May take the opportunity of today's blog post to be a bit contrary? Today I'm questioning the Loud Pipes Save Lives patch found in the Biker Sayings section, because the message it conveys is something I'm not sure how I feel about. On the one hand, I can understand the sentiment that loud motorcycles are more easily noticed, and therefore potentially safer, but on the other hand it seems like just an excuse to be obnoxious.
Now I don't mean to be a prude, but I've been awakened from many a summer night's slumber by a loud Harley rumbling down the main drag just a block from my home. It seems as though there are some bikers who don't care who their actions affect just so long as they have the freedom to do what they want. While I'm all for freedom, I'm also all for personal responsibility. Your right to ride your motorcycle when and where you choose is not necessarily the right to make my whole house shake at two o'clock in the morning with your loud pipes.
So go ahead and proudly wear this patch on your biker vest or jacket, and continue to tell people that loud pipes do save lives. But could you also do me a favor? Could you also admit that loud pipes wake people up in the middle of the night and are generally annoying to non-bikers? I would appreciate it.
