| Author | Message | ||
     Rex |
I copied this from the FSSNOC page. Interesting. Greetings, FSSNOC members! ... Hope YOU are enjoying this Day of Thanksgiving! Big Ed, FSSNOC #342 (NY) called the other night and gave me a great idea. And? ... you might ask. Everyone who watches TV ... or utilizes any other modern media ... no-matter how casually ... would surely know about "Black Friday", yes? You know, the day after Thanksgiving Day ... the day that many of our friends and neighbors shop until they drop! "Black" Friday! Modern legend has it ... it is the day of the year when many merchants in the USA do SO MUCH BUSINESS that they are projected into the "Black", financially speaking, as opposed to being in the "red". Not sure I buy all that, but it is their story and judging by their ads (which most ran LAST year!), they are sticking with it... And? What causes this day to be so profitable that a merchant can literally go from "in debt" to "fat city"? It can only be one thing ... numbers. Store hour numbers. Address numbers. Phone numbers. Employee numbers. Price numbers. Product numbers. Inventory numbers. Sales numbers. And, perhaps the biggest game changer ... customer numbers! Anyone in your family going shopping on "Black" Friday? Someone from this family is definitely going shopping that day... So ... what am I doing on "Black" Friday? Big Ed's idea was to go for a ride with a friend. Hummmmm... Could Big Ed have just stumbled on the greatest idea of the era? As we talked, I began to envision what it would be like if every motorcyclist in the USA that WASN'T going shopping on that fateful day would go for a ride!!! Can you imagine people camped in front of their own garage doors bundled-up in warm gear, drinking hot chocolate, and awaiting the stroke of midnight or the first rays of the morning sunrise to pull the bike out and take off on a ride??? Coffee Shops, Cafes, whatever ... would be covered-up with motorcycle riders! Gas stations would be over-ran with folks buying gas in three gallon increments. Cameras would be snapping two-wheeled moments in the cool of the morning and on into the day capturing all those enthusiasts who were determined NOT to miss this opportunity to do their thing one more time. Andy Goldfine, FSSNOC #1419 and head-dude at Aerostich, are you listening? Someone out there with a computer, maybe we should give Andy a shout? This is good stuff! (P.S. Thanks, Andy, for the new catalogs!) Want one? Go to: www.aerostich.com Perhaps, Andy, you've missed the perfect day for your "Ride to Work" day? Many motorcyclists might be off-work on "Black" Friday ... and that just might increase the participation in this worthy endeavor ... and guess what? Most guys would have a Day-Pass. A "Black" Friday do-what-you-want Pass. A "I won't be home until late" Pass. Even I have such a Pass for "Black" Friday ... now if I can just find a friend. These days, most have caller ID so it's getting tough... Tell ya' what, Big Ed. Get back to us and give us some details as to how your "Black" Friday went, eh? Maybe your idea will spawn a whole new trend for years to come ... however, if you go shopping, unless it was for a new motorcycle or related goodies ... n-e-v-e-r-m-i-n-d (grin!). - #000. | ||
| Syonyk |
Great idea. Except for all the shopping-crazed, sleep-deprived morons on the road frantically driving in search of the next great bargain, paying no attention to the whatever that was that just made some weird noise against their hood. Some sort of neon firefly or BUT THE BARGAINS AHEAD GOTTA GET THERE! I'm having nothing to do with roads tomorrow. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Ice,... snow....traffic.... nope - I rode on ThanksGiving - when everyone was eating - I had the roads nearly to myself. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Rode yesterday, to visit a friend in a hospital an hour away. Will ride today, too. "Stuck" with a chick friend on a Harley and her boyfriend on a Duc 748...but a ride's a ride, right?  (I just look at it as a chance to get two converts - he already knows about the 1190RS, and she wants to ride one of my tubers!) Maybe I'll carry today, just for the holiday nutjobs...lol. But the other upside to my riding buddies today? She's a trauma paramedic and he's an ER nursing instructor. Anybody up for a ride in Maryland? | ||
| Bartimus |
I got in a nice 4 hr ride yesterday, and will go out again today, as soon as the rain stops. Not too many shoppers out on the back roads, even fewer up in the mountains! :-) | ||
| Buellmojo |
I had plans to ride yesterday, and today, but my daughter has me to busy, she is not quite old enough to ride, or she would. She has her driving temps, so she has planned a special car shopping day for us, after basketball practice. Last year we went shopping on this day, and I found a motorcycle to buy...I need to stay home! | ||
| Mikef5000 |
