[kropotkin thinks...] - Editor's Blog: On Motorcycle Racing, Danger, and Death

[Ninjette Newsbot]

If you enjoyed reading this article, please click here to view it on Kropotkin's site, MotoGP Matters.

-----------------

"MOTORSPORTS CAN BE DANGEROUS" it says on the back of my media pass, the hard card I wear around my neck and which gives me access to the paddock and the media center. It says the same thing everywhere around the circuit: on rider passes, on the back of tickets, on signs which hang on fences around the circuit.

You see it so much that it becomes a cliché, and like all clichés it quickly loses its meaning. Until reality intervenes, and reminds us that behind every cliché lies a deep truth.

Friday brought a stark reminder. During the afternoon session of free practice for the Moto2 class, Luis Salom exited Turn 11 and got on the gas towards Turn 12. Just before the turn, traveling at around 170 km/h, the rider caress the front brake to help the bike turn through the fast right hander of Turn 12, an engineer told me. At that point, Salom lost control of his bike, fell off, and he and his bike headed towards the air fence which protects the wall there. They slid across a patch of tarmac put in to help the cars if they run straight on at that corner, and Salom's bike hit the air fence and wall, careened off the wall and into Salom, fatally injuring him.

[toEleven]

With a member here recently starting a thread about the chorus of empty statements that follows death, and another member in a separate thread seemingly quite upset that anyone would dare mention the possibility of a (street) riding related fatality, this piece seems rather timely. Unfortunate, but timely.

The newsbot did a terrible job of picking its short excerpt though. I might've gone with something like this, with my emphasis added

Groups of people stood around talking quietly, eyes lowered, the presence of others acknowledged with a nod or a hand gesture, rather than a shout. A sense of sadness prevailed throughout, yet there were few tears, few public expressions of grief.

This is the truth which Luis Salom's death exposes, and it is a memory I carry from being in Misano when Shoya Tomizawa was killed. Death stalks the paddock, always, and we all pretend it is not there. Riders believe it will not happen to them, and take risks without thinking about the danger they expose themselves to. Journalists spend millions of words glorifying the danger while playing down the risks of serious injury.
...
But though everyone works to make things safer, it is still all relative. The risk is not reduced to zero. It cannot be reduced to zero. And so we try not to think about it, and work harder to find ways of reducing risks still further, and hope that we can stay lucky for a while.

Reminds me a bit of a scene from Albert Camus' The Plague.
Anyway, keep reducing your risk, and continue not thinking about it if that is helpful to you.

[corksil]

There are worse things than death. I hate to [constantly] be the negative and depressing one, but hear me out and take what you will from my words.

A friend of mine recently crashed a dirtbike and broke his neck in three places. He's been in and out of the hospital over the past month for numerous x-rays and I've been more or less in charge of seeing to it that he makes a speedy and full recovery so he can get out of his neck brace and back to the things that bring him enjoyment in life.

Something happened to the man when he was knocked unconscious. Part of him hasn't come back from the incident, and that part of him will never recover. He has moments when he doesn't know why he's wearing a neck brace and he takes it off only to experience searing neck pain after trying to turn his head and maintain eye contact during a conversation.

Things that used to be simple tasks for him have become baffling. The lights are on, but no one is home. He's all there in a physical sense, but his mind is not in the room.

I'll mind my words carefully because a man's dignity is a fragile thing and I wouldn't want any of this to ever get back to him.

Please don't share this post, re-blog it, tweet it, or put it on social media. Read it and take what you will from my words, but don't extend the reach beyond the affect it has on your own mind. Humans are animals and it is ugly; they are drawn to motorsport because of the rush and the danger involved. You live more in five minutes while riding a fast bike than most people do in five years of a mundane existence. Spectators are drawn to watch motorsport because of the risk involved. When something terrible happens, people shuffle their feet and stare at the ground because they realize that they have witnessed the main attraction -- the very thing that they came to see -- but in that moment they realize it on some level and feel guilty.

Ride safe and remember that by throwing your leg over the bike and starting the machine -- you are assuming the risks involved.

I'm done with this forum for a while. You are all very nice people and it has been my good fortune to have met you and interacted with you in my time here. I'm still here in spirit. Think good thoughts and make happy memories.

