For me, the word 'biker' brings to mind the image of a rough-and-tough bearded outlaw gangster. I am not a biker. Not even close. I am a motorcycle enthusiast. I've been riding a motorcycle for almost 20 years now and I can think of nothing that brings me more joy than driving down an open road and nailing a sharp corner while I cruise through the Korean countryside.

　Korea has the best roads for the kind of riding I like to do. I'm not a speed demon. Rather than driving fast, I prefer the challenge of a technical series of twisty curves. Because of the mountainous terrain here, many of the roads, particularly those in the more sparsely populated areas, offer just the sort of thing I want in a ride. The scenery is an added bonus. It's the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer's day.

　I don't think there is anything that could make me stop riding, but I have seen several riders hang up their boots over the years, for various reasons. One of the most common reasons I've heard for a person to stop driving a motorcycle is the danger associated with it (usually combined with familial pressures or responsibilities). Ironically, I think that is also one of the reasons many people start driving in the first place. It's exciting! But, while I do acknowledge the risks, I don't believe that driving a motorcycle is inherently dangerous. It's said that anytime you are on a motorcycle you are potentially seconds away from death, and I often remind myself of this. However, with the proper training, care and attention, I believe that most accidents can be avoided. That being said, I learned recently that when things go wrong on a motorcycle, they go wrong in a hurry.

　I just bought a brand new bike. After years of saving up for my dream bike and months of anticipation waiting for winter to end and the weather to get nice enough I finally got to go out on my first ride with my best friend. We had just gotten out of town when it happened. As we were driving down the road we passed another biker coming from the opposite direction. It is commonplace for people who ride motorcycles for a hobby to wave to each other as they pass. It's a way of acknowledging how cool we are. At that exact moment a dog ran out in front of the bongo truck that my friend was following. I was behind my friend. I saw the whole thing. In the split-second that my friend took his eyes off the truck in front of him to wave, the truck slammed on its breaks and came to a dead stop in the middle of the highway. He did everything he could, but the distraction caused the smallest delay in my friend's reaction time and he went crashing into the back of the truck. I saw the bike flatten. I did not see what happened to my friend.

　My reflexes kicked in and I avoided the accident and went around the truck. Running back to the scene felt like an eternity. I saw the bike. It was a shattered pile of twisted metal and broken plastic. There was a skid mark a meter and a half long, but my friend was nowhere to be seen. I turned back to look at the truck and found my friend lying on his back in the bed of the bongo truck. His legs were hanging over the side. They were bruised, but unbroken. His training and skills had allowed him to slow the bike down enough that by the time he hit the truck he wasn't moving particularly fast. He was still pretty banged up, but it likely could have been worse if he hadn't been wearing his helmet and protective equipment.

　It wasn't anybody's fault. It was the perfect storm; the distraction of doing something that motorcyclists do all the time; the dog causing the truck to stop where no one would ever expect a truck to be stopping. After a few days of recovery, my friend seems back to his old self. The bike was a right-off and will never be ridden again. I had driven 36 kilometers on my new bike.

　I am left with the memory of watching his bike smash into the back of the truck. The shock and concern you feel in a moment like that can make it quite traumatic. It all happened so fast. I relate this story now as a cautionary tale. Please drive responsibly. Take care on the roads and pay attention. Be safe.

　 Prof. Mark C. Comars

　 (M.A.College of Liberal Arts)