The Huffington Post is a widely read online blog. Millions of people read news post on this site every day. So when we read a post titled "Motorcycle Riders: Stop Looking Cool, Focus on Keeping Safety" we got a little pissed. First at the grammar, then at the content.
Written by Jonha Revesencio, (a person we seriously doubt rides motorcycles) the article places the responsibility and blame for motorcycle accidents on YOU, the rider and operator.
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Revesencio uses questionable stats and obvious bias to frame her argument that it's solely OUR responsibility to practice safety on the highway.
Nowhere in her "article" does she ever mention to auto drivers, (arguably most of the audience who will / has read this article) they should look twice and watch for motorcycles.
After giving us 5 "tips" for staying safe, such as "motorcycles are less visible," "it's harder to see us at night" and pointing out facts I'm sure have escaped the dim witted motorcycle community such as "be aware of our surroundings and don't try to look cool."
Her final words of wisdom, "Practicing good safety is the only way you can prevent this fun way of travel from becoming a sad tragedy" is especially infuriating to the thousands of innocent accident victims every years who are struck by car drivers who fail to pay attention when turning left or ram us from behind, or put on make up, and check their phones while driving.
This is the type of "Mainstream" faux news reporting that people point to when someone hits and kills a motorcyclist.
"See, it's the biker's fault. They're hard to see at night, or they were wearing black leather and I couldn't see them."
On that, Ms, Revesencio, I call bullshit. Sure, there are a small percentage of motorcycle riders who pull stunts and weave in and out of traffic. But, the majority, close to 99% of riders are wives, husbands, mothers and fathers. Responsible members of society who do everything they can to enjoy this lifestyle and still get home safe.
We don't need you telling us to "don't try to look cool." We need you to tell car drivers to Put Down the Coffee, Hang Up the Cell Phone and WATCH FOR MOTORCYCLES. That is the best way to prevent more motorcycle trips from ending, as you call it, in a "sad tragedy."
Oh, and if you'd like to send Ms. Revesencio a note, her twitter handle is https://twitter.com/jonharules And, if you're interested in telling the Huffington Post what you think of Ms. Revesencio, their Facebook page is HERE
25 comments
A year and a half ago I had a woman coming in the opposite direction make a left turn in front of me. I was coming up to a stop sign and was already slowing down. If she had actually completed the left turn, I would have missed her but she was to busy reading a sign at the entrance to a fast food joint and thought stopping in my lane was the place to do it. I skidded upto and hit the back passenger side of the car. She got out and accused me of rear-ending her. She destroyed the front endof my harley and ruined one of the saddlebags. When she was ticketed for failure to yield, she got angry…..and started yelling. She even told me she looked twice…..my response…And you didn’t see me either time. I’m 62 and I’ve been riding since I was 18. I’ve had plenty of friends killed through those years and I have yet to see anybody prosecuted for their deaths. They don’t see us….they dont hear us and the only thing I hear asked….was he or she wearing a helmet? I had a friend die from internal injuries and blunt trauma….not a scratch on his head. I’ve seen guys with their heads decapitated…the helmet still on their heads….Really??? Dont try to act cool!
Chuck M. Disgusted old school biker
The really hilarious part is, that someone is so dumb about motorcyclists that they think the leather is to look cool…. They need an education in biker saftey! Hey dumb a$$es the leather is to protect a rider from the weather and idiots like you who don’t watch where you are going in your car, it protects us from injuries and leaving our skin in the asphalt! Any other motorcyclists education you may need just feel free to ask and keep yourself from looking like a moron!!
Are we really supposed to be angry at a blogger who simply wants to give safety tips which could be beneficial to new riders? She does state at the end of her article that car drivers need to share responsibility. I do NOT see anywhere in the article that points this to the leather riding community. I support teaching new riders safety tips. Cagers could use extra safety tips as well, and I’m sure there are plenty of blogs about that. If not, perhaps use your energy to post one yourself instead of bashing someone educating new riders.
I am a rider. This article makes good common sense. Looking cool comment had nothing to do with dress style/choices. It looks like it is mostly addressed to new riders as motorcycles are gaining popularity. If anyone is offended by this (as it appears here) it’s those that ride in an unsafe manner.
screw you huffiton post your clueless