Would you rather have a drink or ride a 'bike?

Strange place, America - and they probably think that about us!

On SVRider, there is a lengthy thread about someone feeling nervy and bad about.....lane-splitting. Strong feelings are aroused about this but, in our country, if (say) London-based bikers didn't do it, the traffic queues would stretch to Newcastle! This set me thinking about some of the differences between our Nations and the ones that sprang immediately to mind were:

1. In the UK, you can buy alcoholic drink at 18. In the US it's 21.
2. In the US, anyone can get a driving licence at 16 - and at 15 in many States, and 14 in some. With that, you can pretty much ride any bike you like and the test consists largely of knowing which side of the road to drive on and what is the first letter of Harley Davidson (in Wisconsin, they skip the first part). Over here, our Government (ie, the unelected idiots in Brussels*) would really like only people over the age of 29 and under 31 to ride bikes - and then only if they have owned a bike continuously since 1977, to weed out born-again bikers......

* That's the Brussels where you can get legally rat-ar5ed at 16, by the way.

I wonder which is worse and more anti-social: whipping through some traffic, or buying 12 cans of Diamond White and beating up an old lady before vomiting in Marks and Spencer's doorway?

Riding is better than drinking, any fool knows that... Even in the land of the free.

oh i dunno. i do enjoy a beer or two!

and despite the fact i like to drink and i like to get drunk i dont go around beating old ladies up!

Originally Posted by keithd

oh i dunno. i do enjoy a beer or two!

and despite the fact i like to drink and i like to get drunk i dont go around beating old ladies up!

My old lady beats me up everytime I get drunk

[timwilky]

I must admit that I prefer the US idea of a sobriety test, IE walk the line etc. instead of the hard & fast chemical analysis to test if one is fit to drive after quaffing the odd pint of ale. However, having tasted American excuses for beer, you can drink a whole barrel and still be sober.

It does seem strange that you can drive so young in US, but cant drink - here you can get married but cant vote or drink here at 16, and I believe you can leave home at 16 but your parents/legal guardians are still responsible for you til 18 how does that work then !

I would much rather ride than drink cant do either at moment - although I will ride again - I wont be drinking but tbh I dont miss it all.

When I go out now and everyone is getting bladdered its quite funny to watch but I dont sit and think "wish I could get drunk" - in my past life I would have rather had a drink when out socially but now Im glad I wont have to choose - just ride

Tim with regard to the US sobriety test I have a close relative who has hypervestibular dysfunction (very bad balance - to you and me!) and would have trouble passing this test sober and im sure there are other medical conditions that would cause a problem in respect of this test (I spose you would have to carry a medical certificate to avoid being swagged off !)

Is, "Punching old ladies, whilst vomiting over yourself, as you fly past on the back wheel, undertaking cars, ****ed out of your skull" an option?

Incidentally, the reason I drank so much in my late teens (even for a teenager ) was because I got a job in order to save up to buy a bike. Mum found out, said I wasn't allowed a bike whilst I was dependant on them in any way. So, suddenly, I had a lot of money for my age and no insentive to save... What did I do with it? You guessed it, hammered all the time and my grades suffered as a result and I got in trouble for regularly drinking at lunchtime in school.

Would me getting a 125 and a head start in biking, not to mention freeing my old man from his duties as a taxi sooner, have been a better option?

Cant I do both? :P

Ok seriously though, I never drink if Im on the bike. Theres enough idiots out there trying to kill me as is without giving them ammunition by slowing my reactions down or overboosting my confidence beyond my ability.

Thats not to say Ill get judgemental on anyone who does and stays within the limit - again personal choice. My preference is not to have any.

PS. Can we stop Americanising things? Its FILTERING :P

What really bothers me is, in this country, you're only allowed to drink legally at 18, drive at 17.
Why is it that you're offically an Adult at 18 but the bus/plane/train companies take it upon themselves to charge full adult fare at 14.
Why do they think you should pay for an adult fare at 14 when you're not 'officially' an adult until you're 18.

'He's 14 he'll have to pay adult fare to fly with us'
'But he's not an adult, when we get to our destination, he'll be treated as a teenager again, not allowed to drink, not allowed to drive.'

Don't see the government doing anything on this..

(Sorry doesn't really follow original thread, but kind of..)

Slight angle on the topic;

Its funny how these ages are decided as to when you can or cannot do things.

For example some movies have a certificate of 18 which contain Sex and Violence.

Yet the age of consent is 16, so you can participate but not view if you know what I mean. And you can join the Army at 16 and be sent into Combat at 17 to fight and potentially kill yet, your not allowed to watch it on a film.

Also 18 was IMHO deemed as a age in which you technically become an adult.
However this was reflective of many years ago. If you ask me most 18 year olds don't display any adult morales or responsibilites today.

Just my view.

From my time in the states I learned that many younger people put their money into cars rather than booze, thus there are more accidents involving minors.
However over here there is more drink relate crime.

Swings and roundabouts I'm afraid.