Riding on confidence despite the taunts

The first thing one needs to remember is to be intrepid and just strive to be a skilful rider. – Pic by Melissa Duis, June 8, 2014.There’s the wide open road and there are confined and restrained parking lots. After my riding stint with a pal a week ago, my self-assuredness dissipated as quickly as my stand-in tutor left, revving off on his destrier of a motorcycle.

But, my sense of urgency culminated by the quickening of the pulse and the mere thought of having spent all that money on naught. I must get on that motorcycle, with or without a sentinel, I thought aloud. Increasingly bemused and amused by my crippling fear, I still managed a chuckle.

A few days later, it took me a good few hours to finally get into full gear – that was the first step – before I finally paid my lone charger a visit.

Oh, you poor ole’ dusty and lonesome thing, I looked at my motorcycle pityingly. I don’t rue the day I picked her up from the motorcycle store but I do rue my treatment of her. So, mechanically I unlocked her and started the engine – my mind half distracted by the obtrusive and celestial voice of my super-ego – much to my annoyance.

The first step was to get my motorcycle out of the parking bay which I thank my friend for because he had taught me well in terms of manoeuvring a bike 20 kilogrammes heavier than me – remember my bruise?

As a lady biker, Melissa confronts discouraging attitude and negative perceptions from people around her. – Pic by Melissa Duis, June 8, 2014.There wasn’t much room for me to turn my bike around in at the parking bay, so I had to make do with reversing my bike, meaning walking in reverse while guiding the bike down a slight decline of the ground. My good friend taught me to remain calm, certain and to use the front breaks as I rolled my bike out of the parking bay. It was all a matter of being in the right state of mind, being relaxed and some balancing which all amounted to success!

Next, when I mounted my bike, I had the security guards, residents and parked cars as dissuaders – the security guards were my main torment as they gave me the stink eye every time I rode past them. It is things like these that I know a lady biker has to endure.

I think my reluctance in learning on my own mainly comes from the discouraging attitude and negative perceptions I get from half the people around me. Concern for my safety is one thing but there are those who are ever ready to doubt my ability with a motorcycle as I happen to be of the fairer sex.

Case in point is when I have a male friend around; the taunts, questions, stares and comments come less or in a positive manner. I can’t say the same happens when I’m alone, hence I will learn in the comfort and confines of my parking lot for now, for whatever relative privacy it affords. At least for now, it’s just the guards’ behaviour that I have to permit.

In the beginning, I know one of the things a lady biker in Malaysia will have to suffer is issues of confidence and getting used to her environment. For reasons unknown, one would have to deal with pre-conceived notions from others and especially in a sport-like motorcycle riding which is risky on its own. Also, it is unfortunately further weighed down by a percentage of a discouraging and unsupportive crowd.

In this instance, the first thing one needs to remember is to be intrepid and just strive to be a skilful rider and most importantly: choose your training ground well.

For the speedsters out there, come what may, but riding at a manageable speed always makes learning more fun and that much safer. – June 8, 2014.