Well I got to ride my 14 in Indy Sunday night and decided to go down Meridian street toward downtown. Got down to where the neighborhoods get a little shady near downtown, was sitting at a light and was suddenly surrounded by squids.
They were checking out my 14 and then started asking me if I wanted to race their Gixxers. I couldnt help but to just raise my shield and laugh at them.
They didn't seem to like that very much but at least they didn't get too mad. They just seem to follow me so when I reached an empty parking lot and decided to pull over and talk to these guys, and of course they pulled right in behind me. There were about 10 of them.
We alltook off our helmets, lit cigarettes,and just stood around talking. They thought it was cool that a guy my age rides a ZX-14 and is not afraid to pull over with a bunch of squids.
You could tell they were a bunch of punks cause a couple of them wanted to screw with about racing them. I told them that if they want to run me, that we need to find a trackor go way out of town because I dont drag race in town.
We sat there talking for about an hour and I realized that squids are just young kids that are getting hung up on being a cool baddass biker and most are good kids. I could tell by talking to them that these kids were from the wrong side of the tracks and that those morcycles were probably the only thing they owned besides their clothes. Some of those bikes had the threads showing on the rear tires, and others had been layed down several times. Broken clutch and brake levers everywhere you looked.
Then I realized that when I was that age, I was a lot like those kids, and squids had not been defined yet. I rode 750 hondas, Kaw 900 LTD's, and I did wheelies and stupid stunts whenever I was on a bike that would pull the front wheel off the road.
I had long hair, I partied like crazy, and I thought I was the most bulletproof Mo Fo that ever existed. I tore up a lot of bikes hot roddin them and that's how I learned how to work on motorcycles.
These kids were all afro americans and lived in that area. When we all decided to leave they all shook my hand and stated that if I ever wanted to ride with them, to just come on down town and told me where they hang out.
This made me realize that squids are not bad kids. They are just kids that love bikes, but are not mature enough to have the self control that more experienced riders have. They start riding with their friends that rack wheelies down town and they really dont know any better.
I hear a lot of people that state how much they hate squids, and we all make fun of them, but when you get to know them, are they really that much different from us when we were young.
I grew on the poor side of town, did stupid stunts that was way risky for my experience level, and thought I was hot stuff. I guess I was really lucky to live through it all.
I talked to these kids a little on the subject of riders safety and told them to think about trying to ride safer like, dont do wheelies in town, and dont drag race from red lights in the middle of the city. I let them know that I cared about their safety. I also told three of them that they need to get some bike repairs ASAP or they were going to crash from lack of maintenance.
They were little punks but they were good kids and you could tell, that there bikes were their life. These kids live, eat and breath motorcycles, and you have got to respect that. Some of their bikes were pretty trashed out but you could tell that those bikes were their pride and joy.
I am going to start riding down town and hang with these kids when I get time and try to teach them some self control just to see if I can make a difference. I find it impossible to hate young people that just need to learn self control, and that love motorcycles maybe even more than I do, and that's hard to do!
If we would all get to know the younger riders, and work with them, we could probably do more good than all of the drivers training courses you could ever look at.
Dont hate squids, get to know them and you will see your self when you were young! This really opened my eyes to young bikers.
When I was hanging with those kids, we were all from two different worlds, and I was a world apart age wise, but the bikes brought us together and gave us respect for each other.
It was a cool night that brought back lot's of memories.

 

good post worlock - hating squids because of the generalization of them is a bit prejudice thing to do. hate the squidliness not the person.

 

Chicago squids are much the same. At least your squids were wearing helmets Most of the squids out here do not.

Just about any weekend night you can see bikes lined up all around the circle in downtown indy, or anywhere on Meridian between the circle and 38th. I remember seeing them all the time when I lived there. Several squidly ones... And if you think it is bad there - head up to Broadripple.... even worse.

Thankfully out here I ride with a core group of about 10 to 12 somewhat older riders (26-32, one at 37), and while we have fun and kick it up a couple notches here and there when appropriate - except for one guy - we are pretty much under control, and squid-free.

 

haha IA next door don't have a helmet law and that pisses me off personally. i was festering all day at work about it, i was working mobile patrol in the parkin lot of a busy mall area and tons of bikes came in and left and i didn't see anyone with a helmet. that worried me because it's at the corner of 2 major interstates. an older man rode in front of my car on his harley with his....i'd say 10yr old kid on the back and no helmets, they pulled onto the interstate when they left. i know it's not my place to say 'put on a helmet' but IMHO it's stupid not too! i still usually ride without a jacket and feel uncomfortable but with the exception of the first couple weeks i had the bike (on a backroad w/o traffic) i won't go anywhere at anytime without a helmet on.

it just worries me how uncatious people are, especially with a young child on the back. heck and i'm prolly the same age as those 'squids' you mentioned.

 

As long as some stupid squid doesn't do something to put my life in danger I could care less. Beyond that there will always be dumb people riding motorcycles just like there are dumb people in cars

 

i agree 100% most kids i know in school that have bikes are just normal people. you'd never guess that theyll go get on a rundown 600 and blow down the streets on one wheel. odly enough, id say a good half of them are in jrotc (basically pre-military/airforce training.) and pretty responsible people, they just cant get enough of their bikes.

 

They all think they are Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Let them get their first shower of sparks and they will reel that crap in pretty quick.

 

Good post worlok, I knew there was a genuinely good guy in there somewhere, R.I.P. rocketman...lol

Seriously though, you are absolutely right.

 

Thanks Rick,

But, Rocketman is still around, he is just incog. Besides, he is just an Sr. Squid and I am trying to stay away from him! He is a bad influence on me!

 

Worlock, sounds like you made a positive connection with these young guys despite the age and socio-economic barriers - I'm anxious to hear more!