See No Evil, Hear No Evil

We all hear about it, but we all say, "it'll never happen to me". We've all known someone it happened to, but still we remain blissfully blindered. Well, it happened to me, again.

What you say? A motorcycle crash? This is a motorcycle blog after all. But, no. I haven't crashed, not on my motorcycle. Not yet.

On the Sunday before Christmas, with half my shopping left to go, including my grocery shopping, I got one of those emails we all dread (well maybe just some of us) telling me my bank account is overdrawn.

My first thought was, No Way! But upon checking my online banking I found two charges I didn't make; one for $1507 and one for $128. Both charges were made in a city far away from where I live.

In a panic, I went flying around the house looking for my wallet, which I could not find. I had been shopping the day before and had carried my wallet in my pocket. When I couldn't find it, I assumed it had been lost or stolen.

I quickly called all my credit card companies and canceled my cards. Then I called my bank's fraud number and explained what happened. You see, I had chosen this bank - Bank of America - because they claimed to have absolute immediate fraud protection on my debit card. But the story from them was quite different than I expected.

All card charges not using a PIN are submitted to the account holder and sit there in "pending" mode until they clear. This could take up to 3 business days. It was explained to me that these fraudulent charges could not be removed until they clear. I could not file a fraud claim until that time. So in essence, while my bank account is $750 overdrawn, I could not access any of the money I knew I had. Nor could I file a claim to reverse it.

What they also told me was that they had to conduct an investigation before determining that it actually was fraud. Now, I can understand this, since I suppose someone may make a huge purchase and then claim fraud. However, the charges were made hundreds of miles from my home, in person, by a man. I know this, because I called the two merchants where my card was used, in person. In both cases it was a Hispanic man. Still, the attitude from the customer service representative was skeptical at best.

And the real kicker of all this? I have alerts set up to tell me when suspicious activity occurs on my account. However, I was only able to stop one transaction for over $1000 at Walmart, which occurred AFTER the thief used my card for more than $1700. Bank of America allowed the larger of the two transactions to go through, which overdrew my account for $500, then another after that! Neither of which I received an alert for!

Now, you must understand that this is the first Christmas in a very long time when I actually planned ahead so I would not be broke on Christmas Day. I had plenty of cash left over so that when my bills came in shortly after Christmas, I could still pay them. And here I was with no cash flow, only half my shopping done, and no Christmas dinner groceries.

I explained all this to the bank personnel on Christmas Eve, to which they just smiled and said, so sorry, there's nothing we can do until the charges clear.

So here's the way I see it. The charges have not been paid, but my account shows it is severely overdrawn. My cash sits in my account and I can't touch it. I've informed them that these charges are fraudulent, yet they cannot block them. With the technology of this day and age, and with many other banks out there who can immediately suspend a charge, the big corporate Bank of America prefers to screw its patrons rather than employ up to date technology.

I have in my possession a small register booklet that clearly states that Bank of America guarantees fraud protection, and that funds will be replaced on the next business day, which they have not done, and tell me they cannot do.

In the process of cancelling everything and going through all my EFT payments, which I must now change, I found my wallet. It had fallen down between my bed and nightstand. I was relieved, to say the least. But then it occurred to me, how could someone use my bank card in a point-of-sale purchase without the actual card? I got back on the phone, angry, confused and more intent on replacing my missing cash than ever.

Here's what they told me when I asked how the hell this could happen - any merchant can swipe your bank card and get the personal information it contains, and then make a counterfeit card. I was totally flabbergasted at this information. Not that these cards can be made, that's probably a simple thing to do, but that Bank of America had no fail-safe information embedded inside my card to prevent a duplicate from being used. All they needed was my card number, expiration date, and 3-digit code, all of which is clearly printed on the card.

Being the outspoken person that I am, I wrote letters and emails to Bank of America explaining my dissatisfaction over this turn of events, and their lack of action to correct what was an immediate concern for me. To which I received two responses from two different people. Both emails had canned paragraphs in them that matched word for word. Neither one answered my questions. They could both be given an "A" for politeness, and a "F" for customer satisfaction.

