I held my first Ruff Ryder BBQ yesterday at the crib so all my new prospects (almost 10 right now, i think 6 showed up-others had previous engagements) could get a oppourtunity to hang out w/the rest of our RR fam. and just enjoy the afternoon with good weather and great food...
Well, you know how it is when you live near a nice area to ride-peeps will always wana roll out for aquick spin by Lake Michigan to see sights and just feel the breeze.
Well-one of my prospects right now is a young (19yr. old) female who is (imo) trying a lil too hard to 'look pretty' and gives no thought to rider safety. She left for 'quik spin' with the only other female rider at my place, wearing a sleeveless dress-shirt, Apple Bottom jeans (which she shouldnt be allowed to wear-sorry but most YT girls need to leave them things ALONE) and some stacked wedge sandals w/open toe front (since most guys are scratching their heads right now: picture sandals with a 3" stacked heel...basically, NOT RIDING SHOES!!!) I saw the girls leaving, and was thinkn in my head "thats the dumbest thing I ever seen" but I also figured she's a grown person, n can think for herself...
Well, long story short-she wiped out the bike in a turn while zippin thru THE SAME PARK WHERE I HAD MY FIRST WIPE-OUT...laid it down in a left-hander, broke the toe shift peg off, rashed the whole left side n pinched a coolant line but otherwise the bike is alright....the girl on the other hand, f**kd up her left ankle, shoulder/arm, some raspberries on left leg n face and generally just banged up.
after everything went down, I made note of the fact that ALL my other prospects were riding sans-helmet, and 3 of 4 guys were wearing shorts?!?!? WTF is wrong with young riders these days-doesn't ANYONE think about their own personal safety while riding anymore?? those were the questions rattlin around my head, and the only thing I could think to do to help prevent this in the future was to start baby-sitting all my prospects coming into my RR chapter in Milwaukee. I talked to my pres. after everything and he agreed with me that I should implement some 'safety requirements' for all RR pospects: effective immediately, no RR prospects will be allowed to accompany ANY vested members on rides, WITHOUT HELMET and JEANS, at a minimum for safe riding gear. I made dam sure all the prospects who were at my house knew the new rules before they left-because I told them if I even SEE them riding sans-gear, WITHOUT other vested members, I'm still gunna put tha screws to'em-I have their membership status in my hands, so I'm really hoping that will be enough motivation to keep these guys riding with gear on at all times....'cuz Im getting really sick of just fixing broke bikes-I'd much rather be modding them
hope you all have a safe weekend, and if you see other young riders out tryin to look like extras from 'Biker Boyz', just let'em know that their not guna look so friggin cool after they wipe out
Well, you know how it is when you live near a nice area to ride-peeps will always wana roll out for aquick spin by Lake Michigan to see sights and just feel the breeze.
Well-one of my prospects right now is a young (19yr. old) female who is (imo) trying a lil too hard to 'look pretty' and gives no thought to rider safety. She left for 'quik spin' with the only other female rider at my place, wearing a sleeveless dress-shirt, Apple Bottom jeans (which she shouldnt be allowed to wear-sorry but most YT girls need to leave them things ALONE) and some stacked wedge sandals w/open toe front (since most guys are scratching their heads right now: picture sandals with a 3" stacked heel...basically, NOT RIDING SHOES!!!) I saw the girls leaving, and was thinkn in my head "thats the dumbest thing I ever seen" but I also figured she's a grown person, n can think for herself...
Well, long story short-she wiped out the bike in a turn while zippin thru THE SAME PARK WHERE I HAD MY FIRST WIPE-OUT...laid it down in a left-hander, broke the toe shift peg off, rashed the whole left side n pinched a coolant line but otherwise the bike is alright....the girl on the other hand, f**kd up her left ankle, shoulder/arm, some raspberries on left leg n face and generally just banged up.
after everything went down, I made note of the fact that ALL my other prospects were riding sans-helmet, and 3 of 4 guys were wearing shorts?!?!? WTF is wrong with young riders these days-doesn't ANYONE think about their own personal safety while riding anymore?? those were the questions rattlin around my head, and the only thing I could think to do to help prevent this in the future was to start baby-sitting all my prospects coming into my RR chapter in Milwaukee. I talked to my pres. after everything and he agreed with me that I should implement some 'safety requirements' for all RR pospects: effective immediately, no RR prospects will be allowed to accompany ANY vested members on rides, WITHOUT HELMET and JEANS, at a minimum for safe riding gear. I made dam sure all the prospects who were at my house knew the new rules before they left-because I told them if I even SEE them riding sans-gear, WITHOUT other vested members, I'm still gunna put tha screws to'em-I have their membership status in my hands, so I'm really hoping that will be enough motivation to keep these guys riding with gear on at all times....'cuz Im getting really sick of just fixing broke bikes-I'd much rather be modding them
hope you all have a safe weekend, and if you see other young riders out tryin to look like extras from 'Biker Boyz', just let'em know that their not guna look so friggin cool after they wipe out
