A glimpse inside the heart of scary-motorcycle-rider guy

Greeley Tribune ^ | 1 Jun 08 | Natalie Costanza-Chavez

[Melas]

For your edification.

[bcsco]

Oh, sometime last fall I believe, I met a husband/wife team who rode with the Patriot Guards. They’d just left the funeral of a girl who’d been buried that day.

Like this writer, I made my gratitude known there in the checkout line, and expressed how proud I was of them and of America. They appreciated my comments, but not nearly as much as I appreciate all they do.

[buckalfa]

Very moving post. I had the opportunity to make very casual acquaintance with some of bikers who were part of the Ride to the Wall a few years back. I was surprised at the depth of their compassion and commitment to their cause. Appearences are truly deceiving!

[jazusamo]

God bless the PGR.

[fish hawk]

Here on Maui, this last Memorial day, a group of about 300 bikers did a memorial ride to the Veterans Cemetery and then on to their pavilion just down the street from my house. Almost all of them fit the description in this article. If you can get passed the initial fear you will meet some real patriots. (most of these guys were Vets, some of the conflict in Viet Nam)

[freema]

Bump and an Amen.

[Aria]

i was at Rolling Thunder in D.C. one year. Most of the people there - if I had run into them anywhere else - probably would have made me uncomfortable given the stereotypes we all know. However, it didn’t take long to realize that I was safer there than anywhere - these were good people. They took their patriotism seriously and it was a privilege to be there with them.

[metesky]

I was getting ready to slag this post with the woman and her 14 kinds of margarine chit.

I'm so glad I read it through and can see that she's real.

[Gator113]

“Appearences are truly deceiving!”

Indeed they are.

psst....We bikers are not all bad guys or gals. ;<)

In fact, most of us aren’t bad boys at all. We just love to ride and we love the feeling of freedom that it gives us. While some folks can’t figure out why we do it, many of us don’t think that just because a persons heart is are beating, they’re alive. ;>)

[Blood of Tyrants]

There is a group of bikers that go to the homes of sexually abused children set to go to trial and testify against their abuser. They are very calm and gentle with the kids and show them their bikes and tattoos and such. Also, knowing how much an intimidation factor is for sexually abused children to face their antagonists they let the children know in no uncertain terms that when that child goes to court, several big, tough bikers will be in the audience to let the kids know that NO ONE is going to hurt them. And if they intimidate the abuser nobody loses any sleep, well except for the perp.

[Gondring]

ping

[Salamander]

*This* is a biker thread ping

[fishergirl]

God bless ‘em for doing that!

[texpat72]

God bless the Patriot Guard Riders!

[RandallFlagg]

You wouldn't believe how many people ask if I rode a Harley. I don't even own one....yet.

[fishergirl]

Thanks for the article, now I need some tissues. God bless the Patriot Guard!!

[Sherman Logan]

OTOH, sometimes scary-looking people are also bad people. Some guys who ride motorcycles are very bad dudes, by anybody’s standards.

[Salamander]

As a survivor of a “weird uncle” who totally got away with it, I wish to God I’d had people like that in my life, back then.

Maybe that’s part of why I have them in my life, now.

I know, without any shadow of a doubt, that NO one is ever going to harm me in any way, ever again and go unpunished.

If you’ve ever seen bikers pass each other on the road and automatically wave at each other and wondered “Gosh...do they ALL know each other?”...well, the answer is “Yes”, even if we’ve never met or will never see each other again.

And every one of us will stop to help the other when necessary, no exceptions.

You won’t find that in any other ‘societal subset’.

[Salamander]

You were to the manor, born.

Get a hog, boy!

;-D