So, here I sit, on Christmas Day, and for probably all this week, with not a penny to my name. And somewhere in Ft. Meyers, Florida, some Hispanic man is having a very lucrative Christmas with whomever, at my expense.

I filed a police report, and do you know what they said? This crime occurred out of their jurisdiction and there was nothing they could or would do. Is it any wonder that criminals who steal identity and your money feel free to do so? The money hidden between the mattresses is beginning to sound more and more appealing.

I can't say my Christmas was uneventful. And this fiasco isn't over yet. But I have my two wonderful daughters with me, I have my health, and a roof over my head. All of which I achieved all on my own. Which is something that low-life thief can't claim.

I will prevail as I can prove my whereabouts when the charges were made, but the hassle? Well, I'll be shopping elsewhere to do my banking, as is my choice. And anyone who will listen will get the low-down on Bank of America.

It is said that when a customer is happy with services, they might tell one other person. But when a customer is unhappy, they tell 10 or more. I believe I'll do my part in supporting that theory. Is it their fault my bank card was counterfeited? No. But it is their responsibility, to me as a patron, and for using my money in their institution, to protect me from such things.

And just like the impending motorcycle crash, identity theft will happen to you eventually. Be ready for it, and if you do your banking with B of A, you may want to consider another institution.

Merry Christmas to all of you out there. Ride safe, ride free.

Journalism: Where is the Consistency?

The news article below was posted here on November 27, 2007. I am saddened by the loss of life in this accident, and for those who were injured. Especially on Thanksgiving Day.

The atrocity of this accident is portrayed very effectively. When you read it, you might feel blind anger at illegal immigrants in general, and drunk drivers most certainly. Then you will feel anger that our law enforcement failed to keep this particular immigrant within his country's borders, only to return to the US illegally and kill innocent victims.

Nowhere in this article does it say if anyone was wearing a seatbelt, and surely not the young man who died of his injuries.

Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Driving Drunk, Causing Fatal Boone Crash

BOONE, N.C. -- An illegal immigrant is accused of driving drunk in Boone over the Thanksgiving holiday and plowing into a sport utility vehicle, killing a man inside.

Boone police said Juan Manuel Juarez Reyes slammed into the rear of a Lexus SUV that was about to turn from Highway 105 onto Poplar Hill Drive shortly before 11 p.m. Friday. The SUV was skidded 250 feet, hitting a Watauga County deputy’s patrol car. The occupants of the SUV were trapped inside their vehicle but the deputy was not hurt.

The driver, Sallie Ellis Newell, and passenger Jacqueline Elizabeth Newell were taken to the Watauga County Medical Center where they were treated in released. But Brian Alan Newell and Andrew Russell Newell, who was in the back passenger-side seat, were flown to Johnson City Regional Medical Center.

Andrew Newell, 22, died at the hospital. His father remains in critical condition.

Family members said the Newells were returning from a Thanksgiving trip to South Carolina and were only a quarter-mile from home.

Authorities said Monday that Juarez Reyes was caught in the country by Border Patrol agents in 2002 and was sent back to Mexico. They aren’t sure when he re-entered the United States.

Police say he was speeding and drunk when the crash happened.

Juarez Reyes was first charged with driving while impaired, driving without a license and three counts of felonious assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury by vehicle. On Tuesday he was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

He is being held under $1 million bond and has asked for a court-appointed attorney. He’ll be back in court Jan. 14.

What is astounding about the outcome of this accident are the charges, and the bail.

At this point, you're probably asking why I would be astounded. After all, this man, an illegal immigrant, was drunk, speeding, and he killed an innocent American and injured others. Doesn't he deserve harsh punishment?

Why yes, I believe he deserves to go to jail the rest of his natural life. He broke the law - driving while alcohol impaired, and disobeying traffic laws, which resulted in one death and critical injuries to another.

I may be astounded at the severity of the charges and bail amount, but I am even further astounded that law enforcement sufficiently charged this man with his crimes in this case.

