Sunday, March 30, 2008

New Old Friends & Road Names

I got to ride just a little bit, yesterday. I needed a few things from Sears, so I took Kate to get them.
As soon as I had parked and got off of the bike, an older gentleman complimented me on Kate, telling me I had a nice softail. AS is usually the case, it doesn't take much to start up a conversation when there's a Harley involved.
In the next ten minutes or so I found out that his name is Chuck and that he rode a '48 Pan to high school 50 or so years ago and that he now rides a 100th anniversary FLHTCI.
I won't pretend to remember the conversation word for word, but I was relishing it. I love to listen to older people tell me about past generations. It's just like when my Grandma starts telling me about life on the farm. I become mesmerized.
There is so much we can learn about life from those who lived before us. Even in terms of Harleys. Granted, I already knew a lot of the info he was giving me, but I didn't mind. I could have listened for hours. I hope to get a chance to run into Chuck again, somewhere down the road.

Onward...

I have always been fascinated with "Road Names" and how people get them. I don't really have any personal experience with it, as I have yet to earn one of my own. I've had several nicknames through the years, and some have stuck better than others, but none have ever been associated with riding. The ones that stuck most were a couple of "handles" I answered to when using the C.B. (for you young pups, that's Citizen's Band radio, the predecessor to cell phones) I started out as Mista Bone, a name I gave myself inspired by the song by Great White, and then when I got with my Ex-wife, she didn't like that much,, so I changed it to Wade. Granted, I still answer to both to this day, but I don't consider them "Road Names" because I chose them for myself.
I guess I'll earn one soon enough. Until then I guess I'll Keep answering to Camron. It fits me pretty well (thanks Mom!).
I'd love to hear your stories of what your Road Names are and how you got them. If you'd rather not have them in Comments, feel free to email them.
In hope you've all had a safe riding weekend.
I'll see you down the road.

15 comments:

FLHX_Dave said...

Agreed. I have a convo everytime I park my bike. Crazy. I actually account for this in any schedule now. I dig the old riders too and the stories. Thats what riding is all about.

Mista Bone, long time. Back 20 years ago I was a risk management specialist for MTS, who owned "Tower Records", which turned into being assigned to artists, bands and authors at signings. Met alot of people and Great White was one of my favorite bands...until I met them. Long story but total lack of respect. Wanna hear something funny? Pantera were the most respectful group of guys I have ever met. Trippy.

Here is how I got "VD";
http://roadgritscafe.blogspot.com/2008/02/biker-call-sign-or-one-percenter-name.html

Camron said...

That's exactly What I mean... You actually have very little intentional impact on what moniker you get tagged with. If you try for something cool, you get something very facetious. The only way to get a cool Road name is to be cool... and wait.
Sorry to hear that about Great White. I'm sure recent events have Humbled one or two of their members. I always loved their music and their shows.
Pantera? Really? Wow. I know a lot of people who love them, I never liked but one of their songs, and even it wasn't really a favorite. Still a Damn shame what happened to DimeBag Darryl.
Thanks for stopping By.
Catch you on the Road.

"Joker" said...

You may think Joker's my road name, but it isn't. I picked it as a "handle" for my blog profile, mainly because "John" seemed sort of dull. I also try to avoid using my real name on the 'net just for privacy reasons. Why Joker? Anyone who knows me personally will say I have an over-active sense of humor. I'm not sure if it's my face or what I say, but I've never had trouble making folks laugh.

So far, on the road, I'm still plain old "John." As you've both said, the road name has to be earned. One of our guys, Howard, who's road name "Santa" was a no-brainer because when he really does look like him, tried to hang me with a bad one last year. It was so stupid. When one of the girls introduced me to him, she said, "Hey...meet John." Santa said, "Meet John? OK...Hi Mr. Meat." I cringed. Luckily for me, try as he did, it wouldn't stick. Finally, one of the ladies settled it. She said, "Look Howard, there's NO WAY we're going to call him "Meat." Thank God.

I have no doubt one day on the road, something will happen and that will do it. I just hope the name is something I can live with!

Anonymous said...

between Mista Bone or Wade I MUCH prefer Mista Bone but ....... a name that fits you will come along! How about us women? I don't hear MANY for women unless it's .... well... you know. Biker Bitch is too generic for me, plus I'm not the passenger!

Not many people strike up conversations with me but I do look for them now and then. From most of the women I get one of two looks, either one that says, "wow, how neat is that, she has her own bike" or "biker slut" At least from the men they look at me AND the bike then smile. Oh well.

Lady R (Di) said...

Hi Guys! My pals called me "Gravel" for about 6 weeks one time. I probably don't have to explain myself, do I? I'm just glad they were only busting my chops for awhile, and I haven't heard anymore of that kind of talk lately. I think I will wait patiently for my permanent given road name.

