BORIS
RESPECT
Respect is a fascinating concept , is it not ? There are so many of you yammering for it , it ’ s like a monkey cage at banana time . You ’ re actually demanding it . Personally . Because in your world-view , respect is something you are entitled to . Automatically . Just because . And yet , in my experience , people who demand respect are usually the least worthy of it . Now , please note the difference between demanding and commanding respect . There are people who command respect because of their deeds . So respect is a result of something rather than an automatic provision based on an expectation . And yet , the monkey cage makes its demands , imagining it ’ s entitled to respect just because the monkeys ride . The hell you say ? So , because you ride a bike one has to respect you ? Yeah … I don ’ t think so . I can certainly respect how you ride , if it ’ s good and I see some demonstration of skill . But when I see you death-clutching your handlebars and wobbling up the road , my only thought is to get around you and away from you . Respect ? There ’ s none of that . Make all the demands you want . It ’ s not happening . But then many of you trundlers take it to another level altogether . You form clubs and organisations , adorn yourselves with various sigils identifying your allegiance , and then demand this occurrence to be respected .
These dinky little social clubs , rider collectives , and social-media motorcycle covens are nothing , but an expression of two things . The first is a normal human desire to tribalise . Find like-minded people and hang out with them . The second is to convey to outside observers that here is a tribe that you , the outsider , is not part of . It ’ s a statement . Taken to its ultimate conclusion , you arrive at the one-percenter tribe . Hugely exclusive and introspective , these organisations demand incredible levels of loyalty and allegiance , and the commensurate personal sacrifices , and reward their members with the same in return . Such a life suits very , very few people , and appeals to even fewer . Interestingly , the question of respect inside an outlaw club is entirely an internal one . These people do not care if you respect them or not . You ’ re irrelevant . But I ’ m sure you ’ ve noticed the respect onepercenters are treated with when they appear among other motorcyclists . You see , outlaw clubs command respect . Organisations which feed off the glamour stolen from outlaw clubs , on the other hand , demand respect . And because of that , they deserve none at all , not ever . So , how is it outlaw clubs command such respect ? One would think that ’ s obvious . You might spend time on social media or with your mates putting shit on people who ride Harleys and on Harleys in general , but you ’ re certainly not going to belly up to a patched member of a club and hold forth about such things , are you ? And why won ’ t you ? Because consequences . Never mind the fact many outlaws know very well the limitations of their bikes . That ’ s not the issue here . One-percenters don ’ t even breathe the same air you do , so you shut your mouth , keep your opinions to yourself , and have a pleasant day . What ’ s happening here ? Simple . Respect is being commanded . Now , you might think outlaw clubs are hives of savage , drug-pedalling criminals because the police and the media have been plugging that narrative for decades . And you may despise outlaw clubs and all you think they represent . And that ’ s fine . But you ’ re going to keep your mouth shut , aren ’ t you ? And you ’ re going to do that because of the respect
90 KIWI RIDER