Way Too Dangerous

This Blogpost is definitely a very selfish one. I’ve had this conversation so many times that I just find it easier to send people to a website that answers their question. It’s a little bit like work used to be. I rather invested a few hours in creating a training video than having to answer the same question over and over and over again.

So, why do I continue to ride a motorcycle. Even though it’s so incredibly dangerous?

Every few seconds, a motorcyclist dies or is injured badly. Motorcyclist are incredibly vulnerable, and get easily missed by other drivers and are just the weaker party when it comes to collisions with other motorized vehicles in traffic. And still, I continue to ride my motorcycle.

It’s true, I am vulnerable. The helmet, the gloves, jacket and padded pants that make women’s heads turn when I ride past (that jacket has a way of pressing your boobs into your chest…) are the only things between me and the tarmac. Car drivers are usually busy doing other things than actually driving the car. Such as reading, listening to the radio, texting, checking Google Maps for the route, talk on the phone, sleep, eat, smoke, etc. And in the US, they don’t even have gone through proper driving school. Not every country makes his citizens pay thousands of dollars to allow them to drive a car and potentially be able to kill pedestrians and other motorized vehicle drivers… Admittedly, they’re often much nicer and considerate. IF they actually see you…

And still, despite all the dangers, the 98% probability of getting killed or seriously injured, and the clothes that make my broad shoulders even broader and the big ass even bigger, despite all that I will continue to ride my motorcycle.

When I have managed to put on all the gear, pants, boots, jacket, gloves, and helmet, the bike warm enough to not stall at the next traffic light, when it purrs and vibrates and feels like she can wait to get on the freeway to let off steam, when she reacts to every single one of my moves, leans into curves, accelerates easily within seconds, seems to jump a little like a carefree wild bronco, and sprints along the Californian Highways as if she never did anything else. There is not a lot in this life that makes me happier. And I feel that the same is true for her. As silly as that might sounds, but it’s easy to see what kind of roads she likes. She doesn’t like driving through the city where you have to stop at each traffic light. She loves curvy highways with fast, straight parts. She loves to ride fast on the freeway. Why 100mph is not fast for her. However, for me it is. Given the lack of driving skills and the amount of traffic here in the Bay Area.

But there are so many roads in California, besides the freeway that are just meant for motorcycle riding and where you don’t see a car in hours. Every now and then you see a deer, a squirrel, and a lot of insects. But no car. The most dangerous thing, apart from the curvy road, is the breathtaking nature. You shouldn’t turn your head too often or too long for gorgeous, majestic redwoods or the sight of the beautiful Pacific that makes your eyes well up. No, keep your eyes on the road!

This is another reason why I love to ride a motorcycle. When I ride I don’t think of anything else but the road and the bike. There’s no room. Every, even a little distraction can have lethal consequences. Therefore it’s like Yoga, meditation, or wake boarding. Full concentration. No room to think of work or anything else happening in my life right now. Road, cars, deer, bike. Nothing else.

Being A Woman

• You can't walk down a street and hear someone whistling and just think "Someone is having a great day."
• You walk through a packed club and someone grabs your ass or between your legs.
• You don't wear skirts when you're planning to go to a club that will be packed.
• You walk to the subway in the early morning, wearing cargo pants. Two guys walk behind you and one of them slaps your ass and you're scared they might do more if you yell at them or punch them in the face. And then you grab one of them by his shirt and yell at him in front of his friend and all your friends say later is: "You shouldn't have done that, who knows what they could have done to you?"
• You're asked, "Where is your boyfriend?" when you walk into a bar wearing motorcycle gear and a helmet.
• You're regarded as a couple when you're going on a motorcycle trip with your girl friend.
• Men look at your boobs and not into your eyes when you shake their hands. 
• You feel uncomfortable when you walk home in the middle of the night and walk faster when you see strange men walking close by.
• You blame yourself for looking too nice when a stranger starts following you when you're strolling through a city while on vacation. And you don't even think about going to the police because it's your fault, isn't it and he doesn't do anything wrong other than scaring the hell out of you and ruining the only day you have in that beautiful city.
• You are regarded as an arrogant bitch when you ignore cat calls or strangers talking to you unsolicited on the street.
• You try to avert your eyes when you see men running or exercising without shirts because you're either aroused or, more likely, appalled. 
• You feel like you have to explain yourself or apologize for not being married and having children to people who think that's a woman's main purpose in life.
• You're utterly confused and depressed and really don't know if you want children or not for most of the time you're able to have children. Theoretically, because you might not be able to have children at all. Something you find out once you finally managed to decide that you want them.
• You feel bad when you're getting favors just because you smiled at a guy in a shop or a bouncer at a club.
• You don't ask for favors or discounts because you don't want to get them just because you look nice.
• You're already self conscious and confused when your boobs start to grow without everyone commenting on how big or small (at the same time) they are.
• You know how to deal with pain that feels like your body is being torn apart. Every few weeks.
• You feel what everyone around you feels and you can understand why they do and say what they are doing so it's hard to just dismiss them or judge them. Nothing is black or white for you.
• You feel that you need to defend yourself for your lifestyle choices especially when it comes to your sexual lifestyle.
• You have to endure mockery for the amount of cats you chose to surround yourself with. Although everyone knows that you cannot have enough cats. Cats are awesome. End of discussion.
• When working with male executives you have to endure weeks of endless discussions and revisions of your project plans until you finally end up doing what you had originally proposed.
• You can significantly increase the number of followers on whatever social network is currently the last hype by posting photos of your ass.

If you're lucky you find a place to live and friends who will make all of the above obsolete or easier to endure. And I truly hope that, some day, every woman on earth will life in a place like this, surrounded by people like this.