I did mention Lemming Corner. Didn't I? Rant alert.

[Cormanus]

First of all, thanks Pterodactyl for your original post. It's a great topic to discuss. Thanks, too, for the kind words. I've also really enjoyed meeting you through the forum and hope we get to travel many more kilometres together.

I've been troubled about some of what you had to say. EmptySea's post helped me clarify one of my concerns.

Don't confuse "fault" with "responsibility"

Thanks, Matt. I think that important distinction might be what's been troubling me about this discussion. I agree we all have to take responsibility for our decision to ride motorcycles and whatever transpires as a result of that. I'm not at all sure that everything that transpires is necessarily our fault.

Over the last week I have ridden 2700kms, mostly in the company of the esteemed Cormanus, a gentleman I met through this forum and whose friendship I have come to value. We went our separate ways on Thursday; Cormanus back home to Pomona, QLD, and me on to Sydney. I happened to mention to him that on my way I intended to ride the Wollombi, one of my favourite roads. Cormanus has not ridden that road but did recall that I had posted on this forum regarding a particular corner on the Wollombi called Lemming Corner
(see: http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=3410 ).

In that thread Cormanus posted:

And The ferret posted


So before coming to the point of this post let me show you what I was greeted with as I swung into the entrance to Lemmings, heading southbound. (Those of you who drive on the "right" side of the road need to make some head adjustment).



To keep my own hide intact I didn't stop right there but continued another 100m or so to pull over on the right side next to the visibly distressed riding companion of the rider of the bike pictured above. Lemmings is in a remote area of the Wollombi. There is no mobile network coverage but a fairly constant, if sparse, stream of traffic. A motorist took the rider, injured but he will live, to the next town, Kulnurra, while I spent some time with his companion. Shock is an involuntary, and somewhat interesting, bodily reaction. If you have just seen your younger brother low side into ARMCO it can be expected. It can often trigger a denial type syndrome where, amongst other things, inconsequential detail becomes important to the sufferer. You know, needs to talk about my CB rather than next steps. I had to talk him through it. First though we moved the tail of the bike as close to the ARMCO as possible and recovered stuff like tank and tail bags from the other side of the ARMCO. We spoke for about 45 mins or so until I felt he was in a better place. The previously mentioned motorist was to arrange for a recovery vehicle and advise the police of the incident. I went on my way.

As I rode my mind was occupied with "Why Lemmings?", and that is the point of this post. First lets take a look:

What the rider saw seconds before losing it:


OK, it's a Honda 650, but check out the battering the ARMCO and its support posts have taken. This young lad wasn't the first Lemming:


Let me ask y'all (thanks Ridem). Is regulation and signage the solution to Lemmings or the many other similar corners that make life interesting for the worldwide motorcycling brotherhood? I suppose you might call them Death or Glory corners. This road has enough motorcycle specific warning signs, speed advisory signs, curve arrows, large red REDUCE SPEED signs, and other miscellaneous signage to almost equal the trees in the surrounding bush land. The speed limit is reduced to 80kph for most twisty sections. The Highway Patrol take an interest in this road, especially on weekends. My only conclusion is NO. Regulation and signage is ineffective. The wreckage proves it.

So where do we go next? Often to drink copiously from the comforting and drought free well of self pity: "Decreasing radius got me". "That gravel should not have been there". "The road was wet, doesn't drain well". "The cats eyes/road paint caused the rear to slide out". "That bloke should have head checked before changing lanes". "He didn't indicate". "Diesel spill". And on and on and on it goes. I've heard them all. Maybe even been guilty myself. Sorry old mates, it is nauseating self delusion. IT'S OUR OWN FAULT!!! ALWAYS! EVERYTIME! Perhaps the only valid excuse was offered up by Bill Cosby - "It was the Devil that made me do it". At least it got a laugh.

I look in the mirror and what do I see (apart from a passing resemblance to Clark Gable)? I see a bloke who sees an advisory sign as a challenge, a speed limit as Stalinist, road safety campaigns as childish, ineffectual and even Orwellian. I see a bloke who loves the scream of a revving engine and the adrenalin rush as the bike tips in. I've often felt heavy regret as I realise I have entered and exited too slowly and then marked that corner down for next time. I'll tame you I mutter darkly. My chicken strips fill me with feelings of disgust and self loathing. I'd rather wear a clown suit than reflector gear (sorry ferret). Signage, regulation, advanced riding courses, they won't help me. Furthermore, bugger the Brake Light Initiative - is the man mad?

It's in all good and true bikers. Is it in you? Have a good look at yourself. Tell me I am wrong. Go on.

Cheers

So, if you don't meet this characterisation, you're not "a good and true biker"?

I'm not sure that's fair. Might be true for all of at various times in our riding lives, but not always, and it may never be true for some. Does that make them less of a biker? I don't think so. Just makes them a different kind of rider.

This discussion also traverses areas that are about more than each individual rider. As has been noted elsewhere, the conversation started around behaviour on public roads. In this environment one must accept that one's actions may have consequences for others. When I tear around a blind corner, swing wide into the oncoming lane, run into some poor sod driving perfectly responsibly and kill myself, sure, it's my responsibility, but my self indulgence may well have harmed that poor driver for the rest of their life.

There's also the cost to society of cleaning up the mess: straightening the armco, scraping the blood and bits of wreckage off the road, dealing with hospitalisation and recovery costs of injured parties. So, in my view the regulators are right to do all that is reasonable to remind us of the dangers of our activities. I confess, I don't pay a lot of attention to road safety campaigns, but I often like advisory signs—particularly on strange roads. I think regulators are right to use them. If the consequence is that they are regarded as challenges by drivers or riders, so be it, but remember, it may not just be you who has to wear the consequences of your actions.