Motorcycle Thugs Descend on Ground Zero

[SoDesuKa]

Attempting to cross the street by the World Trade Center today, I had to wait several minutes for a break in traffic as hundreds of motorcycle thugs roared up Church Street. These weren't just ordinary bikers, they were all more or less Hell's Angel type gang members.

September 11th is being called the Day of Remembrance, but it is increasingly becoming a day to celebrate right wing thuggishness. The motorcycle gangs are joining in the spirit of the day, whose motto appears to be Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out.

[Name removed]

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[sffreeways]

3. Why hello there

and welcome to DU. So nice of you to join the discussion. Are you high ?

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[Ripley]

7. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is your leader logical? Give me one example. Just one.

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[Ripley]

12. Yes, Dentists in Polo Shirts look EXACTLY like..

Stinky growling bikers from the rough side, if you know what I mean! And us DUers could never tell the diff.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

15. Wow, that was fast

Toast to the Mods! :toast:

[Ripley]

16. Aw, I was having fun!

I know I'm not supposed to feed them, but sometimes they're like cute little mice you want to play with.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

17. It's just too easy these days

they're not as clever as they used to be. A sign of desperation, methinks.

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[catbert836]

2. What it's becoming

Is the day of 2 minutes hate.

[alphafemale]

5. Sorry. I still like Harleys. There's nothing like that sound.

And the stark beauty of those machines.

Some things really are beyond politics.

[SoDesuKa]

13. The Odor

A couple of hundred motorcycles leaves a lot of unburnt gasoline in the air. In addition to the racket they made, the thugs stunk up the place, too.

[HarrietBrown]

14. Hey, I ride a Harley and I'm no thug

Not all bikers are thugs--some dress the part while riding--but that doesn't mean anything. Also--a lot of times large groups of riders are out together riding to raise funds for charities. I find that you really can't stereotype Harley folks any more than you can stereotype anyone else (neo cons excepted.)

[SoDesuKa]

19. A Celebration of Thuggishness

No, what I saw today was a celebration of thuggishness. Many of the motorcyclists were too old to be real bad-asses anymore, but it was the spirit of the thing. Motorcycle gangs are claiming September 11th as their special day.

Why would that be? Here's my speculation: Thugs feel a kinship to September 11th, a day that justifies a thuggish foreign policy. The Al Qaeda attack justifies not only Afghanistan but also the shock and awe bombing of Iraq. How many Iraqi civilians have we killed - does anyone know? Let God sort 'em out.

A week ago, New York cops were arresting pedestrians on the sidewalk. Today, they allow what was clearly a parade without a permit. The motorcyclists I saw today were thugs and thug wannabe's. There were so many of them that the noise they made and the odor of gasoline they left detracted from the propriety of the memorial.

[smirkymonkey]

35. That's exactly what it was, thuggishness.

They have pretty much taken over Soho and the Village as well. I was just down there for a late dinner & coffee at a sidewalk cafe and you couldn't even have a conversation because of the OBNOXIOUS NOISE and engine revving.

A few of them parked their bikes and started screaming obnoxious things like "This is the f**ing gayest part of town" (it wasn't, it was the middle of Soho) and other epithets. Motorcycles are so out of place in this city - it was jarring to see throngs of them decending upon this somber evening downtown.

[Name removed]

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[Kathy in Cambridge]

27. Oh did I hurt your feelings? Did I get you banned a few times?

:cry:

Boo-Fucking-Hoo.

When did I ever insult Harley riders? I would not make sweeping generalizations about anyone riding a motorcycle.

[Name removed]

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[Kathy in Cambridge]

29. You must have a lot of time on your hands

have you ever thought of dedicating your time to a worthy cause aside from acting like an immature ass on a message board?

[wurzel]

11. General ordered to kill town population of Catholics and heretics.

Around 1200 in southern France a general didn't know how to separate Catholic from heretic in a captured town. He was told by a papal legate to "Kill them all. God will know his own."

