[Andonyx]

It is a complex issue as has been pointed out, but I'm loathe to jump on a "blame the media explanation". I realize that is not necessarily what the topic is suggesting, but I maintain the same stance I do on this that I do with the lawsuits against Grand Theft Auto, and violent movies: If anyone is so influenced by a piece of fictional mass entertainment that they are persueded to do something dangerous, illegal, or just idiotic, then they are mis-wired to begin with.



I imagine this like many other things is a trend that will abate when those prone to unecessary risk taking find something else to move on to that provides an adrenaline fix.

 

[4940]

Let social Darwinism take it's course. There are already too many laws on the books, that if enforced would stop this particular kind of idiocy. Absolutely no one will benefit from the passage on new laws but their bureaucratic enforcers. VWW

 

[Elseanno]

I'm sorry about the professional photographer you mention. Sadly accident happen. The stunter and his amatuer buddy I have a little less sympathy for. Retards putting themselves and the public in danger on public roadways are selfish in the extreme. In addition to the potential to hurt themselves (thier problem) the risk my life/saftey too. That pisses me off.



As for movies.....While I wholeheartedly agree that Dorque was made to appeal to mouth breathers, it is not an instruction manual. People must be accoutable for thier own actions. We can't blame movie makers for selling what sells. Action and sex. If the idiots watching don't understand that the movies are make believe, I don't think that the film makers' should be blamed when said viewers do the old, "Hey Vern, watch this!"



Sadly, the mouthbreathers will always be with us. Thing is they breed WAY faster than the rest of us, mainly due to thier inability to look at the consequenses of thier actions. Breeding is a reallly basic activity, so they are proficient at it while thinking is more difficult. We, the superior MO readers, need to begin breeding at a higher rate so that we're not over run by the mouth breathers.



That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!



Elseanno

 

[longride]

I feel as long as "Motorcycling is inherently dangerous" for only the rider, then no law is necessary for that. If somone falls and hurts themselves by not wearing protective gear, they are not risking any life or limbs but their own. They know the risks and decided what was best for them. Same on a racetrack. All the participants are willing victims if there is a high speed accident. Since you signed up, there is no beef there. I have no qualms about riding on the street aggressively, as I do it myself, but excessive speeding and stunts on the street give many people the impression that these guys are risking more than their own lives. When innocent people start to die, or get injured, like bystanders or other people in other vehicles, then the Gov is going to crack down. The media love stories like this to just bring things further down than they already are. The big difference with this and helmet laws is an unwilling victim never died from a rider not wearing a helmet. Hopefully these incedents will be few and far between enough not to catch any more attention.

 

[seruzawa]

What happens when you add two idiots a motorcycle and a videocamera together, Alex?



If you want to tape stunts, try standing TO THE SIDE of the direction the motorcycle is travelling.



Never underestimate the ingenuity and dedication that idiots can demonstrate when it comes to killing themselves off.

 

[46412]

that was the reason why "zoom" was invented.

Kidding aside, like every other thing you do, you should consider safety. If you want to be a jack ass, consider the risks. It's a pitty someone had to die for it.

 

[DeadVFR]

I blame Real TV! Not really. Real TV (and the like) is only a venue for showing stupid kids coming up with spectacular ways of maiming themselves and others.



Stupid behavior will always exist. Its just that video camera has given us the ability to record stupidity for posterity, and disseminate that stupidity in action to the general public.



Of course, one has to delve into the definition of stupid as well. I would qualify stupid as a total disregard for the laws of physics and nature. Standing in the middle of a road -- a thing known to contain high speed objects of unintentional death -- while a motorcycle with its primary mechanism of directional control disabled due to wheelie-ing, is hurtling at you, is just plain stupid.



You could say that people don't know they are being stupid because they don't have the experience to know how dangerous things are. Au contraire! We get a 'rush' from doing exhilarating things because we know and feel that they ARE dangerous, yet somehow we do things at survive. Eventually the exciting becomes the mundane, and we go find yet another level of danger to challenge and survive.



All that said, I've come to the conclusion that there must be some natural law that makes it impossible for a squid to NOT take out somebody else when they crash.

 

[pplassm]

Just waiting for Mister Allcaps to post here......

 

[seruzawa]

Who do you think was riding the bike?

 

[SparkyBlue]

Stupidity is a self correcting/terminating problem... sometimes

 

[Buzglyd]

Strange coincidence that this took place in Raceland, LA.