However, I'd bet a year's pay that it would not read this way had it been an innocent motorcyclist who had been plowed into and killed. I see it every day in the newspapers. Motorist runs down a motorcyclist, driver NOT charged, motorcyclist wasn't wearing a helmet. You could write a canned report, with [insert rider's name here], and [insert at-fault driver's name here] and they would look no different than the hundreds of articles written in newspapers about motorcycle accidents involving death or injury.

Even when the driver is drunk and kills a motorcyclist, the charges are never so severe as this report. So what is it this time around? Is this man being charged this way because he is an illegal Mexican? It can't be because he was drunk, as that hasn't produced charges like this for a dead motorcyclist. Is it because he caused the SUV to strike a deputy's patrol car? The officer wasn't hurt, so that can't be it. Why then?

When I read this report, and saw the injustice committed on those inside the SUV, I actually feel kindly toward the Journalist who wrote this, because it was written without placing any blame on the SUV driver who was merely making her way home with her family, after a Thanksgiving dinner.

So why is it when a motorcyclist dies at the hands of another at-fault driver, the Journalist must immediately discount the rider, and excuse the at-fault driver? He wasn't wearing a helmet, he was speeding slightly, the auto driver "didn't see him coming".

Would it matter if the motorcyclist was "just a quarter-mile" from home? Or returning from having dinner with his family? From what I've seen, the answer is no. All that matters is he was riding a motorcycle, taking a risk in competing with a 4000 lb automobile, and he lost. Too bad.

Even when the driver of the auto that kills him has been drinking and leaves the scene, when they turn themselves in, they get a pat on the back for being so "honest" and coming forth and confessing. "It's alright, we know you didn't see him".

I used to think Journalists were just stupid, and were blinded by the government about motorcycle accidents. I used to think that the pitiful laws we have are what allows people to walk away with a $45 fine and no jail time for killing a motorcyclist on the road.

From what I see above, in this news report, Journalists do know how to report an accident with facts in an unbiased way. Law enforcement does have the wherewithal to charge accordingly for killing someone in an at-fault accident.

Just not when it's a motorcyclist that dies.

I don't know whether to be angrier or sadder. Until now, I still held out hope that it really wasn't a predjudicial act upon bikers. I needed to be in that cocoon of naive trust, believing that I wasn't being profiled because I ride a motorcycle, that it was all just a coincidence.

But it isn't. My rights to due diligence won't be upheld if I am run down by a negligent motorist. Here's what it will read when my time comes:

"Early this morning, on her way to Starbucks just a mere quarter-mile from home, a woman riding her Harley Davidson motorcyle struck an SUV, who was attempting to make a left hand turn in front of her. She died on the scene. She may have been speeding, according to the driver of the SUV, I didn't see her coming. The driver of the SUV was not injured. She was wearing a helmet. The driver of the SUV was not charged."

Think that sounds farfetched? I challenge you to find me a newspaper report of a motorcyclist who is killed by an at-fault motorist, like the one in the report above, and show me where the driver was charged as that one is.

You won't find one. Your news report will read the same as mine, mark my words. But will it matter when we are already dead?

Journalists are just as bad as law enforcement. Both are responsible for the injustice done to dead American motorcyclists. Journalists are responsible for the attitude of the American public, who blame bikers for their own injuries and deaths at the hands of those same Americans.

And law enforcement could do something about it, but they don't. Not unless it's a scenario like above. They may be kind officers, they may shout 'rah rah' about Motorcycle Safety week (for that week only), but when the chips are down, the bottom line is, they don't care if we live or die. Better to target specific groups for being stupid and pulling wheelies; just another finger pointing game to say we kill ourselves. They might as well say I chose that SUV with the dumb driver behind the wheel as my suicide weapon of choice.

For the family in that SUV whose son is dead now at the hands of the drunk, speeding, illegal immigrant, I hope you see justice done. At least someone should have the right to it.

