Sean's exactly right. Training and some basic education probably would have helped the Harley guy, but the other two were victims of stupidity, and a failure to understand the consequences of their actions. Motorcycles require an extraordinary amount of skill to ride safely, and to ride fast requires skill, practice and judgement. Reckless abandon tends to yield results similar to those described above.
As a semi-related note, I have a friend here who recently mentioned that, as a first bike, he wanted a Harley Fat Boy or something equivalent. I had a fairly detailed and graphic conversation with him about why that was horrible decision, the consequences of errors particularly on land barges like the Fat Boy, his complete ignorance on handling that or any other bike, and have (hopefully) convinced him that starting with something more reasonable, a la a Sportster (he likes the Harley image, which I couldn't talk him out of), would to wonders for extending his riding career.
All that being said, I think that we as a society are already coddled and overprotected by regulation, law and rule. Mandatory airbags and ABS in cars are a great example of this. Your cost is pushed up and choices are taken from you because some jerk-off got all teary eyed about someone dying in their car. That really pisses me off. Life in general has a defined outcome - death - and this culture of safety really is a degenerate notion that attempts to sap our humanity (note: part of my ***** is that a reasonably priced, light-weight sportscar physically can't be built with today's auto regulations).
That's part of the reason I love motorcycles; by their inherent nature they can not be made passively safe - safety requires active participation from the rider. Even then there are risks, of course.
This discussion really has two components though: the degredation of the human spirit, and idiots who kill themselves by acting the fool.
Okay, now I'm rambling.
cdg
As a semi-related note, I have a friend here who recently mentioned that, as a first bike, he wanted a Harley Fat Boy or something equivalent. I had a fairly detailed and graphic conversation with him about why that was horrible decision, the consequences of errors particularly on land barges like the Fat Boy, his complete ignorance on handling that or any other bike, and have (hopefully) convinced him that starting with something more reasonable, a la a Sportster (he likes the Harley image, which I couldn't talk him out of), would to wonders for extending his riding career.
All that being said, I think that we as a society are already coddled and overprotected by regulation, law and rule. Mandatory airbags and ABS in cars are a great example of this. Your cost is pushed up and choices are taken from you because some jerk-off got all teary eyed about someone dying in their car. That really pisses me off. Life in general has a defined outcome - death - and this culture of safety really is a degenerate notion that attempts to sap our humanity (note: part of my ***** is that a reasonably priced, light-weight sportscar physically can't be built with today's auto regulations).
That's part of the reason I love motorcycles; by their inherent nature they can not be made passively safe - safety requires active participation from the rider. Even then there are risks, of course.
This discussion really has two components though: the degredation of the human spirit, and idiots who kill themselves by acting the fool.
Okay, now I'm rambling.
cdg
