In honor of Leslie for ‘All’ our beloved fallen...

[dragerman]

First of all I would like to say that as a member and part of this family we have here I respect and appreciate all of your ideas, comments and opinions. I have thought about this for a while now and would like to share my thoughts with all of you. I’m not an organizer and these days I’m challenged to care for my own needs but this is something close to my heart and I hope some good comes from it. Do we have what it takes to organize something like this?

 

My thoughts;

 

How about starting a Motorcycle Safety Awareness Campaign and Ride?

 

Understandably there is no quick fix for motorcycle safety awareness. There are a lot of motorcycles and cars on the road and we must learn to coincide, share the road and be aware of each other’s presents. New drivers are hitting the road every day, some, carefree of the dangers of driving. They celebrate their newfound freedom and for the most part are totally oblivious of the history of suffering from accident victims and their families. But it’s not just new drivers. We are creatures of habit and can become very complacent, caught up in a rush or very distracted. So how can one impress attentiveness and awareness upon people without having to first experience tragedy or disaster? What can we do to prevent or reduce motorcycle fatalities? If you could do one thing that might save a single life, would you?

 

Well I too have seen my share of accidents and am literally ‘sick’ of it. After twenty years in the fire service the emotional trauma has gotten to be too much for me and I’ve had to stop my work. I’ve also lost my best man to an accident and coincidently happened to be first on scene to his horrific head-on collision. Two people died in that crash and there is no bringing them back. I love you Harold and miss you to this day. We all have a story to tell but again, “What can we do?” “How can we make a difference?”

 

I’ve noticed from various rides (as I’m sure most of you can relate) that when a band of bikes come rolling through town people stop and take notice. They snap pictures, call friends to look, point fingers and stand in aw! Well I think we should take matters into our own hands and make the biggest dam impression on people that anyone has ever seen!! All our rides, rallies, meet-n-greets are wonderful and are truly of a kindred spirit, but I think it’s time to stand up and be noticed! Brothers and sisters lets band together and deliver the message our selves!

 

Pending family consent, and with utmost respect I propose we organize a memorial ride in honor of Leslie for ‘All’ our beloved fallen in an effort to promote a Motorcycle Safety Awareness Campaign and Ride. And that we assemble every bike we can muster and proudly ride in unity! I would like to see so many bikes that when they all start to roll it will change the rotation of this little plant of ours and perhaps impress upon some people to change their driving habits as well! A ride that will cause people not only to sit up and take notice but also to really stop and ‘think’ and ‘remember’ the ‘responsibilities’ of driving!

 

Lets share with people the energy we feel when we ride. Put the rumble in their souls so the next time they see a bike they’ll pause in remembrance, admiration and respect. Whether it’s a relay ride from State to State, a synchronized global ride, or one massive ride, whatever it takes, lets do it! Fliers, radio, internet, even television are all tools we can creatively use to deliver the message. The life you save could be your own.

 

Respectfully,

 

Charles

[Guest maddabber]

Well, I do not know about your area but BRO puts on a motorcycle Awareness ride every May around the London /St thomas area and also Sarnia. Sometimes I think we should carry business cards to give out to car drivers which says, please watch out for me I love life.

Darrell

[Freebird]

This is something that Charles emailed me a while back. I fully support his efforts and what we need now are ideas and brainstorming about anything that we can do along these lines. Whether that be us doing something on our own or getting involved with an advocacy group where we can make a difference. So please, let's not take this lightly. Let's put our heads together and see if we can come up with some ideas that would make a difference.

[Guest KitCarson]

Well if you really do wish to make a noticeable statement, I do have a few ideas. First we have to have several hundred or more riders. Not all going to meet at one place......but as relays, some can join in and ride for several hundred or more miles......some can drop out......others join in.....have to keep a large group. I would suggest contact with all bike clubs, especially the Harley riders.......they have a lot of bikers and are a bunch of good folks too.......and love to work for a cause.

Pick a route......from where to where......get the bikes semi organized, then contact police departments in each city and town...obtain escorts, contact the news media in each town......and have a spokesperson to speak with them at each stop and work the message at each stop.......and on that note...exactly what should the message be? You have all winter to finalize something that is somewhat unique and not run of the mill.......