Green Eggs and Spam

Ever get those emails everyone forwards all over the place? You know, the ones that say if you don't send this to a billion people, you'll gain weight and all your hair will fall out. Or worse, the God of wrath will come and take your firstborn son and make him into a Liberal? (You thought those threats were a hoax, didn't you?) Well, I get these emails all the time. I usually look at them and then hit the trusty 'delete' button. But sometimes they do make me laugh, especially when there's a lot of truth in them.

So I've reprinted one of these "forwarded" emails as my post for the day. See how many of these statements you agree with but are too chicken to voice out loud.

Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor.

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

It'll be a sad day indeed, when we no longer have this man among us. Thanks, Andy, for not pulling any punches. Too bad more Americans can't do that.

I didn't forward this email out to everyone I know, but since I posted it here, does that count? Good thing I don't have a son. And everyone knows gaining weight and losing your hair is an age thing.

The Short List

I am tall for a woman, just shy of six feet. At the tender age of 13, I grew three inches in one year, and another inch the following year. As I recall, it was very painful. Literally! One leg grew slightly faster than the other, producing back and leg pain, and of course, I outgrew all of my clothes. Although, back then, mini-skirts were all the rage, and the bane of my mother's existence.

In the end, my legs grew to be the same length, and I stretched out to become a tall, slender high school girl, who was taller than most of the other kids.

I didn't want to be tall, I can tell you. I heard all the lines; how's the weather up there? are you an Amazon? are you a lesbian? was your dad a basketball player? And the worst part was, I was invariably taller than the boy I wanted to date, and who would not be seen with a girl who was taller than he.

I did, however, come to love being tall. It added to my self-confidence over the years. I could reach things that others could not. I also discovered I could do more of the sports that boys could do, and be taken seriously as well. It was my love for the extreme, and the "adrenaline rush" that came with it, that motivated me. And my dad, who "walked on water", was a car mechanic, so, of course, I had to be good at that too. Playing with machines, meant fixing them.

I was one of the "boys", and could hold my own. Oddly enough, even though I was tall and did all manner of things that were normal hobbies of the male persuasion, none of those guys thought I was anything but a woman through and through. Most of them respected me for my skills and my desire to participate in their sports.

When I started riding dirt bikes, I rode the same as any of the guys did, without any trouble, and kept up with them too! When it came time to buy a street bike, I had no trouble choosing, since I fit them all without a problem. I didn't even think about height, and made my decision based on looks and feel. I didn't know any other women who rode their own in the early days, so it never occurred to me that height should be a problem.

These days I ride my '02 Dyna Wide Glide with a lot of other women. Some of them are fairly short in height and I have heard all manner of stories about their experiences with buying their bikes. Why it never occurred to me that anyone would have a problem finding a bike short enough for them, I have no idea. Maybe it's because I'd never ridden with a lot of different women before. The few women I'd ridden with in the past were all tall enough to choose from a wide variety of bikes, and the short ones rode with their men.

So why have I written all this, if not for your amusement? Because last night I ran across a website for the "vertically challenged" woman rider!! How cool is that? Here's that link:

Short Women Riders

With all the women riders out there, and many of them shorter than the average man or woman nowadays, it stands to reason there would be a website somewhere that supported them (d'oh!), and the problems they face with finding a suitable bike for their height.

And what do they have on this website? A list of bikes available for short women! It's not obvious where this list is, so you can surf your way directly there at this URL:

Short Bike List

This list contains only metric bikes, and are categorized by rider height in inches. If you're 5'5" and over, and can sit a bike flatfooted (in boots of normal height in sole thickness), they say you're not short. If you're a short woman, and you ride a Harley, I'm sure they would love to hear how you've had it modified to fit you.

Note that they list heights for manage, and flatfooted. Manage means you can balance your bike at a stop while on your toes. My guess is, this list does not address wearing platform boots to lengthen your reach, which is employed by some women.

New and beginner riders should try a smaller bikes at first. They create the confidence needed before trying to master a larger, more powerful bike. I rode a smaller bike (physical size) for a while before moving up to a larger one. And from that one, it was a matter of simply moving up to a larger more powerful engine. Many women go for the huge bikes first, and then quit when they lose confidence.

