I had a previous co-worker tell me that me riding a motorbike is me "asking for attention" and "don't be surprised if you get followed". When I was clearly annoyed, he pulled the whole "I'm just looking out for you, this is how guys think".
No sir, it's how you think and you're clearly a creep.
A lot of my interactions have been positive, but some, like this, stand out as extra creepy.
Last Fall some guy tried following me home. Luckily I was able to make some abrupt turns and lost him. Creepy AF.
I've had people think other drivers would treat me better because I'm a woman. Lol, that isn't how it works. I've never been treated better being a woman. Misogyny is real. Give me a bear any day over a man.
Oh and to add to my other comment (won’t let me edit) I have a close family member in law enforcement also tell me to be careful on the road and where I go because of a few cases he had. He said to be careful with road raged drivers, stay in safe parts of the city because criminals are more likely to view me as an easier (because small) target for theft, and that guys may try to get you attention on the road.
You’re not asking for attention. You’re minding your own business enjoying a beautiful hobby. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t draw attention to you. I know we’re trying to raise our boys to have better respect for women. It’s getting better but it takes time. I think the MeToo movement sparked a ton of awareness.
But we’re going from the old boomer “I hate my wife, the ol’ ball and chain, talks too much, amirite” types to men that actually love and respect their partners, and *gasp* are even willing to be present and participating fathers.
Can we just leave the boomers out of it? It’s a generalization that lets other generations off the hook. I doubt the guy from OPs post was a boomer with a lifted truck, so why you gotta go there?
For me, the purpose is to *not* let other generations off the hook. It’s about accountability and wanting to do better. A common thing you’ll see now is younger generations looking at stuff older generations did and saying “that’s not okay.”
Cat-calling and harassment etc. is not a boomer only thing.
My partner and I were talking about designing our hangout space. And I wanted a light up sign that had to do with liking girls. “Girls. Girls. Girls.” Type of signs. And she said it reminded her too much of the types of signs and posters she saw growing up in her parent’s friends’ garages. Pinup women. Women nude or in bikinis all over a motorcycle. The playboy type posters.
And I use boomer but it’s a gen x thing too. Very specifically I’m talking about those cards with that illustrate the husband as incompetent and the wife as a bitch. Specifically described as “boomer humor.” That makes it “funny” to disrespect women. Comics and greeting cards usually
Stuff like this:
-Wife (playing crossword): “fast way to get fat. 8 letters”
Husband nearby shouts out: marriage!
-Officiant: “I now pronounce you husband and wife! Let the nagging begin!”
-a man wheeling his wife’s bed into the kitchen: “I figured you should have breakfast in bed for your birthday… can you reach the stove okay?”
The generational divide is a great way to have major culture shifts. That’s all I’m really saying. And I think it’s important to have these conversations.
For me it’s not about jumping up and down for guys doing the bare minimum, but I do think it’s important to recognize when there *is* a shift occurring. You have more moms as “breadwinners” with SAHDs than ever before. And it’s progress and it’s cool.
Sorry for the rant, I didn’t mean to lol.
I’m all for the conversations, but it’s not a conversation when you’re using a shorthand that vilifies an entire generation. Maybe we could all be more careful with the terms we use.
Take the word “boomer” out of your comments and I am 100% right there with you. I despise the Archie Bunker stereotypes I grew up with in the 70s. But as someone born at the tail end of the baby boom who is more progressive than my 30 yr old son, I really dislike these generational uh… generalizations. It’s like saying all millennials are entitled, eat avocado toast, and live in their mom’s basements. It just doesn’t work.
Anyway, fuck those catcalling, objectifying, oversexualizing assholes of all generations. We like to ride motorcycles, and we’d like to be left alone to enjoy them and not have to fear for our lives when we ride. This hobby is dangerous enough as it is. As someone who was sexually harassed beginning at age 12, it’s way past time for it to stop.
Maybe it’s just where I live, but *a lot* of guys behave objectively creepy towards me.
I was initially going to answer that the lifted truck guy is homophobic. So that pride sticker probably upset him. I’m willing to bet if this is in the U.S. he has an “FJB” type sticker on the back of his ridiculous lifted truck that will never see a day of work or off roading in its life.
