Teens and Early Twenties.....PLEASE!!

It is a reminder and wake up call to all and sundry that none of us are invincible and knocking the post by Ralph will not change matters-----so lets all out of respect be nice.

[SoulKiss]

I'm with the OP on this.

I didn't read this as him saying Reeder made a mistake and paid for it, I read it as a "many mistakes are avoidable if you are aware of their causes and look out for them" thread.

Mistakes happen - I still wince when I move certain ways from my little off on the 13th January.

How silly are you to hit a traffic island? I dont know, because I cannot remember a thing about it. I got lucky somehow and broke a rib and duffed up a shoulder, yet a similar incident took ASM-Forever from us.

What caused it - well there is a bus stop next to it - did someone step out from in front of a bus, did a bus pull out - I dont even know if there was a bus anywhere near. I could be I slipped on something, or just that I plain forgot that the island was there - its a road I use fairly regularly.

Maybe it was just the Friday the 13th Voodoo.

I get to feeling like Ralph did in his post every time I see posts from the younger members all in a rush to remove restrictors, either illegally, or legally by upgrading a license, or they are looking at ways to make the SV go that bit faster, and TBH I usually comment in those threads.

From experience of having been that late-teenage/early twenties guy, I know how "important" it is to have the biggest, the best, the fastest, the shiniest, and I guess its those urges that Ralph is talking about.

I remember I had a thing going where I tried to do my commute to work on the speed limit, just so that I could say I did it, and while its not that hard to do, in the car I had at the time, well lets say there were a few corners where luck came into it a little.

I am sure Ralph has similar memories, and all he really is trying to do is help others learn from his mistakes.

I don't think there is EVER a wrong time to remind people, especially those who have not really experiences just how fragile life can be, that a moments thought can make a huge difference.

Originally Posted by minimorecambe

I have to admit that as soon as I found out I selfishly thought how lucky I was that it wasn't Gav as I don't know what I would do.
I think even without this post everyone takes stock of how important life is.

Yep, and thats a positive from a negative incident, if one person backs off or takes that extra look in the mirrors etc before doing something due to Andrews passing (or ralphs post) then its a positive.


On a side note...


Let's keep a level head, we can all be over sensitive at times, last thing we need is a thread to split us all again, Colins message is purely a positive one and posted a day or two later may have had a few more supporters I guess.

It's seems the timing is a marmite thing, you either agree with it or you don't. I don't expect to please everyone.

I've said what I think on it, strike whilst the iron is hot, and people are vulnerable, it might just be taken as someone who does care, pleading with the youngster to take care, rather than some old fart being patronising and dishing out a lecture, which then just becomes water off a ducks back.

First thing I said in the op was that we didn't know the circumstances of Reeder's case and that that this post was regardless of that. I haven't made any assumptions over whether Reeder was doing something silly at the time.

I understand peoples comments about stereotyping and prejudice (ageism), and I knew it might be seen that way. But I believe that such things are born in the intention, not in the words. I can call an Indian friend a paki, because he knows that I'm not a racist person and that it's in jest, and he replies by calling me a tight ginger jock. If in a comment no prejudice was intended, then IMO no prejudice exists.

So the intention of this post was not stereotyping and prejudice towards young people. I know that older people ride like idiots too and up until the age of about 33 I was riding like an idiot myself, but by that age I had knocking on for half a million miles of riding and driving experience.

The point of this thread is this - If you are 20 years old, then the FACT (not a stereotype or a prejudice) is that you can only have been riding a motorbike (not moped), or driving a car, on the road for 3 years or less. You are a vulnerable road user, and it's not the time to be getting all confident and cocky.

Thanks to everyone that's posted, both positive and negative (even if certain usernames I was expecting the negative post as I knew there was an axe to grind with me). The thread now has 445 views, which from my perspective when I was trying to put a plea out there, is great.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by missyburd

I was more concerned about me proving my relatives and all those in the "dangerous evil machines" gang right in dying on a motorcycle which is something I would hate.

#not a dig#

So now your eyes are finally open?

Each day Pete comes home from work, I breath a sigh of relief. Its not a case of how old you are sometimes, its who you are.
I've had my sensible hat on for years, and I'll continue to do so. People think I have a morbid outlook when they start talking about knees down, or doing this, or speeding at that, call me slow and rubbish. I don't care about all that, I care about people.
I'm scarred emotionally because of motorcycles, I still ride them, because I love to ride them....but I also love the others that ride them too, and when people like Reeder are gone, it proves not one of us is invincible, regardless of who you are, or how good a rider you think you are.
Reeders death has hit me personally like a sledgehammer, because yet again, it makes me hurt inside, and all the more worried about those around me.

It'll pass....it always does...til next time.

Ralph me being in my teen's still have re'realised alot & so much is sinking in now, .
Yesterday another lad i know come off his dads bike in my town on a 400cc(model not known) had to get airlifted to hospital (hope hes alright not heard nothing back :/ ) & now this tragic accident its made me change my ways already to the brighter side for good or for bad, as im going to keep my bike restricted for the hole of my two years instead-.
- fact was im not a speed freak i just wanted the extra power for safety

Everybody needs to remember everyone back on the road again after winter and EVERYBODYS ! skills arn't what they where late summer lastyear.

Ride safe people.

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

I'm scarred emotionally because of motorcycles, I still ride them, because I love to ride them....but I also love the others that ride them too, and when people like Reeder are gone, it proves not one of us is invincible, regardless of who you are, or how good a rider you think you are.
Reeders death has hit me personally like a sledgehammer, because yet again, it makes me hurt inside, and all the more worried about those around me.

It'll pass....it always does...til next time.

So i'm not the only one.
As for the OP, totally agree. The time is now, not later when people will just shrug it off and say "whatever!".

Ste.

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

#not a dig#

So now your eyes are finally open?

Always have been. I've had people against me riding from the word go but have gone ahead regardless. I always worry, part of feminine nature, but boys will be boys and no amount of "you should ride like this" is going to slow them down. Or at least it will momentarily but they'll be back to their old ways soon enough. The human mind is a fickle thing. If this thread even helps a couple of folk take stock is a bloody good thing.

Irrespective of the timing Ralph I agree with the content but think you make one huge misjudgment yourself.

If you (the person reading this) ever believe you're a safe rider and become complacent in your riding, its only a matter of time before you get a sharp reminder that you're wrong. Biking I believe is one of those things which you're learning from the day you first mount up to the last day you get off, doesnt matter if you've riden for 5 years or 50. The roads constantly change as do the machines we ride, staying alert doesnt mean staying alive because **** can happen and yesterdays events proved it can happen to good people.

I'm 24, have been riding continually for 8 whole years first off on a CBT when I was 16 then did my full test as soon as I turned 17. I have covered hundreds of thousands of miles on all types of roads and various sized machines. I would say I am an experienced rider, I am married I have children so speed and riding like a **** is not something I do as I want to see my kids grow up. Bikes can be fun and can also be very dangerous.

My eyes are well and truly open to the dangers of motorcycling and agree it is a shame so many people my sort of age are statistics but I do think it is possible to be experienced at our age.