Riding with 'Colors' On The Street
By James R. Davis
Those vests and patches
we wear at club meetings tell a story about us and our organizations -
sometimes, the wrong one.
Sometimes we wear them while riding our
motorcycles and it is appropriate to do so. For example, during a parade or a
'Toy Run' we are actively seeking to show the public that we are organized, that
we are proud of who we associate with, and to show off how many of our group are
there compared to other groups.
On the other hand, it rarely makes sense to wear
our colors in public other than for events like I just described.
Why?
- The public is 'unwashed' and has no idea what
our colors mean. All they 'know' is that if a group of us are riding together
a 'MOTORCYCLE GANG' has just gone by. There are places in most large cities
where real gangs stake out their territory with the wearing of their colors.
If you happen to be wearing the wrong 'colors' you can happen to get
assaulted, or worse.
- Even as between the 'washed' and the 'unwashed',
the wearing of colors can be seen as an invitation to confrontation. For
example, there is some degree of similarity between the GWRRA patch and that
of the Hell's Angels. Both groups of riders know the difference, but it is not
unheard of for a Hell's Angel member to confront a GWRRA member because of the
patch he is wearing.
- Most policemen do not ride motorcycles; i.e.,
they may well be 'unwashed'. Do you *really* want a policeman who stops you
for some reason to think you are a gang member?
- Most of our vests are not simply adorned with
patches - we often wear pins on them. If you were to hit the pavement while
wearing a vest full of pins you would quickly learn that the catch on the back
of them is designed to help keep the pins from falling off the vest, NOT to
prevent the pins from penetrating your body!
- Finally, to show off our vests while riding we
are, by definition, not wearing protective clothing for our upper body (i.e.,
a leather jacket.)
Wear'em proud, when it makes sense. But while
riding on public streets, with rare exceptions, it doesn't.
Copyright ©
1992-2001 by The Master Strategy Group, all rights reserved
Submitted by:
Mark Luketic
(Savage)
Chapter Educator