Nodding code?

Vass bored us all completely to death with wittery prose along the
lines of:

In France, it's all the above, including the nod. Whatever seems best
at the time.

--
Cab :^) - Ormiga Atomica
GSX 1400 - 'Tarts Handbag' (tm) Bike, dead 550/4 Rat
UKRMMA#10 (KoTL), IbW#015, Bob#4, POTM#3

P.S. Remove your_head from the cab. ICQ: 83023471

 

I spoke to a "biker" here at work[1] last year who explained to me
that he'd bought a new GSX-R600 because "I used to have a Vespa, but
that whole scene's *so* last year now".

[1] only because he noticed the helmet on my desk, and wandered over
to introduce himself as a "fellow biker". He didn't hang around for
long after I explained my bike was the shitty CD200 beside all the
other gleaming-but-scraped bikes and scooters in the basement carpark.

 

Big Tony bored us all completely to death with wittery prose along the
lines of:

Hmm, in Paris, it tends to be a mixture. True, throughout the working
day, it's less common. Especially as there is a larger percentage of
people that use two wheelers as a functional form of transport and less
of an enjoyment means.

On the w/e though, this changes dramatically.

--
Cab :^) - Ormiga Atomica
GSX 1400 - 'Tarts Handbag' (tm) Bike, dead 550/4 Rat
UKRMMA#10 (KoTL), IbW#015, Bob#4, POTM#3

P.S. Remove your_head from the cab. ICQ: 83023471

 

Mixed bag.

I agree completely. Fortunately, I work in IT, so that side of things
is mostly handshakes.

 

I wasn't belittling anyone, you daft tart. David addressed the group
in general as "social misfits"; I don't consider myself to be a social
misfit, and was asking him to clarify his statement (which he hasn't
done yet, but I'm not /that/ bothered). If you think that was my
attempt to belittle him, you haven't quite grokked UKRM yet.

 

darsy bored us all completely to death with wittery prose along the
lines of:

Heh. TBH, you'll get away with shaking hands with everyone, as the
French don't expect non-French [1] people to kiss their women. In fact,
they may be surprised if you do. Unless you're in the Paris office on a
regular basis, they won't mind.

[1] Me excepted obviously
--
Cab :^) - Ormiga Atomica
GSX 1400 - 'Tarts Handbag' (tm) Bike, dead 550/4 Rat
UKRMMA#10 (KoTL), IbW#015, Bob#4, POTM#3

P.S. Remove your_head from the cab. ICQ: 83023471

 

that's the point, yes - thinks have changed since the 70s and 80s.

Many people buying bikes now who would are the sort of people[1] who
would never have considered doing so even 10 years ago. It's
*definitely* a lifestyle/fashion-statement thing for a lot of people -
either the sportsbike crowd or the chap-wearing Harley lot - I saw a
fat bloke in a suit and tie, with a tassled leather coat (it's the
hottest day of the year so far in London today) over the top,
matt-black open-face lid and wraparounds on a V-rod this morning,
dicking along Cheapside at about 15mph - idiot.

[1] black guys, for example.

 

that's just an example.

I don't even have to think about it. I do sometimes have to stop
myself using "[1] instead, though.

[1] wonder if this'll be enough to flag this post as HTML...

 

I do apologise unreservedly to both yourself Darsy and indeed the entire
group, I am unable to clarify this statement as it was purely an attempt at
humour which was obviously totally misplaced.

Maybe I will get the oppotunity to by you a beer should we meet... oh but
how will I recognise you? Tut silly me, you're really small right?

D

 

Makes it a bit like smiling or handshaking - a social convention with no
absolute rules. Nodding may be appropriate sometimes (sunny afternoon, only
other bike around perhaps) and not at others (rush hour commuter hell with
countless other bikes around perhaps). Nodding compulsively is a bit like
wanting to smile at every person you meet or wanting to shake hands with all
of them - rather strange behaviour. However, never nodding could be taken
as the equivalent of never smiling back when smiled at and never shaking
hands - the behaviour of a complete weirdo ( and possibly that of an
aggressive sociopath).

It's pitiful.

A 'real biker' is anyone who rides a motorbike - some enjoy acknowledging a
shared interest when they meet another biker - some don't. However, I KNOW
that if I break down on a bike there is a vastly greater chance of another
biker stopping to help me that there would be if I was driving a car that
had broken down and I was looking for help from other car drivers. Its this
sense of solidarity that makes me inclined to nod.

Until that day when the bike breaks down miles from anywhere and you don't
have a mobile phone with you........your membership may then become a
valuable asset.

Tony

 

AOL. I was picking up my CBR600 from the menders after I had crashed
it. Felt like a bit of a ****, actually.

 

darsy wrote:
[snip]

I do, it's friendly and so am I.

 

Great way to get to Paris, imo. And a great way to get back to
London.

Dunno. I've only ever been in pikey class.

 

darsy bored us all completely to death with wittery prose along the
lines of:

I've seen Chris Eubanks riding his Harley up Great Marlborough Street
once. All the dispatchers (me included, as I was dispatching at the
time) there yelled 'Wanker' and the small man got even smaller. Mind
you, he did bloody deserve it, for riding the bike dressed in fox
hunting gear, FFS.

A lot of actors/radio presenters/celebs tend to go for the Harley look,
don't they? This is more reinforcement of your above point. Three that
spring to mind are Eubanks, Sgt Cryer off the Bill and some dozy radio
presenter for Capital radio.

My ex-Boss used to ride a beige BMW R1200 cruiser in a beige suit in
Summer. 'nuff said.

--
Cab :^) - Ormiga Atomica
GSX 1400 - 'Tarts Handbag' (tm) Bike, dead 550/4 Rat
UKRMMA#10 (KoTL), IbW#015, Bob#4, POTM#3

P.S. Remove your_head from the cab. ICQ: 83023471

 

I've never had a bike brake down on me /anywhere/ to an extent that I
couldn't sort it myself. Modern bikes are rather reliable. In fact, I
don't think any of my new-ish bikes have ever actually broken down at
all - the SZR developed an irritating mis-fire/clunk that manifested
itself every 100 miles or so on the way back from Italy, but it still
got me home to Northern Ireland (turned out to be the crank bearing).

Even the shite-old-bikes have been fairly reliable.

 

.... and you thought on the train, dressed in m/c leathers, was the
best place to get it?

 

I bought a bike to get girls.

 

nah - that's not what I'm getting at - I realise it was intended as
self-mocking humour, and I wouldn't have mentioned it at all, if it
weren't for the fact I was using it to highlight the (TMM)
non-existent "biker alternative lifestyle" thing.

I go to most of the ukrm-London drinks events (some of which are even
announced on here) and occasional midlands-style thing (the BOSM).

apparently - if you believe what you read on here - I'm variously,
short, fat, bald, marmoset-like (I don't really understand this one)
etc. In actuality, I'm 5'8", only very slightly overweight now (my BMI
says I'm not, but I would like to lose a few more pounds), and I do
have a no.0 razor-cut.

The N.I. accent is the big give away. And if both myself and Platy are
there at the same time (he's the other main N.I. ex-pat), he's the
wrinkly speccy ****.

 

Which one of you looks like the Tango ad guy?

 

Did it work?
--

jeremy
['75 RD250A ] | ['02 Fazer 600 in blue]
_______________________________________
jeremy at hireserve dot com