Did his chatbot just refer to his content on X as...tweets? Good bot

I've been riding for 30 years and am an advocate for motorcycling in general. Unfortunately, there are several very good reasons I can think of why this would not work in the US and by extension, Canada and Australia.

Skill:
Motorcycling is not for everyone. It requires a higher level of skill to operate a motorcycle than a car. It requires both hands and both feet, excluding many people with disabilities that otherwise could drive a car with little to no modifications.

Even small mistakes on a motorcycle have a huge impact.

Many people are intimidated by motorcycle riding.

Convenience:
I don't advocate multi tasking when driving but I'm always sipping on a coffee or water bottle when I'm driving. You can rig up something on a motorcycle but it's awkward.

I have a communication set up in my helmet so I can take calls and listen to music, but it's only so-so. The wind noise interferes with the voice commands and gloves make touch screen usage awkward.

Gear:
There's no protection from the weather or an accident other than what you wear. The appropriate gear then becomes a burden to carry around when you reach your destination (I'm an "All The Gear, All The Time" kind of guy so I always wear full face helmet, gloves, kevlar pants with padding over my regular clothes, and either a cordura, kevlar, or racing leather jacket - all with padding, and boots. The leather jacket weighs about 15 lbs by itself). Lugging that around is a pain in the ass, and the boots aren't comfortable for walking long distances. Two armfuls of gear is simply not conducive for things like running errands, going to school where you go from class to class across a large campus, or working in a job where you can't securely store all that gear.

Not wearing gear is a terrible idea; a fender bender in a car doesn't throw you on the asphalt. My uncle got in and accident on a moped in a parking lot in Japan. Broke his jaw. He was going 5 mph.

Proper gear is bulky, heavy, and expensive, and it only can do so much in the way of protection and comfort.

Weather:
Many places have short riding seasons; can't ride in snow, it's brutal to ride in dry conditions when it's below about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, it's brutal to ride in super humid conditions, it's brutal to ride in desert heat.

It's less safe to ride in wet conditions, period. Traction is an issue, emergency breaking is an issue, visibility is an issue, and of course, getting wet. If it's cold and you get wet, hypothermia is an issue.

Moderate winds are a safety issue. I've been blown across a full lane of traffic. I've been blown into incoming traffic (luckily no one was coming the other way, but that was super lucky), you can be blown off of an elevated freeway section since the guard rails only go up about 3 feet in most places.

Cargo:
Limited cargo space. Ever try grocery shopping on a motorcycle? Forget that value pack of toilet paper. Costco? Um, nope.

Family:
Totally unusable for a family. Can't transport young kids at all (infants and toddlers), can't go anywhere with a spouse AND children (yes I've seen the photos of a whole family on a scooter in SE Asia and wherever else. It's not a good idea there and it's not a good idea here because it's not a good idea at all. Full stop.), can't transport kids with musical instruments or sports equipment.

Other drivers:
There would still be other drivers on the road and they're the single most detrimental element to motorcycle safety.

Travel:
I have a touring bike and particularly enjoy motorcycle travel, but it's way easier and more comfortable in a car, and you can bring more stuff and travel with more people.

Bottom line:
Could you replace some single and couples trips, some times of the year, in some parts of the US, Canada, and Australia? Yes. Will it make a difference? I believe it would not even move the needle.

I love the idea of a world more calibrated for motorcycles and scooters and have had the thoughts you propose here myself. The particular countries you cite have populations that prohibit mass adoption on a scale where it would have a measurable impact. I'm my opinion.

This is the issue right here. Every enclave in Europe with 100 or more people seems to have at least 3 football clubs. I'm not hating on it, I just don't want it in my feed. It seems that interacting with sports content long enough to block it puts even more in my feed! Sheesh!

Lol nope. Wildly incorrect!

In 2021, there were the most motorcycle fatalities since records were collected in the mid 1970s at 6,084. Compared to 26,585 passenger car fatalities the same year. So at the statistical peak, there were still ~4.37 car fatalities for every 1 motorcycle fatality.

See report from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute

You're likely thinking about the rate of deaths per 100,000 vehicles which is much higher for motorcycles than cars.

Look at any road, anywhere, any time of day, any time of year and you will see way more cars than motorcycles. There simply aren't enough motorcycle on the road to account for more fatalities than cars.

I miss Homestsrrunner. Or Homestawunnew, if you know what I mean.

Do not upload that which yee cannot load back down!

No

All my pipes work about the same. The difference is the quality of the briar stock used, which relates more to look than performance, in my collection at least.

Some smokers report that certain shapes are better suited for certain blends, but that doesn't speak to price.

