Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I notice that the press never misses an opportunity to report an accident that involves a motorcycle. The worse the accident the more coverage it gets; even minor accidents seems to make the newspaper. It's true that major auto accidents make the headlines also, but when it's a motorcycle involved they always seem to imply that "it's one of the crazed motorcycle riders again". When it's a car the attitude seems to be "what a poor unfortunate accident".

Anyone have some insight into this practice?

JR

you can thank Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda for that!

you can thank the reprobate doing the wheelie thing for this.

Same thing as guns. They're portrayed as "bad"...media...hollywood...mixed with real life incidents = negative opinions. Then those who harbor those negative opinions jump on the chance, "See, look what happens..."

The way I see it, since I like guns and motorcycles, which are often thought of as "bad", I partake in these activities as responsibly as I can, in order to be a good example.

Others out there may not care so much about the image they're reflecting. Unfortunately, it is those not so great examples that are highlighted the most.

The media sucks plain and simple. They are ALL scum... they get paid for scaring people and trying to brainwash everyone. F 'em.

earwig wrote:The media sucks plain and simple. They are ALL scum... they get paid for scaring people and trying to brainwash everyone. F 'em.

That's true too

I was talking to my boss today, he stated it something like this.

Motorcycles do not enter into most peoples lives. When they do, it is usually in a bad way. The mean looking cruiser dude clad in leather and looking scary, or the guy splitting lanes and doing wheelies.

We are a long time from when motorcycles were more practical than cars. Most people just don't ever ride them and have no idea the pleasure we have in riding them.

We shouldn't be upset or angry with them, we should pity them for not knowing the joy we have on a frequent basis, a joy they may never know.

Guys like the one I saw today are why motorcycles get a bad rap.

He was riding a big HD, not wearing his helmet...it was dangling behind his head...lane splitting, weaving in and out, cutting people off, giving them the finger, and riding on the shoulder.

It only takes one rider like that to undo all the goodwill that the rest of us manage to create.

I dont want to pffend anybody here but the media is nothing but a bunch of bleeding heart liberals. They jump at the chance to bash anything that is a good thing. That goes from all the hangouts that kids gather in to the war. The other bad thing is that motorcycling falls somehwere in the middle of it all.

It's funny how no one remembers how useful a motorcycle was in WW II. It's also funny how a paper reports on a charity run by cyclists but somewhere in there is a question on how legitimate are thses people when it comes to donations. It's extremely funny how whenever there's an accident involving a bike and car the press says that the bikers speed is a factor despite witnesses saying that the bike wasn't going that fast.

I still don't see why lanesplitting is such a problem. It can be dangerous at times but when I was in San Fran many of the locals there don't mind and it is proven that staying in lane is more of a danger as people are oblivious to what's in front.

Oh and most of the sport bikes in SF are quiet and the cruisers are not earsplittingly loud.