hello everyone, i am having a really good week, however i might need to make some changes to my lifestyle. i just go in to physician assistant school and will start this august. this has been my dream for a long long time and i have worked very hard. i am 22 years old and it seems as though now my "stock" has gone up a lot. my family and friends told me to give up riding now since i have so much more to lose. i am starting to agree with them, how do u guys feel? i would also hate to be chastised by those in the medical community for riding a motorcycle since i plan to go into orthopaedic surgery, which is where most bikers end up after a bad accident. i have been riding for a year now and actually got a bike in the first place because i didn't get into PA school the first time i applied last year. any ideas?
~facio
Riding is dangerous, but then again, so are so many other things in life. Simply getting out of bed is dangerous, but we don't all stay in bed because of it. You need to find out what YOUR acceptable risk is.
For me, riding is an acceptable risk. I have no dependants and have enough life and medical insurance that if something were to happen to me, there would be enough to pay my bills or stick me in the ground. That said, I do everything I can to reduce that risk. I have very good gear and am constantly working on being a better rider. [and I think I'm a better driver also because I'm so much more aware of the vehicles around me now than before I rode bikes]
What will your 40 year old self tell you if you gave up on riding now?
A change in lifestyle may be in order, but you certainly don't have to give up motorcycles if you love them. Just make sure you've got all the proper gear (good sturdy ankle-supporting riding boots for your orthoped friends) and don't do stupid stuff. Take an MSF course, go to performance riding schools, etc. Keep the track riding to the track and recognize that streets are for traveling, not showing off.
Hell, if you have to give up riding to make sure you're safe, I'm f%$ked... I commute daily in Seattle weather, PLUS I play rugby, which probably gives me more impacts to the head than I'll ever take on my bike.
facio:
You might also look at it another way: how cool would it be to be in need of a surgeon and to find out that he actually RIDES and understands you? Riding safely and with gear is absolutely a must no matter what, IMHO, and we each need to make our own choices about risk and danger.
It would be wonderful to be treated by someone who identifies with us rather than someone who thinks of us as "donors." ;)
How else would you be able to relax if not on your motorcycle? Risk mangement: weigh the risks, as we all do everyday. If it's good and you enjoy it, why give it up?
You might even think of a way to help protect our feet even more. Prevention is the mother of invention.
selling you rGS???
j/k
DUDE,
once a biker always a biker. you may not regret a year from now but eventually you'll look back and say "that was me once" with a tear in your eye and a lump in your throat.
Unless you were never a biker to begin with......thats a different story. If you don't have the taste for it, sorry for ya, nice ta know ya.. selling ya bike? :)
from your post it sounds like your letting your Fam/freinds/peers convince you to quit biking. That sucks.
I know 32 biker doctors (3 neuro surgeons)
I bet one or two are Orthowhatchamacallits just like you. If you asking what I think, I say pick your balls up of the floor and get back on your bike, tell your fam/freinds/peers to learn how to pray for you.
ride on BRO!!! :cheers::thumb:
Your stock? Dude, I make like $40,000.
That's $40,000 a week! And I still ride!
For goodness sake, Gary Busey rode a bike with no helmet when he was in his prime (after Silver Bullet, Point Break and Lethal Weopon). When you get to Gary Busey status, then consider hanging up your spurs. Until then, make as much money as possible, ride as much as you can, and try to make to Vegas at least once a year so you can pull a Fredo out at the Bunny Ranch.
I'm out!
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/gary.jpg)
Quote from: facio57 on February 27, 2006, 02:27:20 PM
i just go in to physician assistant school and will start this august... now my "stock" has gone up a lot. ...since i have so much more to lose.
how is it that now you're life is worth more than if you werent going to PA school? You have to do the things in your life that bring you joy, regardless of the possible dangers involved in that activity. Everything in life has a cost. If you dont do it and regret it or miss it that affects who you are and how you view the world. if you do what you love and get injured at least you were doing what you loved...
Quote from: facio57 on February 27, 2006, 02:27:20 PM
i am 22 years old and it seems as though now my "stock" has gone up a lot. my family and friends told me to give up riding now since i have so much more to lose.
~facio
BTW - I am 26, with a 3 month old and an 18 month old.. My "stock has gone up too. we all have alot to lose. It would suck to never ride again because I was "scared" especially if it was not even my decision in the first place.
Don't let yourself be brainwashed about how dangerous bikes are. A cautious experience biker is less likely to die on the road than people in cars.
If you don't trust yourself than fine, quit. Sell me your bike, SO I can have something for my son to learn on when he gets old enough.
LIVE or DIE Trying to live.....There is no other way.
Quote from: Jake D on February 27, 2006, 03:51:24 PM
Your stock? Dude, I make like $40,000.
That's $40,000 a week! And I still ride!
For goodness sake, Gary Busey rode a bike with no helmet when he was in his prime (after Silver Bullet, Point Break and Lethal Weopon). When you get to Gary Busey status, then consider hanging up your spurs. Until them, make as much money as possible, ride as much as you can, and try to make to Vegas at least once a year so you can pull a Fredo out at the Bunny Ranch.