Some pipes are more expensive because they come from older, more reputable brand, or renowned craftsmen. Presumably this ensures higher quality and craftsmanship. Peterson is a very old, very reputable brand, for example, but I see complaints of miss drilled draft holes, so reputation does not guarantee quality.

Many people swear by their corncob pipes, and those are the cheapest you can buy.

I own 6 various shaped corncobs, 2 Brigham, 3 Savinelli, 2 Molina, 1 Kaywoodie, 3 basket pipes, and one Saseini estate pipe. Some feel better on the hand, some are easier to clench, some have flashy grain. All smoke about the same for me.

Behold! Behold! Behold the Anunnaki!

Well thank you for creating some content!

Tell us the story of this photo. Where was this taken? How long of a trip? Any mishaps? Did you learn anything for next time?

I too miss the content from that other place, and appreciate you doing suggesting about it! Sadly, I don't have anything of my own to share... Yet! But now I know where to come when I do.

Thanks!

Where did Luke go when Darth Vader cut off his hand?

The second hand store

Thanks!

Yes I linked my source in my comment.

The report did parse out some more specific info related to causes of accidents. It's quite detailed. I didn't see the comparison of bikers killed by cars vs killing other people though.

I'm glad this made the list. I was 11 or 12 at a sleepover when I saw it. I was trying to conceal my fear for the first half. I spent the second half concealing my boner.

Yes, I used too many words. In doing so I buried the point.

First - you asked what I thought made Americans different which I answered. Now you're making a different point that better policy options would result in better outcomes. Sure, that's fine, and it's true - but it's not what you asked. My answer is that Americans have a relationship with cars that is not based on rational policy or optimal mobility, or mortality rates - but instead, we have an emotional and cliche warped self-perception that informs our choices, including transit in general and automobiles specifically. We can keep on that thread if you want but that was my answer. I tried to give background by explaining where I think this comes from, and disclosed that I'm basing this on my own experience; it's my opinion.

Next - you seem to start with an assumption that I don't agree with or frankly, even understand; this notion that transportation is somehow organized around mortality or fatality rates. Why? You have not cited anything that credibly makes this connection, and I don't see one, so I dismissed it. It's not a thing. Show me, prove it, explain what you mean at least; I can change my position. Currently, my position is that your premise is false or flawed. Or that "organized" is maybe a bad word choice and you mean something else perhaps.

Also - I absolutely DID provide an explanation: transit is organized around population mobility, and is related to urban development, not death rates. (Again this word organized. I have a problem with this word. Maybe "regulated" is what you're looking for? I feel that I did address the fact that inside the US, individual freedom is sacrosanct. It's politically very hard to get voter support for taking away personal freedom, and the status quo is a high level of personal freedom when it comes to cars.)

I sense a gulf of disconnect here: Americans are choosing to have dangerous infrastructure, when safe infrastructure exists. And I full on guffawed at Simple political choices could be made.... What American political system are you looking at? I would like two orders of that, please!! Don't conflate "simple" with "easy". Playing the flute is "simple" with only two elements, your breath and your finger movement. It's not "easy" though.

A large part of my tome was dedicated to showing how Americans don't make choices based on optimal outcomes, common sense, or what's best for society. I don't want to go down another rabbit hole here, but in the last presidential election nearly 75 million Americans voted for Trump, not because he's the best choice for a leader, not because he was effective in his prior administration for the country as a whole, but - massive oversimplification warning: because he appealed to a narrow sense of self interest and proved extremely effective at delivering self interested results.

Simply put, Americans could choose a less dangerous infrastructure but don't, in the same way they could choose less gun deaths but don't. I don't need a more sophisticated model to explain it because it's not a sophisticated thing; it's the opposite of sophisticated. It's basic. Confounding? Frustrating? Stupid? OK, yes. But sophisticated, it is not. Sorry?

I don't care if no human being is going to do more than scroll my wall of text, by the way, I was talking to you.

Thoughts?

Fair point. Thank you for that perspective.

Wow. Rocky Horror Picture Show is not listed in the comments anywhere. It's really fun to watch at midnight in a theater with a crowd, but it's terribly cheesy and stupid, so fits your criteria. Tim Curry's performance is outstanding though.

Also, They Live is fun. Featuring Rowdy Roddy Piper.

Nothing? No recognition at all? I see you. I validate you.

Now that's what I'm talking about!! What an adventure! Thanks for sharing.

Have fun on the next ride, and come back to post your ride report. We'll be here waiting!

I see. Well, fair enough.

I just don't think that "cars and motorcycles = death so we should have less" is going to move the needle at all.

I think that as Americans, we're in way too deep with the automobile to move away from it without a direct replacement that's better.