Over the years, I’ve had construction workers specifically, cat call and be weird to me on my motorcycle, my bicycle, walking, and even my car with the windows down. Other guys too. At gas stations and such.
As far as your coworker’s comments. Idk how close you are or how he approached you about it. And please don’t hate me for it. But there is truth to what he said. Men sexualize strangers in public all the time. Many women have talked about how men can make them feel unsafe. [here’s an NPR article that says 81% of women say they have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime.](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-percent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment) this starting in their teenage years. Worth noting that article also says 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment. I’m not okay with the double standard, just want to make that clear.
Men behave this way towards women on *and* off the bike. At least this has been the experiences of me, my partner, and most of my friends. It’s not that you’re attention-seeking. It’s that A) you literally just have to exist and some guys will still behave this way and B) you’re on a loud, shiny, (beautiful) machine.
It’s almost like They look over and see it’s a *woman* riding a motorcycle and they instantly sexualize you. This is more of a “boomer-y” thing but it’s probably due to the countless photos of women in bikinis or nearly naked with 5 inch heels posed on super bikes. There’s also the “mystery” that comes with your helmet/gear. (Ugh typing that gave me a gross feeling in my stomach).
Your coworker may have (and was probably depending on your relationship and his tone) been being creepy. But that doesn’t mean other men aren’t also creepy. Absolutely not all men are like this. But I know I am not the only person I know that has had these kinds of experiences.
For whatever it’s worth, I’ve had much much much less of this experience from motorcycle guys and other riders. It still happens, but less frequently. Again it could totally just be my city, but that is my experience.
I have never had any such problems when riding - but other women have (like yourself). Insults thrown my way as a woman rider always come at me OFF the bike.
It's annoying, but I won't let it stop me.
Had a similar thing happen. Rolled up to a red light to turn left . Was swapping between checking my mirrors for cars approaching from the rear & scanning the intersection for any hazards/oncoming cars. I always wear ear pro, & I had music playing through my Cardo. Apparently there was a guy in a lifted truck who pulled up next to me & was trying to talk to me, but I didn’t notice him until the light turned green & he swerved at me, spit on me, yelled “BITCH” & peeled off. I was super confused.
Dude couldn’t handle not being acknowledged
I don’t commute on my bike to work, but I am *constantly* offending the snowflakes in massive lifted trucks by passing them in my tiny Honda. It’s funny how suddenly they can go the speed limit after dragging ass in the left lane for 8 miles as soon as a compact car goes around them. Like dude, I don’t give a fuck about how fast you go. I don’t care if you hate your wife and kids and that you’re dreading walking through the door. I want to go home and clock in for my shift on the couch. Get out of my way.
If I speed, even just 10 over, it will happen to me daily. It’s a guaranteed occurrence in my commute at this point and I hate it. My AC is out in my car and I just want to get out of the damn heat! I just want to get home! I am not trying to challenge y’all, damn!
You can have 10 positive interactions with men regarding your motorcycle, and if you have one creepy one, the creepy one is going to stick in your head. I've had plenty of positive interactions with men but good Lord the bad ones. Where do I even start. First of all, I have a no justice no peace license plate cover, I don't do pink or fluffy ears or anything like that but I am very obviously a woman even when I'm wearing men's gear. I've had men say things that stop lights like "good for you" ( not sure if that was intentional condescension or if they were just clumsily trying to start up a conversation), I've had people at Cycle Gear ask me if I've bought my bike yet presuming that I didn't have a bike because I'm a woman ( I was basically twice his age and I know that I've had my motorcycle license longer than he's had a driver's license); I've had a motorcycle shop presume that I had called about a car tire instead of a motorcycle tire because my voice is feminine, I've had a man selling a bike that I was interested in buying answer my call and the first comment after hearing my voice was, " I don't mean to be sexist but if the only thing that you've ever ridden is a little 300 then this 1100 is going to get you killed". I've had a young male Rider follow me all the way to my destination even after I told him that I was not interested, and countless countless countless men Strike Up weird conversations with me at gas stations or whatever, saying things like well hello biker chick (to which I replied "hello bike....male?")
I've also had road rage where people literally intentionally try to murder me on the road, several times, and I can't speak to how much my politics informed that.
