"Poser" venting

[kacealraid]

Can I knock the guy for showing up to a "CHARITY" event and helping out and hanging with friends? No. Can I knock him for driving in his car instead of his bike because of the cold? No. Can I knock him for wearing leathers and playing a biker? Yes. Can I knock him if he was doing it "FOR" the kids? <confused.

Not worth worrying about. If he wants to take pics in front of my Honda, I wouldn't bat a lash at it. So long as everyone's having fun and the charity went off without a hitch.

[PA Dave]

Originally Posted by David Edwards

Just wandering, what is the definition of a BIKER?

According to the Oxford Dictionary "Biker" is an informal noun meaning a motorcyclist, especially those who are part of a motorcycle gang or club. A secondary definition is anyone who rides a bicycle.

Rest assured, there are about as many personal interpretations of what "Biker" means are there are people who ride motorcycles. The only universal common denominator being two wheels.

[Buicknick72]

Maybe he was wearing his chaps to protect his legs from spilling hot coffee while driving?

[squidchief]

Originally Posted by woodboats

Being a toy run, I assumed he would have showed up with a gift, just like you assumed he was only a poser out for himself. The more that show up to these charities (been on many myself) the more the kids benefit.
Could have come on a reindeer or a go cart for all that I care on his mode of transport. At least he made the effort to come to the event,

Fair enough, for the sake of conversation though, IF he showed up without a gift. He just got out of his vehicle and went over and just tried to give the impression he had rode (that was the impression I got from the OP), would you have to wonder a bit about his benefit to the function? For the record, if he had brought a present to the event, then like you, I'd defend the guy and support his right to be there no matter what he arrived in... or wore!

On a sidenote, I guess the toy runs I've been on have been different from yours. I've never seen many kids... or old folks... or whoever the event was for, at the run itself. All the packages and presents are gathered up at the end of the run and go into a truck to be delivered to wherever. The only time different was a few years back on a stocking stuffer ride for the old folks home. We all went in to deliver what we brouhgt... turned out to be a major clusterf**k. it was never done that way again.

Just askin'...

[harpomatic]

David, yes & also those "chaps" have something to do with it. I think guys that wear them should be ready to be "mis-interpreted" at times... You just can't be unaware of possible misconceptions, some of which even involve horses... I wonder if cowboys feel the same about bikers, posing to be real "riders"...

Originally Posted by David Edwards

This whole thing is about WHO are real bikers and who's not?

[woodboats]

Originally Posted by squidchief

Fair enough, for the sake of conversation though, IF he showed up without a gift. He just got out of his vehicle and went over and just tried to give the impression he had rode (that was the impression I got from the OP), would you have to wonder a bit about his benefit to the function? For the record, if he had brought a present to the event, then like you, I'd defend the guy and support his right to be there no matter what he arrived in... or wore!

On a sidenote, I guess the toy runs I've been on have been different from yours. I've never seen many kids... or old folks... or whoever the event was for, at the run itself. All the packages and presents are gathered up at the end of the run and go into a truck to be delivered to wherever. The only time different was a few years back on a stocking stuffer ride for the old folks home. We all went in to deliver what we brouhgt... turned out to be a major clusterf**k. it was never done that way again.

Just askin'...

Certainly SquidChief..if he showed up without a gift (or however it was done) then I also would be questioning his involvement. It would seem a bit weird to me.
You may have also hit on another interesting point .."how they are run in different places". Yes, ours (possibly due to a more temperate climate) always feature the end of the run with the kids or who ever. Usually ends at the hospital, where the kids that are able, are wheeled outside in chairs and beds, they have those huge empty beds with sides on them, and everyone walks up to where they are and deposits the presents in the empty beds. This takes you through all of the kids and you usually have a chat or joke with them. I am not used to a run where the gifts are just collected at a different point.
It never entered my mind that someone could show up to an event like this without the gift part.
Cheers

[C.W.]

Originally Posted by David Edwards

Just wandering, what is the definition of a BIKER?

I must share my thoughts again.

People conceive how others should act or behave according to their principles and beliefs. The problem is everyone's definition of this is different. That's why we get such a diverse response to these threads. When the act of another bothers us, we are making their sh!t about us, for what ever reasons. Some become so passionate about their principles and beliefs, they think they have become authority figures on what's right and wrong for everyone (again, each has their own definition on this). But, on the contrary, they become sub-consciously overly judgmental and righteous in their thinking towards others, when frankly, it's none of their business how others act, as long as there's no harm done. Frustration sets in when we are powerless and have no control over the way others act.

O.F. should feel good about himself for putting towards effort and giving to the cause. A win win situation. If he gets jammed up over the behavior of another that he is ultimately powerless over, he's just hurting himself by polluting his spirit with bitterness, and the poser gets to go home and sleep peacefully. Forgiveness becomes the only way to relieve ourselves from the frustration and bitterness, and we are left with our own karma to deal with. In other words, we stop making the behavior of another about us, because it's not. Plus, a little empathy in a situation won't hurt either.

