| Author | Message | ||
     Thatman |
It was a very hot afternoon here in the Brazos Valley, and the local HD dealership was very busy indeed. A friend and I had just stopped in to buy some oil and gaskets; we were just getting back on our bikes to head home and noticed a brand spanking new Harley go idling by. I was just about to throw a leg over when my friend yelled look at that guy. I turned to see a cloud of dust where this fellow had just crossed the feeder road and gone through the median to get on the busy freeway. There is no on-ramp and we knew the man was in trouble, I noticed the salesman had a worried look on his face; my buddy and I raced after the out of control rider. The man somehow got off the freeway and came to a red light, I could see my buddy yelling at him, later I learned he was trying to get the guy to pull the clutch in; evidently the man was too scared or had a death grip on the bars and couldn’t pull the clutch and continued forward and over a low section of guard rail and proceeded to head straight through another section of median and straight at the busy freeway again. Finally he dumped the bike about thirty feet from the highway. Our speed limit is set at seventy and it’s not unknown for drivers to be doing eighty or more in this area. When we finally got to the man he was shaken up very badly with only a cut on his leg to show for his stupidity. He looked to me like a professor type from A&M University with too much money and not a lick of common sense. Luckily no one was hurt, although I would imagine some of the cagers on the highway had to go change their shorts when they got home. I just can’t describe in a short post how this event unfolded and after all was said and done, I have no video or pics. This is the second incident of this kind at this dealership and I think it is criminal to allow a man or woman who does not know how to ride to take a bike out like this fool did. He could have died in a very messy manner or caused a bad accident on the freeway. Oh, he was dressed in shorts shirt sneakers and no helmet. | ||
| Pogue_mahone |
damn ! he needs to get back on the horse and he needs friends to help him from killing himself.and the salesman and sales manager need to be called out to explain. sometimes doing the right thing involves not selling to someone and not making ur commission. | ||
| Fastxb12r |
Good thing nobody was hurt.In florida they recently passed a law that states you must take a motorcycle school coarse to own or drive a motorcycle.I personally think its a great idea the more educated riders the better.When I had my wreck if it wasent for my knowledge on how to handle the bike I would of high sided on the concrete doing about 70 after a car clipped me.My broken neck was better than my dead body..... | ||
| Ochoa0042 |
good he is ok, could of ended badly | ||
| Sloppy |
With the POWER of CHOICE comes GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. You only need laws to ELIMINATE your FREEDOM if you don't want to be held RESPONSIBLE for your OWN ACTIONS... I'm glad that the rider is okay, but it's still HIS RESPONSIBILITY to properly operate the vehicle. Just because you can ride a bike doesn't mean you should... | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Sort of ironic, but didn't CHiP's do an episode like this early in the show run? I remember seeing it as a kiddy. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
You only need laws to ELIMINATE your FREEDOM if you don't want to be held RESPONSIBLE for your OWN ACTIONS... Bovine Scat. His actions, and the store's inaction, and the state's inaction, put a lot of people in danger. They are all responsible for that. If rider was killed who could then be held responsible, and accountable? Answer is the other two. People should be able to travel state monitored highways and freeways with the reasonable expectation that they will have protected from idiots like this. Basic skill requirement would meet that need. That is why most other jurisdictions have driving, ownership and licensing laws in place. The Right to swing a fist stops where someone else's nose begins. | ||
| Fast1075 |
This reminds me of the stickers on a step ladder that warn you if you fall off you can be killed or injured. Doh!! And YES...people should be accountable for their own actions...if somebody is stupid enough to jump on a bike that he has no idea how to control...deserves to be weeded from the gene pool... Lets see now....flight has always fascinated me...I think I will go hop in an airplane and take off...it looks easy in the videos i have seen...  | ||
| Zatco81 |
I agree with those that say all 3 parties are responsible. The dealer should have done some qualifying before handing over the keys. If it was your bike for sale would you just hand over the keys for a test ride without knowing if the person knew how to ride? | ||
| Sloppy |
