Ride-Sharing: Trafficking in Freedom or Fear?

It's not often that I ride two-up. My wife isn't fond of traveling on the bikes, and I rarely have occasion to give anyone else a ride either. However, this past week I've had a pair of passengers. Honestly, I'm reluctant to do this in most cases, but not for the reasons you might think. My bikes are well-maintained and I'm confident we can have a safe ride. So it's not the risks to man or machine that douse my interest in ride-sharing. It's the reactions of the passengers. Riding is so fun, the bikes are so cool, the sensation of being outside flow is so solitary and important to my happiness that even if a passenger goes for a little spin and likes it, but doesn't love it, I feel jilted.


This week's first ride went to a co-worker. She had expressed real interest a few days prior and so this past Friday we agreed I'd bring an extra helmet. I like to give new passengers a choice: Biker Babe or Motorcycle Mamma. Biker Babes ride the Springer and dress appropriately. Motorcycle Mammas ride the Ultra and, well, dress appropriately too. This young lady, after hearing the disclaimers, still chose the Springer. So boots, jeans, coat, gloves and skimpy little novelty helmet all in place (What did you think "dress appropriately" meant?) we took a little spin. Just a few miles to see if riding suited her. We kept it under 100 and only split lanes once. After just about every mile I inquired as to her comfort and she declared she was having fun. But then many say that and not all really mean it. Later in the day, though, when I was preparing to head home she followed me out to the bike and started suiting up again. "What," she said astonished at my surprise, "Did you think I would settle for just one ride?" So off we went, again. This time I felt free to give her a better sample. We rode for another 40 minutes on a few surface streets, a couple of well cornered country roads and some freeway with a small dose of traffic-weaving and lane-splitting. At one point as we were riding along the shore of Lake Matthews she leaned forward and said, "I could do this all day. It's so freeing."


So two thumbs up from Biker Babe. (Click on the link below to see her perspective)


www.naturelvgchick.blogspot.com


By contrast, my wife and I had to do a little Christmas commerce for our grandson today. Lana is overtly supportive of my love of riding as long as she is not expected to participate. Oddly it was at her suggestion that we took the bike. Her motive for this choice of transport may have been as follows:


"I can't get that lunk in a car and I need him to go with me, so I'd better bite the bullet here and ride on the bike."


 There is only one choice of bike for her when she rides. She's Motorcycle Mamma all the way. So boots, jeans, coat, gloves, and full-face helmet all in place we headed down the freeway. On the 25 mile ride out traffic was light and we cruised casually at 75. When we arrived there wasn't a word of comment about the ride one way or t'other. In this case I'll call that success. On the way home traffic was stop-and-go (at least for cars) for over ten miles. We split lanes for the entire time. Now in my head I was anticipating a complimentary comment referencing my riding skill (and possibly my rugged good looks) as I felt I negotiated the traffic deftly and chauffeured conservatively. Not to be, however.


"Well, that was certainly frightening." was what she said when we hopped off in the driveway. "I got a lot of praying done while you were splitting lanes."


Hmm, not exactly what I was expecting, but after thirty years of marriage I can honestly say it only momentarily surprised me that I missed my guess as to her thinking. I'm hoping, however, that she does find me ruggedly handsome.


Anyway, thumbs down from Motorcycle Mamma.


To the Biker Babe ride-sharing was trafficking in freedom, and to Motorcycle Mamma it was commerce in fear.