But the worst was definitely the dude on the street who came up to my bike as I was at a stoplight and started talking to me and I was unable to go anywhere because I was in between cars, but I started walking backwards away from him and he grabbed my handle and I immediately looked over to the people in the cars next to me for help. I eventually got away without incident but that was fucking scary
The point is, all these people posting that they've only had positive attention from Men regarding the motorcycle... well first of all one wonders how much condescension or objectification is actually positive attention because that's probably well over half of the attention that I get from Men on my motorcycle. Having said that, no amount of genuine positive attention, which I have also gotten, makes up for all the negative. A positive interaction with a man about your motorcycle can leave a smile on your face. A negative interaction with a man can leave you dead. It's not one for one
>A negative interaction with a man can leave you dead.
I've had scary situations like this before... security escorted weird as fuck dudes that were bothering me out of a club I was at and I had to look outside to make sure they were actually gone :/
I'm sorry you've had so many of these experiences.....
You are intimidating to the uneducated, macho crowd. You are not properly showing deference since you are advertising the fact that you’re not interested in banging them.
I don’t put any stickers on any vehicles. Having a California plate in Wyoming or Montana is excuse enough for a lot of people to treat me like shit. So I like to fly under the radar so to speak.
However, I too have been aggressively honked at by men when the only thing I could tell would have triggered them is the fact that I’m female.
Luckily, not all men are like that, but there are definitely too many. I will say I’ve dumped my motorcycle on the street and the men I’ve encountered are always polite and helpful, they just don’t make a spectacle of themselves like these macho misogynists.
I was taught by my dad to never put stickers on my cars not because it was tacky, but because it tags you. Especially when you drive the same commute every day. He is an aggressive driver and he knows this from experience, but even for a perfect driver, it’s still a target on your back. People may not remember your plate number, but they’ll remember that purple sticker on the bottom right side of your rear window. I hated having a student parking sticker for this reason.
It also triggers some people who don’t agree with your specific political beliefs, sexual orientation, or desire for equality for all. Those people are sometimes scary, so I’d rather fight with them in the voting booth or at non-violent protests.
Oh yeah that too, I don’t put political signs in my yard for the same reason. But damn, I can’t even put a dog or paw print decal on my car without feeling threatened 😞
It makes me really sad when I see stuff like this. :(
All of my interactions on the road have been really positive! Usually people rolling down their windows and complementing my bike, or young kids shouting across the street waving or asking me to rev it (makes me feel good about my little ‘24 R125 haha, she’s not that loud or as impressive sounding as something like an R6, but she is pretty).
Try not to let the creeps and weirdos get to you too much!
I’ve got a cruiser bigger than most guys bikes that I come across. Then again, they might not know it. Men have this incredible ability to sound knowledgeable on topics that they know nothing about. I’ve caught several men making blatantly false comments about their bike, either lying to try to pass it off as bigger, or they are just that ignorant. You might be surprised by how many men can’t tell an 1100 from any other cruiser. If they’re that fragile, it’s just because you’re on a bike at all.
Most people think it’s cool to see a woman on a bike in my experience. I rode in a less than progressive country and had men/women tell me how cool it was to see a woman riding. I’ve had guys try to hit on me in traffic and I just laugh them off. None have followed me. Some make some comments where their misogyny is obvious, but I’ve had very few be directly rude about it. It sounds like you’ve had a couple of particularly bad experiences. I hope it doesn’t take away from the joy of riding for you. The vast majority of people are positive about it, and anyone who isn’t, isn’t worth the time it takes to get upset about it.
At a gas station stop during the Sturgis rally, I once had a mid-40s white dude try to convince ME that MY bike (a Victory muscle bike) was a Harley... Look, I know you wanna be street glide buddies, bruh, but kindly fuck off.
I had a similar experience at a car dealership trading in my V6 2010 Mustang for a 2012 GT V8, and the sales guy INSISTED that it was a 2009. So, after the initial shock from ✨THE AUDACITY✨, I explained to him that if he knew ANYTHING about Mustangs, then he'd know they changed the body style in 2010 and the '05 - '09 body style is COMPLETELY different.
The confidence in mansplaining to me about something I clearly know more about than you blew my mind, and it still does to this day.
