Don't TOUCH!

Discussion in 'Gear & Accessories' started by Aced It, Jan 13, 2020.

?

Is there ANY time it is acceptable for someone to touch your gear?

  1. No.

    50.0%
  2. NO!

    50.0%
  1. Aced It

    Aced It New Member

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    Let me introduce a thought provoking question. We all have heard the stories or even been part of this to some extent. Yes, to the general public motorcycles are fascinating; love'em or hate'em, there's always a factor whether jealousy or preconceived notion. Some of these kooks ogle (acceptable), breath-on (weird, but acceptable), touch (unacceptable) and few go as far as actually sitting on your bike while you're not around with the assumption that it's public domain NOT ACCEPTABLE). However, this is not my point.

    I work in an office environment. I ride to work as much as possible and while I put my gear away, I place my jacket on my chair and helmet on the side part of my desk. See where I'm going yet? Most folks at the office respect each other's privacy as it relates to personal items. But, there are those few; the few that think because they know you, albeit only the "office" you, they have permission to just touch your items. And by touch, I mean actually handle and go as far as attempting to try on my helmet and/or jacket AND gloves. From my experience, it usually stems from those who have never rode a motorcycle and generally make comments about how dangerous it is and even that they've had "a friend" that .......... I've heard them all.

    What in the actual hell drives this kind of behavior?

    Your opinions matter, so share your stories. I have to go slap a couple folks now and get disinfectant from the kitchen.

    PS - I don't know why the poll question above is not showing. This is the question: Is there ANY time it is acceptable for someone to touch your gear?

    don't touch2.JPG
     
  2. fink

    fink Member

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    Have to say I don’t have that problem at all.
     
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  3. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Without your knowledge or permission, ABSOLUTELY NO. If for no other reason, there is a significant hygiene issue here. Especially with the tight fitting helmet. Even if there were no hygiene issue it is still no. Would it be OK for someone to go into your closet and try on your shirts and sweaters. Or go into your sock and underwear drawer and try them on. That's a bit of a stretch but you get my point.

    I am not aware of anyone sitting on my bike or touching it. Just a gentle touch does not concern me but they should not do that either. Simply put, it is not their property.

    When I was still a LEO, I used to ride a bicycle to work. I had just purchased a full suspension Rocky Mountain, back when full suspension just hit the market. I parked it in the bike rack out back of the detachment t the door everyone walked in several times throughout the day. I am sure many people looked he bike over as this was a new concept on bikes. I later learned that my watch sergeant and his girlfriend constable help themselves to taking this thing out for a little spin one day. While I was working, without asking. I was totally pissed, especially at the Sgt. He should have known better and I said so to him. From that point on, I brought the bike inside the detachment and locked it to the railings on a stairway, right inside that door where everyone walked by. A few people asked me why I locked it up while it was inside a police office. I told them.

    Thing is, I want everyone know what I have found that I really like and had they asked I would have said take it for a spin. Matter of fact, I probably would have offered it to someone who I know to be a cyclist. I have switched motorcycles with people I know on rides several times without a thought. But no one should just go out there and help themselves.

    That includes my liquor cabinet.
     
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  4. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Get it most weeks - people see a crash helmet & think they need to touch it !!!
    Just shows there are morons everywhere.
     
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  5. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    There is no rhyme or reason to a lot of the things people do these days. Common sense has been replaced with selfies and influencers.
     
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  6. Motokitty

    Motokitty New Member

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    I ride to work everyday and my co workers are cool enough not to touch my stuff.
    But I have caught some stupid parents/grandparents let their kids/grand kids sit on my bike for pictures.
    I usually put a cover on my bike but when I forget, oh shit. Idiots come around like flies.
     
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  7. zombie

    zombie New Member

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    I had a little kid looking intensely at my bike a few years ago in parking lot outside a restaurant. Every time he reached out to touch it his dad stopped him and told him not to touch it. I watched it from inside the restaurant for a good 5 minutes, that dad was patient. His wife and older kid had already come in and were seated already. When I was done I walked over and thanked the dad and son for being respectful and not touching the bike, then asked if he would like to sit on it before I left. He not only sat on it but got to rev the engine and beep the horn. Dad took all kinds of photos and the kid left with a huge smile.
    I still have a photo of me at about that age (5 ish) sitting on a military police motorbike at a German military base also with a big grin. Maybe he will be a rider too someday.
    I also remember helping a friend pick his bike up because some kids were sitting on it and accidentally pushing it over, they ran away of course.
     
  8. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I wonder what those parents/grand parents would think if you brought you kids over and sat them down in the front seat of their car, with their hands covered in jam and honey, and grabbing the steering wheel?
     
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  9. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    Good on you.
     
  10. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I've seen a friend's helmet purposely dropped on it's top inside a restaurant on a thinly carpeted floor. When all the "WHAT THE FUCKS!!!" were done, he still was baffled. "What, it's just a helmet. They're supposed to do that." Close to a fight. It was an older helmet and he just didn't feel like going thru a whole thing with this DIPSHIT. Replaced the helmet soon thereafter.

    Don't touch my fucking stuff.

    Oh, and I also had looky-loo customers drop an ARAI RX-7 on it's top, PURPOSELY!!!!, for the exact same reason. He was "showing" his son helmets. WTF?????!!!!! That was a longer conversation with a deadbeat, but still ended in "Get the fuck out". Because deadbeat.

    Us employees all had little cartoon signs made that we had to put in the front of our seat against the tank that said "No sit" or "please don't sit on my bike." The signs got progressively bigger and more passive aggressive as needed.

    Don't touch my fucking stuff.
     
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  11. zombie

    zombie New Member

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    Just reminded me of a helmet story. I had just bought a new Arai helmet and had stopped at a Tim Horton's to meet some friends. Hung the helmet on the mirror in a way that it could not possibly fall off..... it immediately fell off!
    I let loose a mouthful of expletives as one would when they just pulled a bonehead move like I had . I had not noticed the 2 policemen getting out of a cruiser a couple of spots down from me. First officer (young) starts giving me shit for the language and really starts going off on me, more than was really necessary. The second and older officer stops him and asks him if he has ever dropped a helmet. He said that he had not and was promptly told to " shut the F**k up and walk away then".
    The older officer nods at me and they both walk away.
    I have never hung a helmet on a mirror since.
     
  12. Norse

    Norse New Member

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    Never had anyone touch my gear. Most of the people I'm around are bikers and obviously know not to do that. As for the general public, I think it may be down to culture, since it seems people around here are generally very respectful.
    But there will always be arseholes. The fact that I have never had a problem with those, could in part be due to the fact that if I take of my jacket, I usually leave the vest on it. I think the patch may have a certain "warning" effect. And that club logo is also clearly visible on my bike.

    Plenty of people come up and look at the bike, but never touch it.
    Many times, when it's a young kid and I can see that they literally stopped their parents to look at it, I'll ask if they want to sit on it (if the kid is not covered in ice cream or similar and if they seem nice/respectful). I make sure it's firmly on the sidestand and tell the parents that it's ok to put the kid on the seat and take a few photos.

    I would never allow any adult to sit on or even touch my bike, unless they are bikers and I trust them to not drop it. And should some waste of air do so without my permission, they better pray I don't catch them.
     
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  13. Trentski757

    Trentski757 New Member

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    Awesome motorcycle ambassadorship, your behavior helps make up for the bad rap motorcyclists get from some of the yahoos out there, plus you rewarded them both for their responsible behavior!
     
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