Street Cred

  • February 7, 2012 12:02 PM PST
    I've seen all the usual "biker" threads here, such as how did you get your road name and what do you pack on your bike.

    But I haven't seen a "street cred" thread.

    Have YOU earned street cred in the course of your adventures? This is the place to share your story.

    I was told I had street cred by a Leatherneck who watched me get 5 staples in my head after I totaled my first bike. At the time, I was still sitting up chatting and laughing...it was a few hours later that I was intubated and put in ICU for a week, but that's another story.

    What's yours?
  • February 7, 2012 12:28 PM PST
    A lovely winter day here the sun was all sparkling and I was sitting at the corner of A1A and 17, the light was red and well the woman behind me just "drove right over top of me", stopped and said you ok? I said I don't know at the moment, then she hit the gas blew through the red light and gone. Bruised up pretty dam good, got the bike up right, bunged the saddle bag on, pulled out the fender, finished ripping off the floor board, and with cocked handle bars rode it home. Next day, oh boy could hardly move but nothing broken but me bike and pride. have a great one! "T"
  • February 7, 2012 1:35 PM PST
    I've been most fortunate thus far. Some close calls: In my lunacy drag racing days at the strip, I was with some riding buddies in Shreveport going way way to fast, and on the highway instead of a racetrack. Well, a light turned red, everything stopped and I was on the brakes and slid in between two cars. God was watching over me or I wouldn't be here. I learned on that one. Another piece of riding brilliance about 28 or so years ago I somehow rode into a manhole, with the lid off. The front end popped up when it hit the other side and it looked like I was riding a wheelie. Thus, look where you are going. Another exhibition of my youthful brilliance; a big crew of friends pulled up to a train track with a train crossing. We had our wives on back and I thought I was in neutral, let go of the clutch and the new Kaw Z1R 1000 bike goes whap on the pavement. I reached down and picked it up and no one would look at me. I said, "laugh" and they all had a good laugh.
    Those aren't street creds, but I'm much much more aware and a better and safer biker now. God looks after children and fools.
  • February 7, 2012 2:07 PM PST
    I was always too cool for street cred!
    • 1855 posts
    February 8, 2012 12:03 AM PST
    Black9 wrote...
    I was always too cool for street cred!
     
      i.e., I ain't admittin' nothin'


    Peace

     

  • February 8, 2012 12:10 AM PST
    Guess I don't have it... not even sure what it is!
  • February 8, 2012 12:18 AM PST
    Street credibility or roadrash???????.....is it the same?...cause I've got a lot of roadrash.
    • 1855 posts
    February 8, 2012 12:40 AM PST
    Credibility?


    It was July one in '95 when I left this sleepy town.
    Avoiding all the highways, I was North Dakota bound
    Big twin just a poundin', paco's crackin' across the plains
    A cold, dark could, a fierce head wind
    I was ridin' into rain

    I twist the wick and get a tighter grip
    Never think about growin' old.
    The widsom in the years I've lived
    Are challenged by the open road.
    I always heard, "A biker holds his head up in the rain".
    After 40 years on two wheels he never feels the pain. 

    One verse and chorus from a song written by yours truly.
     
    Peace

     
  • February 8, 2012 2:30 AM PST
    Jimmy, GOT THAT RIGHT! I aint sayin sh*t! Dig the lines in your last post! Mac, road rash should be enough for biker street cred! LOL
  • February 8, 2012 2:44 AM PST
    mac117 wrote...
    Street credibility or roadrash???????.....is it the same?...cause I've got a lot of roadrash.



    Personally, I don't think street cred is accident related, nor do I think it's one of those things you claim for yourself, either. Rather, I think street cred comes from those road experiences that come from other people you meet, the people you respect and who say or do something which gives you the sense that you have suddenly been inducted into a secret society.

    Like the time a guy came up to me in a bar, and he had that weathered look about him that comes from a lifetime of being on the road. He pointed to the patches I had and asked if I "earned" 'em. One was "I rode mine, Sturgis 07" and the other was "I rode mine, Daytona 08." When I told him that I did in fact make those runs on my little Dyna Lowrider, I saw a twinkle in his open eye as he winked the other one, and he said, "Young lady, that's more than most of the men in this bar have done. You are the real deal."

    I never considered street credibility & roadrash to be the same, but it appears some people do. Oh well...to each his own...after all, the stories are still good to read!
  • February 8, 2012 3:26 AM PST
    I have some road rash that reads like Braille!
  • February 8, 2012 3:50 AM PST
    Black9 wrote...
    I have some road rash that reads like Braille!



    Is that why they say scars can sometimes tell their own stories?

  • February 8, 2012 3:51 AM PST
    I don't know if this gives me street cred or just makes me lucky, but in the summer of '09, my father-in-law went out for a nice summer ride. When we left the house it was a gorgeous 82 out, sunny and cloudless. After riding for a few hours, we decided to stop and get some lunch. While inside, unknown to both of us, the weather decided to take a turn for the worst.

    As we left the diner, it was grey and strangely calm. While heading home, we both noticed that it was getting a bit green outside and the clouds started swirling around. As we both glanced at each other the tornado sirens went off and sure as shit, behind us, a tornado had formed and was coming up behind us. With absolutely nowhere to pull over, we decided to gun it, blowing past stop signs till we were able to turn, heading into a different direction.