[adouglas]

@corksil, hopefully you'll see this before you check out... I am very sorry to hear about your friend's accident. Best wishes for a full recovery and bravo for being there and helping him. That takes enormous character.

Originally Posted by corksil

Humans are animals and it is ugly; they are drawn to motorsport because of the rush and the danger involved. You live more in five minutes while riding a fast bike than most people do in five years of a mundane existence. Spectators are drawn to watch motorsport because of the risk involved. When something terrible happens, people shuffle their feet and stare at the ground because they realize that they have witnessed the main attraction -- the very thing that they came to see -- but in that moment they realize it on some level and feel guilty.

I have a real problem with this oft-quoted stereotype. Like all stereotypes, there is a grain of truth there... but by NO means is it universal.

I don't ride and I don't follow motorsport for the rush or the danger. Period. I ride for the pleasure of learning and executing a skill. I ride for the challenge of getting it perfect. Speed doesn't matter to me.

I was chatting recently with another forum member at a track day. He said that if he's not getting just a little scared he's not pushing hard enough. Perhaps his personal view reflects your statement somewhat. It works for him, so who am I to judge?

But that's not me by any stretch of the imagination. If I'm pushing so hard I'm getting scared, it means that my mind is occupied with something other than the task at hand. That's risky, and risk is something I work very hard to avoid.

The same goes for spectating. Every time someone pulls out that tired cliche about fans only going because of the crashes I try to explain that it's not why I'm there... nobody ever believes me. It's every bit as annoying as the mid-life crisis stereotype I constantly get hit with, or the adrenaline junkie stereotype.

Is it surprising that I don't like Jackass videos either? Or Tom & Jerry cartoons? Or MMA or boxing? I just don't find injury and death entertaining in any way. It's not funny to me. It's not pleasurable. Maybe that makes me exceptional. I don't know.

Every injury, and every severe crash that could have resulted in injury but didn't, is gut-wrenching for me. When a driver or rider goes off and might get hit I'm anxious until the situation sorts itself out. I do NOT want to see that stuff happen. I'm there to see skill and good, hard, clean competition.

[CC Cowboy]

The thrill is worth the danger!

I've had numerous friends killed or broken racing, or just riding. I've had each arm broken, collar bone broken twice, each wrist broken, each shoulder (rotator cuff) rebuilt and needs to be done again, my right knee hyperextended, rebuilt and now needs to be done again. I've had a friend hit the wall at Pocono and I watched his arm be torn off as he went over the wall and he died from the loss of blood. I have a friend who has had over 50 operations on his right leg from a bike crash. I was riding with a buddy when he went wide in a corner and had a head on with a car. He died instantly. Life goes on. I still ride almost everyday, I still do trackdays, I would still race (in the pre-historic class) if I had the time. When my time is up I just hope it is quick. Then I'll go see all those old friends once again. You only live once, live to the fullest and you'll have no regrets.

[CaliGrrl]

Originally Posted by adouglas

I don't ride and I don't follow motorsport for the rush or the danger. Period. I ride for the pleasure of learning and executing a skill. I ride for the challenge of getting it perfect. Speed doesn't matter to me.

I was chatting recently with another forum member at a track day. He said that if he's not getting just a little scared he's not pushing hard enough. Perhaps his personal view reflects your statement somewhat. It works for him, so who am I to judge?

But that's not me by any stretch of the imagination. If I'm pushing so hard I'm getting scared, it means that my mind is occupied with something other than the task at hand. That's risky, and risk is something I work very hard to avoid.

The same goes for spectating. Every time someone pulls out that tired cliche about fans only going because of the crashes I try to explain that it's not why I'm there... nobody ever believes me. It's every bit as annoying as the mid-life crisis stereotype I constantly get hit with, or the adrenaline junkie stereotype.

Is it surprising that I don't like Jackass videos either? Or Tom & Jerry cartoons? Or MMA or boxing? I just don't find injury and death entertaining in any way. It's not funny to me. It's not pleasurable. Maybe that makes me exceptional. I don't know.

Yeah, I'm the same. Totally. I like to see things done well. I love my bike and I love riding, and doing it right. The feel when you get a corner done smoothly. Yeah!

Not interested in scaring myself, even a little. I have other venues for that which don't involve danger while I'm distracted.

