So today I rode down to my local (presentation day for my daughter's dancing) and as I pulled into the carpark there was a large number of patched members or a club that will remain un-named, and I must say, I was a bit worried.

The car park is rather small and I had nowhere to park but right in the middle of all their bikes. 

I could feel a thousand eyes looking at me and was a bit uncomfy!

 

So do you get a bit concerned in the company of a good number of MC members?

yes, but as it turned out it was no issue for you it seems.
You just never know with those guys, it just takes 1 that is have a less than great day and your in trouble

Were they there for dancing lessons????

Max - I know what you are saying. So I just gave a friendly nod and walked into the presentation. I had a sneaky look over and a few of them were looking over my bike. No issues though... just a bit of butt puckering.

No - No free dance lessons for me. LOL!!

I`ll tell ya, I went to a local swap meet car show a couple of years back with my 2 young daughters. we went straight the the bikes lined up and had a good look at em..we got to a purpleish/pink looking hog with a evil witch type woman on the tank
so I asked my girls (with the hope of getting them more interested in bikes) "what do you reccon kids? would you like a bike like this one? you could get a girls bike when you grow up"
well.... almost immediately after it came out of my mouth I spotted a fella around a foot taller then me (and im over 6 foot) bigger too and friggin angry lookin.. like rip your head off type guy...looking at the same bike...
ohhh I sighed and said "its your bike isnt it ..?" and he goes "yep..." "........."
awkward silence occurs "....."
then he says "well, my mates gave me shit too but I got used to it and its grown on me"
so I says "its a cool bike"

anyway old sayings ring true some times you know.. dont judge a book etc etc he was a scary lookin cool dude


ps... If hes on this forum reading this hi

I think most blokes would be a bit 'worried', 'cos after all, as Ozymax says, you never know....

Having said that though, I've never had a drama on the odd occasion I've come across clubbies, just made sure I minded my manners, so to speak....

The only time I reckon I had a problem was riding my sporty in town one day, I got spat on (or at least he tried, but missed) by a patched member riding past. I did nothing to deserve it except be there in his presence on a sporty, so although I don't judge them all by the actions of that one, I'm still pretty wary....

Shouldn`t be any dramas , most clubs invite anyone and everyone along to their poker runs and shows and besides being normal fellas but clubbies , these days they don`t want too much of a scene at places that still serve them , unless ya really askin for it , then again like ya say it would only take one like the bloke spittin at ya hey , that`s a bit much ! Though seen some real pissed locals at poker runs and gettin away with some abnoctious sorta shit , thinkin this fella is gonna get himself flogged in a minute , but never ?
Similar funny story , few years back I was going to a show , alone on the roadie and was sitting at the lights a block or 2 away when about 30 bikes came down either side of me , most of them filtered out in the middle of the intersection the last couple were beside me , a bit daunting at first but they were mostly my age or younger , they said hey G`day man ya coming to the show , i said yeah mate is that where ya`s are all headin (didn`t know that it was their show) , so the lights turned green and off we went , i thought aint this great blastin along with the tailrunners then when we got to the gates i got waved through with them , i thought kool free admition too , even better , then after parkin her up , gettin off and walkin in , said G`day fellas to a few of them , they just laughed and said yeah G`day mate , how ya goin , have a good one hey ! I had a good day , mad band , took some pics , had a feed and a few drinks , so i thought i`d better at least buy a t`shirt !

 surrounded by clubbies, nope. Not unless I get untidy which I dont do till Im home and in safe hands,but that can also mean yer local pub too.Clubbys demand respect but many others do too IMOHO that aint accociated

so far only once have they bothered me, was going the speed limit minding my own business then all of a suddern one guy zoomed into my lain and almost knocked me off the road just missed me going like 180 in a 80 zone haha

i steered well clear of him

Just treat them the same as any other motorcyclist, a nod and "g'day", no they don't concern me.

I'm safe, the clubbies around my way dont ride bikes.

Pulled up to a few a couple weeks back. Nodded, they nodded back. Next set of lights I was right behind them. One guy rolled his bike back to talk to me and said "sweet ride". I said thanks to him while crapping myself to be honest. I said "sweet heritage" back to him. Chatted it up a bit, and we went our separate ways.

Guess it all depends who you rock up to. Some are just about riding bikes.

There are quite a few patched riders with vans (or at least who stay at vans) at the Caravan Park where we've got a van.

The first time I rode the Harley to the van (which I don't normally do coz I go there to do boat stuff) the bike got a few looks but other than a passing 'nice bike, but why silver?' (which I get anyway) no issues at all. The park managers say they haven't had any trouble with them either (unlike a couple of other sites).

Then there was the time I was pulled up at Holbrook getting fuel and a (different patched group) were on some sort of ride. Evidently the cops had been hassling them and because I'd come from the other way one wandered over and asked me if I'd seen any down the road but I hadn't.

The only time I had any hassles was when I was running late one time and I saw a small group of harleys in front of me, I was running late so I moved out to over take and rolled on the throttle. It wasn't until I was on top of them I realized they were patched (different patch to the above 2) but I was committed to overtaking by that point so I kept going. One of them lunged his bike sideways towards me as I overtook (pretty close) but I wasn't expecting it so it got the heart beating a bit. I knocked it back a gear and kept going. I guess he took my overtake as disrespecting him but to be honest like I said I hadn't even noticed (it was getting dark and I was on low beam).

So yeah...

I am a patch member and am proud to be so, I treat others with respect until they disrepect me or my club. If you pulled up and parked and said how are you going boys, none of us would have a problem. The news does give us a bad name. however there are clubs that do look for trouble for no reason.

Hey DV8,

That's pretty much what I did. I pulled up, gave the guys a nod. I said "nice day for a ride" to one of them and he responded that it was better than yesterday - and I went on my way. They were fine, and I was probably more worried than I needed to be - and yeah - the media can beat it up a bit, that's for sure.

It is like everything in life, if you went dowm a street and see 10 guys who look like trouble, don't go down that road. whether they are bikies, white, black or whatever. most of the trouble we get in is because people come up and start with us, which I still can't understand. I don't know if it is drink, or drugs, but some people think that they are bullet proof. I can tell they aren't.

Gotta be a death wish doesn't it? Walk up to a bunch of patched bikers and mouth off to them!! Get what they ask for, I guess!!

I find it more intimidating riding into a bunch of Sporty Riders, talk about getting the nasty looks.
It's like how dare you ride a Harley with us.
Personally I don't care who I ride with or what they ride, one of my mates rides a Scooter, and I say good on him.....

I find it more intimidating riding into a bunch of Sporty Riders...........

Yeah right

 The only time I became concerned was on a poker run and I accidentally drank a fellas beer ...... And this fella was the meanest ugliest looking 1%er that I have ever met .... Made worse by a mate of mine stirring the fella up...There was that brief moment where i really wanted to be anywhere else with my mate shit stirring the situation and me praying that he had a sense of humor