FJR down on 405 Freeway. Rider taken to hospital.

[Silver Penguin]

Link to Orange County Register

Andy saw this on his way to work this morning. He sees the rider regularly. Anyone know who it is? Reports say that he was taken to a local hospital. I'm at work right now, at the trauma center just a few miles away. If this rider is here, and his family needs any help, let me know.

 

[tmc]

Well that stinks.

From those pictures, it appears to be the typical "I didn't see him" BS.

Hopefully the rider is OK was ATGATT at the time.

 

[ScottyUSN]

I'm hoping the boot laying on the windscreen came out of sidebag, and not off the riders foot.

 

[Fairlaner]

it is an 06 with a top box so it is not Simon........

R

 

[ynotride]

it is an 06 with a top box so it is not Simon........
R

I was thinking Simon to. Hopefully the rider is ok.

 

[Silver Penguin]

it is an 06 with a top box so it is not Simon........
R

I was thinking Simon to. Hopefully the rider is ok.

If it's someone from the forum, and we know a name, I can go down the ED say hello, and see if he needs anything. If it's a stranger, I can't do that. Sure hope that whoever it is, is OK, forum member or not.

 

[dcarver]

Nothing scares me more than seeing a street bike wadded up, down, and leaking.

OK, most nothing scares me more..

Best wishes to the downed rider..

 

[worldbound4now]

SEAL BEACH – A motorcyclist was injured after crashing into a vehicle Thursday morning on the northbound lanes of the 405 freeway,

Nice, starts off with the natural blame trending towards the cyclist....

Officials received reports that a vehicle may have hit the motorcycle before the rider hit another car, knocking him off his motorcycle.

There we go... the rest of the story. I hope the cyclist is recovering well. The author of this article needs to return to undergraduate journalism courses and learn a little about the bias our prose can project.

 

[johnny80s]

Who has an 06 in that area?

 

[Barabus]

Traffic always backs up in that area and a lot of people are merging. Wishing for the best.

 

[James Burleigh]

Very unnerving to see a bike exactly like mine on its side on the freeway. Hope the rider is OK.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Just for fun, in an over-tired stupor, I shot out this email to the covering author of the article SP has provided by clicking on the link "Contact the writer" located at the bottom of the article:

Dear sir,

I am inquiring as to whether you realize how your writing style effects people's perceptions or not? You start the article with, "A motorcyclist was injured after crashing into a vehicle," yet you end it with the probable reality that the rider was actually struck by the car. Do you see the difference? I'm not writing to attack you, but just attempting to leave an impression- that first impressions/perceptions are made with the opening remarks and that many readers don't completely read the whole article. This leads the reader to believe the motorcyclist was at fault, when that is possibly not the case.

I think it fair to the motorcyclist that was involved as well as the public, that the events are told as they occurred. Why is this so important? Because the motorcycling community regardless of what brand of bike they ride or what protective gear they wear or don't wear, would benefit from a boost in the opinions of the general motoring public. There are too many preconceived notions regarding motorcyclists by the general public that effect the way they see motorcyclists, and, quite possibly, how they interact with them on the roadways. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Charles

I don't know, call me nuts. Maybe if we as a collective bunch started making some noise, things would perhaps change. Nah, I doubt it.... too many people ***** about the same stuff yet things remain the same. But, then again, the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Contact the writer: [email protected] or 949-454-7361

 

[UselessPickles]

Dear sir,...

You start the article with, "A motorcyclist was injured after crashing into a vehicle,"

...

This leads the reader to believe the motorcyclist was at fault, when that is possibly not the case.

In the writer's defense, the opening line is simply a known fact. The motorcyclist was injured as a result of crashing into a vehicle. There is nothing false about that statement and it is not "spun" in any way. The condition of the rider, the bike and the "vehicle" make it quite undeniable.

Based on the wording of the article, it appears that the additional fact that another vehicle may have hit the motorcycle first is not as undeniably true. There were only reports received that it "may" have happened. If there were very confident eyewitness reports of it *really* happening and/or there was clear evidence of another vehicle involved, then I would expect the wording to be different.

I think this is more a result of readers' bias about the phrase "crashed into". The phrase itself places no blame, but people assume that the crasher is at fault for crashing into the crashee (I don't think that's really a word). How can you more neutrally say that a motorcycle crashed into a car?

