Confronting a squid

1st of all there are several young fellahs on my nieghborood that own
600SS bikes. But they're not all squids or at least not all
stereotipical examples.

Next: I ride a bicycle around my inner neighborhood daily between 5:00
& 6:00PM, including the local park. I do this mainly to get exersise
for my heart and false right leg. Anyway, whenever I see a guy ride in
his driveway on a sportbike I stop and start a conversation about
sport bikes, introducing myself and that I ride them too. Most the
interactions have been positive and I even took my bike to a couple of
their houses and even let one guy with a 636 ride my SV around the
block.

Finally, yesterday a guy pulls up to the park on his new R6, I'd seen
him around the hood before (once with both he and his wife riding with
no helmets, shorts and flip/flops). His wife pulled up across the
street in an SUV with their young boy (maybe 3-4 years old). I started
talking to the guy and showed him my artificial leg (that usually
disarms most people). I explained that him riding with no helmet or
any other safety gear was not only dangerous to himself but made the
rest of us riders look bad. From there on he took on a defensive tone
and bragged that he rode with the Hell Riders; impressive eh? The guy
looked like a body builder and could have prolly snapped me like a
twig but I keep up my rhetoric pointing at his huge chicken strips and
if he'd ever seen what an R6 was designed for and had he ever seen the
guys at the local racetrack, etc. I even said, if this is your main
means of transport then why didn't you buy a nice used EX500 or SV-650
for your 1st bike? This got him really angry and he said it was none
of my business (which was true but...). Anyway, at that point he was
cussing at me then he, wife & kid started walking into the park and my
parting comment was to his wife, "how would she like to think of your
son as an orphan".

Moral of the story: let nature take it's course and help fix the gene
pool rather than comfronting a COOL young DUDE with a sub 100 IQ,
who's too cool for school;)

Bob Nixon.

On Oct 11, 1:45 pm, Vaughn wrote:
> On Oct 11, 2:11 pm, Bob Nixon wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > 1st of all there are several young fellahs on my nieghborood that own
> > 600SS bikes. But they're not all squids or at least not all
> > stereotipical examples.
>
> > Next: I ride a bicycle around my inner neighborhood daily between 5:00
> > & 6:00PM, including the local park. I do this mainly to get exersise
> > for my heart and false right leg. Anyway, whenever I see a guy ride in
> > his driveway on a sportbike I stop and start a conversation about
> > sport bikes, introducing myself and that I ride them too. Most the
> > interactions have been positive and I even took my bike to a couple of
> > their houses and even let one guy with a 636 ride my SV around the
> > block.
>
> > Finally, yesterday a guy pulls up to the park on his new R6, I'd seen
> > him around the hood before (once with both he and his wife riding with
> > no helmets, shorts and flip/flops). His wife pulled up across the
> > street in an SUV with their young boy (maybe 3-4 years old). I started
> > talking to the guy and showed him my artificial leg (that usually
> > disarms most people). I explained that him riding with no helmet or
> > any other safety gear was not only dangerous to himself but made the
> > rest of us riders look bad. From there on he took on a defensive tone
> > and bragged that he rode with the Hell Riders; impressive eh? The guy
> > looked like a body builder and could have prolly snapped me like a
> > twig but I keep up my rhetoric pointing at his huge chicken strips and
> > if he'd ever seen what an R6 was designed for and had he ever seen the
> > guys at the local racetrack, etc. I even said, if this is your main
> > means of transport then why didn't you buy a nice used EX500 or SV-650
> > for your 1st bike? This got him really angry and he said it was none
> > of my business (which was true but...). Anyway, at that point he was
> > cussing at me then he, wife & kid started walking into the park and my
> > parting comment was to his wife, "how would she like to think of your
> > son as an orphan".
>
> > Moral of the story: let nature take it's course and help fix the gene
> > pool rather than comfronting a COOL young DUDE with a sub 100 IQ,
> > who's too cool for school;)
>
> > Bob Nixon.
>
> By your description it sounds like you had the best intent, based it
> on good information, and were trying to enhance his safety, and the
> perception of all motorcyclists.
>
> And I agree, that approaching someone with "education," can often go
> awry and end up feeling like a pointless struggle.
>
> But I've found there is a way to prevent such derailing (pun intended)
> of good intent.
>
> The idea is to first connect with the other person on some level
> (which it sounds like you did pretty well). Second, talk about your
> feelings and needs, without judging or blaming the other.
> Third, ask them if they would be interested in advice, information, a
> good story.
>
> Then, if they consent, proceed to lay a groundwork of connection.
> (tell a good story, with a moral.)
>
> Finally, make a request of them for you to give advice. It is like
> asking permission to educate someone. the principle is: Empathy
> before Education. Pride usually gets in the way if there is not
> enough empathy first.
>
> If they consent to being educated before you offer advice, you will
> probably get better results. All of that can require some real
> patience.
>
> Without that consent, the encounter is much less likely to end with a
> positive, and the idiot squid will likely say to himself "Screw that
> old man! I'll prove how alert, cool, strong I am by going out without
> any protective gear, and opening the throttle in front him! HA,
> that'll show him!" In which case, Darwin may indeed have the last
> laugh. But clearly that isn't what you wanted at the beginning of the
> conversation.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Vaughn, you're correct of course but my lack of forthought and a
planned discussion scuttled the outcome-