Times Have Changed
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,542
Likes: 6,217
From: In your head rent free
I remember that you could sleep about anywhere.
Early 80's I was in the Navy. Used to take off and ride, just to get off the boat.
Find a spot off the road, throw up a tent, or unroll a bag, and spend the night. If the cops came by, they didn't really care. They would see the green ID and leave you be. You packed it out in the morning, no harm, no foul.
Now it seems like a sneeze causes people to go into a panic, and the "behave, and stay" policy has been eliminated.
Early 80's I was in the Navy. Used to take off and ride, just to get off the boat.
Find a spot off the road, throw up a tent, or unroll a bag, and spend the night. If the cops came by, they didn't really care. They would see the green ID and leave you be. You packed it out in the morning, no harm, no foul.
Now it seems like a sneeze causes people to go into a panic, and the "behave, and stay" policy has been eliminated.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,455
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Red neckism didn't discriminate much back then but all said and done I'm damned happy to have lived every minute of it and you'd had fun trust me.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,369
Likes: 472
From: CC TX
Been getting pulled over since the 70's myself, started in SoCal but still get pulled over here these days in Texas.
Here's the thing, when we ride our Harley's, Nadda. Damn near every time we get out on the Sport bikes, whether we are being good little citizens or not, we get a stopped. Not to long ago we were literally surrounded as we putted through a little nothing town called Taft. 10 of us pulled over and required to give ID and insurance with no explanation. Similure issue in Aransas but fictitious tickets we handed out, we went to the PD and requested all training and associated records for the rookie cop, all charges were dropped.
Here's the thing, when we ride our Harley's, Nadda. Damn near every time we get out on the Sport bikes, whether we are being good little citizens or not, we get a stopped. Not to long ago we were literally surrounded as we putted through a little nothing town called Taft. 10 of us pulled over and required to give ID and insurance with no explanation. Similure issue in Aransas but fictitious tickets we handed out, we went to the PD and requested all training and associated records for the rookie cop, all charges were dropped.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,142
Likes: 124
The ONLY thing that stays the same,they say.....
But today,when you hear embrace or accept change,it really means BEND OVER....
But today,when you hear embrace or accept change,it really means BEND OVER....
Last edited by 01fxdxt; Oct 28, 2015 at 09:59 AM.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,469
Likes: 3,572
From: Idaho
It's always interesting when folks look back at "the good old days", and somehow remember everything as being entirely different that what it actually was. 
I started riding in 1964, and by the late '60's I was commuting to either school or work, seven days a week, rain or shine, on a Harley. That was after the CL-77 in my avatar. All of it in California.
I was pulled over zero times by a cop. Zero. Well, one time I threw a u-turn into a parking space, and as I was getting off the bike I heard: "Hey". I turned around, saw a cop in his car looking at me. "What?". "Don't ever do that again". "What?". "Don't ever make a u-turn in the middle of the block, in the middle of town, across a double yellow line, ever again". "Oh. Yessir!"
Yes, you could buy a tank of gas for $10. Otoh, I had to work a solid 8 hours to get that $10 in take home pay.
Yes, my local HD shop did have a cool place with a unique smell of gas and oil. And, if you didn't have the appropriate "look", when you walked in you got half a second of a cold stare, followed by: "WTF do you want? GTFO".
Yes, traffic was a lot less back then. Otoh, the vehicle death rate in the 1960's was 26/100k in population. Today it's 10/100k. Based on the '60's, we'd have around 85,000 dead every year on the roads, compared to around 32,000 today.
Not that it has anything to do with riding, but I'm guessing everyone here remembers polio. 'nough said.
Don't misunderstand what I'm saying...just like y'all, I had a ****-ton of fun, and I cherish my memories, but...
I've been there too, I'll take today.
I started riding in 1964, and by the late '60's I was commuting to either school or work, seven days a week, rain or shine, on a Harley. That was after the CL-77 in my avatar. All of it in California.
I was pulled over zero times by a cop. Zero. Well, one time I threw a u-turn into a parking space, and as I was getting off the bike I heard: "Hey". I turned around, saw a cop in his car looking at me. "What?". "Don't ever do that again". "What?". "Don't ever make a u-turn in the middle of the block, in the middle of town, across a double yellow line, ever again". "Oh. Yessir!"
Yes, you could buy a tank of gas for $10. Otoh, I had to work a solid 8 hours to get that $10 in take home pay.
Yes, my local HD shop did have a cool place with a unique smell of gas and oil. And, if you didn't have the appropriate "look", when you walked in you got half a second of a cold stare, followed by: "WTF do you want? GTFO".
Yes, traffic was a lot less back then. Otoh, the vehicle death rate in the 1960's was 26/100k in population. Today it's 10/100k. Based on the '60's, we'd have around 85,000 dead every year on the roads, compared to around 32,000 today.
Not that it has anything to do with riding, but I'm guessing everyone here remembers polio. 'nough said.
Don't misunderstand what I'm saying...just like y'all, I had a ****-ton of fun, and I cherish my memories, but...
I've been there too, I'll take today.
Last edited by IdahoHacker; Oct 28, 2015 at 12:46 PM.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 35,239
Likes: 19,070
From: 40.2444° N, 75.6419° W
I was just telling a riding buddy that today's technology doesn't miss anything. You cant get away with anything these days, basic crap like driving with no license and insurance is a sure way to get in even more trouble. they have it built in where you cant get away with it. That and the cops run your tag for no reason at all, but then they've always done that. Freaking cops...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 9,982
Likes: 5,220
From: Michigan
I started riding on a Honda 175 in '69, then going to a BWA 750 in '70.
Not too many problems with the cops and some even stopped me just to look and ask questions about the bike.
I remember some restaurants/bars would ask us to park the bikes behind the bar (I guess they thought some citizens may feel intimidated).
A friend and I had reservations at a small motel and we arrived after dark and they wouldn't even open the door so we had to find another motel.
My cousin and I tried to rent a single campsite and they said we could only have "one licensed vehicle per campsite". For just a few dollars more we got a motel room.
Not too many problems with the cops and some even stopped me just to look and ask questions about the bike.
I remember some restaurants/bars would ask us to park the bikes behind the bar (I guess they thought some citizens may feel intimidated).
A friend and I had reservations at a small motel and we arrived after dark and they wouldn't even open the door so we had to find another motel.
My cousin and I tried to rent a single campsite and they said we could only have "one licensed vehicle per campsite". For just a few dollars more we got a motel room.