[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Non sequitur Excellent observation samclem, but don’t forget the Italians, Germans, Indians, Russians and Brits.

I can't forget the three shipmates who've spent a substantial amount of time in hospitals & rehab.

Both are otherwise mature, conservative, smart individuals.* One is a submariner who converted to meteorology (my spouse's expertise) and an expert homebrewer.* IOW, someone with whom we spent a lot of time in frosty-beverage occupational group therapy appraisals until his head injury permanently changed his personality.* Yes, he was wearing a helmet.* No, the other driver has never been identified.

The other shipmate's legs are both about a pound heavier, forecast the weather, and set off airport metal detectors.* Considering today's commodity prices he should worry about being worth more dead than alive.* He refuses to ride a motorcycle behind a car with a Hawaii license plate ever again (see the other thread on "sympathetic braking").

The third shipmate, something of a local military biker legend, is well on his way to having only one spinal vertebra as the doctors continue to fuse them into a single solid mass.* When he was on active duty he was one of the very few guys in Hawaii who was certified to teach the military motorcycle course. His bike doesn't just have loud pipes-- I think its muffler is actually an amplifier.* But it couldn't compete with the teenager who had his own amplifier cranked when he made an unexpected lane change.

I know that bad things can happen to good people and it's not limited to motorcycles, but these guys didn't have to ride for work or other commutes.* All of their very nice cars were in their garages, they were wearing all the recommended protective gear, and they were sober-- that's why they're living examples instead of under headstones.*

It's just that motorcycling seems to have a very high risk caused by placing your safety in the hands of other inattentive or incompetent drivers.* I've never looked up the stats but I bet it has one of the highest injury/death rates of any lifestyle activity.* HD should sell a t-shirt:* "WARNING:* Motorcycles can get you killed or injured even if it's not your fault.* But gosh, will you look cool!!"