    Needless to say, we ended making it back to my house only to learn that a supercell popped up from nowhere producing an EF3 tornado, causing some major damage in the Chicagoland area. My heart hurt after that one, and now I never go anywhere without double checking the weather.
  • February 8, 2012 4:05 AM PST
    Fefe wrote...
    Black9 wrote...
    I have some road rash that reads like Braille!



    Is that why they say scars can sometimes tell their own stories?


    Probably! LOL
     

  • February 8, 2012 4:11 AM PST
    jbdesigner51 wrote...
    I don't know if this gives me street cred or just makes me lucky, but in the summer of '09, my father-in-law went out for a nice summer ride. When we left the house it was a gorgeous 82 out, sunny and cloudless. After riding for a few hours, we decided to stop and get some lunch. While inside, unknown to both of us, the weather decided to take a turn for the worst.

    As we left the diner, it was grey and strangely calm. While heading home, we both noticed that it was getting a bit green outside and the clouds started swirling around. As we both glanced at each other the tornado sirens went off and sure as shit, behind us, a tornado had formed and was coming up behind us. With absolutely nowhere to pull over, we decided to gun it, blowing past stop signs till we were able to turn, heading into a different direction.

    Needless to say, we ended making it back to my house only to learn that a supercell popped up from nowhere producing an EF3 tornado, causing some major damage in the Chicagoland area. My heart hurt after that one, and now I never go anywhere without double checking the weather.

    jb, this is why I no longer live in the midwest, I grew up there and twisters were just a fact of life, some worse than others! I once sat in my granny's root cellar watching one roll right past her house, tore off some shingles and some siding, and right into our neighbor's barn and out buildings! Looked like a chaotic junkyard when it rolled through! Then when I was a lowly college student the apartment building I was staying had the entire roof ripped off of it, it was a three story apartment building and yes I lived on the third floor and thankfully I was at work when it hit... thankfully I had insurance! Ducked and dodged to many twisters for my comfort and that's why I live out west, the family said I'd miss them but I'd rather just avoid taking a chance because that is some street cred I can live without! LOL

    • Moderator
    • 16870 posts
    February 8, 2012 4:51 AM PST
    "street cred"
    I've been ridding since I was a kid and this is the first time I've herd this phrase.
  • February 8, 2012 5:07 AM PST
    RevBigJohn wrote...
    "street cred"
    I've been ridding since I was a kid and this is the first time I've herd this phrase.



    Well, I think the phrase has its roots in urban areas and is not exclusive to biker types.

  • February 8, 2012 5:09 AM PST
    Fefe wrote...
    RevBigJohn wrote...
    "street cred"
    I've been ridding since I was a kid and this is the first time I've herd this phrase.



    Well, I think the phrase has its roots in urban areas and is not exclusive to biker types.

    That could be the problem with this phrase and applying it on most here.

  • February 8, 2012 7:03 AM PST
    Since I'm not down with today's lingo....I looked it up.

    Street Cred: A term originated from upper middle class and corporate America to try to establish an achievement system on any act that sounds or seems "urban" or "ghetto" that they ultimately don't understand or have had no real life experience in.

    1. Acceptability or popularity, especially among young people in urban areas.
    2. your "coolness" factor
    3.imaginary "points" you get when you do something cool


    My broken bones and road rash were not cool....it hurt like hell. But anyway.....

  • February 8, 2012 7:28 AM PST
    Flower wrote...
    Since I'm not down with today's lingo....I looked it up.

    Street Cred: A term originated from upper middle class and corporate America to try to establish an achievement system on any act that sounds or seems "urban" or "ghetto" that they ultimately don't understand or have had no real life experience in.

    1. Acceptability or popularity, especially among young people in urban areas.
    2. your "coolness" factor
    3.imaginary "points" you get when you do something cool


    My broken bones and road rash were not cool....it hurt like hell. But anyway.....


    GOT THAT RIGHT!

    • 0 posts
    February 8, 2012 7:40 AM PST
    Im just lucky chicks digs scars.....CHEERS BOOF
  • February 8, 2012 10:53 AM PST
    ^---- I'll show ya mine if you show me yours! LOL


  • February 8, 2012 11:47 AM PST
    Oh, FeFe at the time it was humiliating, and the old dude's and yes that's what I called them, anyway they had to see me around a few times and were tired of the boys dogging me, but I didn't think that was creed, I was just so relieved that some folks would ride with me without busting my stones all the time. Its all good now though have a great one! "T"
    • Moderator
    • 16870 posts
    February 8, 2012 3:35 PM PST
    Fefe wrote...
    RevBigJohn wrote...
    "street cred"
    I've been ridding since I was a kid and this is the first time I've herd this phrase.



    Well, I think the phrase has its roots in urban areas and is not exclusive to biker types.








    I'm glad it doesn't apply to me then.
    I lived in the city until I was 16, and after the Marines I lived in Philly for a year.
    This all happened when white guys didn't pretend to be black guys, no "thug-life" or cRAP on the radio.
    Bikers had their own lingo, lingo I still use.

  • February 8, 2012 3:41 PM PST
    Yeah I refuse to speak their jargon, mongoloid idiots