So apparently woman + motorcycle = heartless animal hater

[neebelung]

(Ok, lemme preface this with... if you're a critter lover, this is a sad story)...



So this morning, I'm on my way into work (in the car). I'm on a major, 6 lane divided road in morning traffic (going about 50). I'm in the middle lane, and there's a Honda Civic in the inside lane, about 2 car lengths behind me. I'm coming up on a major intersection when a big dog comes running out into the street. I slam on the brakes and manage to stop short of hitting him, but the guy in the lane next to me wasn't so fortunate (nor was the dog). The poor pup was killed instantly.

Well I FREAKED... I'm literally hyperventilating, just flipping out and I pull over to collect myself.... (of course, my mind races to "Oh my God, there's school buses of children going by, seeing this poor creature in the road... what if that dog belonged to one of those kids....." etc..... yes, my imagination works overtime).

Anyway, needless to say, it was a rough morning, but I make it into work finally.

So I'm still visible shaken, and I'm downstairs getting my mail from the receptionist, and she asks me what's wrong... I tell her (and another co-worker standing there). He proceeds to tell me about his girlfriend recently hitting a dog (that dog ran away and was apparently fine) and I say "Oh my God, if I had been the one who hit him, I'd be a freakin basket case... seriously, I would freak."

Another coworker was standing by listening to the conversation, and interjects at this point, "Wait... what? You'd freak out?" I said "If I hit a dog? Oh my God, yes, I would absolutely flip." He kinda chuckles and shakes his head and says, "Wow, you just threw me off." Confused, I'm like "Why?" He says "I mean, I thought you were tough.... you ride a motorcycle and all... I just didn't see you as someone who would get all mushy about animals."

HUH????

He repeats it again, attributing his impression of me (we've worked together for 7.5 years!) to the fact that I ride.... which makes no sense to me.... so if I woman rides a motorcycle, it means she's "tough," and therefore apparently incapable of feeling for a poor animal? WTF????????????

I'm completely baffled... makes no sense to me...

[KMS]

Stereotypes...gotta love 'em!

Sounds like a horrible way to start your day. :bbcry:

[dylansmom011908]

That's so sad. :bbcry:

I'm sorry that you had such a bad day... and dogs are my weakness! One time I hit a squiral and my mom was in the car with me and i was in tears... so we said a little prayer for the little guy... I remember saying..."omg mom..what if he was on his way back to his family with food or something" Ugh..it was horrible!

As for women on bikes being heartless... I knew this one lady who rode and she was just the sweetest, most caring person in the world.

It's sad..but our world seems to be filled with nothing but stearotypes!

...Gotta love the way we live... :snide:

[Nekochanpurr]

Thats awful... And why the heck would your co-worker say that?!

[He_calls_me_Angel]

Aw! I once hit a cat and I sobbed like a big baby, it literally leaped in front of my car. I was 17, I walked in the door and my mom was in bed, I scared her lol I knelt on the side of her bed with my head in her lap and just cried, when I finally told her why she started laughing and telling me it was ok but I felt so bad! Then I had a dog hit me! Yes you read that right, the dog hit me! I was going back home from play practice on the phone with a friend when I see a big blurr of black and white running and it slams into the driver side front panel of my car. Once I calmed down I went back to look and he was gone. I was so upset about it then several days latter I see him running in a field near the road he hit me on. It was one of the biggest beast of a dog I have ever seen. I was happy that he was alive but then I got mad lol he caused 500$ worth of damage to my car!


Anyway, in a way I'm sorry that the dog was killed, but I'm glad it wasn't you that hit it... it's so hard to deal with that....

As far as you riding, can I just say that I think that is incredible! I always admire women I see on their own bikes!

[MrsDM]

OMG - uh, jerk! I hate when people just assume how another human being is. Just because you like to have fun, doesn't mean you are heartless! The nerve of some people!! :irked:

I remember when I was in middle school, I was big into snowboarding and the principal checked me and some other people randomly for drugs because thats what "those" people do. Ugh, yeah. Too bad I've never laid eyes on the stuff.

