The biker wave - Page 3

TehBilly · 06-13-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilNinja77

If any of you ride through Suffolk VA, don't stop at the Happy Horse along 58....they suck :mad:
Ride safe

Here in centra VA people are a lot more accepting and polite than those towards the coast. I may try to find this bar just to start some trouble! Elitist pricks like that really strike a nerve.

LilNinja77 · 06-13-2008, 12:57 PM

Yeah right now I'm on the western side of the state in Blacksburg, but will be returning east shortly. Can't wait to be back around all those jerks

Oh well, good and bad everywhere.....Suffolk just seems to have more bad than is necessary. I think my least favorite thing is the racial tension there......within my generation there's a pretty strong black vs. white mentaility that's just stupid. IMO the problem stems from the schools in the area. For a while they were grossly overcrowded, for example the high school I went to was built to accomodate 1300-1500 students comfortably.........one year I was there we had close to 2500 kids.

Needless to say that many people crammed in to such a tight place creates A LOT of tension, regardless of race. As a result kids just get in to the group mentality. Whites hang with whites, blacks with blacks, etc etc, and it just creates a bad situation no matter how you look at it. Add to that the horrible job market in the area and there is a very real competitive environment between the different groups........it's just not a very fun place to live. The ample drug market doesn't help either. After getting out in the "real world" those feelings stay and get put back in to the community, worsening the quality of life for everyone involved. I guess some places just don't evolve above such prejudices.

Ok, I've ranted/rambled, I'm done :tongue:
Ride safe

**jonathan180iq** · 06-13-2008, 01:38 PM

I think what your talking about carries over into more aspects of life than you might realize.

We deal with the same thing where I'm from except it's not Black vs. White, it's White vs. Hispanic. The majority of our industry and the local job market circle around carpet & flooring. And, like everything else, for a while the major manufacturers were hiring lots of illegal workers to cut costs. It's not the workers fault, really. I think the angst is misquided, if necessary. Since the Bush anti illegal worker (whatever it's called) initiative came into effect, they can't really hire illegal workers as easily as before. Needless to say a lot of angst, mostly unfounded like everything else involved in a racists mind, was left over and has remained here. It's very "us against them" where I am from and it really bothers me. The same happens in the school system. The influx of Latino families has of course produced an increase in multi-cultural classrooms. I can't tell you how many people complain about paying school tax just to "pay for 'em Mexicans."

For those who don't know my wife is Hispanic so I have a pretty good feel for both sides of the system. I also taught for a year and a half.

I'm sure everyone who vists this board can relate somehow or another to this type of behavior.

LilNinja77 · 06-13-2008, 03:22 PM

Yes it's sad that something so stupid can be so pervasive. I'm sure just about everyone here could tell a similar tale....I suppose it's just another flaw of our complex nature. I suppose what bugs me the most about the situation in Suffolk is that it's mainly the kids (and young adults) that seem to perpetuate it....I rarely see someone over the age of 30 that acts that way. Then again, perhaps they've just learned to hide it better. I dunno, maybe it's like that in most other places too, it's just always seemed much worse in Suffolk compared to other places I've been (even compared to other cities close to Suffolk).

That's one of my favorite things about riding, the brotherhood (or sisterhood) between myself and my fellow riders....hence why it pisses me off so much when you get one of the "uppity" bikers who just doesn't get it. I don't care if you're on a little 150cc enduro or on a custom 50k chopper (and anything in between), the damn machine you shove between your legs doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else.......but just like the racism, I suppose some people will just never grow up.

P.S. sorry to anyone who may have been upset by me bringing up a topic like racism, it should be clear in my posts that I was NOT promoting any form of prejudice.......I was merely commenting on the fact that it sucks.
Ride safe

alanmcorcoran · 08-12-2008, 02:23 PM

A week and a half ago, on my first ride out on Santiago Canyon (more Harleys per sq mi than anywhere except maybe Sturgis in August) one of the riders who passed me gave me a helmet tap. My first thought as, "yeah, I'm wearing one, can't you see it?"

When I got home, internet research turned up two explanations for this signal: 1) road hazard, 2) Speed trap. Even though I didn't know what the signal was at the time, I didn't encounter any hazards or LEO's.

Does the helmet tap mean anything else?

patrick_777 · 08-12-2008, 02:37 PM

He was riding a Harley. He was probably wondering why you had a bowling ball on your head and not the apparently safer alternative - the handkerchief.

As far as I know, it means a LEO.

RichInFla · 08-12-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrick_777

He was riding a Harley. He was probably wondering why you had a bowling ball on your head and not the apparently safer alternative - the handkerchief.
As far as I know, it means a LEO.

and THIS is why I'm a newbie.... LEO ?? had to read through the other post to get "ATGATT" !!

Moedad · 08-12-2008, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichInFla

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrick_777

He was riding a Harley. He was probably wondering why you had a bowling ball on your head and not the apparently safer alternative - the handkerchief.
As far as I know, it means a LEO.

and THIS is why I'm a newbie.... LEO ?? had to read through the other post to get "ATGATT" !!

Law Enforcement Officer.

RichInFla · 08-12-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moedad

[Law Enforcement Officer.

Yeah, I thought of that while I was out checking the tires again. My dad still calls them the "Fuzz", haa haa.

