florida to bikers: dress like liberace
tommyI’m not making this up.
State highway safety officials are asking bikers to dress brightly, paint their motorcycles in brighter colors and add more lights to the machines.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles have unveiled a new campaign called - get this - Ride Proud, Dress Loud. The idea is to convince motorcycle riders to help themselves be seen easier by other drivers.
Can you imagine watching a half dozen motorcycles pass you, with their riders all dolled up like Elton John?
But what the hell do I know - I’m no biker. It just might work!
I mean, if Easy Rider heads out to the poker run with rainbow stickers all over his bike, while wearing a plume of bright green peacock feathers, or maybe a big sequined shiny vest, I can imagine that lots of folks wouldn’t get too close.
At least one rider thinks it’s a good idea. But I don’t think they will all be convinced. Even the gay motorcycle clubs stick to denim and leather, as did that biker from the Village People.
Another rider is outraged at the promotion. For some reason, instead of suggesting he dress like Elton John, he expected the state to insist that us car drivers take some responsibility.
To be sure, all drivers should ALWAYS look out for motorcycles. But at the same time, all riders should RIDE TO LIVE, and help convince those idiots who don’t to ride with some damn sense (and patience).
Tags: motor vehicles, motorcyclists, ridiculous
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July 15th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
What a novel idea. Expect auto drivers to be responsible for watching traffic so as not to run over/turn in front of bikers. Next thing they’ll want us to obey red lights and stop signs, signal lane changes and all the rest. We can barely handle our telephone calls and texting now. Is there no end to it???
As an aside, don’t think there’s anything to be done for the crotch-rocket riders who are too busy competing for the Darwin award to let a little auto traffic trouble them.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Well…. gawrsh. Some years back, in Washington D.C., I was driving my 26′ long Lincoln stretch limo back home from an airport run and a lady changed lanes in her Honda into my right front fender.
“I didn’t see you,” she said.
26 foot long. Stretch limo. Bright white and waxed like mad. Bright daylight.
I wonder how bright a MOTORCYCLE would have needed to be for this lady to see it?
At least, in a 3-ton stretch limo I heard more than felt the impact. (The Honda was totaled.) A motorcycle wouldn’t have fared so well.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
whenever i see a biker speeding towards me i swerve in front of them, it really makes them mad
July 16th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Don’t motorcycle riders bear any responsibility for their own safety?
The other day I was turning left across two lanes and could see a car and a motorcycle coming toward me a block away. Thinking I had plenty of time, I started to turn. Fortunately, I looked again and was able to stop before flattening the biker who was going so fast I still had time to complete my turn on the second attempt before the car the motorcycle had been even with reached the intersection.
I find this particular motorcycle rider’s penchant for speed to be the rule rather than the exception making a bike that was blocked from view by traffic one moment to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
July 26th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Well, I happen to be a motorcyclist. I also wear a yellow fluorescent vest when riding, and have installed extra lights on my bright yellow bike. I’m also 49, and still around to post this response. Duh! Oh, and I watch out for blind women driving Hondas, and everybody else…
August 6th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I commute daily on my BMW R1200GS Motorcycle and can tell you with no uncertainty that increasing your conspicuity by using bright and/or Highly-Reflective gear can make the difference between a safe ride and playing “Dodge-Car” in traffic.
To this end I have applied Diamond Grade Reflective Tape to the bags on the bike as well as other locations on the bike.
My Helmet, Jacket & Boots all have Highly reflective striping & piping and I run HID flood lights 24×7 when riding so I can be seen by oncoming cagers.
See: http://davedragon.rilysi.com/2008/07/ride-about-2008-fri-sat-jun-20-21.html for photos.
August 17th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Love the Liberace figurine