Add to the list- fights at hockey games. I get why the players fight, but I kind of mentally check out and wait until they're done. People tell me fans only go to see the fights and I disagree with them. I love hockey games, but I don't enjoy the fights.

[jcgss77]

Originally Posted by corksil

There are worse things than death. I hate to [constantly] be the negative and depressing one, but hear me out and take what you will from my words.

A friend of mine recently crashed a dirtbike and broke his neck in three places. He's been in and out of the hospital over the past month for numerous x-rays and I've been more or less in charge of seeing to it that he makes a speedy and full recovery so he can get out of his neck brace and back to the things that bring him enjoyment in life.

Something happened to the man when he was knocked unconscious. Part of him hasn't come back from the incident, and that part of him will never recover. He has moments when he doesn't know why he's wearing a neck brace and he takes it off only to experience searing neck pain after trying to turn his head and maintain eye contact during a conversation.

Things that used to be simple tasks for him have become baffling. The lights are on, but no one is home. He's all there in a physical sense, but his mind is not in the room.

I'll mind my words carefully because a man's dignity is a fragile thing and I wouldn't want any of this to ever get back to him.

Please don't share this post, re-blog it, tweet it, or put it on social media. Read it and take what you will from my words, but don't extend the reach beyond the affect it has on your own mind. Humans are animals and it is ugly; they are drawn to motorsport because of the rush and the danger involved. You live more in five minutes while riding a fast bike than most people do in five years of a mundane existence. Spectators are drawn to watch motorsport because of the risk involved. When something terrible happens, people shuffle their feet and stare at the ground because they realize that they have witnessed the main attraction -- the very thing that they came to see -- but in that moment they realize it on some level and feel guilty.

Ride safe and remember that by throwing your leg over the bike and starting the machine -- you are assuming the risks involved.

I'm done with this forum for a while. You are all very nice people and it has been my good fortune to have met you and interacted with you in my time here. I'm still here in spirit. Think good thoughts and make happy memories.

I am truly sorry about your friend, I have also had a friend who went into a coma and took a VERY long time to come back from it mentally, though he did not come back from it completely, while also losing his wife while he was recovering.

I do have a problem with what you mentioned about people being animals. Of course, opinions about this will come down to individual beliefs, but we are greater than animals. We are capable of reasoning, can deduce consequences, and are free to make up our own minds. We are also, however, capable of good AND evil.

Animals are nearly mindless, with instinct being nearly the only driving force. They, however, are not capable of evil.

As a rider, I do love the thrill of quick acceleration, and cutting a turn at near horizontal lean. One thing I DO NOT like is the sensation of fear. That is the body of saying you need to check yourself because something is about to go wrong. And as people, we have the ability to either act upon that premonition or ignore it. If we were animals, we would ALWAYS respond to that sensation, as instinct would override every other conscious function. I think what you are alluding to with people pushing the boundaries is the feeling of the need to perform, to impress others. After all, don't many people who are interested in this sport expect to see certain things, like accidents? So we sometimes make bad judgements and the crowds are entertained.

I am not saying that we are all like this, or that all bad decisions are the result of this, but I am just saying that we are bigger than that. I also think that realizing this can help us to be better riders and people.

If I may add, your friend will not be better off dead, which is what you were alluding to. People who have survived major accidents who bear disabilities have a power over those of us who haven't in that they can testify to good sense and show what can happen in a time of bad judgement. To help bring sense to our deepening culture of senselessness.

Now I shall depart from my soapbox.

[RacinNinja]

"Animals are nearly mindless".

Not even close to true. Crows can figure out how to raise the water level in a container to get food based on an items weight and it's "just a bird"!! Dogs and cats are intelligent. Members of the ape family are extremely intelligent. Dolphins have an almost unrivaled intelligence in the animal kingdom.

Link to original page on YouTube.



They are capable of evil. Kangaroos kick people into water. Cats knock their "friends" down stairs and off ledges. Cockatrices push turtles off shelves and onto the floor. Plenty of examples out there. Probably not the same LEVEL of evil but evil nontheless.

Animals are amazingly smart if we'd only pay attention, perfectly capable of making decisions based on consequences and understanding them, despite their fear. Military and police dogs are excellent examples of this.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Ninjette Newsbot

.......During the afternoon session of free practice for the Moto2 class, Luis Salom .......lost control of his bike, fell off, and he and his bike headed towards the air fence which protects the wall there. They slid across a patch of tarmac put in to help the cars if they run straight on at that corner, and Salom's bike hit the air fence and wall, careened off the wall and into Salom, fatally injuring him..........

