I'm saddened when I see people insulate themselves from life's pleasures. I don't wish for this to come across in a way that makes you feel defensive — it's your life to live as you choose.

I have friends that seem to have settled into a lifestyle that steers clear of dangers and I have watched as they have lived, from my point of view, very insular lives lacking that rare excitement that the world has to offer.

Every motorcycle owner I've known has been struck by others or had very serious close calls, except one who didn't have it very long. Of those struck two of the five nearly died, one is a quadriplegic.

Riding motorcycles in urban areas is betting your life on other people's awareness.

I think I only know one motorcycle owner that was seriously injured (on a scooter, in college).

I've owned a motorcycle more years than not since I was 12 years old. For some stretches of that time the motorcycle was the only motorized transportation I could afford and I relied on it (even in the winter on icy streets) to get to and from work and college. And I've dropped motorcycles a few times, slammed into the back of a bus once (icy), but otherwise have been okay.

I'm older now and less desperate and so can afford to take the motorcycle out only on joy rides where I can pick the weather and the destination (out of the urban areas). And not to stereotype bikers too much, but I might add that I have never owned a sport/racing bike. I am more like the gentleman motorcyclist of an earlier era, ha ha.

Obviously the above has made riding much safer. I don't think I could completely give up riding though until I become physically unable to.

I don't offer this to refute your experience but rather to complement your comment with an example of a rider (turning 60 this year) that has not been seriously injured and has enjoyed the "sport".

I'm saddened, too, but it seems strange to frame the problem as people complacently embracing dull and insular lives, rather than a proliferation of dangerous jackasses who leave us no choice but to alter our behavior.