitol.
of course, she was shown on tv, railing about the right to choose.
(Okla is a choice state)
i personally know this person. she works for my local public school
district. when i spoke with her, she proudly stated that she opted out
of the school health insurance. too expensive.

my gut feeling is that a high percentage of ABATE members have
no health insurance. they let us pay for their vegetative states-of-being.

Oklahoma. always competes for #1 in football, per capita incarceration,
obesity and teen pregnancy. ALWAYS bottom four in education spending.

most of us okies are glad to have mississippi in the union, so we
have a state with worse problems than we do.

Colt03 · 06-12-2012, 04:49 PM

Rob,

It never is pleasant to experience what you and the Pizza girl did. As you know I am ATGATT and I do believe in the right to chose if you want to wear a helmet or not. But I do believe with proper education, Everyone or at least 99 % would wear protective head gear.

A girl that works for me was killed in a car accident last night, she was 23 was a passenger in a car that overturned and wasn't wearing a seat belt, she was thrown from the vehicle and was DOA. So wear ATGATT and fasten your seat belt when an 4 wheels.

RIP Jessica

nevermind · 06-12-2012, 05:09 PM

Why are there so many who want to force others to act, speak and walk in the manner they prescribe? Is it basic human nature or an indication of small-mindedness?

NJ-Brett · 06-12-2012, 05:11 PM

Large groups of bikes are always high risk and I avoid them.
I choose to wear a helmet, even with no other gear, heads are important and damage easy.

But people will do what they will, there are a lot of unsafe bikes out there, choppers and low bikes that can not lean, but that is no worse I suppose then going really fast dirt riding, or racing.
Or riding in rush hour traffic.

06-12-2012, 02:18 PM	#2
Augie Nincompoop Joined: Oct 2002 Location: Boston Oddometer: 27,340	Thanks for the reminder Rob, I too choose to wear a helmet. We both have been places where Helmets are optional and still we choose to wear one. I send out my condolences to his family and friends. Any loose of life buy a rider is a sad event. __________________ Courtesy of Ichthy; I so clearly take for granted the peace that exists in my own head. I wish that peace was contagious.

06-12-2012, 02:18 PM	#3
Forty Years Ago I'm not an alcoholic. Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Encino, CA Oddometer: 254	I agree with you 100% but you know the ABATE folks are gonna flame you. A week ago Sunday I went down hard on my pedal bike. Totally unexpected. Cracked my Giro helmet. Without it I would be dead. __________________ Jon Semper Fi 1963 - 1969. A/1/11, B/1/14

06-12-2012, 02:20 PM	#4
apeirce So I was following Andrew Joined: Jan 2003 Location: CT USA Oddometer: 2,721	Well stated. We all take risks, some of us take steps to mitigate them. Also sorry that you had to bear witness to his poor choice. __________________ I have friends, and I know other motorcyclists. But truly the best are friends who are motorcyclists.

06-12-2012, 02:35 PM	#6
Pantah Red Sox Nation Joined: Oct 2004 Location: India Wharf Oddometer: 8,922	I say fuck them all. If they don't care, nobody cares. Not even those so-called loved ones. Motorcycles are mostly for idiots and the idiots have nothing to offer and nothing to lose. Anybody into the sporting aspect of motorcycling wears protection because they expect to fall off the thing a lot. Fuck the others. __________________ Straight ahead and faster -Bo Weaver 1970 "There I was..." -Griffin Niner Three Hotel

06-12-2012, 03:23 PM	#9
g®eg Canadian living in exile Joined: Jul 2004 Location: 41.655984,-71.302657 Oddometer: 5,072	very sad nicely written Rob __________________ Greg Europe 2012 Europe 2011 England 2010 Gaspe PQ 2008 Nova Scotia 2007 *Try to see the world beyond your front door.*