It is always extremely sad when a young person dies.
All that training and vitality and effort should not suddenly end up.

It is shame that nobody foresaw that dangerous condition and remedied before it took a precious life.

[jcgss77]

Originally Posted by RacinNinja

"Animals are nearly mindless".

Not even close to true. Crows can figure out how to raise the water level in a container to get food based on an items weight and it's "just a bird"!! Dogs and cats are intelligent. Members of the ape family are extremely intelligent. Dolphins have an almost unrivaled intelligence in the animal kingdom.

Link to original page on YouTube.



They are capable of evil. Kangaroos kick people into water. Cats knock their "friends" down stairs and off ledges. Cockatrices push turtles off shelves and onto the floor. Plenty of examples out there. Probably not the same LEVEL of evil but evil nontheless.

Animals are amazingly smart if we'd only pay attention, perfectly capable of making decisions based on consequences and understanding them, despite their fear. Military and police dogs are excellent examples of this.

What you are talking about is conditioning, which is much different than reasoning. Sure, everything alive has some level of intelligence, but these animals would not do what they are trained to do without the training.

And evil is a deed done willingly against another with the intention of personal gain. Your examples are not this.

Anyways, you missed that the point was not about animals, but about mistakes we make. That we don't need to be stupid and hurt ourselves and by extension those who care about us, and that we are not mindless creatures, but people who can choose to be more than simple crowd pleasers, that if we paid attention to why we experience fear, rather than ignore it, we would be safer much of the time.

Obviously, we all have differing opinions, like I said in my post, and you are also entitled to yours. Yet another reason why we are not mere mammals, but much, much more.

[toEleven]

...
It is shame that nobody foresaw that dangerous condition and remedied before it took a precious life.
...

I agree. Most incidents of this type seem more obvious in hindsight. Arguments could be made either way with regard to the level of precaution taken. It often seems like enough up until the moment when it is proved inadequate.

More info released on the crash:

“In that lap, Luis arrived to the turn 12 braking reference point 6 km/h slower than his fastest lap, according to the telemetry that was because a lower acceleration at the exit of turn 11. Due to that reduced speed, Luis operated the brakes 9 meters later to maintain a proper corner speed [through] turn 12.

“At the entry of the corner there is an irregularity on the asphalt known by all the riders (bump). The delay of the braking instant made Luis maintain the brakes [while] running over that asphalt irregularity, as opposed to the previous laps where he already had released the brakes on that spot.

“All of that added to an even speed than his best lap of the FP2 produced a stress on the front tyre and a grip loss on the irregularity of the asphalt. That grip loss produced the crash with the tragic outcome that we all know.

Labeled turn 13 in this image. The quote above refers to the MotoGP numbering, the image below is the F1 configuration raced on sunday. The impact area was around the Europcar logo

"The riders were agreed. We say 'okay it is a good solution', because it is not possible to have more [run-off] space. We thought the airfence was enough," Marc Marquez said. "What we saw yesterday, nobody expected. This is so difficult to imagine, that it would happen like that with the bike in front [of the rider]."

[jcgss77]

Originally Posted by toEleven

I agree. Most incidents of this type seem more obvious in hindsight. Arguments could be made either way with regard to the level of precaution taken. It often seems like enough up until the moment when it is proved inadequate.

More info released on the crash:

Labeled turn 13 in this image. The quote above refers to the MotoGP numbering, the image below is the F1 configuration raced on sunday. The impact area was around the Europcar logo

So is the track designed to be that way, or is it just the result of the earth changing? Sounds quite dangerous (for obvious reasons) to be intentional.

[toEleven]

Originally Posted by jcgss77

So is the track designed to be that way, or is it just the result of the earth changing? Sounds quite dangerous (for obvious reasons) to be intentional.

If you're talking about the bump, it's the natural degradation of the track surface. Public roads need to be resurfaced; so do racetracks. The circuit in Malaysia was just resurfaced and reprofiled, for example. F1 cars and other racing vehicles put out quite a bit of power, and it has a very noticeable effect on asphalt (somewhat similarly, 18 wheelers on public highways). In both cases, someone has to pay for that resurfacing work...so it tends to get put off as long as possible, especially with a for-profit entity.