 

Once a route and date are selected........bikes all notified.......it will gain momentum on its own.......open it to everyone.......lot of small clubs would like to be a part of this........Abate is another good one........, with todays computers and emails.......instant contact........and an organizer in each town or city you are going to travel through........it can be done, on a grand scale.......some of you smarter than I need to come up with a good message........something worth saying.....Kit

[tazmocycle]

i agree with kit, get a lot of differant clubs involved. do a coast to coast like new york to la. try to stop in large city and town to get media involved to help get the message across. maybe have flags with names of fallen ones for mounting on bikes in honor or memory of them. do it over a 2 week period with some begginning in ny and others joining in as it moves across america. this way a lot of folks can ride what ever they can to be involved. contact all of the cycle mags too so they can support and advertise it. i visit about 10 differant cycle web sites, as most of us, i think in that way we could get the word around and see if can get started.

[BurgyMon]

Well I hope none of us just ride down the road oblivious of our surroundings, especially bikers, but just as Charles stated, "... we're all creatures of habit...", we do need reminded on a regular basis of how we're riding, what to look out for, etc.

 

I have had thoughts of maybe incorporating into our Meet & Eats and any other "get togethers" we have, a safety program. Talk about these things, what if this, what if that, in order to keep mentally stimulated toward consistant safe driving habits.

 

For me, this comes from being involved with a company for about 15 years that mandated attendance to 2 safety meetings each month. We did not see or learn so much "new" stuff but the repetitivenes of it over the years just establishes an attitude toward safety. I know what I'm talking about here is more about what "we" can do for ourselves in keeping safe and Charles' idea includes getting the message out to the 'other' drivers, which is in all probability the more difficult. Just my 's worth.

[Squidley]

Great ideas already, but I think that we need to talk with a big group like Abate or something along that line. Perhaps there is an idea similar to what is proposed here that we are unaware of.

We have the winter to discuss it, I applaud the effort by all who have jumped ion here so far

[dragerman]

Yes absolutely, this is something that any motorcyclist or group can and should participate in.

 

It seems that we’re always doing rides for other causes and that’s a wonderful thing, heck any excuse to ride is a wonderful thing. I just love to hop on my scoot and ride so when I have the opportunity to help someone else in the process all the better! It doesn’t even matter the weather because I’m not just a fair weather rider. If my bike is dirty it’s because I’ve been too busy riding... I’m just happy to be out there. Everyone should get involved, rider safety is for all of us and those who love us. Our emphasis is justified by our vulnerability.

 

What I have noticed about myself is that (especially here in the city) I have become very possessive about the space around me while I’m riding. Cagers are too often following too close or doing ‘other things’ while driving, the sense of danger causes me much discomfort. I exercise defensive driving however that sweet spot in traffic is getting harder and harder to find. Having said that I tremendously appreciate the driver who hangs back a safe distance as if to cover my azz (they likely ride or have ridden themselves).

 

Perhaps our motto aught to be “PAY attention, you will SAVE in the long run!”

 

Chaz

[DragonRider]

Another group that would add to the numbers is PGR, lots of members here and nationwide, they attract a lot of attention locally and nationally............just a thought.

[utadventure]

What a great idea. What if we had multiple ride threads (NY to Seattle, DC to Sacramento, Atlanta to LA) and made a stop in each state at the capital and/or major cities. A media release to the local television stations for the place and time of the ride will generally get one or more camera crews.

 

I have no doubt that there are large enough motorcycle clubs to get it done with the HOGS, Gold Wings, Venturerider.org etc. Some of these groups have safety coordinators and programs that can be summarized for a short presentation.

 

I think we would also find many from the political arena that would support motorcycle safety. Curt Bramble, (Utah Senate Majority Leader) is the proud rider of a Gold Wing and a Harley.

 

This is something that we all can benefit from, bikers and cagers alike.

[loehring]

PGR has done this sort of ride before. Not the awareness part but the coast to coast, multi-state. We escorted the "Rick Monday" flag from Florida to L.A., we escort the "Wreaths Across America" shipment from Main to Arlington and we've handed off heroe's plaques on a "Pony Express" format. I'm sure you would find some interest but to make it a sanctioned ride you would need to contact the national leadership and they would discuss it with the state captains.

 

If it weren't sanctioned because of the PGR Mission Statement you would probably still get plenty of PGR support on an individual basis. Try to contact National and if they don't feel they can make it official I would be happy to post any itinerary information as a heads-up, elective sort of thread.

 

Let me know if I can help.

