The Secrets of Women and Motorcycles

Since the beginning of time (I assume) men have a hard time understanding the way women think, particularly when it came to more ‘intimate’ matters.

But I read something recently which finally put things into terms that I could understand and allowed me a peek into the strange world of women’s desires, and here it is…

Men view sex as a goal – a destination to be reached as quickly as possible and by the shortest route.  Women, however, see sex as a journey – a set of experiences to be savored along the way.  The destination is nice, but it is the journey that counts.

As an avid motorcyclist this was something I could totally relate to.  Motorcycling is all about the journey.  The destination (be it great ribs or a classic bike show) is, more often than not, just an excuse to get out and ride.

The same split can be seen in other activities too – take shopping as an example.  Women will happily spend hours at the mall, completely immersing themselves in the entire retail experience.  Men, on the other hand, “hunt shoes” – grabbing the first pair that fit the need, and heading home triumphant.

Sadly the introduction of children often makes it difficult to spend sufficient time on the journey – which no-doubt explains why many mothers find themselves in a state of low libido, and their husbands in a state of frustration.

But the first step to solving a problem is knowing what the problem is.  Now that I finally get it I will be trying harder to focus on the journey, and I would suggest that you do the same too.

“Too often we are so preoccupied with the destination, we forget the journey.”~Unknown

Enjoy the journey!

Motorcycle-only Checkpoints – Why?

Did you hear the rumor that police in New York are pulling over all SUVs (and ONLY SUVs) to check for seatbelts and paperwork?

No?  Obviously not, because that would be dumb, right?

How about the one about motorcycle-only checkpoints then, to check that riders are wearing the right type of helmet, and that their paperwork is in order?

Still no?

Then you might be surprised to find that is EXACTLY what is happening in New York right now.  Motorcycles, and only motorcycles, are being stopped and checked for U.S. DOTcompliant helmets, legal exhaust systems, and compliance with licensing, registration and inspection regulations.  Citations will be issued for any violations.

It is bad enough that this is happening in New York, but now other states have been offered up to $350,000 in federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Authority (NHTSA) to expand this practice.

Can you say profiling?

Why are the police engaging in this clearly discriminatory practice?  Well, of course, it is “for our safety”.  And I’m sure if we dig deep enough we can throw in “for the children” and “for the environment” for good measure.

This may come as a surprise to some people, but motorcyclists KNOW that riding is more dangerous than driving a car or, for that matter, staying home and watching TV.  They accept this risk because they love riding.  The same can be said for people who ride horses, bicycles, or even drive a convertible – but I don’t see the police setting up road blocks specifically for them.

I have no problem with people being stopped for DWI, or even exhaust pipes that are obviously too loud.  But surely there should be a simple rule – if a person is not doing anything overtly illegal then they should not be stopped, regardless of what they drive.  To do anything else is just plain un-American.

What I really don’t understand is why people feel the need to stick their nose into other people’s business?   I’m certain that motorcyclists are not asking for these checkpoints, and I presume the police are just following orders.   So this can only be someone in high office with a bug up his rear about…something…and willing to spend our taxpayer dollars implementing checkpoints that no one wants.

In a time of economic crisis…shouldn’t that $350,000 be used on something that people actually want, or need?

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has questioned the legal nature of this program and submitted a list of questions for clarification to the New York State Police. To date, New York authorities have not responded.

Motorcyclists protest in London

In the mean time, groups like the New York Motorcycle & Scooter Task Force (NYMSTF) have set up a Twitter feed to alert people to the locations of these checkpoints by SMS.  Their thought is to warn people away from these checkpoints, but I must admit my preference would be to flash-mob them with fully legal motorcycles instead.

Like the famous quote of First they came by Martin Niemöller – it is motorcycles today, but it could be you tomorrow.  So make a stand.   Use this link to send a note to Administrator Strickland or the NHTSA asking him to stop this discriminatory grant program until the questions posed by the AMA have been satisfactorily answered.

Let’s stop this type of discriminatory behavior now, lest we find ourselves being stopped based on some other random vehicle characteristic.