Outwitting the nitwits on motorcycles

Leslie Baldacci of the Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper has just penned an article called Outwitting the nitwits on motorcycles. If you have the time you should check out the link since this sort of anti-riding propaganda serves no other purpose than to give all motorcyclists a bad name. As one can imagine Mrs. Baldacci’s article is obviously not an endearing op. ed. piece about riding, but a rather personal attack about the danger that a certain slice of the motorcycle crowd presents to everyday drivers. I point it out, not because I think she’s completely wrong in her opinion, there certainly are riders that liberties that one should not take on a motorcycle, but rather because articles like this serve no other purpose than to give the public a grossly misinformed opinion of what riding is about. Her piece highlights a style of riding that I doubt any serious rider would condone, but she offers no advice or rational for these sorts of riders, such as how one can learn to ride safely or even what sort of protective gear you should wear. Nor does she lament these folks in any sort of positive manor, instead she simply attacks. Perhaps it’s just me, but rarely have I ever seen an individual or even a group for that matter change their ways when they are assaulted. Usually pointed attack simply cements the dislike between parties. So instead of finding a way to mend fences and solve the issue at hand – which I happen to agree with – she takes the alternate road and lays a foundation for more anger, resentment and distrust. I have to ask why? Was she harmed in another life by a motorcyclist?

Not once does she mention the good parts of riding, namely a) the enjoyment, b) the skills you learn, or c) the ability to avoid bad drivers – who amazingly enough she simply chooses to ignore in her complaints about the Chicago freeway system. How one can make a judgement call on an entire crowd without even taking the time to recognize that people in her own party are just as dangerous and/or deadly is beyond me. Instead she simply attacks a partial segment of an entire community, which I find painful and personally offensive given that I take riding very seriously and cautiously – and I know plenty of other riders who are the same – but perhaps ultimately what is more damning is the fact that she has set her sights on making this a tit-for-tat argument which ultimately serves no constructive end and only leads to a greater devision between riders and drivers, when if anything what we need is more communication, more education and more understanding.