I'm out!
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/gary.jpg)
Yeah!!!! :thumb: :2guns: :2guns:
Gary Busey Rocks!!!!
Quote from: pantablo on February 27, 2006, 03:51:56 PM
Quote from: facio57 on February 27, 2006, 02:27:20 PM
i just go in to physician assistant school and will start this august... now my "stock" has gone up a lot. ...since i have so much more to lose.
how is it that now you're life is worth more than if you werent going to PA school? You have to do the things in your life that bring you joy, regardless of the possible dangers involved in that activity. Everything in life has a cost. If you dont do it and regret it or miss it that affects who you are and how you view the world. if you do what you love and get injured at least you were doing what you loved...
double yeah!!!!!! :2guns: :2guns: :2guns: :thumb:
:bs::mad: stock has gone up.
:icon_rolleyes: Sheesh
why I oughta....... :2guns:
I often wonder how worthwhile life would be without doing the things (and people :laugh:) I love to do....... I'd say not very.
If you really love motorcycling, you won't be able to give it up...
If you're not that attached to it, then why spend the money on it?
Quote from: facio57 on February 27, 2006, 02:27:20 PM
I just got in to physician assistant school and will start this August. This has been my dream for a long long time and I have worked very hard.
Edited for capitalizationIt's good to have dreams. Definitely persue your dream of being a physician. Do you think the motorcycle would be a distraction to your studies? Wouldn't it be better used as a break from the pressures of studying; help clear your mind?
I'd like to give up my career as an anatomist and budding epidemiologist because i feel going to work every day is a risk to my mental health.
Your choice of profession doesn't define who you are and what you should or shoud not do with your life. Christ I work with risk assessment people every single day in epidemiology, but like everyone else has said. It's a modifiable risk. Be careful, be smart, be defensive. You'll enjoy your time on the road much more.
Quote from: facio57 on February 27, 2006, 02:27:20 PM...my family and friends told me to give up riding now since i have so much more to lose...
so, if you were a loser with no job (ehemm...), then you are a worthless person who CAN ride-crash-die and have no regrets about it because there's nothing 'to lose'?
mmm, when you die (motorcycle, car accident, heart attack, etc) you will not care about the so many things you will lose... because you will be DEAD!
family is funny sometimes.
That's a really tough question to answer....you pretty much have to evaluate it yourself. Are you willing to accept the risk? If not, then you probably should stop riding for now. Also, just because you quit riding, doesn't mean you can't start again later. I stopped riding when my first was born, that lasted about 5 years. Now I'm back riding again with a large life insurance policy. It's a personal choice, listen to your family, but listen more to yourself. There really isn't a right or wrong answer here...
dayamn. all good answers. nothin left for me to say but.... +1(everything) :icon_confused:
What's the point of living if you're not gonna enjoy your life? Sure you'll have more in your professional life, but is that EVERYTHING in life?
I live to ride...and only want to graduate with a degree in a field that will pay me enough money to by more cycles...so I guess my opinion doesn't really count.
If i was you, do what you want, if you like biking don't give it up, what is a life worth living without doing what you love. People always tell other people that there girlfriends are bad for them because of some superfulous B.S., hell thats why I give props to Harley riders, they bikes may be heavy, leak oil, and be expensive, but they do it because they love riding them, and so do I.
I'll tell ya... I DON'T live to ride. After my "could have been fatal wreck" I was off a bike for almost a year. Even now after buying the DRZ i plan to ride much less in traffic than I did before. In other words, after much thought, i will continue to ride because i like it, but i have tried to minimalize some of the risks by limiting my on road riding. It also helps to have a supportive wife that wants me to be happy.
Oh to be 22 and have such worries! I have just retired at 60 after a modestly successful career. I did give up riding as a callow youth after a bad accident and I stayed off two wheels for years. I started again in my 50s and realised just how much I had missed it and how much pleasure it gave me. yes there is a downside to being a biker, we are probably the most vulnerable road user-group, we probably have most fun as well. As long as you are aware of your vulnerability and assume that he/she has not seen you rather than they have and ride accordingly then the bike as safe as lots of other things.
Only you can make your lifestyle choices for yourself but if you enjoy it you WILL miss it, possibly more than you think. Whatever your chosen path in this life you will need distractions and diversions, we all need to relax now and again what are you going to do, Bungee jump? Climb mountains? Ride a motorcycle? collect stamps?? Over to you.....
I'm sure your family is in a big hurry to get you off the bike.
You need to make the distinction between your work and your life, never should the two mix. Why do you live? Is it so you can get up each morning and go to work, or is it so you can enjoy your life and do whatever you want?
Don't make a life decision based on your job.
If riding worries you, maybe you should stop for a while. The alternative is to practice your skills. That will give you confidence in your abilites and increase your ability to manage the risk.
I can tell you that I don't live to ride. Riding is simply one of the many, many things I enjoy. That little tinge of fear when I get on my bike is what keeps me on my toes and honest! I ask myself when I get on a bike "why do you do it"? When I answer "I don't know" you'll see my 96 in the for sale section. Somehow, I don't think that is going to happen.
