Motorcycles and Laws

A dear friend of mine sent me a link about Utah motorcycle laws changing and I wanted to share my thoughts. I have been riding a 150cc scooter for one year now and I have seen some of the craziest things done on a two-wheeled motor vehicle in my life (this of course does not include professional stunts). I saw a teenager texting while driving, a teenager pulling wheelies in a professional building's parking garage, a gang of teenagers swerving between lanes on scooters and man wear shorts and a t-shirt riding a v-6 Harley without a helmet. Yes, I have only been riding for one year, and I only ride a 150cc scooter, but it is not the laws that need to be changed; it is the mindset.

Mindsets are a funny thing and I believe that the general publics' are getting worse everyday. This goes beyond motorcycles but think about the things that kids did 25 years ago and what kids do today. Teenagers were probably still pulling wheelies on motorcycles but they were not allowed to go 70 mph on a freeway. Bikes weren't as a powerful as they are now, and most kids under the age of 19 were not able to afford them.

We need to do a better job in specifying what the correct law is and then enforce it. If more people are being injured and those people are not wearing helmets than establish an approved helmet law. What about the shops that are selling motorcycles to people without licenses? I purchased my scooter without ever driving one and without a proper license for one. Shouldn't they be fined? Convenient stores are being fined for selling cigarettes or alcohol to minors, but I can walk in to a bike shop and buy a motorized vehicle without ever driving one or being properly licensed for one.

Motorcycles are a fun way to get around town and they are great on the gas budget, but they are also dangerous.

• Dangerous because we are not always properly educated
• Dangerous because other idiots are out there too
• Dangerous because it may be too much power for what we can handle
• Dangerous because we are not paying attention or preoccupied
• Dangerous because were are showing off

These are reasons that we should live by with everything. Showing off can get you into a lot of trouble, pay attention to things around you, do not get in over your heads, beware of the idiots and remember to educate yourself about the things that you are interested in doing.

iFrogz - iPod case

I have to admit that my iPod is not the latest and greatest, but it does play video. Although, I digress, I have been in need of a case for a long time and a coworker mentioned iFrogz and I thought the name sounded familiar. Sure enough, I had them in my favorites at home.

I looked into them more and really liked the products that they offered. After about a month of research I finally decided that I would go with iFrogz and then I had to wait because the one I wanted was out of stock; I thought that a little weird. However, payday came and I ordered my case. The ordering process was not too bad, but I did get to choose a band color and a wheel cover if you go with the full package. BTW - The package is the best deal and besides, I really wanted the wheel cover. I chose the iPod video case I wanted, the Treadz design, because how cool it looked. I did think it was weak that I had to choose the main color even though they only offer one color. I chose the Gunmetal Gray band color because I wanted the two-tone look. I also went with the jumbled numbers wheel cover because it reminded me of my mind set. I added it to my cart and sticker shock about knocked me off my chair. $30 seemed a bit steep for an iPod case, but after the few cases (not made by iFrogz) that I have seen and handled I was hoping that I was making a good choice. The shipping time was also discouraging because it said like 10 days. 10 days? That is almost like ordering "Media Mail" from Amazon.

I received an email two days later that my case had shipped and I became giddy like a little kid. iFrogz, is located in Logan, Utah, which is two hours from West Valley City, where I am. Thus, I knew it would be here within a day or so. I saw it in my mailbox and skipped/ran to my desk to open it and see how it looked. It was exactly like I thought and exactly like iFrogz showed on their website. The three piece system seemed a bit hokey for me at first, but I really enjoy the added protection when I am working outside or when my two year-old gets a hold of it and thumps it on the floor. While at work I have the band attached and the only time I don't is when my iPod is syncing. All in all, I love the system and $30 doesn't seem too bad now. I am overly happy with my purchase and I commend iFrogz for a solid product and a decent ordering process; that is hard to say in today's world.