It's a risky activity, yes, but lets not forget metropolitan areas in other countries are shock filled with motorcycles and most people live their entire life without being involved in any majorly serious accidents.
You mean scooters traveling <35mph surrounded by other scooters traveling <35mph
E.g. the most common motorcycle in Vietnam is the 110cc Honda Wave with a top speed under ideal conditions of ~60mph. It literally would not be called a motorcycle in the US.
No, I'm talking about motorcycles traveling ~50mph surrounded by other motorcycles, cars, trucks and whatever else goes on around and in metropolitan areas, even in countries in Europe.
> I don't think any city in Europe is as anti-human as your standard American metro, suburb, or small town.
Agreed
> Also: European metro areas are full of two-wheeled not-motorcycles, like the Honda above.
Not the European metropolitan area I live right next to and travel to/from, they are proper motorcycles, who also travel on the highway, which isn't legal for the "two-wheeled not-motorcycles" you talk about.
It's OK to not be aware of how everything is everywhere in the world, no one thinks less of you for that. However, being so confident about something you obviously can't know, isn't as harmless and does indeed make you look slightly weird for being so combative about it.
Your point is that there are cities that are full of motorcycles. My point is: sure, but most of those in most cities are not the 1000cc+ motorcycles Americans are typically referring to, and even if they are, a city full of motorcycles is a completely different risk environment from a city that is not full of motorcycles.
The bikes, usage patterns, and environment are all totally different. It's obviously silly to act like they're not.
From time spent living in the Philippines I have no idea what they're even on about. Sometimes I watched the local news and it was absolutely plastered with endless mass death of motorcyclists. Life is just cheap in south east asia so when a gazillion people get splattered on their bike no one thinks too much about it, it's just the risk of doing the business.
There are old riders and there are bold riders...
But somehow no old bold riders.
It's hardly any given. You can just ride properly.
In other countries they are a huge means of transport.
True. If you ride properly, then everyone else on the road is not allowed to hit you by the laws of physics.
Like how if you ride in a car, or a bicycle, or walk as a pedestrian, then everyone else on the road is not allowed to hit you by the laws of physics.
"Oh, but this is acceptable risk"
Well, for billions, a motorcycle is too.
Yes same with BASE jumping. Since you walk as a pedestrian, which has risk, it's virtually the same as BASE jumping, which also has risk.
You can drive like a saint, you will still get plowed by someone who is dumb, or just on their phone. It's over!
It's a risky activity, yes, but lets not forget metropolitan areas in other countries are shock filled with motorcycles and most people live their entire life without being involved in any majorly serious accidents.
You mean scooters traveling <35mph surrounded by other scooters traveling <35mph
E.g. the most common motorcycle in Vietnam is the 110cc Honda Wave with a top speed under ideal conditions of ~60mph. It literally would not be called a motorcycle in the US.
No, I'm talking about motorcycles traveling ~50mph surrounded by other motorcycles, cars, trucks and whatever else goes on around and in metropolitan areas, even in countries in Europe.
The cities that Americans travel to in order to experience quaint and whimsical urban environments?
I don't think any city in Europe is as anti-human as your standard American metro, suburb, or small town.
Also: European metro areas are full of two-wheeled not-motorcycles, like the Honda above.
> I don't think any city in Europe is as anti-human as your standard American metro, suburb, or small town.
Agreed
> Also: European metro areas are full of two-wheeled not-motorcycles, like the Honda above.
Not the European metropolitan area I live right next to and travel to/from, they are proper motorcycles, who also travel on the highway, which isn't legal for the "two-wheeled not-motorcycles" you talk about.
It's OK to not be aware of how everything is everywhere in the world, no one thinks less of you for that. However, being so confident about something you obviously can't know, isn't as harmless and does indeed make you look slightly weird for being so combative about it.
It has nothing to do with awareness.
Your point is that there are cities that are full of motorcycles. My point is: sure, but most of those in most cities are not the 1000cc+ motorcycles Americans are typically referring to, and even if they are, a city full of motorcycles is a completely different risk environment from a city that is not full of motorcycles.
The bikes, usage patterns, and environment are all totally different. It's obviously silly to act like they're not.
From time spent living in the Philippines I have no idea what they're even on about. Sometimes I watched the local news and it was absolutely plastered with endless mass death of motorcyclists. Life is just cheap in south east asia so when a gazillion people get splattered on their bike no one thinks too much about it, it's just the risk of doing the business.
100% given? Lol