Perhaps the brake and clutch lever manufacturer should also be held responsible? Or the tire manufacturer? Or how about the motorcycle designer! Or how about the government for allowing the highway to be built there? Or for the city to allow a permit for a motorcycle dealership to be built? See, the list goes on for the "blame game", when the bottom line is -- it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY for YOUR ACTIONS! If you keep finding "fault" elsewhere then "no one" will be at fault! | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
Both are idiots, rider and salesman. The fault ends there, or at least it should. The dealer could have some blame for hiring the idiot salesman, but maybe they didn't know how big of an idiot he is. If he's done this before then, yea, they're responsible too. Don't go super hyperbole, holding the salesman/dealer responsible isn't the same as blaming the manufacturers ect. Get a grip. amendment: I'm speaking entirely of their responsibility if someone else is hurt. I don't have much sympathy for the rider. (Message edited by not_purple_s2 on June 15, 2009) | ||
| Midknyte |
So what yer sayin, is on one hand, you's got's a douche, and on the other, you got's a canoe salesman... | ||
| Froggy |
I hear stories like this all the time. Blame the dealer? How is this any different than someone buying a meat cleaver and then accidentally loses a finger? You are responsible for your own actions. Sure, the dealer could of suggested that the bike wasn't a wise decision, but ultimately the buyer is an adult and had the cash. If that dealer denied him the bike, he would of gotten it elsewhere. | ||
| Not_purple_s2 |
For some reason I assumed this guy was test riding the bike. If he bought it then, that's his ass. | ||
| Zatco81 |
+1 Unpurple-I thought so as well. | ||
| Augustus74 |
Im gonna go ahead and assume the guy had a motorcycle license if the dealer was letting him test ride a bike. So wouldn't it be the state's responsibility for licensing the guy??? Even if he wrecks it, I'm sure he gonna have to pay for it. But yeah, the guy riding the bike should have made sure he was ready for this step in his life. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Point is, if he takes himself out, tough, sad but tough. Problem is on a highway, he takes more people out and isn't around, or isn't able, to take responsibility. How does anybody take responsibility for taking a life in a stupid accident? The highway/freeway already legislate against bicycles and horses for those reasons. Your tax dollars should be used to protect you from this kind of stupidity as well. Other jurisdictions already do. Froggy, you and I could probably work out a deal with the cleaver, I think we're both mature enough. However, would you give a five year old a Cold Steel cleaver to send to school? Don't think so. All I'm saying is that somewhere between you and I and that five year old, somebody has to step in and say, "Show me that you know what you're doing" so nobody else gets hurt. | ||
| Odie |
It is the riders responsibility- no one elses. I don't get into a helicopter I know I can't fly. I don't jump on an excavator at a construction site that I know I can't operate. This world is TOO full of pansy azz people that won't take responsibility for THEIR OWN ACTIONS. | ||
| Zatco81 |
This world is TOO full of pansy azz people that won't take responsibility for THEIR OWN ACTIONS. Agreed...but maybe you're smarter than this guy??? | ||
| Ratyson |
Odie... you need to pack your bike in one of them whirly-birds and fly up here to Huntsville and take a ride with me in the hills! And then take me up for a ride-along in the choppah! It has been a long time... I miss riding in the crazy elevator. (Message edited by RATyson on June 15, 2009) | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Is it the FAA down there? They let any donkey walk in, buy a helicopter and fly it the same day without any license? Don't think so. Just asking for the same protection on your roads. Anyway, I'm probably bailing on this conversation because it usually starts going bad after about this point. There are fundamental philosophies here and they won't be changed by a thread discussion. Last point I'd want to make is that after the hurricane swept through Galveston, an awful lot of hungry, thirsty people were expecting the government to look after them. A brand new philosophy for Texas, and no slight on all the victims, just an expression of need. | ||
| Odie |
What people NEED is to grow backbones and be responsible for WHAT THEY DO. Just because you think you can do something doesn't mean you should. Once you buy a helicopter it is yours and you can do what you want with it. You don't need a license to buy it. Just like a motorcycle. I didn't say you could do what you pleased with it legally, just like a bike. I feel it comes down to folks being smart enough to know their own limitations without the guvment' having to protect them with more rules and regulations that clog up everyday life. This is what happens when someone buys a helicopter and tries to fly it without knowing how to. Same results as above it seems. Retards....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j40cNKgniA | ||