Sorry about your cruddy day!!! :hug:

[Scrwballsgrl]

I'm sorry your day started out so crappy not to mention that unjustified stereotype from your co-worker. I don't see what riding a motorcycle would have to do with not being upset if you hit an animal...:bbconfused: just doesn't compute to me?

[neebelung]

Thanks girls... Uggh... I'm still just sick about the whole thing. (the dog, not my coworker). FH was with me (we've got plans after work, so we carpooled) so he tried to calm me down (he's a critter lover, too, so at least he understood why I was so upset)....


I'm baffled by my co-worker's remarks, but I dunno.. I'm trying to cut him some slack.. .he's a bit older than I am, very Southern, traditional (and a Minister), so maybe he just doesn't "get" girls who ride.. He's usually a super sweet guy, so I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[WebLady]

I am sorry your co-worker said such a stupid thing <little rant> it is that kind of blind stereotypical judgemental behavior that gives men (and the church) a bad name! Maybe you can teach him that he should get to know someone before assuming anything about them :snide: </little rant>

I would be upset if I hit a dog; heck I'd even be upset if it was a cat and I don't much like cats. It is really sad that there are so many irresponsible pet owners out there that don't take proper care of or precautions for their pets and let this sort of thing happen.

[ladymelissa]

OMG! That coworker is completely off and insensitive! Were you on your bike at the time? If so, not only do you feel bad, but you could have been seriously injured, if you hit it or swerved out of control to avoid it! I am so sorry you had to see that!

[caligal85]

Your coworker seems a little out of touch with reality. Things like what people drive don't dictate a person, the person dictates what they drive. I hate watching poor animals get hit. It's very jolting. The only thing I ever hit was a gecko, which are prevalent in Florida where we were living at the time, with my bike. I was twelve and felt horrible. I cried and my mother still makes fun of me about it.

[neebelung]

I cried and my mother still makes fun of me about it.

When I was about 8 or 9, I remember being in the car with my Gramma... it was late at night, heading home from my Aunt's, and a little bunny ran out into the road as we were getting on the freeway. I thought for SURE my gramma had hit it (which, looking back, was preposterous, considering my gramma was every bit the animal freak that I am :rofl: )... so I just flipped out... CRIED and CRIED and CRIED, until she got off the free way, went back, got off again and returned to that onramp so that I could see that there was no bunny pancake in the road. :D

[RozMitchell]

I once hit an entire family of raccoons on a mountain road at night. It was a mom and several of her babies. It was truly horrific.

I do think it was insensitive for your co-worker to assume that people who ride motorcycles = people without hearts. What an odd stereotype! I am glad you're giving him the benefit of the doubt - sometimes people do put both feet right in their mouths. Now... if he continues to make remarks.... that's a different story.

I'm sorry you had such a crappy beginning to your day!

Roz

[byrd813]

sound like an a*hole to me, screw his a**

[KMS]

Your coworker seems a little out of touch with reality.

That's the south for ya!!

[Lang2b]

Honestly I ride with my fh all the time and I just started this summer. We started going to bike rallys and shows and stuff and I personally felt like I didn't fit in because of the "biker girls" I thought I would get beat up or something. Once I got to know them they are very nice, I think a lot of it to me was the leather maybe. Now I see the difference completely.

[neebelung]

Honestly I ride with my fh all the time and I just started this summer. We started going to bike rallys and shows and stuff and I personally felt like I didn't fit in because of the "biker girls" I thought I would get beat up or something. Once I got to know them they are very nice, I think a lot of it to me was the leather maybe. Now I see the difference completely.
Well and there's also a very big difference between the sportbike culture and the "leather" crowd.

We actually ride sportbikes ("Crotch rockets") so there's no leather, no wild rallies, no drinking-n-riding....

But at the moment this co-worker was saying this, I'm staning here at work in a pretty skirt, top and heels!! (not looking the least bit "tough." :rofl:)... Even when I ride to work, I change and do hair and makeup when I get here, so that I look professional.

[RevMatty]

I know the feeling, I hate hitting animals with a vehicle.
But (this may soud heartless) when driving 13 tons of steel, fully loaded with freight, better them then me rolling over and getting seriously injured.

[Amanda&Jason]

Lucky no one was behind you. I love animals just as much as the next person but i know I would not slam on my brakes on the freeway. Poor pup though...:(