Something started percolating in my subconscious last night that boiled over into awareness this morning while walking my dog on the mountain near our home. I was looking at Pat Hahn’s book “Ride Hard Ride Smart” at Barnes and Noble. It’s a serious and in depth look at riding risks, techniques, and management strategies for riding. It’s a good book. There was a chapter on night riding and when I turned to that section it was short with an admonishment “Don’t do it”. Don’t ride at night. The risk is too great. I think this is where something happened in my subconscious. I turned to the index and looked up “snow”. Nothing. The book is excellent despite that admonishment or the fact that I didn’t find any mention of riding in snow. But then there wasn’t any mention of hauling pigs or plywood on the back of a bike either so maybe my expectations are a bit out of line. Anyway, this is not about the book, it is about safety.
I was walking on the ridge trail with my dog five miles from the highway. It was raining and no one is up here. This is the place where Kim broke her leg on the way down the trail and I had to carry her a mile back to the car before I could take her to the hospital. I started thinking about all the books and articles I have read about hiking safety—don’t walk alone, always have the ten essentials, you could die just a mile from home. From there comes don’t swim alone, don’t walk after dark in that place, it’s too cold and you could freeze. I suddenly realized that some of the things I do that I have been considering “normal” might be unsafe. Safe. Safety. Is that what a reasonable American is expected to want? And suddenly I am engulfed by an explosion of thoughts about our culture, government, and lives.
We are obsessed with safety in almost every aspect of our lives. Our commercial culture breeds on our fear promising safety in everything from the tanks we drive to the soap we wash our hands with. Alarms and air filters and water purifiers. Double security locks, guns and pepper spray. Fire companies, cell phones, 911, police, rangers, soldiers, spies. Food, exercise, diet. We want to be safe from everything and everybody. And maybe the desire is natural and healthy. But the culture it has spawned seems a bit questionable. It wants to insulate us from experience. It wants us to see the world as a dangerous place to avoid rather than deal with. It allows us to deter our safety to others with little need for personal responsibility. It enables us to drive unsafely because we have a big vehicle with 8 air bags. We can disconnect from the impact our desire to be “safe” has on others in everything from pollution generated in the manufacture of household chemicals to the actions of our government in foreign lands.
I have always admired the writing of James Fenimore Cooper, Edward Abbey, and others who write about people who embrace the environment around them as humans who are part of it in spite of resident dangers. Perhaps I wax romantic here but I believe placing such a high regard on safety without considering the possibility that we become less human, less passionate, less demanding of ourselves in the process. I’m not an adrenaline junkie and I don’t take risks just to take risks. But I do take risks that I don’t have to intentionally because they are a part of the life I am living. Riding at night is just one of them. Hiking alone is another. And I believe I am a better person because of it.
Another excellent post, Steve.
Pat Hahn is a friend of mine. He is also the communications director at the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center, at least, last time I checked. I’ll have to tell you sometime how we met. It’s a hilarious story.
So Pat’s business is all about safety. I happen to know he likes to ride fast, but only on a closed course, like at a track day.
But your opening up of the discussion into this American safety mania is a very fertile field for the critical mind.
I know so many people who go out and buy a new car, furniture, or lawn tractor to satisfy a nameless yearning that they don’t even understand.
Our society tries to train us to be good consumers. Happiness lies just beyond the purchase of the next widget or package tour vacation. Then we are baffled when we find little satisfaction in the purchase.
Oh, I could go on and on here… but out of respect, I won’t.
Just be glad people like us see past all the bullsh*t.
Ride well,
=gc=
I would like to believe that at one point the government had altruistic motives behind the “safety rules”. Some have actually addressed much needed things. I just have to wonder about motives in this day and age.
Government seems to have nothing to do but make more government. I believe it is a matter of control. What better way to start the process than by standing behind this big banner that claims they are doing it to make life “safer”. After all, one who disagrees can be made out to be desiring evil things for humanity. Having thus started under pseudo-humanitarian pretenses, it is easy to move ahead from there.
And so goes the road to government control. People have just grown apathetic to the point they accept it. Actually, it’s more like they’re distracted.
My cat seems to have one goal in life which is to get in the house. She will madly dash at any open door. This is a problem in the early mornings when I leave and Katie is still asleep. Don’t want the cat in the house but have to keep the door open more to haul my gear and stuff out. I put the cat’s food outside away from the door. Classic distraction while I accomplish my objective.
People’s apathy comes from distraction. After all, with a concerted effort by enough aware individuals massive changes to government can be done. Trouble is, the majority are distracted and pacified by consumerism and pleasure. The few rams among the sheep are then easily labelled as “radical troublemakers”. Their smaller numbers make them vulnerable to being squashed.
I’ve seen the way safety things make people feel bullet-proof. I see it with motorcyclists with ABS-equipped bikes all the time.
I don’t need no braking skills, I have ABS!
I don’t need to pull my head out and look for hazards, I can stop on a dime because I have ABS!
These things are only tools. Nothing should be considered as replacing the need for intelligence and skill.
Stay aware, stay alive, don’t succumb.
Sorry for the length of this reply. I guess Gary and I feel really deeply about some of this and we can pour it out. Gary must have more respect for you because he kept it short!
Or maybe I repect you more because I took time to share more. Better stop there. Last thing you need is Gary and I contesting on YOUR blog!
The fact that we ride 2 wheelers means that we have, as riders, chosen to accept a certain amount of risk. And how we choose to manage that risk determines how our rides end up.
Good post.
Gary,
I thought Pat’s book was good and as a safety person I don’t think he could take any other stand. But the “safety mania” as you label is (I believe) undermining our basic humanity and pointing us towards a bubble. I don’t have a death wish but I also don’t want to live in a cocoon.
I thought happiness did lie just beyond the next purchase. You mean it doesn’t???
irondad,
I feel no disrespect from long posts. I am always happy to see them. You obviously have strong feelings in this area and need to express them. The life I lead certainly isn’t rebellious but it also doesn’t line up with a lot of other people.
I think you and Gary might be someone who would appear somewhere as “Most likely to write a personal manifesto…” *grin*
snark,
Mostly yes though as irondad points out with his ABS comments many can be oblivious to the dangers..
steve
That would be Darwinism at work then. If a rider relies on his machine’s ABS instead of his riding skill, and constantly improving and developing that skill, and not riding with your head up your a**…well… 🙂
just remember: I don’t visit hospitals or funeral homes.