By: Sassy,
VP/Founder A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. MC based out of Cincinnati, OH
VP/Founder A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. MC based out of Cincinnati, OH
When I think of pet peeves of a female club/rider four phrases, questions or comments come immediately to mind: “Can you handle that bike?”, “Does your club ride?”, “dance offs”, and “quality over quantity”.
I am sure that many of the ladies can relate to this pet peeve. When a man sees a female on a bike (particularly a nice bike) they tend to fix their lips to ask the silly question: “Can you handle that?” Never mind the fact the woman is obviously riding that bike but the question inevitably gets asked. It’s as if the dumb question alarm goes off but they still go ahead and allow it come out their mouth.
But the really funny part or pet peeve is when the question comes from a male who is riding in a car and the assumption is he doesn’t know anything about motorcycles.For example, when I was riding my old bike and a guy was called me “Katana” and had the nerve to ask could I handle that bike and what size was it.
“Is that a 650? Since when a Katana come in 650cc??”
Or another example is when this guy who was in a club and didn’t have a bike asked me can I handle that bike, tying to be funny because I was the only female riding with the guys. I just simply replied “and this is coming from the guy who doesn’t have a bike” (he was mad at me for over a year, behind my response, lol). Another time is when a guy rolled up on me at the light on a “Katana” (I know it seems as if I’m picking on the Katana motorcycle but I’m not. My first bike was a Katana. Heck, I even put the “pink panther” in bike shows a couple times, had it featured in magazines and in a Katt Williams stand-up video, so nothing against the bike at all). But please, please do not ride up or should I say walk up (lol) next to my stack (GSXR-1000 that is stretched 8 inches, slammed in the front, shinko tire, with T-Force full exhaust, not slip on) and ask if I can handle MY bike.
“ Ummm can you handle that scooter?”
My second pet peeve: “Does your club ride?” is the question many female clubs get when others on the set (male and female) see them for the first time. While I understand the reason behind the question and even why the question is asked, it still bothers me.
The question in itself does not bother me (heck I have even asked the question), but the very reason the question even has to be asked OF a female motorcycle club is what bothers me. The reason is far too many pop-up female clubs that exist rocking either RC (riding club) or MC (motorcycle club), when in reality they are a SC (social club). Please note that just because you a have President or even Vice-President who rides and no one else in the club rides, does not make you MC. If your club is not at least 80% on iron, then ladies (also co-ed) you are not MC. You are in fact SC. Pop up clubs especially female pop up clubs who do not know the protocol and only want to start a club because they think it’s hot and want to wear a vest, only to damage the creditability of well established female clubs who have done the hard work and put in the time on them two wheels. It really makes it hard for female clubs such as them ground pounding A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. Motorcycle Club.
Ladies if you want respect on the set as a motorcycle club, then you must EARN IT! Invest the time and energy to understand the MC life (world), do your homework, research, research, and research again what it took for women to even be recognized as riders. Please respect and be respectful, respect even if you do not agree. Additionally, earn it on them two wheels; wind in the hair and not just in your city.
Another pet peeve that coincides with “does your club ride” is when there is a tie at a function for largest female motorcycle club in attendance. Why is it when there is a tie, in order to break the tie, we are reduced to some demeaning act? For example a “dance off”;. I am not a member of a dance club, but a motorcycle club. Are the men expected to do a dance off when there is a tie amongst them????
The A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. were at a party and there was a tie for largest female club, so they said in order to break the tie, you all will have to dance for it. (Let me be clear, I could really care less about the trophy, but more importantly the respect and not just as a female motorcycle club, but respect to MCing). So they actually expected us to participate in this dance off, so we did. (If you can not beat them join them at their own game). So as people lined up to see what they thought was going to be “drop it like its hot” dance off, the A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S lined up and proceeded to shuffle down the line with licenses (motorcycle endorsements) in hand pretending to sweep the floor with them. Needless to say we won, without having to shake our rump, but shake the ground with licenses and bike keys in hand (lol). I’m just saying, you don’t ask men clubs to dance off, so don’t ask female clubs.
My final pet peeve is “quality over quantity”. At the end of the day it should not be about how many members you have, but what your members do (ride that iron pony). I want to be clear this is a lesson as a founder, I, learned the hard way, but what is important is I learned it and I continue to practice it. Like Sucka Free MC had touched on in a previous blog, you can have all the large numbers, but without quality brotherhood (sisterhood) you have nothing. You learn the value and importance of sisterhood when you pound that ground together. A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. ride often, but every now in then we are reminded the importance of our sisterhood. For example this summer (2012) a few of the club sisters rode our sport bikes from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. On our way home, I was leading the pack and was cut off by a car, I was quickly reminded, the importance when my sisters (Sgt. at Arms) came up from behind next to the cager to let him know that he had just cut me off. Let me say it not only felt good but we looked good, as we all quickly lined back up in our staggered formation.
Let me say if you are going to start a club, press the issue of quality. Additionally, if you are starting or joining a club, know their history. Know the significance of the patch and how it came about. If the club does not know its significance of their patch I would carefully re-evaluate being a member. When we founded A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. we did our research. There was considerable thought put into the design of the logo. The first thing we did was research to ensure that there were NO other motorcycle clubs that existed with the name A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. even though it is an antonym. (S/N I wish all clubs did this, esp. the one in Florida that recently popped up, bearing our name). Nothing like going somewhere and another club has your name, but is associated with negativity. Our name has its own meaning= Alluring Lovely Ladies Sophisticate Talented AndRiding Steel. So our name in itself tells you that we ride. Our colors red, white, and blue symbolized freedom. Freedom from BS, the freedom we feel when we mount them iron ponies and the wind blows in our hair. The freedom you feel, when you are having a bad day and the only thing that makes you feel better is a nice ride on the motorcycle. Our patch has three ladies and three bikes, which further demonstrates that we ride (s/n do not put a motorcycle on your patch if you are a SC, ijs). Our city is in the background with the road behind us, which demonstrates that we pound the ground and not just in our city (which is why the city is behind us). Don’t just pop-up a club or use colors because they look good or have symbols/pictures with no significance to what your clubs does (quality over quantity). When you put your thought in to it, you then put your heart in to it, and when you put your heart in to it, it is usually lasting and you will do what is necessary to protect it and what is necessary to earn respect.
Please note that this blog is the opinion of mine and mine alone, not that of A.L.L.S.T.A.R.S. Motorcycle Club. It comes from Sassy, who has been riding for over 20 years and around the MC world via my dad and uncle who were members of clubs when M.C. meant Men’s Club.
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