Metric bikes in general are less expensive, and good used ones are easier to find. I would wait until you are ready for your final size and engine displacement before buying a brand new bike. Although resale values of metric bikes are improving, they still depreciate rapidly, and faster than a Harley Davidson motorcycle. The trade-off is Harley's cost more.

It occurred to me to question why motorcycle manufacturers are not offering more height variables for their bikes, since women make up a much larger percentage today than ever before. It almost seems like manufacturers believe a small woman is not strong enough to ride a larger displacement motorcycle, for it makes no sense to me why they would not address this issue.

Let's explore that theory for a sec.

Most of us who ride know where that thin red line is; when your bike is leaning too far off center for you to muscle it back upright. Your size and strength determines how far off center that line can be, and is the only strength parameter that applies (aside from hoisting it up off the kickstand and backing your bike up an incline). Yes, it's true, most of us women are weaker in strength than most men. What that means is we learn to deal with less "window" between the left and right point of no return. Strength plays no part in riding your bike with balance and finesse.

Any bike will continue to fall on it's side after crossing that magic red line, and the rider must get off (or get up) to pick it up. I don't know of anyone who can hoist their bike upright of the ground, from a straddling position. Oh, there may be a few "bruisers" out there who can, but I would bet the bike is not a 600 lb - 1000 lb cruiser. (Anyone who knows such a person can feel free to send me a video of this stunt, and I will post it here - we can all ooh and ahhhh over it.)

Check out this website for a great tutorial on picking up a fallen bike.

So, aside from the limitations of your balance zone while standing still, the height or strength of the rider has nothing to do with riding a motorcycle safely and efficiently. So why then the disregard for features that would enable more [women] to ride, particularly the vertically challenged women? It's anyone's guess, but it doesn't matter how tall you are or aren't, how strong or weak you are or aren't, you can adapt, and you can ride. Strength of character and determination is all you need. Manufacturers will catch up eventually, once they put down the big club and stop pounding their chests.

Short woman or tall woman, if you want to ride, here's some simple tips to remember:

1. Sign up for and attend a reputable Rider Safety Course. Before you buy.


2. Get your permit or endorsement. Riding without one is against the law.


3. Start small (physical bike size), no matter how confident you feel after taking the safety course. You can always trade-up at a speed you feel comfortable with. Some riders start out too big and drop their bikes too often, or have trouble learning to corner at low speeds. This can discourage you from getting the miles and time you need to become confident. There is a reason (the small bikes used) that you feel so confident after you complete the safety course.


4. Find a patient, experienced woman rider to accompany you on rides. If you have a husband or male friend who is patient enough, they will suit. (Sometimes those closest to you will feel anxious about you as a new rider, and may be too critical, and thereby eroding your newly found self-confidence.)


5. Wear suitable protective clothing, and a helmet. Once you've got some miles (and time!) under your belt, and you prefer to ride without a helmet, it's your choice. Read up on your state's helmet laws first. In Florida, you must carry at least $10,000 of medical insurance, either on your bike policy, or a personal medical policy, and be at least 21 years of age, to ride without a helmet. If you rely on your personal medical coverage, you must carry proof of this with you when you ride or risk getting a ticket for no helmet.


6. Read all you can on safety tips. There are scads of websites out there with excellent tips published. For example, most H.O.G. chapter websites list safety tips, as do Motorcycle organizations such as AMA, and state ABATE sites.


7. Learn to pick up your bike by yourself. This alone will build incredible confidence as you learn where that "red line" is. It can be very disheartening to have your bike fall over when you are out alone, and no one to help you. And no matter what anyone says, or how long they've been riding, male or female, we all drop our bikes at some point. It is nothing to be ashamed of (though it can be embarrassing). Restoring your bike into the upright position, all by yourself, can make a huge difference in how you feel about resuming the ride.


8. Never, never, never drink and ride. Even one beer (which may be under the legal limit for you) can impair your ability to react in time. Sitting behind the wheel of a car is far different than operating a motorcycle. I won't even go there on illegal drugs. Using them is against the law, and shows the most basic disregard for yourself, and for others you may be riding with.