I mean they really need to know their audience better. If you know nothing about bikes and want to impress a woman, maybe don’t pick a woman that rides. I can’t understand how they envision this going in their minds.
The car dealership doesn’t surprise me. Salesmen in general seem to think they know a lot more than they actually do, and it’s kind of their job to convince you of it.
My favorite interaction was when a man told me that his bike was a VTX 1300. I believe I said those are good bikes or something to that effect. He asked me what I had and I told him it was a Vulcan. Then he asked what engine, and I said 1600. He said, “Oh. . . Well they have an 1800 in the VTX.” At this point his buddy pipes up, and says, “You don’t.”
I was cracking up so hard on the inside. Maybe a little on the outside too. I feel like the audacity has to be pretty strong when other men are even pointing it out.
I had only been riding a couple weeks and had built up the courage to ride about fifteen minutes to the craft store. I parked and as I was taking my helmet off and putting myself back together a dude who was at least ten years older than me came out to his car. He looked at me and said “ I love seeing women ride bikes. It turns me ON.” Like…. Wtf? I just nervous laughed (because he was scary frankly) and quickly walked into the store
Congrats on getting into it! Sorry that happened to you, unfortunately some guys think its totally normal to just vocalize their horniness/fetishes unprompted, especially if you're a trans woman...
I used to ride a Z650, currently in between bikes. Had guys always trying to talk to me at stop lights to ask about the bike, but I rode with ear plugs and music on my sena so I’d always point to my ears and shake my head. Also people would often try to race me when a light turned green but I never would lol
as a young guy with a medium sized cruiser, I would say, but def a small one in the US (Yamaha Bolt, still in the US), I would say its the latter.... yeah. Use that full exhaust ;)
no really use that, they understand that language of "yeah so what stick it up yours BRAP"
ride onnnnnn :)
I ride a cruiser and also wear a big fluffy, colorful helmet cover, and i have never received any negativity from anyone. Maybe it's just the guys where you live lol
It's pretty common. Not just a guy thing, people get offended about motorcycles and if they're not offended they still stare at you. The cat ears were probably fine but anything pride will set people off.
Not sure what your engine size or exhaust have to do with people being weird though.
The road is the truth and you are looking like a bish thats why people harass you. Nobody harasses me because i look way too dangerous like as if im packing people usually think when they see me they dont just react... they are careful around me simply because I look like a character in a dystopian future movie who doesnt give a fuck
Idek if it’s looks but whenever I hear a driving story start with “out of nowhere” I can generally assume they weren’t paying attention to their impact on their surroundings prior to the event…
Well I was cruising in the carpool lane, and I was definitely aware of the truck before he did this. I passed him and then flew past me and honked/did this in the fast lane, seemingly out of nowhere.
Also, run whatever the fuck you want and fuck the rest; life's too short to be listening to internet trolls. It's Funny how dudes can holler about "loud pipes save lives," but as soon as we start to "infringe" on what's clearly a ✨GoD gIvEn RiGhT✨, then it's a problem. Strap a nightstick to your thigh and see what happens. Or maybe add a FAFO sticker to your collection?
I had a previous co-worker tell me that me riding a motorbike is me "asking for attention" and "don't be surprised if you get followed". When I was clearly annoyed, he pulled the whole "I'm just looking out for you, this is how guys think". No sir, it's how you think and you're clearly a creep. A lot of my interactions have been positive, but some, like this, stand out as extra creepy.
Last Fall some guy tried following me home. Luckily I was able to make some abrupt turns and lost him. Creepy AF. I've had people think other drivers would treat me better because I'm a woman. Lol, that isn't how it works. I've never been treated better being a woman. Misogyny is real. Give me a bear any day over a man.
>this is how guys think". as a young guy w/ a cruiser, YES 100% JUST BEING CREEPY put a stop to creepy guy behavior and stop normalizing
Oh and to add to my other comment (won’t let me edit) I have a close family member in law enforcement also tell me to be careful on the road and where I go because of a few cases he had. He said to be careful with road raged drivers, stay in safe parts of the city because criminals are more likely to view me as an easier (because small) target for theft, and that guys may try to get you attention on the road. You’re not asking for attention. You’re minding your own business enjoying a beautiful hobby. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t draw attention to you. I know we’re trying to raise our boys to have better respect for women. It’s getting better but it takes time. I think the MeToo movement sparked a ton of awareness. But we’re going from the old boomer “I hate my wife, the ol’ ball and chain, talks too much, amirite” types to men that actually love and respect their partners, and *gasp* are even willing to be present and participating fathers.