[Kool Kitty]

32. Ah, yes. The Albegensian Crusades.

[rocktivity]

18. How I've learned never judge bikers by their cover

1) Heading north on the New York State Thruway one Memorial Day, one cluster of bikers after another passed me going the other way. I mentioned it when I reached my destination, and was told that they were going to Washington DC for the opening on the Viet Nam war memorial.

2) As I drove over the George Washington bridge to a Bon Jovi concert, I once again noticed that there seemed to be an unusually large number of bikers on the road. I figured there was a biker event going on in New Jersey, so you could imagine by surprise when they pulled into the Giants Stadium parking lot right along with me!

3) And speaking of rock concerts and stadium parking lots, a local band decided to take advantage of the fact that there was all-day rock festival coming to their town. They rented a flatbed truck and a generator, put their equipment in it, bluffed their way into the venue, and set up in the parking lot to play some songs. But the generator wouldn't work. Fortunately, their time, effort and ingenuity was saved by a pair of mechanically correct bikers. There gig started two hours late, but they got in a couple of sets until security figured out they weren't supposed to be there!

Maybe those bikers were paying their respects, too. And politically speaking, they're probably just as split down the middle as the rest of us are!

:headbang:
rocknation

[SoDesuKa]

20. The Context

There was certainly no permit for the parade of bikers today. A week ago, the cops were making hundreds of arrests for the activty they allowed today. This does not look like impartial law enforcement to me.

[ret5hd]

25. see post #24 (nt)

[ret5hd]

24. a picture from a progresive/labor/dem rally last year...

this is a picture of Sputnik, the president of the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association, speaking to members of the Stonewall Democrats, discussing common ground between the biker and gay communities.

Sputnik, a Korean War vet, lost most of his right hand in the war. He has ther word "FREE" tattooed on his forehead. He is also one of the most (if not THE most) respected lobbyists in the Texas state legislature. Later in the same day this picture was taken he addressed the rally, giving one of the most rousing speeches of the day (probably only surpassed by Tx state Senator Royce West). A few weeks later he gave a "legislative action" presentation at our union hall.

My point is: looks don't matter. He is the one with the mohawk hair cut.

[HopeIsNowHere]

30. Stereotype much?

As a female biker and a member of charity biker runs I find your stereotyping repugnant.

[BiggJawn]

31. Bikers are Good People

I know, I used to be one. REAL bikers are kind people. little strange, but basically kind.

What galls me though is the extremely high number of fucking poseur "Wanna-Bees" and "Sidewalk Commandos" on the road these days.

Monday thru Friday, buttoned up in your Brooks Bros and blue shirt w/the white collar,fucking working people to the tune of $290,000 a year, but 10AM Saturday morning, into the designer leathers, and throw a leg over the $25,000 Electra-Glide you and other poseurs like Leno have jacked the price out of reach of mere mortals like me by making them so popular...

Get real. $25,000 for a machine that I paid $4,200 for in 1977?

Wish my fucking paycheck inflated like that. I could probably afford another H-D, then.

Anyway, then you grab you trophy wife or your "old lady", and it's off with a coupla other of your stockbroker/lawyer friends out playing at being big, bad-assed bikers.

You fuckers don't fool me for a minute.

Then there's that "Rolling Thunder" bunch of wingnut freepers that visited Dumbya the other month. Maybe they went to NYC today?

And un-burned gasoline? I dunno, but MY dresser squeezed 44 miles out of a gallon. Wasn't anything left unburned. But then, I was a motorcyclist, not just a bike driver. i actually UNDERSTOOD my machine.

[HarrietBrown]

36. Bingo!

[Mountainman]

33. I ride my bike just about every day. Some days I dress like a thug

an others I dress like a very safety conscience motorcycle rider. It all depends on my mood. Today the Harleys were out in droves manly because there was an excuse to get a bunch of bikers together. I really doubt it had much to do with 9/11 and more to do with having something to do that's fun. 9/11 was just the excuse to get together.

[SoDesuKa]

44. Dressing Like a Thug

Dressing like a thug doesn't make you a thug, but it does provoke a reaction - quite possibly the intended reaction. This hyper-masculine stuff is well, annoying. On most days I ignore it, but on September 11th it's inappropriate to stage some massive biker event.

