catesta Meets the Hells Angels

[catesta]

First off, I don't mean to offend anyone that rides a motorcycle, and lives the biker lifestyle. This is more of a personal example of some dudes I know, and how I think they’ve let things go to their head.

I don't ride a motorcycle, I can, and I have, but I don't own one, and really have no desire to. I appreciate the hell out of a nice bike and totally understand why people are into them. But, it's just really not me.

Big cycles (Harleys, customs, etc.) these days have become very much the thing to have. It reminds me a little of when the nation was going through a love for country music phase (among other phases) and everyone became a cowboy, a la Garth Brooks on the weekends. Now we have "bikers" dressed up in all the leather garb, and dew rags, rumbling down the streets and raising hell.

Now, some of these dudes are serious hardcore, and are living the same life they have been for years. Others are taking this up as a hobby and may have bought the Harley last week. These days, it's hard to tell them apart, at least for most.

In fairness, I should not classify all riders the same, because some are just out to ride and are not pretending to be anybody they're not.

What I struggle with is the "Billy Bad-Ass" attitude that seems to come over some people when they start up the motorcycle.

I'll tell my story now....

On Saturday night I'm grilling some ribs and drinking a few beers at my girlfriend's home, which for the time being until I move east happens to be my residence as well. Just about when everything is ready, I hear the rumble of motorcycles out front. I say to my lady "is that who I think it is"? Meaning, I know it's a guy we know, he works for one of the municipalities my business is contracted with.

It was indeed, he and a buddy.

To make this a not so long story, I won’t go into detail as to why this dude is trying to get under my skin, but let’s just say he is holding a grudge against me.

I’ve not spoken to the guy in well over a year. His showing up was for one reason and one reason only, to piss me off.

He says he just wants to drink beer, I advise him and his buddy (another city employee) that we were sitting down to dinner and they have to go. One starts huffing and puffing about, “people don’t have to call me if they want to stop by my house, and I don’t run friends off”, while the other proceeds to call me a “pussy” and tells me to pull my head out of my ass.

What do I say to that?

I’m a smaller guy, nonetheless I have been known to handle myself pretty well. So it’s not really an issue of worrying about getting my ass kicked (although the getting my ass kicked possibility did exist), as much as I’m 38 years old, and have no desire to be involved in a bar fight in front of a house. It’s stupid.

Just as stupid as a couple of city employees pretending to be outlaw bikers, and that is exactly what I told them.

They ended up leaving, but not before doing burn-outs in the street.

It’s a joke, they’ve only been riding for a little over a year. If I didn't know any better I may have bought the biker gang routine.

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

I know some long time bikers through a friend of mine that operates a detail shop and another that has a welding business. They are affiliated with a certain well known motorycyle club. I spoke to one of them on Sunday when I was getting my car washed. He suggested inviting the two over for a cookout but only this time my friend and his friends would be present, then we would see who needed to pull their heads out of their asses.

Not something I plan on doing, but the idea makes me laugh.

Edited April 4, 2005 by catesta

[AfricaBrass]

That would be funny if you set some real bikers on these guys...

I really like your comment about people just being themselves. It's like we all have to be characters nowadays. This reminds me of a time from my drinking days. It was about twelve years ago, and I wasn't always a very nice guy when I drank. There was this coffee house that was frequented by guys with $25k + Harleys and they were trying be like tough bikers. I spent 10 minutes mocking them and trying to call them out. There were at least 15 bikes there, so I would have had my rear handed to me if they'd have come after me.

Fortunately, they didn't mind my mocking...

I'm sure glad I don't drink much anymore... This is the same time period of my life when 12 beers (not p-water either) to catch a buzz. Man... my liver hurts just thinking about this...

[Man with the Golden Arm]

So that's what happens when ya get banned? Ya get to go to Catesta's for ribs! wtf!!

We have a loud Harley biker on our street. He's an anesthesiologist, by prior practice and natural selection I believe , at Mass General in Boston.

[AfricaBrass]

Catesta, is this the guy's motorcycle?

[Johnny E]

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

ANYMORE?

Since when did the average Joe become an independent thinker? People are constantly trying to be something there not. Part of it comes from living in a Capitalist society where marketers play upon people’s insecurities in order to get them to buy their shit. Another part of it comes from nationalism, patriotism and other forms of nostalgic Americana, and yet another comes from the inherent human trait of pack mentality (sometimes leading to mob mentality). Add all this to the disposable income that many Americans are lucky enough to have and woo-la! Instant lemming.

Edited April 4, 2005 by Johnny E

[sheldonm]

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

ANYMORE?

Since when did the average Joe become an independent thinker? People are constantly trying to be something there not. Part of it comes from living in a Capitalist society where marketers play upon people’s insecurities in order to get them to buy their shit. Another part of it comes from nationalism, patriotism and other forms of nostalgic Americana, and yet another comes from the inherent human trait of pack mentality (sometimes leading to mod mentality). Add all this to the disposable income that many Americans are lucky enough to have and woo-la! Instant lemming.

