Strange Encounters Of The BMW Kind

[Gord]

So Sunday morning, two buddies and I pile into the cage and head down to Toronto. Our goal is to meet up with a bunch of other guys and the bus we rented and head to Orchard Park, NY to take in the Buffalo Bills vs New Jets. A classic AFC East battle. Had a great ride down. A stop for more beer in Stoney Creek, then at the border we hit duty free (for more beer), and once across the border we stopped to pick up - you guessed it - more beer (only American beer this time!). Pulled into the parking lot, broke out the barbies, the beer, the stogies and grilled up some pork tenderloin and sausages. The place was a zoo. A ton of fun. Then off to the stadium for the game.

I was wearing mulitple layers of clothing - turtle neck and my insulated riding vest - topped off by my BMW Motorrad club jacket (I am sadly in need of some warm, non-riding outerwear). I was standing in line waiting to get in when a voice behind says something like "You BMW owners are taking jobs from Americans!" It was said in a half-joking kind of tone but was followed up with "I don't know what's wrong with buying American." I turned and looked at the guy and simply said "It isn't BMW or me that is costing America jobs. It is this thing called globalization" at which point he nodded his agreement and shut up. "No big deal" I think to myself. He was just trying to have some fun so why not pick on the weirdo who didn't wear any football related gear at all.

Well we get to our seats. I sit down and am quietly sipping my drink (yes it was beer). The guy behind me proceeds to spill beer on my back and says words to the effect of "Sorry Mr. BMW. Wouldn't have happened if you were wearing something different." This guy - in my mind - was just being an a-hole (as he proved for the rest of the game as he droned on about how hard he works and how little his "c**t" of a wife appreciated that fact).

Needless to say I was surprised. I have never found myself the recipient of comments like this because of the make of motorcycle I ride or the gear I choose to wear. And I certainly didn't realize that there are a minority of football fans who don't like German motorcycles.

So what is the strangest encounter the rest of you had because of the brand of bike you choose to own?

[BobFV1]

Gord -

I think you should have handled the first guy's BMW comment differently, by informing him that no BMW motorcycles are made in the USA. If he would have brought up the fact that H-D's are made in the USA, I'm sure you could have come up with a clever retort.

BTW, I thought you Canucks liked hockey?

So what is the strangest encounter the rest of you had because of the brand of bike you choose to own?

I had an idiot at a rest stop ask me why my cyclinder was sideways.

PS - when on assignment in Detroit many years ago I liked to cross the bridge to Windsor to visit the topless bars - even though I realize I could have been supporting some fine young American girls with my tips...

[mistercindy]

Do you think he was aware of the logo referring to BMW motorcycles, not cars? I've found that a lot of those folks who get bent out of shape about non-American cars don't care a bit if people buy a Japanese motorcycle (as they probably don't know BMW makes motorcycles).

So what is the strangest encounter the rest of you had because of the brand of bike you choose to own?

At the 2004 ROT Rally (Republic of Texas) parade/cruise in Austin. As I was cruising at 5 mph on Austin's downtown streets amidst 40,000 Harleys and other loud cruisers, I overheard a number of people say "Look!!! I didn't know BMW made motorcycles!"

And BTW, unlike your experience, I found the Harley boys that dominated the ROT Rally to be pleasantly accepting of my curious RR!

[The Kurch Man]

Nothing surprises me - people's passions get high and if they feel they have lost employment due to 'foreign' product, it's worse. Being from Detroit, foreign vehicles get a lot of attention. We had a local UAW (United Auto Workers) building that would not allow Army Reservists to park in their lot ON THE WEEKEND (when the UAW offices were closed) - if they had a car that was not American made. The Army reservist location next door did not have enough parking spaces so the reservists sometimes used the UAW lot on the weekend. The UAW recanted due to pressure, but the Army said they would find alternate parking and did not need the lot. As I said, nothing suprises me...sad but true.

[beekstersocal]

nobodys ever given me to much b.s. but i always stand tall and proud about my bike and brand in front of anybody anywhere anytime

[Promethean]

Gord,
Sorry to hear about your encounter with the dumbass. Unbelievable.

Here's a link that some might find interesting....a bit long on the tirade but entertaining nevertheless.

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

[bakernks]

Ahh, Gord they didn't treat you half bad considering you were at an NFL game, and in NewYork at that. Lots of attitude in New York. I lived there for a year (actually upstate near Liberty) and a week didn't go by I fielded some remark about my "Texas" accent. From Kansas.