[BoomerCPO]

PGR has done this sort of ride before. Not the awareness part but the coast to coast, multi-state. We escorted the "Rick Monday" flag from Florida to L.A., we escort the "Wreaths Across America" shipment from Main to Arlington and we've handed off heroe's plaques on a "Pony Express" format. I'm sure you would find some interest but to make it a sanctioned ride you would need to contact the national leadership and they would discuss it with the state captains.

 

If it weren't sanctioned because of the PGR Mission Statement you would probably still get plenty of PGR support on an individual basis. Try to contact National and if they don't feel they can make it official I would be happy to post any itinerary information as a heads-up, elective sort of thread.

 

Let me know if I can help.

 

I'll be glad to help out in getting the PGR behind this. I hate to say they won't but that is a distinct possibility simply due to the Missions being priority 1. Remember also that many PGR members take days off from work just to do the Missions and many just may be reluctant to take that day off during the week to roll with this.

 

If National,Regional,and State Captains want PGR on this the odds are that many PGR members will ride for this worthy cause.

 

Regards.....Boomer

[Tom]

Great Idea! I will watch the thread closely and will take off however long it takes to make the trip wherever it goes. Tom

[ibents]

This seems a good idea Charles, if this could fly, contact could be made with the GWRRA which has 19 chapters from Windsor to Ottawa and each chapter has a safety coordinator, I'm sure they would like to be involved in some capacity, as they also love to ride.

Just a thought.

 

Ian

[Dano]

Just my thought, but three rides across N. America would make it able for 3 or more times the amount of people to participate. This would draw national attention from the media and help guarantee success. A Southern route across I-10, a mid route across I-80, and a northern route across Canada. If it happened on the same days, numbers would be astronomical.

 

Would be glad to help,

Dan

[saddlebum]

All these ideas are great and for the most part I am in full agreement. BUT how do you get throught to the ones who just don't give a D%%%. like the guy who passes you on the right and cuts a left turn right in front of you across you path of travel?

[Guest BluesLover]

Well, I do not know about your area but BRO puts on a motorcycle Awareness ride every May around the London /St thomas area and also Sarnia. Sometimes I think we should carry business cards to give out to car drivers which says, please watch out for me I love life.

Darrell

Darrell - I am aware of the BRO ride. Unfortunately, it is one of the worst-attended riding events in the area ... year-after-year.

 

Cheers,

[Guest BluesLover]

Hey Charles - you know it can be done.

 

Just look at what happened with the Ride for Julie this past summer, where you and I met.

 

That one, in fact, had no formal advertising, basically just "biker's word of mouth" and the next thing you know there's over 200 bikes heading to Julie's house to brighten up her day.

 

I think the challenge is to "find a cause" that everyone can understand and relate to.

 

This year, I did the America's 911 Ride - 3 days, starting in Somerset, PA, over to Arlington, VA and then to Ground Zero. Almost 1200 bikes at the end, and every little town we crossed, the locals were out there to cheer the riders on.

 

By the way, it's not just new cagers out there, there are also a ton of new riders out there too! And, a ton of people driving while talking on their cellphones, using crackberrys, putting on their make-up, shaving, reading ...

 

Cheers,

[Guest KitCarson]

All these ideas are great and for the most part I am in full agreement. BUT how do you get throught to the ones who just don't give a D%%%. like the guy who passes you on the right and cuts a left turn right in front of you across you path of travel?

You will never get rid of those kinds of drivers.........they will always be out there.........some get up on the wrong side of the bed every day!! They are behind a 3000 pound lethal weapon and have a brain the size of a squirrel!!

Your own defensive riding, is the only defense against those folks.......I just watch for it.......avoid it.....smile.....hey their day is already ruined, not going to ruin mine too!!

[Rocket]

Y They are behind a 3000 pound lethal weapon and have a brain the size of a squirrel!!

 

Your own defensive riding, is the only defense against those folks.......I just watch for it.......avoid it.....smile.....hey their day is already ruined, not going to ruin mine too!!

 

I think the squirrel's brain is much larger & better utilized......... From the antics I have seen on the road.........

 

The defensive riding, pretty well sums it up............

[Marcarl]

This has got me to thinking, and that sometimes can be dangerous. It's a grand idea, and any help with having cagers recognize riders is worth the effort. But if someone were to organize such a grand scale effort, the results should be at least somewhat reflective of the sweat and hard work going into it, and that's not to say that if it saves only one mishap it ain't worth the effort, but such a grand scale should reflect as best results as possible. Therefore, we maybe should look at why we as riders are not noticed or not allowed our space on the road, and once we have determined those issues we can then address them as this is set this up.