"Could Big Ed have just stumbled on the greatest idea of the era?" Riding on your day off is greatest idea of the era? I don't understand these "ride to work day" and "ride black Friday" type things. I ride everyday that's nice enough to justify (basically, whenever it's not precipitating). Am I the weird one? | ||
| Slaughter |
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/wal- mart-black-friday-marred-by-shootings-pepper-spray -attack-.html | ||
| Syonyk |
Mikef5000, yeah, you are. I mean, think about how much you're hurting the resale value on your investment! And if you were to ride after it rained, you might get your chrome dirty. And then you'd have to spend a perfectly good Saturday & Sunday polishing your chrome before putting the scooter back in the garage. I think "Ride to Work Day" was one of very few days this year I *didn't* ride to work - if I recall properly, I was on business travel, and I've not convinced them to let me rent a motorcycle at the other end instead of a car. I'm in the same boat as you - I just don't get the "Hey, we need an excuse to ride" days. If you want to ride, ride! ... for that matter, wearing armored motorcycle gear & a motorcycle helmet might not be a bad idea for shopping today, either. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I've been riding to work this week as the poor old Lancia (which was ready for the breakers anyway) shot it's gearbox. So it's been XB & backpack plus all the winter gear, low 30s °F here, freezing fog's been the worst problem. We don't have Black Friday here or ride to work days, any day the weather & time permits is a riding day. | ||
| Whatever |
I took a five hour ride today. It was in the 70's, clear and sunny. It was too short. My pillion wimped out on me...  Yesterday I almost pooped my pants when a dead deer carcass appeared in front of me on the five lane on the eastbound 40. Good thing I don't tailgate, or I would have ended up like Bambi... I plan on riding tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Well, I had an uneventful day riding with my med buddies. Her poor HD started peeing oil from a cracked hose, but a quick tape and zip tie roadside fix kept her going without too much oiling of the rear tire. And at 4200 miles, I finally saw cords on the ol' Pirelli on the CR. Already got my "spare" ContiMotion on there, ready to go for tomorrow. I figure about the time the Conti dies, the front should be ready too, and the CR will get a set of PR3's. | ||
| Thumper74 |
I haven't supported a business on Thanksgiving or the day after that is actually open on Thanksgiving or has unusual hours. It's not a matter of protest due to rampant consumerism... it's a matter of respecting families. Let them be home with their loved ones, not dealing with 'the horde' | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
thumper - I was shocked to hear about how many places were doing thanksgiving deals ON thanksgiving. For example - Bass Pro Shops were open 8am until 6pm ON THANKSGIVING! What the crap?! That leaves pretty much zero time for family (yes, I do realize that few probably work that whole time, but still) I think pretty soon we'll see almost all "Black Friday" deals on Thanksgiving. Few things are sacred these days, its all about the almighty dollar. Families? Who cares about that, go to work, earn us money. There are some businesses I am thankful that they are open (gas stations/grocery stores), but it still bums me out a bit that they cant be home with their family spending quality time. As for riding, I didnt ride on Black Friday. TOday....oh yeah, Im going to head out in about 45 minutes. Im stoked! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I ride every chance I can, except snow and ice.... and well sometimes even that  damn I miss her. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Brian, if you want me to find you one to buy, I can do that. You can fly into Geneva & ride it back. | ||
| Oldog |
My pillion wimped out on me... you told him you were going to put him in your saddle bag, you mean lady... then you made kisseys at him, }I mean Ewwwwww.... you should have hung out, I went to the ball game last night with Carlos & the kids We ( me and Carlos are both hoarse from screeming our heads off, one of the best foot ball games I have seen ) Go Chargers | ||
| Whatever |
Jim, I told him he was going to be duct taped to the back seat and the hard bags... I don't understand how anyone could turn that down. I also only made kissy noises after he said he wouldn't be my boyfriend, and he wouldn't answer why he thought he was too good for me.  Michael and I will be there around 2 tomorrow. Maybe Michael will be able to hold Luke down while I apply the duct tape. You and Carlos were absolutely no help! (Message edited by Whatever on November 26, 2011) | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Dear Santa , I want Whatever for Christmas ! | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
todays ride ruled. |