I did have a scooter wave at me recently, but I mentioned it to my HD neighbor, and he says "I'll wave to anything, EXCEPT a dang scooter" !!

philbert · 08-19-2008, 11:44 PM

My experience around here has been that most bikers give the two finger down, peace sign (two wheeler - as I see it) wave. We're all brethren and as stated before we all take the same risks to enjoy our rides. I'll wave to two wheelers when I can safely do it or acknowledge them with a nod and if somebody doesn't wave back so be it.

06-13-2008, 12:57 PM	#22
LilNinja77 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: southeast VA Posts: 171	Yeah right now I'm on the western side of the state in Blacksburg, but will be returning east shortly. Can't wait to be back around all those jerks Oh well, good and bad everywhere.....Suffolk just seems to have more bad than is necessary. I think my least favorite thing is the racial tension there......within my generation there's a pretty strong black vs. white mentaility that's just stupid. IMO the problem stems from the schools in the area. For a while they were grossly overcrowded, for example the high school I went to was built to accomodate 1300-1500 students comfortably.........one year I was there we had close to 2500 kids. Needless to say that many people crammed in to such a tight place creates A LOT of tension, regardless of race. As a result kids just get in to the group mentality. Whites hang with whites, blacks with blacks, etc etc, and it just creates a bad situation no matter how you look at it. Add to that the horrible job market in the area and there is a very real competitive environment between the different groups........it's just not a very fun place to live. The ample drug market doesn't help either. After getting out in the "real world" those feelings stay and get put back in to the community, worsening the quality of life for everyone involved. I guess some places just don't evolve above such prejudices. Ok, I've ranted/rambled, I'm done :tongue: Ride safe __________________ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum ~By a route obscure and lonely, haunted by ill angels only~
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06-13-2008, 01:38 PM	#23
jonathan180iq Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Dalton, GA Posts: 3,996	I think what your talking about carries over into more aspects of life than you might realize. We deal with the same thing where I'm from except it's not Black vs. White, it's White vs. Hispanic. The majority of our industry and the local job market circle around carpet & flooring. And, like everything else, for a while the major manufacturers were hiring lots of illegal workers to cut costs. It's not the workers fault, really. I think the angst is misquided, if necessary. Since the Bush anti illegal worker (whatever it's called) initiative came into effect, they can't really hire illegal workers as easily as before. Needless to say a lot of angst, mostly unfounded like everything else involved in a racists mind, was left over and has remained here. It's very "us against them" where I am from and it really bothers me. The same happens in the school system. The influx of Latino families has of course produced an increase in multi-cultural classrooms. I can't tell you how many people complain about paying school tax just to "pay for 'em Mexicans." For those who don't know my wife is Hispanic so I have a pretty good feel for both sides of the system. I also taught for a year and a half. I'm sure everyone who vists this board can relate somehow or another to this type of behavior. Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

06-13-2008, 03:22 PM	#24
LilNinja77 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: southeast VA Posts: 171	Yes it's sad that something so stupid can be so pervasive. I'm sure just about everyone here could tell a similar tale....I suppose it's just another flaw of our complex nature. I suppose what bugs me the most about the situation in Suffolk is that it's mainly the kids (and young adults) that seem to perpetuate it....I rarely see someone over the age of 30 that acts that way. Then again, perhaps they've just learned to hide it better. I dunno, maybe it's like that in most other places too, it's just always seemed much worse in Suffolk compared to other places I've been (even compared to other cities close to Suffolk). That's one of my favorite things about riding, the brotherhood (or sisterhood) between myself and my fellow riders....hence why it pisses me off so much when you get one of the "uppity" bikers who just doesn't get it. I don't care if you're on a little 150cc enduro or on a custom 50k chopper (and anything in between), the damn machine you shove between your legs doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else.......but just like the racism, I suppose some people will just never grow up. P.S. sorry to anyone who may have been upset by me bringing up a topic like racism, it should be clear in my posts that I was NOT promoting any form of prejudice.......I was merely commenting on the fact that it sucks. Ride safe __________________ Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum ~By a route obscure and lonely, haunted by ill angels only~
	0

08-12-2008, 02:23 PM	#25
alanmcorcoran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 2,926	Back on topic... A week and a half ago, on my first ride out on Santiago Canyon (more Harleys per sq mi than anywhere except maybe Sturgis in August) one of the riders who passed me gave me a helmet tap. My first thought as, "yeah, I'm wearing one, can't you see it?" When I got home, internet research turned up two explanations for this signal: 1) road hazard, 2) Speed trap. Even though I didn't know what the signal was at the time, I didn't encounter any hazards or LEO's. Does the helmet tap mean anything else? __________________ [hr:5yt6ldkq][/hr:5yt6ldkq] http://alanmarkcorcoran.com Motorcycles, Music, Musings and More… Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

08-12-2008, 02:37 PM	#26
patrick_777 Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 1,763	He was riding a Harley. He was probably wondering why you had a bowling ball on your head and not the apparently safer alternative - the handkerchief. As far as I know, it means a LEO. __________________ ]I am hiding in Honduras. I am a desperate man. Send lawyers, guns and money. The shit has hit the fan.
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08-19-2008, 11:44 PM	#30
philbert Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Milwaukee area, Wisconsin Posts: 22	My experience around here has been that most bikers give the two finger down, peace sign (two wheeler - as I see it) wave. We're all brethren and as stated before we all take the same risks to enjoy our rides. I'll wave to two wheelers when I can safely do it or acknowledge them with a nod and if somebody doesn't wave back so be it. __________________ Clear skies...
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