06-12-2012, 02:07 PM	#1
Ritalin Boy ^OP Petroconsumptivitius Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Rhode Island Oddometer: 4,973	A rider died today So sad.... I'm at Laconia Bike Week. Earlier today I had what was too close to a front row seat to a horrible wreck. New Hampshire is a choice state, you can choose to wear a helmet or not. As you can imagine many people ride sans lid. There's a ton of traffic that will only build, scantly clad women lining the road, bikes everywhere and makeshift bars under tents. A situation ripe for distractions. We're at a place called the Funspot which is on rt 3 a main road to rally central. This afternoon a guy on a custom cruiser got going a little too fast, got a little to distracted and center punched the back of a mini van. He bounced off the van and tumbled down the road with a few head smacks. The bike exploded. Literally, as in big boom. I suppose custom bike builders don't think about crumple zones or keeping the gas in the tank in the unlikely event of a crash. The girl serving pizza heard him screaming in pain, then he was quiet as he bled out from a massive head wound. From riding to dead in just a few minutes. It made me mad. Right about now a mother, father and perhaps wife and kids are being informed that he's gone. Sometime soon the word will spread to his friends and co-workers if he had any. All those people now have to deal with the loss and for his immediate family the void that will never be filled. That to me is more tragic than the death of the rider, he made a selfish choice and will never ride again. I support your right to choose to wear a helmet or not. Granted I believe that a helmet is one thing that never gets ignored and riders who choose not to wear one are to some degree playing Russian Roulette with their lives. I bet this guy felt he was a highly skilled rider and he would never have a problem, especially at bike week where it's hard to go more than 30 within 10 miles of Weir's Beach. But he did. Next time you exercise your right to choose not to wear a helmet think not of what may happen to you but think of all the people who care about you or depend on you and imagine what it would be like for them to get the call or visit from the police to inform them you're dead. Or think of the young lady selling pizza who heard a horrific scream and got to watch a man die for really no good reason. Fuck.

06-12-2012, 03:38 PM	#10
opium89 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2008 Location: Hutto, Texas Oddometer: 1,134	Selfish, indeed. To me, this is just Mother Nature's way of cleaning the gene pool. The stupid are simply not meant to survive. __________________ Tea parties are for little girls with imaginary friends.

06-12-2012, 03:58 PM	#11
Go-4-It Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2006 Location: Northern KY Oddometer: 147	Needless death I think the point is that this was a needless death that hurt the vibe there. Nobody expects to die but it doesn't hurt to prepare for the worst. I've ruined 2 helmets and never thought about the cost either after I thought of how close you can come and still survive. ---------------------- A death scream is hard to forget. __________________ Go-4-It aka Stan

06-12-2012, 04:04 PM	#12
fhowell55 poser Joined: May 2009 Location: Oklahoma Oddometer: 140	Abate i know a person who was /is the top officer of Oklahoma Abate. she was leading a helmet protest on the steps of the state capitol. of course, she was shown on tv, railing about the right to choose. (Okla is a choice state) i personally know this person. she works for my local public school district. when i spoke with her, she proudly stated that she opted out of the school health insurance. too expensive. my gut feeling is that a high percentage of ABATE members have no health insurance. they let us pay for their vegetative states-of-being. Oklahoma. always competes for #1 in football, per capita incarceration, obesity and teen pregnancy. ALWAYS bottom four in education spending. most of us okies are glad to have mississippi in the union, so we have a state with worse problems than we do. __________________ "This car is not for sale to anyone who wants to put a set of fucking 22's on it, use that goddamn color change paint on it, lower it, put switches in it or any another abomination." -Mutineer ''Poyarkov and i sat near the weasels and sipped green tea.'' Current: '05 RS Venture, '00 Kaw KZ1000P

06-12-2012, 04:49 PM	#13
Colt03 Studly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2003 Location: ct usa Oddometer: 539	Rob, It never is pleasant to experience what you and the Pizza girl did. As you know I am ATGATT and I do believe in the right to chose if you want to wear a helmet or not. But I do believe with proper education, Everyone or at least 99 % would wear protective head gear. A girl that works for me was killed in a car accident last night, she was 23 was a passenger in a car that overturned and wasn't wearing a seat belt, she was thrown from the vehicle and was DOA. So wear ATGATT and fasten your seat belt when an 4 wheels. RIP Jessica __________________ Craig Cleasby South Windsor, CT 1996 K1100LT 2004 R1150GS Yankee Beemers IBMWR

06-12-2012, 05:09 PM	#14
nevermind Muchacho mui loco Joined: Jul 2008 Location: Older & Stupider Oddometer: 2,303	Why are there so many who want to force others to act, speak and walk in the manner they prescribe? Is it basic human nature or an indication of small-mindedness?

06-12-2012, 05:11 PM	#15
NJ-Brett Brett Joined: Sep 2010 Location: Southern New Jersey Oddometer: 4,798	Large groups of bikes are always high risk and I avoid them. I choose to wear a helmet, even with no other gear, heads are important and damage easy. But people will do what they will, there are a lot of unsafe bikes out there, choppers and low bikes that can not lean, but that is no worse I suppose then going really fast dirt riding, or racing. Or riding in rush hour traffic.

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