Sunday 6 June 2021

Loud Pipes and Stunting Isn't a Reflection on the Vast Majority of Motorcyclists

Matt Galloway is the long-time CBC host with seventy-three thousand followers on Twitter and hundreds of thousands of listeners on CBC each day coast to coast to coast in Canada.  He tweeted out tonight about the stunting and loud pipes echoing around downtown Toronto on this heat wave Sunday evening.

The police have obviously been given direction to not pressure vehicular traffic during the COVID19 pandemic but this direction has led to a small minority of riders and drivers abusing the situation in a city where no one can leave.

Why anyone would abuse this situation?  It's a good question but one that motorcyclists in particular seem to have trouble answering.  I read a lot of British bike magazines and there is a lot of push back against anti-social riding there too during the pandemic.  When everyone is under the pressure of staying stationary, riding around like an asshole isn't a nice thing to do.

We live in a small town of less than ten thousand and yet I'm frequently unable to carry a conversation when the loud-pipe crew rolls by.  I don't find this safe (loud pipes save lives!) or even considerate or reasonable.  What it is is selfish and usually the result of someone with a massive inferiority complex making a statement about themselves.

What's particularly frustrating about Matt's tweet is that the kickback from the police will make life difficult for everyone on two wheels while also casting our sport in a negative light which will eventually result in even less people participating in our hobby at a time when less and less young people are bothering to get driving/riding licenses.

This isn't going to end well for anyone on two wheels.  Grow up people and try and think about something other than your own gnawing inferiority complex.