Trying to Get into the Head of Those Sport Bikers

It happened again yesterday.  Barb and I were on the Stemmons Freeway heading into the city.  As is the pattern, I heard the high pitched whine before I saw him.  I glanced in my rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of a lime green sports bike.  He went by me on the right, swung across the front of my car pulled into the center far left lane.  I was driving at 60 MPH, but he had to have doing at least 100 MPH.  I am just glad he is not my kid, I thought to myself. 

The reality is he is someone's son, grandson, or nephew.  I've grown accustom to them.  You can't  get on a highway in the DFW area without encountering at least one sports biker.  The worst experience is to encounter a pack of them at night.  I recall one evening in particular.  We were on Loop 12, coming back from a Ranger game.  There must have been fifty of them riding single file.  I am sure they were traveling at twice the speed limit as they snaked around cars.  All of a sudden there were brake lights ahead.  I slowed down enough to view a twisted bike laying by the side of the road.  His name appeared in the paper two days later as a statistic.  I wonder if any of his biker friends showed up at the funeral.  I don't recall seeing any of them having stopped to check on him that evening.

I have thought about the sports bikers.  I have even prayed for their safety.  I also have a theory about them.  In their mind there is no difference between fantasy and reality.  Allow me to explain: If you have ever been around a video arcade you have seen the game where the player sits on a motorcycle.  I tried it once, but my reflexes are not quick enough.  In the game you are on the bike traveling at over 100 MPH weaving around curves, dodging pretend obstacles, or slower moving vehicles that appear in your path.  If you crash, you just hit reset.   

I have tried my hand at other video games.  I still enjoy my NASCAR game that allows me to drive at high speeds around the various tracks.  In the game I can compete against my heroes, and yes sometimes I win.  I also got to drive one of those 3,400 lb. beasts for real, thanks to a Christmas gift from our kids.  Let me tell you, I was a lot more cautious than I am on the computer.  There is a big difference between driving 150 MPH on a real track and that same speed and faster in a computer game.

I think we have a responsibility to help kids see the difference.  That involves talking to them about their gaming experience and even limiting how much time they do it.  It also means talking to them about our concern for their safety and the importance of making good choices.  Remember, there is no reset button in the game of life.