Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The 1% Solution? This is my turf & I've got the patch to prove it!

A post and comment thread caught my eye over at motorcycle philosophy. The author wrote about some of the differences between clubs, pointing out that some have a lot of structure while others are more lax. It seemed like a pretty even handed analysis to me.

Then comes some comments about the post from an anonymous reader, "For me, a club like yours is a complete waste of time because there's no commitment and no standards. Any schmuck can buy the patch and play biker on the weekend. For you, a club like mine where you have to earn entry and you're held to high standards, well, maybe that's too much work."

I had to wonder what Mr. Anonymous had to do to earn entry into his club and if it was something to be proud of, like help an old lady across the street or something like that, I kind of doubt it. I'm usually a pretty mild mannered guy but some of his/her further comments really got me worked up:

"...I tried to clue you in once before about RCs emulating MCs and you blew me off, but now that I've seen your patch I have to tell you again. You're asking for real trouble with that patch, especially the SoCal rocker. you're claiming territory - or appearing to - and that won't fly with your local power club. You must be under their radar, because with your attitude I'm certain you haven't cleared it with them. They're not going to laugh it off when they finally notice you."

Then after a few more comments by others the anonymous 1%er came back with this:

"STAR and HOG are both brand-specific clubs known and accepted by the power clubs, that's why they can fly a location "patch" without fear. You guys? Not so much..."

The last time I checked anyway, this is America and its supposed to be a free country. It just seems to me so petty and juvenile that any club thinks they own territory and that no motorcycle rider should dare wear a patch on their jacket that doesn't meet their approval. Gimme a break!

So, what do you think?

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)

Subscribe to Motorcycle and Scooter Talk at Kano's Coffee House



Harley Davidson Men's 105th Anniversary Hooded Sweatshirt--LIMITED EDITION. Large 105th Anniversary logo screen-print on the back. 96114-08VM

Motorcycle Apparel & Gear at BikeBandit.com!

4 comments:

Baron's Life said...

Well said Kano,
This was, still is and will always be a Free country of the brave and daring.
To me riding a motorcycle is all about freedom..the freedom to be on the road with the elements, nature, personal skills, yourself and some friends if you so wish. Belonging to a club would never occur to me as it defeats the whole purpose and the very essence of FREEDOM...!!!
This is the Land of the Brave and Free and nobody is going to take this away from us
http://baronsview.blogspot.com

Lance said...

Ditto here Kano - well said. When a club starts to dictate down to what kind of patch is OK/not OK to wear, that's not high standards, that's control. Riding is about freedom, not a dress code.

Heinz N Frenchie said...

Our thoughts....Get a Life! And don't take yourself so seriously.

Kano said...

baron's life -Thanks for the comment man and you are right on!

lance -You and I are fortunate to live where we do. For people in the big cities like LA etc. gangs are a very real concern and just their presence could make someone think twice about challenging them in any way. Unfortunate but that's reality. One doesn't need to go to the middle east to find terror tactics. We've got plenty of it right in our own country.

heinz n frenchie -If you're comment was intended for the anonymous commenter I mentioned in the post, Amen! If you aimed your comment at me, well, point well taken if you're scolding me or offering up some constructive criticism. If it's intended to be a put down, OK fair enough,Ouch!