2 quick stories on topic then.

Bike clothing: I wear in cooler weather a Tourtech 3/4 length Goretex coat, what I call an Expedition coat, styled like the Hein Gerrick(sp) 4 pocket leather job. It's all black, high collar, very little in the way of any decorations, stripes, nothing. I'm all bundled up one day last November, leaving a restaurant, when an elderly Kansas couple walks by on their way to the tables, and the gentleman tips his hat at me and says," Afternoon, Reverand."

BMW's: I sometimes ride with a few ElectraGlide-only types, guys at work. Not often, but I've known these guys for a dozen years, and after that sort of deal, you learn to get along, whatever. We're coming out of a gas station on a 300 mile Sunday ride, old farmer asks, "Are they all Harley's?", looking over our 8 bike line-up. The HD type closest replies," Well, yeah, but we've got one half-breed". Excuse me? By this time I'm used to this kind of abuse.

Being the Chiefs fan I am, live or die, I go to Arrowhead a couple times a year, my brother has season tickets, and sometimes I get to sit with him. I've had beer dumped on me, hot chocolate dumped down my back, feet stepped on, nacho cheese on my $100 Chiefs Parka, I've come away with mustard from a hotdog in my HAIR. Guy on that one told me next time dye my hair Red, then I'd at least be in proper team colors.
NFL, man, what's a human to do but just pack-animal along!

[Bud]

I was launch manager for two satellite launches out of Russia. People asked me why we were using a foreign launch system. It took a half hour to explain that we were encouraged by the US government to use the Russians because it was part of the START treaty that both countries had signed to de-commission ICBM's. We got a financial break from both the US and Russian Federation. People just couldn't grasp the concept that there was something bigger than where the launch vehicle was manufactured or the satellite launched.

If these folks went out to their US made cars; Ford, Chevy, Dodge (especially since Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler) they would find a poo load of foreign made parts, motors included. In fact the Mustang Aluminum modular engine for the Cobra and Lincoln Navagator etc are cast in Italy and flown to the Romeo NJ factory for machining!

Strange world and the guy behind you must have been pretty stupid, but that would be an insult to stupid people all over the world.

[Kevin]

I get in this argument pretty often at work, not necessarily about bikes, but so-called "foreign" autos. My usual retort is that several models of "domestic" cars are manufactured in Canada or Mexico, while Hondas are manufactured in my home state of Ohio. Also, many of the parts that go into domestic cars are imported and vice versa of foreign cars. There are so many partnerships between US and foreign companies now (i.e. GM and Toyota, Ford and Mazda, Chrysler and Mercedes) that it is hard to tell them apart. Another response I would give, to paraphrase those stupid Lee Iacoca/Jason Alexander commercials, is that if a US company built a better bike, I'd buy it.

And to quote another recent news-maker's previous news-making speech, "Why can't we all just get along?" - Rodney King


Peace-
Kevin

[popgazer]

Gord -

... cross the bridge to Windsor to visit the topless bars - even though I realize I could have been supporting some fine young American girls with my tips...

Isn't that what's called canadien ballet ! And we don't have it over here is the US. Right!?

[cricman]

Unfortunately,

There are quite a few "Americans" that haven't the mental capacity to figure out that much of everything we consume is, in some way, related to a foreign trade entity. I work in a field that directly deals with the global economy, so I see, everyday, the amount of materials and parts imported from one hemisphere, through the U.S., into Central America for assembly (whether partial or complete), only to be re-imported for sale or re-export. Honestly, what do you have in your house that is not a food product, that has not been touched by foreign hands, or composed of foreign parts? I'm sitting at a Canadian made desk, typing on a computer that is mostly from Pacific Rim countries, listening to music composed in Germany, on a CD printed in Mexico. I made a conscious decision to purchase each of these items. Here at the house, we have 2 Toyotas, 1 BMW, 1 Yamaha, and 1 Dodge. My bassboat has a Johnson engine (pre-Bombardier), but when the time comes to replace it, I will seriously look at the Yamaha line. I once owned a Ford Escort. As goofy as it sounds, I liked it for a host of reasons. Unfortunately, it started to really show it's age at about 126,000 miles. Our Camry has 153,000 miles, runs like a top, and still looks good, inside and out. The Camry is simply a better made car than the Escort was.

