If there is one universal truth about motorcycles, it is that they will
always get some type of reaction. I had almost forgotten the "power
of the bike" to evoke strong emotions as I hadn't been out for a
ride in a couple of months. However, I was quickly reminded on this fact
while out riding last Saturday. We stopped briefly for gas and a quick
bite to eat at a Sheetz and in that short pit stop, I personally witnessed
more raw emotions than the best "chick flick" could produce
in that short of a time frame. Who would have thought that a gas station
would be the setting for so much drama?
Emotion 1- Fear: Scene 1 - The gas station restroom.
(Hey, it was a long ride where else would I be?) A sweet little girl of
about 4 or 5 was standing outside one of the bathroom stalls chattering
away to folks who were waiting in line when I walked in. Suddenly she
stopped talking and eyed me cautiously up and down. I was decked out in
full leathers as it was a pretty cold day. Apparently I looked somewhat
intimidating as she nervously looked up at me wide-eyed with fear and
said, "I hope you are not a bad person because my grandma is just
in there." She pointed to the occupied stall. I was taken totally
aback by her reaction and half-way expected grandma to come busting out
of the stalls to the rescue. Still, I had to give the girl credit as at
least she was brave enough to voice her fears. The rest of the folks in
line had the same expression she did but were too timid to speak up. I
laughed and everyone in the room seemed to relax when I told her that
"no, I was not a bad person."
Emotion 2 - Nostalgic Longing: Scene 2 - The dining area of the gas
station.
From the moment we walked in I could hear loud conversation between two
old geezers who appeared to be just sipping coffee and passing the time
while sitting at a couple of the tables. They never acknowledged us but
it was quite obvious that our presence had inspired the animated conversation.
They were fondly reminiscing about bikes they had owned in the past and
happily telling stories of their motorcycling adventures in their younger
days all the while trying to impress each other with their knowledge of
motorcycles in general.
Emotion 3 - Lust and Fantasy: Scene 3 - The parking lot.
We were just about to leave the store, when out of the corner of my eye
a saw a guy eyeing the bike with a smile on his face and that familiar
gleam of lust in his eye. He walked back and forth carefully taking in
every detail of the bike, totally wrapped up in his own fantasy. After
a minute or two, he was brought back to reality as wife walked up to him
with an obvious look of displeasure (emotion 4) on her face. He timidly
bowed his head and walked toward the dark green Volvo that he pulled up
in with any possible fantasy of peeling out on the Harley totally dashed
from his psyche. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy.
In that short 20-minute period, it became very obvious that motorcycling
has a strong emotional effect on more than just the bikers themselves
and that there is so much more to the entire biking experience than just
getting there. So the next time you are feeling emotionally numb, take
your bike out, park it in a public place and just sit somewhere nearby
where you can just observe people's reactions. I guarantee that you won't
be bored and neither will your audience.
