1% of the motorcyclists are in the “outlaw” gangs. Rest of us work, hold steady jobs, raise families just like anyone else you know. We are rebels to a degree because we ride vehicles that most of the rest of the people think are dangerous.
Too many people stereotype all bikers by what they’ve seen in the movies and read about groups such as Hell’s Angels, Outlaws, Bandidos, Mongols etc.
I’m not referencing bikers as such. I know quite a few and they’re good people. I’m talking about bikers who intentionally dress and act like outlaw bikers. They choose to project an outlaw image, for whatever reason.
I’m sure many of them just get a kick out of the role, and a good many of those who really are outlaws probably can be decent guys at times, if you don’t get on their bad side. But the adage about walking like a duck and quacking like a duck springs to mind.
Similarly, if somebody dresses and acts like a Crip or a MS-13 member, I’m not going to assume he’s really a decent guy at heart. Doing so sounds a lot like reverse profiling and is just as dumb as assuming that the wild-eyed ME looking guy chantingt “Allah akbar” as he boards the plane is a pacifist.
We’re all in agreement that there are some very bad people in motorcycle gangs, and that most bikers are actually very good people.
Mistaking one group for the other could obviously be very dangerous to your safety.
Any suggestions for making this distinction with some reliability?