If you mean the close-ish walls or lack of runoff, they tend to be historical artifacts. As safety concerns arise, machines become dramatically more capable, an so on, the walls have been pushed back where they can. Because all of these tracks are not in wide open deserts (e.g. Qatar), there are finite amounts of space. Eventually, you either live with the proximity or stop using the course entirely.

[Alex]

I'm not sure of your question, but was it is it common to have bumps on racetracks going into the corners? If so, yes. Especially on circuits that have much faster cars on it. F1 cars brake so hard, with so much downforce, that over time they deform the track surface in the braking zones. Motorcycles don't do much damage to the surface, with much lower loads being put into the tarmac from the tires, but riders need to deal with the surface irregularities that are already there. The surface gets progressively worse each year, until it is repaved and the process starts anew.

edit: what he said.

[subxero]

lots of reminders over the last week both on and off road of the risks we take for the love of being on 2 wheels.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-34774805.html

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/06/06/2...-500-3-deaths/

not a death but i consider breaking your neck pretty serious
http://motocross.transworld.net/news...AcLZSJEgRmz.97

[toEleven]

To break one's neck and still be in such a functional state (and with a mere 6 week recovery time!?) is very fortunate.

[subxero]

Originally Posted by toEleven

To break one's neck and still be in such a functional state (and with a mere 6 week recovery time!?) is very fortunate.

yeah, not to mention finish a race with a 4th place

[toEleven]

@adouglas, @CaliGrrl
Forgive me for dragging you back to this particular thread, but yet another article on this event reminded me of your posts.

Salom, like all his fellow racers, was taking risks by going racing, but everyone should know that it isn’t the risk itself that makes racers race, it’s the wonder of using every cell in your brain and every muscle in your body to control the risk while finding that edge where only you can exist, or at least where you think only you can exist. That’s the buzz Salom was chasing and that’s the buzz every rider chases.

Occasionally a journalist deviates from the party line

[adouglas]

"The buzz every rider chases...."

Bull. Chit. That's precisely the kind of stereotypical generalization with which I disagree.

I don't chase that kind of buzz. That doesn't make me any less of a rider than the most ardent adrenaline junkie.

I'm faster than many and slower than many. I ride MY ride for MY reasons.

Does the fact that I don't ride to "chase the buzz" mean that I probably wouldn't be a good racer? Yeah, likely. Do I care? Not one whit.

It's just like that damned "mid-life crisis" stereotype. I shave my head and ride a bike not to recapture lost youth or to pose as a bada$$, but because a) I never had good hair to begin with and b) because I like riding. It's as simple as that.

[toEleven]

Hmm. Well...I personally interpreted both the last quote and your earlier post:

I ride for the pleasure of learning and executing a skill. I ride for the challenge of getting it perfect.

as referring to the same thing. The buzz in question is the satisfaction of precise execution. The same buzz I get when playing/practicing guitar, drawing, learning a new language, or doing anything else with a high skill ceiling.

If I read you (or the journo) wrong, I apologize. Any distortion on my part was unintentional.

[CaliGrrl]

Perfect execution- yeah. Wouldn't necessarily call it a buzz, though. I also wouldn't make a good racer, but I'm ok with that.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by toEleven

Hmm. Well...I personally interpreted both the last quote and your earlier post:
as referring to the same thing. The buzz in question is the satisfaction of precise execution. The same buzz I get when playing/practicing guitar, drawing, learning a new language, or doing anything else with a high skill ceiling.

If I read you (or the journo) wrong, I apologize. Any distortion on my part was unintentional.

No offense taken. But do you REALLY think that this:

"it’s the wonder of using every cell in your brain and every muscle in your body to control the risk while finding that edge"

applies to any of these guys?

When someone says "it's the buzz that every rider chases" that's precisely what they're saying. Every racer, maybe. Every rider? Hell no.

[toEleven]

Originally Posted by adouglas

No offense taken. But do you REALLY think that this:

"it’s the wonder of using every cell in your brain and every muscle in your body to control the risk while finding that edge"

applies to any of these guys?