| Pogue_mahone |
wow lots of talk about responsibility. who was responsible for the greed factor? appears to be a guy with money and credit....lets just sell him a bike anyways....never mind trying to find out his skill level and experience. ah go for the quick sale,you want a new boat right? his family and his kids and all dont matter...just get that easy income/credit score sale to boost ur income. its ok..it's not your family. | ||
| Oxygen151 |
If you go to look at a bike and you don't know how to ride, don't ride! Pretty simple concept amazingly. It has nothing to do with a greedy salesman. No one forced that man to get on the bike and ride it. Be responsible for your own actions. | ||
| Thatman |
I remember a psychology lesson where children of a certain age develop the ability to use perspective; the ability to view their actions from another’s point of view. I think they develop this ability around the age of 6 or something like that. Obviously this guy never grew beyond that age. I know I have a clear understanding of the consequences of my actions, could it be that this guy slipped back to his childhood in his eagerness to play with his new toy? This guy never even considered the consequences of his childlike enthusiasm. The dealership on the other hand clearly has seen this sort of thing before, like I said before this is the second incident at this dealer that I am aware of. Even though they are within their rights with the law if someone would have died I have no doubt they would pay a heavy price in civil court; enough of these incidents or when enough people get hurt big brother will step in and save the day. I agree, it’s people like these who are the threat to our freedoms and privileges. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Pilot certification in the United States is required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the Department of Transportation (DOT). A pilot is certificated under the authority of Parts 61 and 141 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, also known as the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). An FAA-issued pilot certificate is evidence that an individual is duly authorized to exercise piloting privileges. The pilot certificate is one of several kinds of airman certificates issued by FAA. Any problems with that Wiki quote? If the gov't can require training in an attempt to keep idiots out of the sky, they can require training in an attempt to keep them off the roads. Obviously, the training requirement doesn't alway work but at there is an effort by the government to protect innocent lives. I don't want planes/copters falling out of the sky and I don't want vehicles crossing the median and running into me and my family, or you. Thank you very much. | ||
| Thatman |
Cool vid odie, I bet they all ran for cover. | ||
| Odie |
I don't have a problem with that quote. I have the '09 FAR's sitting right here. I also have the license to which they speak. However, you do not need to have a license to buy a plane/helicopter or a motorcycle. All you need is $$$$. The point I am making, and obviously you are missing, is just because you can afford to buy whatever toy doesn't mean you can or should operate it. It's just like having kids. Some people need sterilized before they breed. Just because you have the equipment doesn't mean you should use it. You, as an individual, have to have the cajones to say to yourself....."Ya know, I really don't know how to ride/fly this neato piece of equipment so maybe I'll go get some lessons/training." You can't regulate morality or righteousness or the ability of people to chose the hard right over the easy wrong. Obviously the guy shouldn't have been riding a bike just like the guy shouldn't have been flying the helicopter he just bought. Not everything you read on Wiki is true either...... | ||
| Midknyte |
A dealership could [be made to] require that customers have a motorcycle endorsement, but that still would not help if they were fresh out of a class... How would HD sell bikes in a graduated license environment? How does that work in those countries? If we had that here, would we see the mothership develop and sell a smaller bike? A mini-cruiser? A Sportster with a Blast engine? Hmmm, threadjack! Has anyone seen a Sportster with a Blast engine? | ||
| Xb9ser |
I had a friend buy a honda valkire when they first came out.He had some one ride it home cause he had no idea. He just liked it and had the money. He did learn to ride before takeing it out.My grandfather use to fly a cropduster and thought a helocopter would work better and tryed to get his helo lience. FAA grounded him. Said he was to old,he was 85, this was in the 1960s. |
