Bikers Code (Long Post)
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,051
Likes: 0
From: McHenry, IL
I am only 32. Most of my riding buds are old grey and retired. They live by the code. I trust them with my life. I can not find a 32 yo on the street that even knows what the "code" is. It's all about looking cool and tough. There is no honor and honesty anymore. Whered it go? I am willing to relocate.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore!
I think it's a great post. I think it's about taking responsibility for the people around you. Not doing their job or taking care of their responsibilities, but taking responsibility for them in countless little ways.
Having respect for one another.
I was out shopping with my 18-year old nephew yesterday. He's working a part time job in retail while attending college. We went into a store and I had a little chat with the greeter at the door before asking her if they had what I was looking for. The answer was "no" and we chatted for a minute before I thanked her and left.
My nephew was looking thoughtful and I asked him what was on his mind and he said,
"Uncle David, I'm really glad you're that guy."
I asked him what he meant and he said something along the lines of,
"When you're working retail all you deal with are angry people all day. They want what they want and they want it now and you're like a robot to them. But every once in a while, like once a week, you get a customer who smiles and asks you how you're doing. It's usually some little old lady and she smiles at you and just makes your whole day."
And that's what I mean about taking responsibility for others. That little old lady takes an extra 10 seconds out of her day to smile at me nephew and it makes his day! How cool is that?
How often do we bother to smile and be polite to the people we encounter during a day? People like the retail clerk that we don't really have to be nice to? It's how we treat the strangers in our lives that is meaningful. Treat our families well and treat strangers well and before you know it, the world becomes a better place. A place where bikers help one another and cagers do too.
The Bikers I know will stop and help a stranger in approximately one second flat! And most of them act exactly like I do in stores and at gas stations and in the mall and at toll booths, etc. (As a side note, when I read in Time Magazine that toll booth collectors had the highest suicide rate of any profession in the country, I started being EXTRA nice to those guys).
So... Live by the code and die by the code because this kind of code is what makes us human. And it feels good to know that you can look in the mirror every morning and see the face of a person with a code of conduct that takes into account the things that truly matter. Integrity, Love, Honour, Respect.
Because it's hard to do. It's difficult to live by this code. It' hard work! But it's good work, if you can get it.
Peace. and sorry for the rant... Have an amazing Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Verdukian Winter Festival, or whatever you celebrate, lol. Be good.
Having respect for one another.
I was out shopping with my 18-year old nephew yesterday. He's working a part time job in retail while attending college. We went into a store and I had a little chat with the greeter at the door before asking her if they had what I was looking for. The answer was "no" and we chatted for a minute before I thanked her and left.
My nephew was looking thoughtful and I asked him what was on his mind and he said,
"Uncle David, I'm really glad you're that guy."
I asked him what he meant and he said something along the lines of,
"When you're working retail all you deal with are angry people all day. They want what they want and they want it now and you're like a robot to them. But every once in a while, like once a week, you get a customer who smiles and asks you how you're doing. It's usually some little old lady and she smiles at you and just makes your whole day."
And that's what I mean about taking responsibility for others. That little old lady takes an extra 10 seconds out of her day to smile at me nephew and it makes his day! How cool is that?
How often do we bother to smile and be polite to the people we encounter during a day? People like the retail clerk that we don't really have to be nice to? It's how we treat the strangers in our lives that is meaningful. Treat our families well and treat strangers well and before you know it, the world becomes a better place. A place where bikers help one another and cagers do too.
The Bikers I know will stop and help a stranger in approximately one second flat! And most of them act exactly like I do in stores and at gas stations and in the mall and at toll booths, etc. (As a side note, when I read in Time Magazine that toll booth collectors had the highest suicide rate of any profession in the country, I started being EXTRA nice to those guys).
So... Live by the code and die by the code because this kind of code is what makes us human. And it feels good to know that you can look in the mirror every morning and see the face of a person with a code of conduct that takes into account the things that truly matter. Integrity, Love, Honour, Respect.
Because it's hard to do. It's difficult to live by this code. It' hard work! But it's good work, if you can get it.
Peace. and sorry for the rant... Have an amazing Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Verdukian Winter Festival, or whatever you celebrate, lol. Be good.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 717
Likes: 3
From: Cincinnati
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 725
Likes: 0
From: Cape Brerton
Quick story, many years ago (app 35) we went to PEI for a bike show and drag races, we travelled in a VW van, the third seat made from beer cases and we had a 250 can am dirt bike with a slick on it for the drags. half drunk,we came across a guy roughing up a girl on a side street, without a word charles stopped and the three of us jumped out. I hollered HEY! go easy on the lady or something to that effect. The guy turned and was wearing colors, East coast riders or raiders, or such. The Guy went nuts but there were three of us but then I noticed a dozen or so other members approaching I thought hell this is gonna hurt. One guy, I assume the leader walked up and instead of beating the crap out of us he shook hands and said thanks that we had saved the other dude a world of grief. The girl was a local, he was trying to get inside. They were in town for the show and invited us in, we declined but met up with them at the show and had a few beers. We later found out that were affiliates to a very big outlaw gang from Quebec. Even Badass bikers recognize doing the right thing.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,036
Likes: 65
From: Earth
Man its all about doing the right thing.......Always!
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Road Master
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 968
Likes: 2
From: Suburban Hell, MN
What Every Biker Should Know
It used to be that all bikers shared a common bond, an unspoken code of ethics and behavior that transcended words and was built on actions. There was never a bible written on this Biker's Code of the West and there was no need for such to me. But the times are a-changin' and there seems to be a lot of new riders out there. These days the riders you see blastin' down the tarmac are just as likely to be clad in shorts and sneakers as jeans and engineer boots. And the roughest, toughest-looking biker you pull up next to could be your doctor or lawyer and may be wearin' a Rolex watch under his leathers. There's nothing wrong with that, so long as these new riders learn the Code of the West just as we old-timers did.