If a person is suppose to behave to a certain preconceived idea according to another, then only one is doing the thinking and it just becomes control.

Now, if harm is being done, that's a different story all together.

[Amos Iron Wolf]

I wonder how many would consider us posers for spending several days and 14 pages of postings to rattle on about this instead of being out riding or at least checking on your bike if the snow is blowing.

Heck, most of our riding club rode over to a Toys For Tots event in cages, but wore their vests and rags. No chaps though. Like I said earlier, a good many of them qualify for senior citizen discounts. Many, even most of them have decades of riding and some pretty tough, long rides in there too. None of them were getting their pics with kids in front of other peoples rides. No kids there for that matter. Most of these guys and gals were inside rubbing elbows with other bikers and enjoying the camaraderie. If they had been outside and there had been kids who wanted pics taken with the "bikers" and the bikes, it would have been a group shot in front of those club bikes present with no issues about because those were our people and our bikes. No one would have pretended, or let other's believe a bike was theirs if it wasn't. If someone says something nice about a bike they are quick to point and say, "That belongs to...over there."

I find it entertaining that O.F. pointed out he got over it quickly and apparently much quicker than the thread has.

Yep, when I ride to the bi-weekly club meet & feed at a local eatery tonight, I imagine the same three, maybe four, folks will be on bikes and the rest there will have come in cages. That's fine, most of those guys have way more miles than I have or may ever have, and they are our people. They mostly group ride these days. Those same grey hairs staying warm tonight will be the same ones out on bikes for a long ride on January 1st, for the Polar Bear Ride. Some of them have so many patches and pins from rides long ridden you can't even see the vest. They earned em, they can wear them, even if they just climbed out of a cage this time. Bottom line is they paid their dues long before I ever straddled a bike again and reclaimed my roots.

Really a lot of all this has been interpretation of what was put forward in the original post. Some people took it the guy was grabbing the photo ops in front of bikes and presenting the idea that he too rode there in the cold. Others just take it he came along to support the ride, but didn't ride and was just getting pictures with kids as they requested while not trying to imply anything else.

I also imagine if someone did a demographics study of the posters you would see a common breakdown of which side people came down of based on common geographic areas and the number of people who ride and strictly think of motorcycling as only a hobby vs those to whom riding and bikes are a more integral part of their life and way of live.

Now since I've contributed to this thread a few times I'll just tag myself a poser too and put my leather vest and do rag on while I go do the dishes.

[Amos Iron Wolf]

Originally Posted by C.W.

I must share my thoughts again.

People conceive how others should act or behave according to their principles and beliefs. The problem is everyone's definition of this is different. That's why we get such a diverse response to these threads. When the act of another bothers us, we are making their sh!t about us, for what ever reasons. Some become so passionate about their principles and beliefs, they think they have become authority figures on what's right and wrong for everyone (again, each has their own definition on this). But, on the contrary, they become sub-consciously overly judgmental and righteous in their thinking towards others, when frankly, it's none of their business how others act, as long as there's no harm done. Frustration sets in when we are powerless and have no control over the way others act.

O.F. should feel good about himself for putting towards effort and giving to the cause. A win win situation. If he gets jammed up over the behavior of another that he is ultimately powerless over, he's just hurting himself by polluting his spirit with bitterness, and the poser gets to go home and sleep peacefully. Forgiveness becomes the only way to relieve ourselves from the frustration and bitterness, and we are left with our own karma to deal with. In other words, we stop making the behavior of another about us, because it's not. Plus, a little empathy in a situation won't hurt either.

If a person is suppose to behave to a certain preconceived idea according to another, then only one is doing the thinking and it just becomes control.

Now, if harm is being done, that's a different story all together.

Reminds me of a few old sayings. "Bitterness is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die." Also, "Feelings just are." In other words, when they pop up do you grab on and take ownership of negative feelings and make it part of you, or do you just recognize them for what they are and let them pass on through and beyond you.

[C.W.]

Originally Posted by Amos Iron Wolf

Reminds me of a few old sayings. "Bitterness is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die." Also, "Feelings just are." In other words, when they pop up do you grab on and take ownership of negative feelings and make it part of you, or do you just recognize them for what they are and let them pass on through and beyond you.

Yep!

I've learned that if I'm in constant conflict with everyone and everything around me, it's time to look inward for my discontent.

Some can spend a whole lot of energy defending non-existent virtues that are really just no big deal. The best part, it's a choice. Save all that energy for something that really matters, like the cause itself.

This is a pic I took at a friends wedding. All those bikes and personalities, and not one conflict.