 

[MRALLCAPS]

LET US SPILL OUR FOURTIEZ ON THE GROUND FOR OUR DEAD HOMIE

WHO DIED WITH THE NOBLE SHOUT UPON HIZ LIPZ: AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I WROTE THIZ POEM WITH HELP FROM SOME DUDE WHO'Z BRAIN IZ IN A JAR IN ENGLAND, BUT HE'Z PRETTY COOL. HE MADE ME TAKE THE CAPZ LOCK KEY OFF BECAUSE HE'Z GAY, I THINK.

CHARGE OF THE STUNT BRIGADE

BY MR. ALLCAPS

Half a block, half a block

Half a block onward,

All on they back wheelz

Rode the fresh stuntaz.

"Wheelie the Stunt Brigade!

"Charge for the camera!" he said:

Into the Expressway of Death

Rode the fresh stuntaz.

"Forward, the Stunt Brigade!"

Was there a homie dismay'd?

Not tho' the homiez knew

Someone was buggin:

Their'z not to make reply,

Their'z not to be all trippin':"Why",

Their'z but to stunt or die:

Onto the Expressway of Death

Rode the fresh stuntaz.

Cousinz to right of them,

Homiez to left of them,

*****ez in front of them

Buck Wild and Bumpin';

Storm'd at with shot and shell,

Fly they rode and well,

Onto the Expressway of Death,

Into the Mall of Hell

Rode the fresh stuntaz.

Flash'd all their chromed wheelz bare,

Flash'd as they turn'd in air,

Buggin' all the boyz up in there,

Charging an army, while

All the world wonder'd:

Plunged in the burn-out smoke

Right thro' the line they broke;

Homie and Gangsta

Reel'd from the tight-azz shiznitz they pulled

Shatter'd and sunder'd.

Then they rode back, but not

Not all the fresh stuntaz.

5-0 to right of them,

Guidence Counselorz to left of them,

Dey Momz behind them

Trippin n' Dissin;

Storm'd at with shoutz of "Chill!",

While GSXR1000 and homie fell,

They that had bumped so well

Came thro' the Expressway of Death

Back from the Malls of Hell,

All that was left of them,

Left of the fresh stuntaz.

When can they flava fade?

O the dope-azz video they made!

All the homiez wondered.

Honor the video they made,

Honor the Stunt Brigade,

Noble fresh stuntaz.

 

[obandoj]

While it is never a good thing when someone dies, as somebody already said, this is what happens when you put a bunch of high risk factors toguether.

The repercussions will be felt all across the sport, sooner or later, and the loosers will be the long time and true motorcyclists, this squids are never in for the long run, it is just a testosterone thing!

My two cents.

 

[capnbinky]

"The point? Motorcycling is inherently dangerous. "





Uh...sorry? A teenager struck and killed on the middle of a highway by his wheelying buddy makes no point whatsoever that has any relation to 'motorcycling.'



If you had said "The point? Standing in the middle of a highway while videotaping a friend wheelying is inherently dangerous," then I'd be with you.



More to the heart of this particular item: "Kids do alot of inherently dangerous stuff, and sometimes they get killed as a result."

 

[44890]

The last mistake he'll ever make.

Print magazines got nuthin' on this. All we need is the Highwayman and we can call it a wrap.

Seriously, I always say that everyone is entitled to do one REALLY stupid thing in their life ... and as I get older I am considering upping that to two or three or four. It's a shame when instead of getting a little wiser you just get dead.

 

[33342]

Bravo, well said...

 

[wrecks]

Can we download the video? That would be fn hilarious.

 

[Abe_Froman]

Standing in the middle of a busy highway with a video camera is dangerous no matter who's driving on it.

 

[Abe_Froman]

Man I am sick of stunting and stuntaz.



Going fast and crashing is one thing, not smart but at the very least understandable. We all like to go fast. Dying by getting hit by your buddy while you're attempting to immortalize his moronic behavior is stupid. It doesn't take much common sense to successfully videotape some action from a safe distance, and for crying out loud, when you've seen one wheelie you've seen them all. You're not breaking any new ground here. Stunting was played out the moment I finished watching the original Las Vegas Xtreme video.



Val Rossi didn't get to be world champion by doing the longest stand up wheelie. If we're going to get hurt and die emulating somebody it should be him, not the Star Boyz.

 

[dnakase]

Funny you shoud mention Torque.



I worked as an extra on the film and watched as their stunt crew worked sans-helmets. They also had principal actors on bikes with nothing protecting their gleaming smiles but air.



Not much seperates them from some kid with a mini-dv camera but better equipment.



As for protecting people from thier own idiocy, why bother? The problem usualy takes care of itself.