Observations from a Motorcycle

It is motorcycle season again (yaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!!) and in honour of this I would like to share some observations that I have made over almost 70 000 kms of riding.

1.  Everyone waves at you when you ride a motorcycle.  Little kids..... older men.... babies who are asleep in their mother's arms..... everyone waves at bikers.  Bikers even have a secret "biker wave" that they do when they see each other (I would tell you what this is..... but then I would have to kill you).

2.  Everyone wants to talk to you when you are on a bike.  Pull into a gas station in says Butte, Montana driving a minivan - no one says a word to you.  Drive in on a bike and you will have at least three guys talking to you about where you are from, where you are going, what you are riding, telling you how many bikes they have in the garage, etc.  This actually happened to Lenny and me in Butte.... and it happens all the time everywhere.

Both of those things are sort of nice.  Especially the people talking to you.  I really enjoy that part.

The other interesting thing is that the waves and the conversations are different based on gender.  For example......

1.  Men wave at you in a "Hey, buddy!!!!  I wish I was riding a bike!!!   Rock on, dude!!!!!" (Or whatever it is that the cool kids say now) sort of way.

Women, on the other hand, wave at you in the same way that they might wave at someone walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls or at a lion tamer in a cage.  It is sort of a "Ummm - golly - I am glad you think that is fun, but I don't so I hope you don't hurt yourself" sort of way.

Editor's note:  All kids,  regardless of gender, wave like the guys do..... they are just happy to see someone doing something that looks like fun.  Maybe there is a lesson there too.

2.  Men, as noted, talk about things like where you are headed, what you are riding, how long you have been on the road, etc.

Women talk about the weather..... EXCLUSIVELY!!  I was sitting at a gas station in Brandon, Manitoba when out of the blue this very nice lady walked up to me and asked, "You aren't going to Winnipeg are you?"   When I told her that I was turning north and going to Dauphin she replied, "Oh good!  There is a huge storm outside of Winnipeg!" and then she went on her merry way.

Now, what does all of this mean?  Well, a smart people would realize that one ought to pay more attention to the ladies than the men.  The ladies seem to have your best interest at heart (even if they do not know you at all) while the men just seem to be saying "Have at 'er, dude!!!"

Unfortunately, I am a dude so.........Rock on!  (Or something like that)