Like Joker, I gave myself my pen name, Lady Ridesalot. I did seriously, drive my hubby crazy about going riding EVERY chance we got when I first got my own bike. Things took on a whole different feeling when I wasn't riding on the back of his anymore. He kept telling me that one day, it won't be as big a deal to me anymore. He was wrong, I still like to ride a lot!

Ride Safe! Dianna aka., Lady R

Sherry said...

When you are on a Harley... people can come out of the woods to start a conversation about riding.

We have a group of people we ride with that call me Dallas and my hubby Bueno... Long story as to why and how we got those names but maybe I'll post about it soon. So far these names have stuck for over a year.

We even call one of our riding friends SOFA! I still laugh everytime I hear someone ask why his name is Sofa. Imagine a sofa in the middle of a 100 acre field and being the only one able to actually run into it and bend the fender.

Ann said...

The husband and I love talking to the older generation. We always have time to listen to their stories.

Hubby's road name is Big D, and has been for years. It has something to do with him being short, you know, like the guy they call "Tiny" that's huge? Yeah, like that.

I'm just the bitch on the back for right now. I'm working on getting that license, though. Hopefully by year's end, I'll be riding my own.

Unknown said...

I came here via... Sherry I think. I have a road name for ya.

Harley Ridin' Hottie!

I mean, can you get any better lookin?

I love listening to old people stories, too. My step dad is 82, born and raised in WV, was adopted at the age of 8, and has ALWAYS lived in that very small town, on that land he has now, with cows and sheep and stuff. He has told me stories of bear hunting, dogs, mountain cats, horses that could escape from anywhere, horses in the parade that got put in the stock yard cause they were drunk. All of which I am SURE are true stories!

One Harley Rider said...

yeah, I had a CB handle back in the day as a traveling salesman ..... it was "Wrong Way" cause I had to ask truckers where to find the Wickes Lumber Store in whatever little town I was in.

Anonymous said...

I've had two road names since I joined my club. During my prospect days I was CopyCat because on one of my first rides with the club one of the other hangarounds (who got named Slider) crashed his bike, and when I went back to check on him I dropped mine too when I ran to help him.

I hated that name and just before I patched in they finally tagged me with a new one: Two Buck. A stripper at one of our parties was hollering at everyone to "Hold a dollar over your head and I'll give you a lapdance you'll never forget!" I put two dollars up, and a new road name was born.

Anonymous said...

I remember reading an obituary for a biker a couple of years ago. It gave his name as "Picnic Table". I thought that was a cool name.

Lady R (Di) said...

Cool new look Camron! It looks like your background is chrome now. How fitting! Lady R

"Joker" said...

I agree with Lady R.

The new look is great Camron...now how about a new story to go along with it? (hint) ;)

Lucky you with all these hot ladies in your fan club! I wish I could borrow your face for just one day. Even my mother told me she only liked me as a friend - must be why she breast-fed me through a straw.

Ride Safe,

Joker

Anonymous said...

Cameron,
Neither the hubby nor I have earned a road name, yet (though some people do keep calling us "the honeymooners"). But we have several that have been earned in our club just in the past few months.

"Tilt" is a woman who is a new rider and is just fine as long as she is moving, but when we stop at a stop sign she just tips over (I don't know if she forgets to put her feet down or what)! She did it twice at the same intersection.

"Spew" got her name from the time she got sick on the back of her hubby's bike. They stopped at a car wash to clean up the damages, and she felt fine. As soon as they got rolling again, she hurled again...this time down the other side of the bike! (Good thing they had decided on him being designated driver that night)

"Diesel" pulled up to the wrong pump at a gas stop, and actually started pumping a few drops of deisel fuel into his bike before he realized the mistake.

Finally, on an overnight trip last fall we were all sitting around the fire ring when one of the ladies sat down in a chair whose legs were not quite ON the patio! She flipped over backward in almost slow motion...and has been called "Tumbleweed" to this day!

OneHR,
My son actually got the nickname "Wrong Way" from his big brothers! First when he was learning to write his name, he spelled it from right to left so it read "yorT", then in his first year of basketball clinic he got the ball, dribbled down court, and put the ball through the hoop...for the other team! So "Wrong Way" stuck.

Joker,
Really...a plumber named John? You can be more creative than that!

Mr. Motorcycle said...

HeyCamron,

I stumbled across your site from Jokers, blog. Nice place you got here. Classic HD orange on black colors like my blog.

My name Mr. Motorcyle came from my wife's blog. She is one of those annonymous bloggers. She uses fake names for everyone. I started commenting on her blog so much, I decided to start my own. I guess I'm lucky that I think I got a cool name, but it's not a road name. I'm usually just Mark.

Anyway, glad I found your site. I'll be back

peace.