Am I Being A Douchebag?

A

Apollyon

New member
I've been riding two wheels since before I was legal to drive on the road when I was 14 yrs old.

I don't like following anyone in a car much less riding with a group of bikers.

Don't know what the kid's riding skills really are, maybe he's a champion moto cross driver who knows.

IMO its not good to tag along legal or not.
 
First I will say that if you aren't comfortable with the situation don't go. Thats always your decision. Doesn't make you a douchebag.

I'm not going to be judgemental of the parents though. I started racing motorcross at age 6 and was racing pro by the age of 15. At 14 my two stroke 250cc road race bike would run cirles around any touring bike on the road today. I had a Ducati 900 when I was 16. Maybe the kid has skills? I'd ride with him if I knew he could ride.
 
What is so risky about obeying the law especially when it comes to being on the highway? What is so risky about having a license, insurance, obeying speed limits, stop signs, and all other traffic laws? There is nothing risky about obeying the law. Do you teach your kids to pick and choose what laws they should obey? The kid is 15. He has no license. Maybe he can ride, maybe he can't. A license at least shows he has a certain degree of proficency that was judged by someone besides his parents. How can he possibly have insurance when he isn't even old enough to have a license or be the rider? How many underaged motorists do you know that have insurance? If anything, I'd think any insurance on the bike would be voided by letting a unlicensed, underaged kid ride it. I can't think of a single instance where I told my kid that it was OK to break THIS law or THAT law or where I encouraged her to do so.
 
Nothin' personal, just usin' your post to make a few points.

"I'd go on the ride."... Probably 80% or better chance that there'll be no problem, but who wants to be around when the parents decision bites someone on the ass?

"Sounds callous, but it's not my kid." ... Only sounds callous to the politically correct whiners, but again, do you or I need to be tangled up in the parents problem?

"Natural selection" ... Couldn't agree more, but it still leaves *everyone* on the ride in a discussion with the cops if something goes wrong.

Lots of us rode younger than the kid in question. For most of us it wasn't illegal back then. The highways were different too. More courteous drivers, less congestion, etc. Times & laws change, not always for the better. I too would like to see less of a "Nanny State", & I sure as hell won't contribute to it by callin' some "authority" about the parents, it's their kid & their lives. But, I think it's in a persons own self interest to avoid obvious problems. It's one of the things the "strong & smart" do to survive.

OTOH, if the kid had a license & insurance I'd be one of the first to give him a chance! Along with being one of the first to get on his ass if he screwed up, & the *very* first to ride away if he didn't straighten up.
 
I would not worry about it, you have made your choice, and if the rest of the riders in that group, pretty much think like you, and all the guys who have [ voiced ] their opinion here, it won,t be a problem. It will be a family affair only, everyone will back out. I can't picture you usually ride around with a bunch of Law breaking Morons, until this extremely ill-advised ride. Jeeez.
 
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