Just a week before, the police were arresting people for parading without a permit.

[Qanisqineq]

34. I used to know a number of bikers

they appeared rough on the outside, drank heavily, some drugs, etc. But once you got past all that, they were into fundraising for children's charities and their communities. They were very nice and very protective of their friends. I haven't talked to them in a while but I know if I had a problem and called up my closest friend among them, he'd drive across the country to help me out.

Thanks for reminding me of them, I should drop him a line to say hello!

[SoDesuKa]

45. Once You Got Past All That

Once you got past all that swagger and machismo, they turned out to be ordinary guys. The swagger and machismo is what's notable about them. Other than that, there's nothing interesting about them.

[Qanisqineq]

53. nothing interesting about them?

Wow. May I ask, how the hell would you know? They were some of the most interesting people I've met and they openly accepted people for who they are. Obviously you have a stereotype in your mind and are unwilling to believe that it just might not be true.

Your problem, not theirs.

[bigtree]

37. Veterans comprise many of the leagues of bikers

They can be incredibly human, insightful, and compassionate. They remind me, when I speak to them, of how far we have removed ourselves from the plight of the Vietnam vets and how much we still owe to their generation for their sacrifices, for the honor and committment they showed in defending our country, and for the graceful dignity in the way that they carry their individual plights and burdens. Have a talk with one of these fellows. It may suprise you.

[SoDesuKa]

46. Noisy, Smelly Parade

I'm not interested in the secret lives of motorcycle thugs. I object to their holding a noisy, smelly parade around Ground Zero on September 11th.

[Morning Dew]

38. Was it the America's 9/11 Ride?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04233/364587.stm

Here's their website:

http://www.americas911ride.org/

I think they raise money for firefighters.

[Columbia]

39. Those damn generous thugs!

[Swamp Rat]

40. How do you know they were all "right wing?"

I love ridin' a Fat Bob slowly down the highway, cool wind in my hair and the sun at my back! Ever see Kerry on a hog before?

[MadHound]

41. Stereotype much friend?

You are obviously unaware of how much good bikers have done, not only for the left, for the country and world in general. Yes, some of these people are strange and scary, unless you get to know them. Then they're just ordinary folks.

Your stereotyping of them is repugnant and beneath most liberals. I'm oh so sorry that your precious time was taken up by a motorcade of bikes, but gee, just think, those bikes get signigicantly better gas mileage than you SUV or Honda Civic, or what ever short of a hybrid.

You may think that they are thuggish now, but if you ever have the opportunity to do public speaking on leftist issues, you will be more than happy to see a band of the boys standing guard around the stage, especially if you're speaking in Texas, or Alabama, or some other Repug stronghold. You may not like the sound of their machines, or the inconvienance they cause, but when you're broke down by the side of the road, nothing will be more welcome than that sound coming up behind you. For those folks take joy in helping out stranded motorists, and there is nothing mechanical they can't fix.

So next time, keep your stereotypes to yourself. Better yet, go out and get to know these people, gee, you might even find out they're human, thinking, caring human beings, just like the rest of us. But that takes effort, takes people out of their comfort zone. It is just oh so much easier to stereotype without knowing what the fuck they're talking about.:eyes:

[The Flaming Red Head]

42. The first thing a repug governor does is remove the helmet law

to get the bikers on their side. That's what they do down south, anyway. Then the first thing a dem gov will do is reinstate the helmet law.

[BiggJawn]

43. Nope, doesn't work that way in Indiana...

We've had 2 Dem Guvs and still no helmet law re-instated.

Like I tell people who piss and moan about "Click it or Ticket", "Hey, the bikers just took responsibility and did a better job of lobbying than you cage drivers did." Which is a laugh, because most never even so much as made a phone call about the seat belt issue...

[The Flaming Red Head]

48. I thought Indiana was way up north

in Louisiana and Arkansas that's what they do or have done.

[BiggJawn]

55. Only geographically......

Culturally, you may as well be whistlin' Dixie.

