Jul 25, 2013

I Can See the Future

I had this kid in a BRC this weekend (the picture is a link to the video). A big fan of being gearless, wallowing in his self-prescribed-and-never-a-wish-denied ADD, unable to stop, start, or perform any maneuver consistently, and proud of it all. He was a loose cannon all day long and failed the final test, miserably (30 points). However, the slightly nutty rules of under-18 means that he will get the same paperwork as if he had passed the BRC, take that paper to the DMV, pass or fail their test, and if he passes he'll be on the road scaring the crap out of everyone in his path. Until he video records his own crash, like the goofball above.

Everything I have seen in the last 12 years of teaching motorcycle safety classes tells me we need massively more difficult-to-obtain licensing testing and draconian enforcement of laws prohibiting riding without a license; first offense, confiscation of the vehicle, second office, confiscation of the vehicle, and so on. "Ride it, you lose it."

2 comments:

RichardM said...

The MSF rules say that you have to pass anyone under 18? Or is it a MN thing? That's incredible! I think the engine size limits would be a good thing to add as well. There's a name for that but I don't remember what it is. After I passed the BRC, I didn't feel competent to do anything more than ride around an empty parking lot.

T.W. Day said...

Richard, your perception of the BRC qualification results is dead on: parking lot training. The under-18's have to pass a DMV test after ours, so all they get from the class is permission to take the test from the DMV.