Like so many cultural subgroups within our society, many people misunderstand the essence of the biker lifestyle.
I personally don't have what it takes to be a biker. I think tattoos are repulsive, the only leather I have is on my handbags, and I'm too small to reach the handlebars. But, I can appreciate a style and culture different from my own.
This weekend I decided to take a step in a direction I usually wouldn't even think to put my feet; the Arizona Bike Week, a place where bandanas, beat up leather and the color black mixed perfectly with the song "Born to be Wild."
Every biker I approached said they feel non-bikers hold misconceptions of what being a biker is about. Dottie Nichols of Phoenix said people look at bikers as trashy people. She said there are people from all walks of life who enjoy riding motorcycles, and some of them have very successful jobs.
"You could be a doctor during the day, and a biker at night," she said.
Bikers can certainly encompass a large spectrum of occupations, but more importantly, bikers are some of the most patriotic people I've ever seen.
Americans were all so honored to pull out and dust off our American flags and T-shirts after 9/11, but what about being proud of it when there is no threat to freedom? It seems the bikers are the only Americans still interested in honoring our country and our soldiers by wearing our flag.
Michael Bragdon of Garden Grove, Calif., said he trains army soldiers to go to Iraq. Bragdon said he believes bikers have their own culture and the culture represents freedom.
"When I'm on my bike I feel free-spirited and relaxed. Biking for me definitely represents who I am and what I do, fight for freedom," he said.
Bragdon said he thinks some people label bikers as rebels and outlaws. He said if someone took the time to get to know a biker, they'd realize the stereotype is mostly untrue.
I admit that bikers can be pretty intimidating and mean looking. It was difficult for me to get over my own uncertainties and approach many of them.
Amanda Pacion, an ASU English literature senior, said she does not feel comfortable around bikers.
"I think that bikers are very intimidating. They are big, burly, hairy-armed leather wearers. The bikers that I've met were rude and distasteful in the way they treated other people," she said.
"But, it's not that I do not have any respect for them. I don't understand their culture, but I'm willing to give them another try," she said.
Sometimes bikers can be labeled as lower-income people. But depending on what model and how you customize it, a Harley Davidson can cost between $12,000 and $25,000. That price tag cruises right past the cost of my car, and mine has two extra wheels!
If the biker takes riding trips, like many of the people at Bike Week, they can't be jobless. One couple I spoke to said their weekend trip to Tombstone, Ariz., cost them $500 just for gas and accommodations.
For most bikers, the lifestyle is about freedom of choice. If they choose to get tattoos, wear leather, and any other preference, who are we to judge them? At least they can be themselves.
Sara Sturges is a journalism senior. Ask her to ride on the back of your Harley and wear leather at ssturges@imap2.asu.edu.