....didn't take long for this to become a polital thing!

[catesta]

So that's what happens when ya get banned? Ya get to go to Catesta's for ribs! wtf!!

We have a loud Harley biker on our street. He's an anesthesiologist, by prior practice and natural selection I believe , at Mass General in Boston.

You're killin' me.

[Johnny E]

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

ANYMORE?

Since when did the average Joe become an independent thinker? People are constantly trying to be something there not. Part of it comes from living in a Capitalist society where marketers play upon people’s insecurities in order to get them to buy their shit. Another part of it comes from nationalism, patriotism and other forms of nostalgic Americana, and yet another comes from the inherent human trait of pack mentality (sometimes leading to mob mentality). Add all this to the disposable income that many Americans are lucky enough to have and woo-la! Instant lemming.

....didn't take long for this to become a polital thing!

Everything is political whether we want to acknowledge it or not. B-)

[ghost of miles]

I know some long time bikers through a friend of mine that operates a detail shop and another that has a welding business. They are affiliated with a certain well known motorycyle club. I spoke to one of them on Sunday when I was getting my car washed. He suggested inviting the two over for a cookout but only this time my friend and his friends would be present, then we would see who needed to pull their heads out of their asses.

Not something I plan on doing, but the idea makes me laugh.

You're a better man than I, Senor Catesta. I'd be mighty tempted to go along with their suggestion.

The biker phenomenon is an interesting one to trace. When I was researching THE WILD ONE for a Night Lights program, I re-visited Hunter S. Thompson's book on the Hell's Angels (one of his best IMO--oh, and they beat him up in the epilogue) and read up a lot on the making of the Brando movie. Seems some of this culture emerged from working-class WWII vets in California in the late 1940s... ironically enough, the real bikers who worked as extras in THE WILD ONE thought Brando was a poser. Lee Marvin (who played the leader of a rival gang) was much more to their liking; they hung out with him, and Sonny Barger eventually bought the jersey that Marvin wore in the movie.

I'd say these idiots you encountered sound more like the Green Day Angels.

[Noj]

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

Aren't I going to be me?

[AfricaBrass]

I'd say these idiots you encountered sound more like the Green Day Angels.

or... Heck's Angels.

[couw]

so they burnt some rubbers on the street, big deal. the more the merrier.

[AfricaBrass]

so they burnt some rubbers on the street, big deal. the more the merrier.

Do you work for a motorcycle tire company or something?

[catesta]

You're a better man than I, Senor Catesta. I'd be mighty tempted to go along with their suggestion.

I've got to admit, I think I will.

My buddy called me about 30 minutes ago to see if I had changed my mind.

I'm not letting anyone come over to the house, but I did greenlight the next best thing.

One of the jackoffs I mentioned works at a city owned cemetery. That's where I know him from, we used to do the regular mowing, but now, because of budget cuts a dfferent department oversees our contract and they just use us for non-routine work.

We are scheduled to plant some trees there later this week, I might even squeeze it in for Tuesday.

I'm going to assign a very tattooed foreman to the project.

It's all in good fun, he's just going to razz him a bit.

[catesta]

so they burnt some rubbers on the street, big deal. the more the merrier.

It's a much more permanent horror, than say......,um......, gum in the hair is.

[AfricaBrass]

One of the jackoffs I mentioned works at a city owned cemetery. That's where I know him from, we used to do the regular mowing, but now, because of budget cuts a dfferent department oversees our contract and they just use us for non-routine work.

We are scheduled to plant some trees there later this week, I might even squeeze it in for Tuesday.

I'm going to assign a very tattooed foreman to the project.

It's all in good fun, he's just going to razz him a bit.

You couldn't ask for a better setup.

You've got holes, which someone could easily slip into, and trees which easily could fill said hole... Oops!

Or you could make his chopper disappear in a hole where a tree is planted.

Just kidding!

Disclaimer: Cat Shatner, AfricaBrass and their representatives don't advocate violence of any kind. (Whew! My butt's now covered!)

Edited April 4, 2005 by AfricaBrass

[AfricaBrass]

Question:

Has the ignore list been activated yet?

Just curious...

[Jim Alfredson]

Can’t people just be themselves anymore?

ANYMORE?

Since when did the average Joe become an independent thinker? People are constantly trying to be something there not. Part of it comes from living in a Capitalist society where marketers play upon people’s insecurities in order to get them to buy their shit. Another part of it comes from nationalism, patriotism and other forms of nostalgic Americana, and yet another comes from the inherent human trait of pack mentality (sometimes leading to mob mentality). Add all this to the disposable income that many Americans are lucky enough to have and woo-la! Instant lemming.

People are just people. Everybody wants to feel a part of something. Why else would this board exist?

Getting down on people for "group mentality" is like getting down on birds for singing. It's part of our nature and a healthy one.