Being a biker used to be about using your creativity to take a basket case old hawg and using only grit and ingenuity, turning it into a one of a kind eye dazzler, then risking your life on the asphalt on a bike you made yourself out of pride. Bikers wore leather and grease because they knew cagers would just as soon run them down as look at them, so they had to be intimidating. We were a breed unto ourselves with no union, no support group, and in many cases, no family (they threw us out). We had to make it in the world of our own, against all rules, against mainstream society, and against all odds. You know, we survived and prospered because of the Biker Code of the West and we never took **** from anybody. As an old scooter tramp named Jug once said, "It's every tramp's job to school the young. How else are they gonna know a Panhead from a bed pan?" With that in mind, we bring you a primer on the basic two-wheeled Code of the West. Take heed, brothers and sisters, for our Code is a hallowed one filled with honor and loyalty, the likes of which have not been since the days of knighthood.
The Biker Commandments
Don't take any ****. Be kind to woman, children and animals, but don't take any bullshit. This is an essential part of being a biker. It has to do with respect and honor. Anyone can be a brash, quick- tempered lout. Be cool, stand tall and backup what you say with action.
Never lie, cheat or steal. Another way of saying this is to always tell the truth. Bikers are always the greasy bad guys in the movies, but every real biker knows that his word is his bond. Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours. Guard it carefully and be about something noble, for you are a true knight of the road.
Don't snitch. If you see a wrong, fight it yourself. If you are about anything, you'll take care of problems yourself and never feel the need to snitch someone off. Snitches are the lowest life forms on earth, right up there with biker thieves. This rule goes hand in hand with the next one.
Don't Snivel. Absolutely no one likes or respects a sniveler. Another way to say this is hold your mud. Still another way to think of it is, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Most of life's little inconveniences work themselves out whether you snivel or not. Keep your chin up, dammit! You're a biker, not some lowly mollusk.
Never say die and never give up. Whether it's in a fight, a debate, or a business deal, no matter how bad it gets, a biker never gives up. That's why you see a lot of wealthy bikers these days, 'cause they don't know how to quit in any element of their lives. In the biker world of rugged individualists, only the strong survive.
Help others. When a brother or sister is broken down by the side of the road, stop and help them. Even moral support, it that is all you can give, is better than riding on by. Remember life is about the journey, the ride, not getting there. You already are there. And don't just help bikers, show the world that we are better than our image portrays us. Courtesy costs you nothing and gives you everything.
Stick to your guns. Do what you say you'll do, be there when you say you will.
It used to be that all bikers shared a common bond, an unspoken code of ethics and behavior that transcended words and was built on actions. There was never a bible written on this Biker's Code of the West and there was no need for such to me. But the times are a-changin' and there seems to be a lot of new riders out there. These days the riders you see blastin' down the tarmac are just as likely to be clad in shorts and sneakers as jeans and engineer boots. And the roughest, toughest-looking biker you pull up next to could be your doctor or lawyer and may be wearin' a Rolex watch under his leathers. There's nothing wrong with that, so long as these new riders learn the Code of the West just as we old-timers did.
Being a biker used to be about using your creativity to take a basket case old hawg and using only grit and ingenuity, turning it into a one of a kind eye dazzler, then risking your life on the asphalt on a bike you made yourself out of pride. Bikers wore leather and grease because they knew cagers would just as soon run them down as look at them, so they had to be intimidating. We were a breed unto ourselves with no union, no support group, and in many cases, no family (they threw us out). We had to make it in the world of our own, against all rules, against mainstream society, and against all odds. You know, we survived and prospered because of the Biker Code of the West and we never took **** from anybody. As an old scooter tramp named Jug once said, "It's every tramp's job to school the young. How else are they gonna know a Panhead from a bed pan?" With that in mind, we bring you a primer on the basic two-wheeled Code of the West. Take heed, brothers and sisters, for our Code is a hallowed one filled with honor and loyalty, the likes of which have not been since the days of knighthood.
The Biker Commandments
Don't take any ****. Be kind to woman, children and animals, but don't take any bullshit. This is an essential part of being a biker. It has to do with respect and honor. Anyone can be a brash, quick- tempered lout. Be cool, stand tall and backup what you say with action.
Never lie, cheat or steal. Another way of saying this is to always tell the truth. Bikers are always the greasy bad guys in the movies, but every real biker knows that his word is his bond. Your word is all you have in life that is truly yours. Guard it carefully and be about something noble, for you are a true knight of the road.
Don't snitch. If you see a wrong, fight it yourself. If you are about anything, you'll take care of problems yourself and never feel the need to snitch someone off. Snitches are the lowest life forms on earth, right up there with biker thieves. This rule goes hand in hand with the next one.
Don't Snivel. Absolutely no one likes or respects a sniveler. Another way to say this is hold your mud. Still another way to think of it is, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Most of life's little inconveniences work themselves out whether you snivel or not. Keep your chin up, dammit! You're a biker, not some lowly mollusk.
Never say die and never give up. Whether it's in a fight, a debate, or a business deal, no matter how bad it gets, a biker never gives up. That's why you see a lot of wealthy bikers these days, 'cause they don't know how to quit in any element of their lives. In the biker world of rugged individualists, only the strong survive.
Help others. When a brother or sister is broken down by the side of the road, stop and help them. Even moral support, it that is all you can give, is better than riding on by. Remember life is about the journey, the ride, not getting there. You already are there. And don't just help bikers, show the world that we are better than our image portrays us. Courtesy costs you nothing and gives you everything.
Stick to your guns. Do what you say you'll do, be there when you say you will.
