[trenttheuncatchable]

It's always a matter of how much risk you're willing to take on. I wear a helmet and gear, and have seen enough motorcycle racing on tv to not be too worried about the fall off the bike. However, impacting a car (or other object) in front of me, or getting run over, that's what'll probably maim or kill me. Not much I can do about it except not to ride, which is not something I'm willing to do.

Drinking or taking drugs before getting on a bike doesn't make any sense to me either, but those who do so just aren't willing to give it up, and there's nothing I can do about it, so why worry about it? I'm already vigilant when I ride.

I was at the local Harley dealer on a weekend, and they were handing out free beer. They had a tent sale, and there was a donation container for some charity. I don't really have an issue with it, because I know that if I were to have a beer I'd stay off the bike for an hour to let it metabolize. More beers just means more time off the bike, and I know some guys can spend hours at these events. So it's just a matter of knowing your limits and sticking to them. If you don't do that, it's your problem. Just keep your bike away from me so you causing an accident doesn't impact me