Quote:
Originally Posted by MLR
As long as you do a risk assessment you will have a good chance of avoiding a accident.
And for what its worth, we all do risk assessments in whatever we do subconsciously.
It's just sometimes, even with the best planning, **** happens.
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Yeah, that's it. Look down in my sig at the quote from csmith12.
I've been married 31 years. My wife still thinks I'm an adrenaline junkie. She doesn't understand -- never has, never will at this point.
I've known, and still know, a fair number of those folks. Deep in my gut, I know that I'm not one of them. I don't get off on being scared out of my gourd. I don't particularly enjoy taking it to the ultimate edge. To me, adrenaline is a warning that I'm pushing too hard, not a pleasurable rush that leaves me wanting more.
Do I do risky stuff? Sure, and it's not limited to riding (e.g. I used to be a whitewater kayaker). But always--
always--it's about managing risk and keeping myself safe to have fun another day.
The risk is always acknowledged and met head-on, never denied, and the decision to take the risk in the first place is a deliberate one. The thinking is always "what if?" and preparing for the outcome if (not when...
if) things go pear-shaped.
This is why I wear full leathers all the time -- something the overwhelming majority of riders do not do -- and use a neck brace. Soon upgrading to an airbag vest.
This is why, on group rides when people decide to go hooligan and start riding beyond what I deem reasonable, I give 'em a wave and go my own way.
This is why I go to the track -- to improve my skills and thereby, my ability to reduce risk on the street.
This is why, if my head's not in the game, I leave the bike at home and drive.
People think I'm crazy to ride a sportbike at my age. I think I'm a hell of a lot more level-headed and rational than many of the riders I meet.