Biker + ATM

Biker = ATM???

Bikers are among the most generous groups of people in America. This in itself is a very good thing. The issue I see with it is that we are being used and abused by most charities out there. They care nothing about the wants, needs, life styles of bikers, they only care about us as an ATM or money machine.

Do we ever see these “charity people” at a biker event supporting bikers? No.

In the old days we took care of our own. A brother or sister went down, we set up an event to help them. A member of a bikers family had an issue got sick, lost a job. Hey, they are family we did what we could to help them out. That's what it was. A biker loved animals, or veterans and there was a local volunteer charity that needed help, a run would be setup. We all supported each other in the biker community which is how it should be.

Word of this got out and the professional scam artists, I mean the CEO's of charities making 6 figure incomes saw this and decided to give themselves a raise by tapping bikers bank accounts, the generosity of the biker community.

To this extent they hired PR people to build “fantastic must go on rides” and use the MSM to build them up. Did you ever stop and think that you pay say $50 for the driver and passenger, you get a meal, they claim its a good one with trophies and other little things. So your $50 goes for the meal, police, the CEO's salary and the salary of all the other professionals involved in the run, how much actually goes to the charity, the supposed reason for the ride?

Now what about all those other local rides, someone is sick, someone got hurt, something happened. Have they supported local biker charity events? Have they ever rode a bike? Or are they the ones that call the police and the legislators and complain about the loud pipes, the music, rides going through their towns and that bikers don't wear helmets. But let's fleece the bikers for their money.

You won't find me on any of the above rides.

In my case animals, veterans or any other all volunteer run to help a biker or the family member of a biker going through hard times, that's the ride for me.

Before you go on a ride,take a good hard look at the charity, are they local so you know where the money is going. Are they all volunteer so you know that beside the run expenses, the person, family or group the ride is being held for gets all the rest of the money. And most important are they BIKERS or BIKER FAMILY? If they are, that's the ride and group to help and support. Let the wannabees and the egotists go on the rides for the groups that look down on us until they want our money.

(Don't feel these suggestions are just for bikers. They work for all groups. The main thing is Charity Begins at Home. Find a local, all volunteer charity and support it, not the businesses that call themselves charities.)