Can we just leave the boomers out of it? It’s a generalization that lets other generations off the hook. I doubt the guy from OPs post was a boomer with a lifted truck, so why you gotta go there?
For me, the purpose is to *not* let other generations off the hook. It’s about accountability and wanting to do better. A common thing you’ll see now is younger generations looking at stuff older generations did and saying “that’s not okay.” Cat-calling and harassment etc. is not a boomer only thing. My partner and I were talking about designing our hangout space. And I wanted a light up sign that had to do with liking girls. “Girls. Girls. Girls.” Type of signs. And she said it reminded her too much of the types of signs and posters she saw growing up in her parent’s friends’ garages. Pinup women. Women nude or in bikinis all over a motorcycle. The playboy type posters. And I use boomer but it’s a gen x thing too. Very specifically I’m talking about those cards with that illustrate the husband as incompetent and the wife as a bitch. Specifically described as “boomer humor.” That makes it “funny” to disrespect women. Comics and greeting cards usually Stuff like this: -Wife (playing crossword): “fast way to get fat. 8 letters” Husband nearby shouts out: marriage! -Officiant: “I now pronounce you husband and wife! Let the nagging begin!” -a man wheeling his wife’s bed into the kitchen: “I figured you should have breakfast in bed for your birthday… can you reach the stove okay?” The generational divide is a great way to have major culture shifts. That’s all I’m really saying. And I think it’s important to have these conversations. For me it’s not about jumping up and down for guys doing the bare minimum, but I do think it’s important to recognize when there *is* a shift occurring. You have more moms as “breadwinners” with SAHDs than ever before. And it’s progress and it’s cool. Sorry for the rant, I didn’t mean to lol.
I’m all for the conversations, but it’s not a conversation when you’re using a shorthand that vilifies an entire generation. Maybe we could all be more careful with the terms we use.
Take the word “boomer” out of your comments and I am 100% right there with you. I despise the Archie Bunker stereotypes I grew up with in the 70s. But as someone born at the tail end of the baby boom who is more progressive than my 30 yr old son, I really dislike these generational uh… generalizations. It’s like saying all millennials are entitled, eat avocado toast, and live in their mom’s basements. It just doesn’t work. Anyway, fuck those catcalling, objectifying, oversexualizing assholes of all generations. We like to ride motorcycles, and we’d like to be left alone to enjoy them and not have to fear for our lives when we ride. This hobby is dangerous enough as it is. As someone who was sexually harassed beginning at age 12, it’s way past time for it to stop.
Maybe it’s just where I live, but *a lot* of guys behave objectively creepy towards me. I was initially going to answer that the lifted truck guy is homophobic. So that pride sticker probably upset him. I’m willing to bet if this is in the U.S. he has an “FJB” type sticker on the back of his ridiculous lifted truck that will never see a day of work or off roading in its life. Over the years, I’ve had construction workers specifically, cat call and be weird to me on my motorcycle, my bicycle, walking, and even my car with the windows down. Other guys too. At gas stations and such. As far as your coworker’s comments. Idk how close you are or how he approached you about it. And please don’t hate me for it. But there is truth to what he said. Men sexualize strangers in public all the time. Many women have talked about how men can make them feel unsafe. [here’s an NPR article that says 81% of women say they have experienced sexual harassment in their lifetime.](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587671849/a-new-survey-finds-eighty-percent-of-women-have-experienced-sexual-harassment) this starting in their teenage years. Worth noting that article also says 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment. I’m not okay with the double standard, just want to make that clear. Men behave this way towards women on *and* off the bike. At least this has been the experiences of me, my partner, and most of my friends. It’s not that you’re attention-seeking. It’s that A) you literally just have to exist and some guys will still behave this way and B) you’re on a loud, shiny, (beautiful) machine. It’s almost like They look over and see it’s a *woman* riding a motorcycle and they instantly sexualize you. This is more of a “boomer-y” thing but it’s probably due to the countless photos of women in bikinis or nearly naked with 5 inch heels posed on super bikes. There’s also the “mystery” that comes with your helmet/gear. (Ugh typing that gave me a gross feeling in my stomach). Your coworker may have (and was probably depending on your relationship and his tone) been being creepy. But that doesn’t mean other men aren’t also creepy. Absolutely not all men are like this. But I know I am not the only person I know that has had these kinds of experiences. For whatever it’s worth, I’ve had much much much less of this experience from motorcycle guys and other riders. It still happens, but less frequently. Again it could totally just be my city, but that is my experience.