As for encounters related to my BMW, I haven't had any, aside from a few comments from co-workers. All very positive, including those from the half-dozen die hard HD riders. Of course, I look like I eat babies, so people that don't me tend to leave me alone and keep their smart mouths shut.

cricman

[xaque]

I been seeing a lot of posts recently on many messages boards about the “ignorant type” making it well known they are clueless about BMW motorcycles…

I have plenty of stories of this (I even have a license plate frame that reads “I didn’t know… BMW made CARS!”) so I thought I would share an example of the exact opposite.

I was riding rather slowly past a group of people one day, in particular a middle-aged women and her 5 or 6 year old daughter.

As I was riding by the girl says “Look mommy! A motorcycle!”
To which the mother replies “that’s not just a motorcycle hunny, that’s a BMW”


I don’t know about you, but this sure makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

-Xaque-

[leno]

I'm guessing that football in the US is differnat than in the UK. If that had happend here then it would have ended in a full riot. Of course we tend to be a lot less diplomatic. The answer to the comment about stealing jobs would have been ' I'll buy local when they stop building plies of poo '. The UK bike makers died out because nobody in the UK would buy second best just because it was British. So you can see that's how fights start. Spilling a drink down sombody is an invite to get punched if it came with a comment which implied that a) it was deliberate or b) the guy did not care.

[jonothan]

...If that had happend here then it would have ended in a full riot...

Well, Leno, it wouldn't have happened here as we don't have much of an automotive manufacturing industry any more. But Triumph are at least making a real effort, all credit to them.

But you're right. It would've ended in a riot.

Sorry you had to deal with that sh*t, Gord.

And Promethean, yes, I read that article. Very interesting. As the nation that put a man on the moon (and having been to the Kennedy Space Center and marvelled at everything therein, I can attest that was a unparalleled feat), I find that it's a shame that H-D isn't really moving forward.

J

[RiftonRoadster]

I think it started going wrong when you broke out the Barbies. When my daughter and her friends break them out no one thinks too much of it. When a bunch of beer drinkin', cigar smokin adult males do that it may get noticed by the "hard worker" types. .

Anyhow - it's an american football game. It's like a national drug and you did not show up with the appropriate crack pipe and costume.
If that was a motorcycle rally and Mr. hard worker shows up with his Bills jersey you might think nothing of it or maybe that he rides too. Perhaps you don't fully grasp the concept that football is the center of some peoples lives. It's all they talk about.
Think about this - he calls his wife the 'c' word repeatedly but what he really finds offensive is that you don't have a Bills shirt.
It's not a BMW thing - it's a football thing and like Chris Rock said...
"I'm not saying it's right, but I understand"

My .02
Peter

[boxermania]

Gord.......I'm flabergasted that you didn't asume a more honorable position in defense of the brand, after the second comment I would have gotten up making it heard that you needed a bathroom break, then purchased a beer, take it to the bathroom, empty half off and fill up with one's bodily fluids. Return to your seat, offer the man the beer with the following comment......"Look I got you a beer to show you that there are no hard feelings..... Then take yoiur seat and chuckle.......

Probably due to his high degree of inebriation he wouldn't have noticed........ and no, I have never done this, I read it in a magazine

[Paul Mihalka]

Two stories related to where the cars are made:
A few year ago one of the major syndicates, may be UAW, had a rule in their main office building in Washington D.C. that only USA made cars could park in the building. A Ohio made Honda could not park, but a Korea built Ford Festiva could.

The brand new Ford Fusion will be built completely in Mexico.

[Gord]

Yeah I probably could have handled the whole situation differently - rather than just shrug it off to moronics, I could have gone on the offensive. But somehow I feel it is unfair of me to engage in rationale and logical debate with those of limited capacity. And I had no real desire to spend a night in a Buffalo cell...

But as for pissing in his beer, I wish I had thought of that...

Thank God I am a Chiefs fan!

[rdsmith3]

Thank God I am a Chiefs fan!

I like the Chiefs, too, except when they play the Eagles. That game worried me for a while.

It is amazing how ignorant some (many?) people are. Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mitsubishi, and other "foreign" companies build their cars in North America, yet they are not considered to be American cars. Moreover, Honda and Toyota generally build better cars, and they are more profitable companies. Clearly, these two in particular have figured out a better way of doing things.

It may take a GM bankruptcy for the traditional U.S. auto companies and the UAW to change their ways, but that is a topic for the Playhouse.