So why are we not noticed on the road, is it because we are small compared to cagers? sometimes that's true, Is it because we change position too fast too often?, also a point to be considered.

There are other points to be considered but I think the main problem is that others just don't give a darn, and why not? Because they don't know us, really know us. They see us as bikers who are like those advertised on the HD advertisement posted elsewhere on this site. Even the the post in the thread show that on the whole we don't associate with what is projected, so also the general public.

In order to change that view we need to get out and meet folks, face to face, spend time with them, let them get to 'know us'. Sure we see a lot of interest and excitement when we have a ride of a number of bikes but the underlying attitude hasn't changed. So how do we change that. A newspaper article with a picture of 100 bikes is interesting and will help some, but does that get the most value for the money so to speak, or can it be done more effectively. How can we meet folks, talk to them, shake their hand etc. How can we become something more than that idiot on a bike, or that issue I really don't want to deal with at present.

I know, if we all changed our riding styles, crotch rockets etc. included, we would do a lot for the issue, but that's not about to happen so we need to work with what we have.

Just My thoughts, not necessarily my opinions.

[dragerman]

Yes, I agree, and this is the type of thinking and questions that I’m trying to arouse and generate thought towards. It is also why I suggest a “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Campaign”, the Ride part is more to compliment our efforts and add effect (possibly for media attention as well). It also provides another avenue for a powerful show of support. Coming up with good questions is one thing... the challenge is going to be to come up with the answers.

 

I’ve wondered if it might be a good idea to have a read only ‘Safety’ thread to compliment our ‘Safety and Education’ section (sorry Don, I’m not trying to make more work for you). Or how about an Electronic Printable Venturerider Safety Flyer that not only contains links to our site but also directly to our Safety section. We could post statistics, tips, reports, seasonal reminders etc., the possibilities are endless on line. Something like this could be distributed through our own personal email and we could all do it from the comfort of our homes. If we do the math with approximately 4000 members, we all know two people, they tell two friends and so on… it ads up! As well, I don’t think we should limit ourselves to ‘motorcycle groups’ as this should be a ‘public’ campaign.

 

There is no such thing as a crazy idea (I think??), from good ideas come better ideas so lets knock our heads together and have fun with it! We may not be able to change the world but we may be able to provoke some public Awareness and/or attention into Driver Safety. And who knows, we may even save a life.

[BoomerCPO]

One big obstacle that I can see to all of this happening.....the Liberal Media provides little to no positive coverage to motorcycle events regardless of the cause or reason to ride......a lot of money will have to be spent to get paid advertising IMHO. Monetary donations will have to be worked into the overall scheme of things methinks.

[Freebird]

As we await spring to arrive, it was suggested that I revive this thread. What do you folks think? Do we have anybody here who is really good at organizing such things that might be able to take the lead on this?

[Guest KitCarson]

First if someone needs someone to run around and talk to people in my area, I will do so......and help all I possibly can. But last fall when this thread started, I thought long and hard about it. This kind of Rallie, makes us the rider aware, makes us feel we are doing something, might make some motorcyclists themselves more aware, more careful, to not become complacent and actually think of safety every time you get on a bike. Took me a long time to teach myself to actually, stop..think and be aware, to put actual thought into it. That might occur???

As for reaching the general public......those who drive cars , who do not own motorcycles or care to.....do not know any motorcyclists or care to....and consider us all suspect.......I would simply say some will simply resent traffic being held up(we had a large charity ride New Years Day in Columbia about 3000 riders) and a car got impatient at a traffic stop and ran over two of the bikes!!(Road Rage) The rest will just idly view it and five minutes after you have passed......dismiss it.

 

That would be the real consideration........not meaning to rain on any parades.......this is just my opinion....I have been wrong before and will again........but first you have to be able to break into the mentality of the average vehicle driver....who really never ever even gives a thought to a motorcycle..and does not care to. Respectfully.......Kit

 

WLTX telivision has a web site where people can post views and comments........after this rallie and the car/bike incident, there were 8 posts about it.....all from bikers.....not a single driver even considered a comment........usually someone will chime in......no one did..........the public I think is still scared of the image.