Is it really fair to say that about OP’s case when they’re running a straight pipe exhaust? The only reason to do that is for attention
It’s because you’re a woman who dares to just exist. Men seem to be losing their minds these days, the fragility is just off the charts.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. Men in their emotional support trucks are just the fucking worst! Fragile egos, indeed.
Emotional support truck. I love it!
Using "emotional support truck" from now on lmao
I just heard this term recently. It is so spot on!!
Fragile egos. Sorry you had to experience this, so so tiresome.
I have never had any such problems when riding - but other women have (like yourself). Insults thrown my way as a woman rider always come at me OFF the bike. It's annoying, but I won't let it stop me.
Had a similar thing happen. Rolled up to a red light to turn left . Was swapping between checking my mirrors for cars approaching from the rear & scanning the intersection for any hazards/oncoming cars. I always wear ear pro, & I had music playing through my Cardo. Apparently there was a guy in a lifted truck who pulled up next to me & was trying to talk to me, but I didn’t notice him until the light turned green & he swerved at me, spit on me, yelled “BITCH” & peeled off. I was super confused. Dude couldn’t handle not being acknowledged
Yeah, it sucks that men are so weird and creepy.
I don’t commute on my bike to work, but I am *constantly* offending the snowflakes in massive lifted trucks by passing them in my tiny Honda. It’s funny how suddenly they can go the speed limit after dragging ass in the left lane for 8 miles as soon as a compact car goes around them. Like dude, I don’t give a fuck about how fast you go. I don’t care if you hate your wife and kids and that you’re dreading walking through the door. I want to go home and clock in for my shift on the couch. Get out of my way.
I resonate with this hard cause it literally just happened to me lol
If I speed, even just 10 over, it will happen to me daily. It’s a guaranteed occurrence in my commute at this point and I hate it. My AC is out in my car and I just want to get out of the damn heat! I just want to get home! I am not trying to challenge y’all, damn!
So true. People treat driving as a given when it is really a privilege for most.
I never considered they were avoiding their wife and kids in their emotional support truck haha
You can have 10 positive interactions with men regarding your motorcycle, and if you have one creepy one, the creepy one is going to stick in your head. I've had plenty of positive interactions with men but good Lord the bad ones. Where do I even start. First of all, I have a no justice no peace license plate cover, I don't do pink or fluffy ears or anything like that but I am very obviously a woman even when I'm wearing men's gear. I've had men say things that stop lights like "good for you" ( not sure if that was intentional condescension or if they were just clumsily trying to start up a conversation), I've had people at Cycle Gear ask me if I've bought my bike yet presuming that I didn't have a bike because I'm a woman ( I was basically twice his age and I know that I've had my motorcycle license longer than he's had a driver's license); I've had a motorcycle shop presume that I had called about a car tire instead of a motorcycle tire because my voice is feminine, I've had a man selling a bike that I was interested in buying answer my call and the first comment after hearing my voice was, " I don't mean to be sexist but if the only thing that you've ever ridden is a little 300 then this 1100 is going to get you killed". I've had a young male Rider follow me all the way to my destination even after I told him that I was not interested, and countless countless countless men Strike Up weird conversations with me at gas stations or whatever, saying things like well hello biker chick (to which I replied "hello bike....male?") I've also had road rage where people literally intentionally try to murder me on the road, several times, and I can't speak to how much my politics informed that. But the worst was definitely the dude on the street who came up to my bike as I was at a stoplight and started talking to me and I was unable to go anywhere because I was in between cars, but I started walking backwards away from him and he grabbed my handle and I immediately looked over to the people in the cars next to me for help. I eventually got away without incident but that was fucking scary The point is, all these people posting that they've only had positive attention from Men regarding the motorcycle... well first of all one wonders how much condescension or objectification is actually positive attention because that's probably well over half of the attention that I get from Men on my motorcycle. Having said that, no amount of genuine positive attention, which I have also gotten, makes up for all the negative. A positive interaction with a man about your motorcycle can leave a smile on your face. A negative interaction with a man can leave you dead. It's not one for one
>A negative interaction with a man can leave you dead. I've had scary situations like this before... security escorted weird as fuck dudes that were bothering me out of a club I was at and I had to look outside to make sure they were actually gone :/ I'm sorry you've had so many of these experiences.....