That's my bit, but don't let me or anyone else sway YOUR decision.
dude if its your time to go its your time, you could slip in the shower and die, but we all run the risk of getting hurt everyday, just ride carefully.
Before you start listening to pseudo safety professionals like the medical profession. Just remember that they see the results of the accidents, very few know the actual rider statistics to be able to state probabilities with any accuracy. As David Hough of Proficient motorcycling says, if your doctor harps on you about motorcycling risks, ask him about the statistics on errors in surgical procedures.
If you have riding as a casual hobby, but you aren't really attached to it, you can walk away and never think about it again. If it is part of your DNA, you won't regret it, you will be back, as long as you do what you want.
My father in law fell asleep in a pickup and the front wheel caught the stump of a tree and flipped it, probably not over 40 mph. Roof crushed in killing him instantly. When I looked at the stump where the front wheel hit, 6 inches left and it would have hit solid tripping the airbags and staying rubber down, 6 inches to the right and it would have coasted down the ditch to a stop. 6 inches of deviation and he would still be here.
The moral of the story is that you can protect yourself as much as possible, you can do all that you can to reduce all risks, but for a lack of better definition "shaZam! happens".
Do what makes you happy.
I'm single, 24, and have solid cashflow. I ride every possible moment. The GF seems to think that if I ever get around to proposing and we crank out a few kids I will stop riding. When I called :bs: she lit into me about responsibility and safety. I refuse to modify my behaviour based on other people's perceptions of risk. I'm insured in the event (god forbid) that anything might happen.
I love riding, and I'm not stopping because of my good job, my overly cautious gf, or my worried parents. It is part of who I am. :thumb:
So that's sorted then....lets all go for a ride, ride, ride.
:icon_mrgreen: :cheers:
k...we'll all meet at my house this Saturday and go on a HUGE GS ride!!! :icon_mrgreen: :laugh:
I'll need to leave now to get there.
Well get going! :laugh:
Quote from: pandy on March 01, 2006, 01:03:20 PM
k...we'll all meet at my house this Saturday and go on a HUGE GS ride!!! :icon_mrgreen: :laugh:
Ugh... I guess I'll have to leave now... see you saturday 8)
edit: Aww... 3imo beat me to the punch line
Quote from: manofthefield on March 01, 2006, 01:06:00 PM
Ugh... I guess I'll have to leave now... see you saturday 8)
I posted early so that everyone has enough time to pack their lunches and sleeping bags and get going! :laugh: :cheers:
Quote from: 3imo on February 27, 2006, 03:58:50 PM
Quote from: Jake D on February 27, 2006, 03:51:24 PM
Your stock? Dude, I make like $40,000.
That's $40,000 a week! And I still ride!
For goodness sake, Gary Busey rode a bike with no helmet when he was in his prime (after Silver Bullet, Point Break and Lethal Weopon). When you get to Gary Busey status, then consider hanging up your spurs. Until them, make as much money as possible, ride as much as you can, and try to make to Vegas at least once a year so you can pull a Fredo out at the Bunny Ranch.
I'm out!
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/jaked1166/gary.jpg)
Yeah!!!! :thumb: :2guns: :2guns:
Gary Busey Rocks!!!!
lol... his seed brought us shasta mcnasty... maybe it's all that open air riding :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: pandy on March 01, 2006, 01:03:20 PM
k...we'll all meet at my house this Saturday and go on a HUGE GS ride!
I'm in!
Oops! Outta town Friday/Saturday....how about Sunday AM? Gives everyone more time to get to San Jose! :laugh:
:o now where am I gonna stay? I am just outside of Arizona. man :dunno_white:
forget this I'm going home. :mad: I drove halfway across......wait no i didn't :icon_rolleyes:
Yup, Sorry. I'm still in Alabama. still at work pretending to type something really important, so no one tries to bother me.
sh*t..I hate when that happens. I was having such an nice ride too. I-10, beautiful weather. no traffic. oh well.
Lets see, I think I'll head to Mexico to make up for you not being there till Sunday.
See ya then. (not really but I need to daydream bout somethin.) :thumb:
Quote from: 3imo on March 02, 2006, 11:17:41 AM
Lets see, I think I'll head to Mexico to make up for you not being there till Sunday. See ya then. (not really but I need to daydream bout somethin.) :thumb:
That's where we're going! For reals! We'll seeya in Mexico! :icon_mrgreen:
I :icon_mrgreen: just drank the :icon_mrgreen: water........... :icon_mrgreen:
btw :icon_mrgreen: this isn't a :icon_mrgreen: smile.
omg omg omg omg :icon_mrgreen: :o gas station :icon_mrgreen: gas station :icon_mrgreen: gas station.....BUSH!!
AHHHHH all better now :thumb:
~mental note. - when driving through the mexican desert , bring TP~
Quote from: pandy on March 02, 2006, 07:55:19 AM
Oops! Outta town Friday/Saturday....how about Sunday AM? Gives everyone more time to get to San Jose!
Can't, gotta change the chain and sprockets.
Oh well...party's off, I guess. :cry:
(Except in Mexico! :cheers:)