"What's a Hoosier?"
"That's a Southerner who had car trouble on his way to Detroit and GM..."

"Didja hear that the mayor of Hazard, KY had to resign?"
"No, why"
"Allison's called him back..."

[neebob]

47. Thugs? Oh, my!

I live in a small town that hosts one big rally and a few smaller ones every year, so I've seen a lot of bikers. Most of them are regular folks - doctors, lawyers, and accountants. My brother the ultimate responsible hard-working perfect suburban castle-living husband and father of four recently bought a Heritage Classic softail, along with the vest and the jacket and the boots and the headwrap, and came to visit me. He seemed a little put off by the guy he came with - also a hard-working suburban castle-living husband - wanting to party and making lewd remarks to women on the rally grounds.

Just like the non-biker population, a lot of bikers are veterans, and I'm guessing a lot of them are conservative - which would explain why they might be attracted to September 11th.

You know what? They don't bother me. They're no ruder, drunker, or fumier than people in cars and trucks. Yeah, they're noisy, and I imagine the noise would be that much worse with all the buildings in New York. But calling them thugs sounds pretty silly to me.

[Misinformed01]

49. Thugs??? Because of the way they were dressed?

Please.

Do some research using "google" and check out how much those "thugs" pay for those Harleys.

[UdoKier]

50. This seems like a bigoted post to me.

I don't know many bikers personally, but I never assumed they were all thugs or right-wingers. I'm pretty sure amny of them are cool reople, regardless of how they dress. Didn't you see "Mask"?

And besides, what's wrong with them memorializing 9-11 in the way they choose? Were they hassling people? Did they call for killing someone as you implied? I hate this kind of thing, seeeing a flag flying or a yellow ribbon, and simply ASSUMING that it's some kind of right-wing statement.

My dad is a loyal democrat and a DEFINITE Kerry voter, and he flies his American flag on every national holiday, just as he always has.

Not everyone thinks that's "uncool"

Why do people here immediately pounce on people making nonpartisan gestures of patriotism? If I don't see Bush sticker or a jingoistic slogan, I don't hold it against them.

[uncle ray]

51. your ignorance and prejudice is stunning

"real" bikers are the most generous people around. they actually practice the charity that repugs preach. they take care of their own, and others in need. they are veterans. they don't steal, they don't get violent for no reason.

what makes them "thugs"? because they wear leather and have leathery skin? the jackets and chaps, to protect from road rash from idiots who run them over on the road. and the skin, well years of cross country riding, not to mention these people generally WORK for a living will do that to you.

how dare those thugs show compassion for 9/11 victims!

the only valid point you have about bikers, is the noise, yup, many bikes are loud, but then if you've never been cruising down the highway on a motorcycle, as some moran in a SUV just HAS to position himself so you and your motorcycle are in HIS blind spot, and THEN decides to occupy your lane, forgetting that motorcycle he just passed, well you just wouldn't understand how that racket of loud exhaust to you saves that bikers life on a daily basis by keeping distracted drivers aware of your presence on the road. maybe if S. Dakota rep. Janklow had HEARD that bike coming he wouldn't have killed that man with his Cadillac when he ran a stop sign?

it's fucking bad enough bikers have to watch out for oblivious idiots, then we have to deal with the people who HATE bikers like you, thanks.

too fucking bad we're on a civil political discussion board so i can't fully describe what i think of your clouded vision of bikers.

[SoDesuKa]

52. Threats of Violence

<<too fucking bad we're on a civil political discussion board so i can't fully describe what i think of your clouded vision of bikers>>

You couldn't resist that, could you? You're calling me a girlie man because I don't think September 11th is an appropriate occasion for a display of chest-thumping hyper-masculinity.

Find some other occasion. Ride to Niagara Falls or Howe Caverns, but not Ground Zero on September 11th.

[Astrochimp]

54. Did any of them look like this man?

As for "Hell's Angel type gang members" most of the bikers you will every see are Dr's Lawyers & Indian Chiefs. School teachers are the worst to play dress up.