[alanmcorcoran]

Two thoughts:

1) I once worked at a drive-in theater (yes, I am that old) and, because it was loose gravel, we didn't allow bikes to drive-in. They could park and walk in though. Fortunately we didn't get many bikers, but one night a tough looking guy and his equally tough looking girlfriend rolled up on a big Harley, and 125 pound, pimply-faced me, had to tell them from the booth that they couldn't come in. The guy gave me the finger and, at first, seeing as he blew right past the booth, I thought he was going in anyway, but he stopped, turned around and came back out, headed in the other direction. He stopped when he was next to my window and gave me a taste of his very, very loud pipes. After he had revved it a bit, he let out the clutch. Unfortunately, drive through folks don't drive the latest or finest in automotive technology, and thousands of 15 year old station wagons with blown gaskets, crunched oil pans and other mechanical obscenities had stopped at this very spot to pay the five bucks a carload and, while I got their tickets and change, leaked a little bit of nasty oil. Over eons it had built up, and, instead of accelerating, the guys rear wheel just spun. He was a little unprepared for this and, instead of letting off the throttle he hit it a little harder. The wheel slowly moved forward and, when it finally bit into the concrete, he did an unexpected full-on cruiser wheelie. He kept it together for about ten feet and then he, the bike and the girlfriend all went over sideways onto the pavement. The girl was banged up pretty good, the bike was worse and the tough guy was down and not getting up. After I called the ambulance, I walked up to where he was writhing in pain (I think he busted his hip) and I explained, ever so gently, "That sir, is why we don't allow bikes into the drive-in!"

2) I wish I could do a wheelie. Sport bikers were doing them (75 footers!) past my MSF course parking lot both days of the riding course and half of me was thinking, "they're gonna kill themselves" and the other half was thinking, "I wonder if I had a sport bike if I could learn how to do that."