When the bolded sentence in its original form begins with the 4 references to racing, I really think the author is talking about racing. Does it apply to cruisers, touring bikes, etc? I have no idea. Do the riders in your photos do track days as well? Did they start in a racing environment? Do they have a deep appreciation for the skill involved in piloting a gigantic Goldwing? A single photo isn't enough for a valid inference. When I hop on a Harley (which I've only done once, granted), the things I enjoy about riding do not suddenly change.

At no point did I intend to claim that a statement read as universal motivation is truly universal. To quote myself on that very topic in this forum:

Originally Posted by toEleven

...to ascribe a single motivation to everyone. I don't think that's a wise strategy. Identical results do not guarantee identical causes.
...

Originally Posted by adouglas

When someone says "it's the buzz that every rider chases" that's precisely what they're saying. Every racer, maybe. Every rider? Hell no.

I think this is where we differ, but not where we disagree. In articles about racing, where every rider mentioned is in fact a racer, "every rider" reads to me as referring only to racers. Your interpretation is far more literal, and a perfectly valid interpretation. We both know what was written; we don't seem to agree on what was meant. English leaves lots of room for subtlety and nuance, but at the cost of precision.

Originally Posted by adouglas

That doesn't make me any less of a rider than the most ardent adrenaline junkie.

I'm faster than many and slower than many. I ride MY ride for MY reasons.

I didn't address this earlier, but for my curiosity's sake: at what point in this thread did anyone say you were less (or more) of a rider than anyone else?

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by toEleven

I didn't address this earlier, but for my curiosity's sake: at what point in this thread did anyone say you were less (or more) of a rider than anyone else?

You didn't, but when the journalist clearly implied it. Language matters. (PS: I write for a living.) The statement "the buzz that every rider chases" has to be taken at face value. Every rider means EVERY RIDER. "Every racer" may have been what was intended, but that is not what was stated.

If you're not chasing that buzz, what does that make you?

Stereotypes and blanket generalizations just bug me, that's all. I ran into it again just yesterday. I'm about to go on vacation, and on a conference call, a client asked me where I was going.

"To ride my motorcycle on a racetrack," I said.

"Oh, you must have been born with a death wish," she said.

Once again, BANG. Stereotype. Forevermore, in her mind. I'm a crazed adrenaline junkie.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by adouglas

"To ride my motorcycle on a racetrack," I said.

"Oh, you must have been born with a death wish," she said.

Once again, BANG. Stereotype. Forevermore, in her mind. I'm a crazed adrenaline junkie.

Um, but you are. Ill make sure to get the pictures this weekend to prove it! Making that French press coffee stuff clearly makes you a wild sonofagun, badass extraordinaire!

[toEleven]

Emphasis added

Originally Posted by adouglas

You didn't, but when the journalist clearly implied it. Language matters. (PS: I write for a living.) The statement "the buzz that every rider chases" has to be taken at face value. Every rider means EVERY RIDER. "Every racer" may have been what was intended, but that is not what was stated.

If you're not chasing that buzz, what does that make you?

Stereotypes and blanket generalizations just bug me, that's all. I ran into it again just yesterday. I'm about to go on vacation, and on a conference call, a client asked me where I was going.

"To ride my motorcycle on a racetrack," I said.

"Oh, you must have been born with a death wish," she said.

Once again, BANG. Stereotype. Forevermore, in her mind. I'm a crazed adrenaline junkie.

Context also matters. The notion that something is "clearly implied" is interesting, to put it kindly. What a statement implies depends entirely upon the reader. That reader's background, assumptions, beliefs, primary language, and the context in which they encounter the statement. Much as you've said, you are or should be aware that anything that isn't explicitly stated is no longer within your control, as the writer. You and I seem to be examples - we read the same thing, and what was implied to you was not implied to me. In my opinion, delivering a message with the written word is not a one man affair solely controlled by the writer. It's an engagement between both writer and reader.

With regard to taking things at face value, should I take your post script about your profession only at face value? If so, it's no more meaningful or relevant than if you told me you create balloon animals for a living. If not, you seem to be asserting what should (the article) and should not (your statements) be taken at face value following a logic that isn't clear to me (or is completely absent).

I don't presume to know what other stereotypes and generalizations might apply to you. If any of them result from your permanent characteristics rather than your choices, I would think (based solely on my own experience) that you'd have plenty of time to get used to stereotypes.