Additionally, based on the wording of the article, I can only assume that the "vehicle" was not determined to be in the right of way of the motorcycle (it sounds like another car *may* have hit the motorcycle and caused the motorcyclist to involuntarily change its path), so there would be no reason to report in a way that blames the vehicle that was crashed into.

I took an awesome logic class in college that, in addition to other things, taught students to more critically interpret advertising and news media. The world would be a better place if everyone received this education.

With all that said, I do believe that writers should be more aware of the bias that readers place on technically neutral words/phrases. In this case, it probably would have been best to mention the reports of the additional vehicle involvement up front, but I don't see anything wrong with the wording itself in those two separate sentences that should be together to tell the whole story at once.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Just for fun, in an over-tired stupor, I shot out this email to the covering author of the article SP has provided by clicking on the link "Contact the writer" located at the bottom of the article:

Will be interested to hear how the writer responds to your email. Anything that opens the dialogue between motorcyclists and the media is good. Maybe the guy/girl is reeling in shock that one of these tattooed neanderthals can actuallys string a few words together, and put it on the Internet. Perhaps you might convince the writer that FJR riders are a superior breed to other motorcyclists? Or should we just leave it at the fact that most motorcyclists are decent folks, concerned about the safety of themselves and others?

 

[madmike2]

Perhaps you might convince the writer that FJR most sport touring and touring riders are a superior different breed to other of motorcyclists?

Amended it for you, Jill.

Or should we just leave it at the fact that most motorcyclists are decent folks, concerned about the safety of themselves and others?

I assume that in these circumstances it's easy to forget that we motorcyclists are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, citizens with the same rights and responsibilities as the other working or retired folks we share the roads with.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Amended it for you, Jill.

Or should we just leave it at the fact that most motorcyclists are decent folks, concerned about the safety of themselves and others?

I assume that in these circumstances it's easy to forget that we motorcyclists are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, citizens with the same rights and responsibilities as the other working or retired folks we share the roads with.

Thanks Mike. I've often wondered how things would go, if I was to have a friendly chat with each errant driver, without the protection/diguise of a steel cage and/or helmet. What if it turned out that the ***** who almost ran me off the freeway, was the mother of the child whose nursing care was entrusted to me that day? How would she feel about a (insert generic insulting term for motorcyclists) saving the life the child she loves?

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

In the writer's defense, the opening line is simply a known fact. The motorcyclist was injured as a result of crashing into a vehicle. There is nothing false about that statement and it is not "spun" in any way. The condition of the rider, the bike and the "vehicle" make it quite undeniable.

Your are correct, the writer didn't "spin" anything and I never said that the statement was in any way false. But, the sequencing of the information in my opinion DOES lead it to be misinterpreted by some perhaps. I can only guess here, I have never taken a logics class, therefore I'm just a ****** making assumptions.

Additionally, based on the wording of the article, I can only assume that the "vehicle" was not determined to be in the right of way of the motorcycle (it sounds like another car *may* have hit the motorcycle and caused the motorcyclist to involuntarily change its path), so there would be no reason to report in a way that blames the vehicle that was crashed into.

Again, you are correct in that it wasn't determined who was at fault, but the sequencing makes it sound like it was the motorcyclist's fault- that's my sole point here.

In this case, it probably would have been best to mention the reports of the additional vehicle involvement up front, but I don't see anything wrong with the wording itself in those two separate sentences that should be together to tell the whole story at once.

The wording is correct, but I respectfully disagree. I think the two should be together.

And Jill, I don't have any tattoos!

 

[FJRBluesman]

Hey guys I was about to post about this then I saw Jill's post.

This is a friend of mine from work. He's occasionally on the forum, not sure of his handle. He's OK, he's in the Hospital still as of this post, broken femur, just had surgery.

My other buddy from work just got back from visiting at the hospital and said he's in good spirits, but bummed a cage took him out. He has many years and miles of riding experience on and off roading. We did a desert trip a few years back, fun stuff, excellent rider.

It sounds from hearsay that he was hit by cage changing lanes and then he went into another cage, ouch! The car that hit him did stop and assisted.

I can keep all ya'll posted as I find out more over time.

 

[johnny80s]

Glad he is doing well.