You are intimidating to the uneducated, macho crowd. You are not properly showing deference since you are advertising the fact that you’re not interested in banging them. I don’t put any stickers on any vehicles. Having a California plate in Wyoming or Montana is excuse enough for a lot of people to treat me like shit. So I like to fly under the radar so to speak. However, I too have been aggressively honked at by men when the only thing I could tell would have triggered them is the fact that I’m female. Luckily, not all men are like that, but there are definitely too many. I will say I’ve dumped my motorcycle on the street and the men I’ve encountered are always polite and helpful, they just don’t make a spectacle of themselves like these macho misogynists.
I was taught by my dad to never put stickers on my cars not because it was tacky, but because it tags you. Especially when you drive the same commute every day. He is an aggressive driver and he knows this from experience, but even for a perfect driver, it’s still a target on your back. People may not remember your plate number, but they’ll remember that purple sticker on the bottom right side of your rear window. I hated having a student parking sticker for this reason.
It also triggers some people who don’t agree with your specific political beliefs, sexual orientation, or desire for equality for all. Those people are sometimes scary, so I’d rather fight with them in the voting booth or at non-violent protests.
Oh yeah that too, I don’t put political signs in my yard for the same reason. But damn, I can’t even put a dog or paw print decal on my car without feeling threatened 😞
Im coming to this realization. I figured based on where I live in socal it would be fine.
It makes me really sad when I see stuff like this. :( All of my interactions on the road have been really positive! Usually people rolling down their windows and complementing my bike, or young kids shouting across the street waving or asking me to rev it (makes me feel good about my little ‘24 R125 haha, she’s not that loud or as impressive sounding as something like an R6, but she is pretty). Try not to let the creeps and weirdos get to you too much!
I've had some really cool ones too, many fist bump with other bikers at red lights :)
I’m glad you’ve had some positive interactions! :) they’re the best
I’ve got a cruiser bigger than most guys bikes that I come across. Then again, they might not know it. Men have this incredible ability to sound knowledgeable on topics that they know nothing about. I’ve caught several men making blatantly false comments about their bike, either lying to try to pass it off as bigger, or they are just that ignorant. You might be surprised by how many men can’t tell an 1100 from any other cruiser. If they’re that fragile, it’s just because you’re on a bike at all. Most people think it’s cool to see a woman on a bike in my experience. I rode in a less than progressive country and had men/women tell me how cool it was to see a woman riding. I’ve had guys try to hit on me in traffic and I just laugh them off. None have followed me. Some make some comments where their misogyny is obvious, but I’ve had very few be directly rude about it. It sounds like you’ve had a couple of particularly bad experiences. I hope it doesn’t take away from the joy of riding for you. The vast majority of people are positive about it, and anyone who isn’t, isn’t worth the time it takes to get upset about it.
At a gas station stop during the Sturgis rally, I once had a mid-40s white dude try to convince ME that MY bike (a Victory muscle bike) was a Harley... Look, I know you wanna be street glide buddies, bruh, but kindly fuck off. I had a similar experience at a car dealership trading in my V6 2010 Mustang for a 2012 GT V8, and the sales guy INSISTED that it was a 2009. So, after the initial shock from ✨THE AUDACITY✨, I explained to him that if he knew ANYTHING about Mustangs, then he'd know they changed the body style in 2010 and the '05 - '09 body style is COMPLETELY different. The confidence in mansplaining to me about something I clearly know more about than you blew my mind, and it still does to this day.
I mean they really need to know their audience better. If you know nothing about bikes and want to impress a woman, maybe don’t pick a woman that rides. I can’t understand how they envision this going in their minds. The car dealership doesn’t surprise me. Salesmen in general seem to think they know a lot more than they actually do, and it’s kind of their job to convince you of it. My favorite interaction was when a man told me that his bike was a VTX 1300. I believe I said those are good bikes or something to that effect. He asked me what I had and I told him it was a Vulcan. Then he asked what engine, and I said 1600. He said, “Oh. . . Well they have an 1800 in the VTX.” At this point his buddy pipes up, and says, “You don’t.” I was cracking up so hard on the inside. Maybe a little on the outside too. I feel like the audacity has to be pretty strong when other men are even pointing it out.
I had only been riding a couple weeks and had built up the courage to ride about fifteen minutes to the craft store. I parked and as I was taking my helmet off and putting myself back together a dude who was at least ten years older than me came out to his car. He looked at me and said “ I love seeing women ride bikes. It turns me ON.” Like…. Wtf? I just nervous laughed (because he was scary frankly) and quickly walked into the store
Congrats on getting into it! Sorry that happened to you, unfortunately some guys think its totally normal to just vocalize their horniness/fetishes unprompted, especially if you're a trans woman...
Ugh I can’t imagine. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just exist without being harassed sometimes
I used to ride a Z650, currently in between bikes. Had guys always trying to talk to me at stop lights to ask about the bike, but I rode with ear plugs and music on my sena so I’d always point to my ears and shake my head. Also people would often try to race me when a light turned green but I never would lol
People are nuts on the road, someone hit me with a full can of soda. I'm working on getting a camera
I have a camera but it loops, so I didn't have footage of it by the time I parked
as a young guy with a medium sized cruiser, I would say, but def a small one in the US (Yamaha Bolt, still in the US), I would say its the latter.... yeah. Use that full exhaust ;) no really use that, they understand that language of "yeah so what stick it up yours BRAP" ride onnnnnn :)
My experience has been very positive with interactions with men.
generally mine too! i think the worst just stand out
Same, it's just the one or 2 assholes sprinkled in that spoil it ☹️
I once had a road construction worker come up and fist bump me while waiting for a traffic light to change.
Not even sure why you got downvoted.... lol, mine has been the same.
I ride a cruiser and also wear a big fluffy, colorful helmet cover, and i have never received any negativity from anyone. Maybe it's just the guys where you live lol
Is it straight piped? Because I think it’s the straight pipe exhaust giving OP trouble
No it is not.
It's pretty common. Not just a guy thing, people get offended about motorcycles and if they're not offended they still stare at you. The cat ears were probably fine but anything pride will set people off. Not sure what your engine size or exhaust have to do with people being weird though.
I assume the noise attracts attention, for better (when lane splitting) or for worse
Ah, gotcha. I'm not sure. The phrasing made it sound like you wete gonna unbolt the pipe and beat them with it lol.
I feel the same when I ride my bike
people really just seem to hate us!!
The road is the truth and you are looking like a bish thats why people harass you. Nobody harasses me because i look way too dangerous like as if im packing people usually think when they see me they dont just react... they are careful around me simply because I look like a character in a dystopian future movie who doesnt give a fuck
Idek if it’s looks but whenever I hear a driving story start with “out of nowhere” I can generally assume they weren’t paying attention to their impact on their surroundings prior to the event…
Well I was cruising in the carpool lane, and I was definitely aware of the truck before he did this. I passed him and then flew past me and honked/did this in the fast lane, seemingly out of nowhere.
Don’t run a straight pipe exhaust, people will like generally improve their behavior towards you. Why do you even have a straight pipe exhaust?
From the previous owner, It has baffles but no muffler.
Also, run whatever the fuck you want and fuck the rest; life's too short to be listening to internet trolls. It's Funny how dudes can holler about "loud pipes save lives," but as soon as we start to "infringe" on what's clearly a ✨GoD gIvEn RiGhT✨, then it's a problem. Strap a nightstick to your thigh and see what happens. Or maybe add a FAFO sticker to your collection?