Riding a Motorcycle as a Firefighter

[@DeanosMotoVlog]

Thank you for what you do. To me, you are all heroes!

[@FYERFIGHTER]

It's too fun to even consider it heroic. We all know the brave men and women of our military are our heroes but add in the teachers to the mix. We need more strong teachers in the mix to help our future. Ok, rant over... I thank you for your appreciation though!

[@doublleg7833]

I've always wanted to be a firefighter. Luckily a station emailed me back about the steps and I'm soon starting my EMT process! I wanna be there for people in need!

[@FYERFIGHTER]

That's awesome to hear. Let me tell you why!!! We need actual firefighters and not just people looking to collect a paycheck. People who want to actually help others. I am really glad to hear that YOU are getting a chance. It's truly the best career out there. I certainly can vouch for it 18 years later. 🔥

[@Motorcyclewindtherapy]

Our son is 28...a firefighter/paramedic... he said the days on the bus (ambulance as he calls it) do have an effect on him... sometimes he doesnt ride for a week after working a bad scene. He's a full face only guy after 5 years on the job and boots/pants minimum... no more shorts and tennis shoes for him. I personally went a few decades either not wearing a helmet or with a skid lid... it was the 80s and 90s .. no cell phones then... but after seeing so much carnage I became a full face only guy about 10 years ago...only wore shorts and tennis shoes one time and it was really horrible internally and I never did it again. I've been down 2x...both 30+ years ago...once at hiway speeds and once in town... got very lucky to have had a helmet on both times... be safe!

[@FYERFIGHTER]

Everyone is different and I completely respect the fact that if he is coming off a bad call and it’s in the back of his mind at the very least, maybe riding isn’t the best thing for him. On the contrary, someone with a similar scenario may get drawn to their motorcycle to get away and clear their mind. That’s part of the beauty of riding. Everyone is different and you just have to do what suits you best. I rode in shorts before and even have an episode or two doing that. I felt like an idiot even going to the gym which is about three mins down the street. Not for the ride to the gym as much but more so since I ended going all over town after the gym because… Why not!?!?! I’ve stayed away from shorts this year and moving forward for obvious reasons. As far as the helmet goes, I’ve had two and both are full face. I touched on it in a previous video about understanding why people ride with anything less than a full face after riding around in my neighborhood prior. If you witness it then you know. I believe I referenced a slight comparison with a convertible but still not even really close to the feeling. I guess as both of us age we are just getting sharper in time. Hahahaha Glad you did well after past issues on the bike and continue to ride today. Love it! Take care and be safe!!!!

[@Motorcyclewindtherapy]

@FYERFIGHTER good points for sure. I shouldnt use absolutes... I started on 2 wheels due to a family tragedy at 12...as I tell everyone, I'll ride prob until I die...but it IS different out there today with drivers' cell phone addiction. I also understand the 3 miles to the gym... it's easy... Here's to the next ride - and the next and next! Loving your channel!

[@FYERFIGHTER]

You're actually the first person who has said they started riding on two after a terrible moment in life. Just goes to show you how powerful motorcycles can be both physically and mentally. Although sad it happened to you and your family, I am glad you were able to find a coping mechanism to pull you through. Everyone that starts riding has a story to tell and yours although unique, probably got you through more times than that one incident. I love making these videos and getting feedback from people like you. Thank you for the motivation to keep on filming. Stay safe!!! 💯

[@Motorcyclewindtherapy]

@FYERFIGHTER you do a great job on the - bright future coming for you I'm sure! It was 1979, 12 years old, mom died and dad legally blind. We had walked the last year to elementary school, but middle school was 7 miles away. Dad bought my sister (11 at the time) and myself mopeds to get to school and back until I got my hardship license at 14 but it was a small town and no one bothered us when I drove dad for errands at 13 and already 6' tall. At 14 I also got a 'real motorcycle- it was a 250cc... i rode that to work and school and everywhere thru high-school. Army at 17 after HS...saved my whole time in and bought a 883 Sportster 2 days back on American soil... rode that bike ALL OVER the USA... riding is just part of me... i just can't separate myself from it or imagine a life without it. I don't say it's for everyone... but for me, it's a 'gotta have it' in my life!

[@Benlari]

Please keep safe🙏 Work and Ride...

[@FYERFIGHTER]

Of course! 🫣 Thank You!!!

[@RestlessMule]

Freaking Ford Explorer cop; they’re all over the place in my town. 😏 Sure it’s not fun to ride a fast motorcycle slow, but it is fun to ride a fast motorcycle fast. 😃 Kidding, kidding…kinda. If not for the fact you just left work I would ask if you had been drinking right before trying to say “adrenaline”. 😆 Okay, that was a whole lot of joking on my part. I’m sorry. In seriousness, I REALLY like that you mentioned keeping things in perspective and how many people automatically think of the worst case scenario. I’ve often mentioned to family and friends that people speak as though if someone rides it’s a foregone conclusion that the person will at some point experience a tragic accident. That idea completely ignores the tens of thousands of people that ride motorcycles for decades without any serious incidents. Also, if I may, I’d like to speak a little bit on the speeding aspect of motorcycles crashes. It’s undeniable that increased speed decreases reaction time and therefore increases risks. However, I think what often gets overlooked in speed-related crashes is the rider’s experience. I don’t know if there is any hard data available on this, but I’d be very interested to know the experience level of riders that get in accidents while speeding. My theory is that in many cases it’s not as simple as speed being the primary cause of the crash, but rather the crash is caused by an overlap of speed and inexperience. To be absolutely clear, I am in no way suggesting speed doesn’t play a factor in crashes. I just think sometimes we all seek simple explanations to find trends when perhaps reality is more complex. Also, I think a lot of people would be surprised how many middle aged guys ride sport bikes and naked bikes….and they’re usually not doing the speed limit. 😆 Good video. It’s a little ironic that you just posed this video when I just changed my logo like two days ago. lol Last thing- I seriously have a lot of respect for what you do. I couldn’t deal with the trauma incidents you encounter on a regular basis. Coworker would be like “yo, y’all have to get Mule outta here; I can’t deal with his panic attack bs right now. I’m trying to keep this patient from bleeding out and Mike is over hearing talking about he can’t breathe and his heart is racing.” Ok, seriously last thing- I’ve had the exact same experience as your uncle. When I was childless I wasn’t overly bothered by tragedy involving children. Since my kids were born it’s completely different. Now I can read a news story about a kid 2,000 miles away that I’ve never met and get sad or furious based on something that happened to the kid. I think on some level a lot of parents (including me) automatically imagine it being their child suffering from whatever the tragedy or accident may be.

[@FYERFIGHTER]

Oh boy, here we go! As soon as I saw the Explorer I remembered you were saying they are all over your neck of the woods giving you the side eye or maybe it is you checking them out in your mirrors! I could be doing everything right but I still get nervous around the police when driving. But then again, let’ face it, there is always something that isn’t quite “legal” on all my vehicles. I love your video where it looked like a rollercoaster going up and down with a few twists and turns. Definitely not my speed but I bet it’s fun on either bike you had/have on your channel. If I get a speeding ticket or a moving violation it has adverse effects on my job. Annoying because it is off duty perse, but it involves a driver’s license, so I do get the point of it all. But… It would be fun to take a, I don’t know maybe a MT-10 and twist the throttle a bit. Don’t know where that came from. Excuse me. Dude! The word adrenaline tore me a new one. I think I might have had a stroke but then again sleep deprivation is a thing. I laughed just as hard editing it as I did filming. I forgot about it until I hit that spot when editing so it caught me off guard. No way was I going to edit that mess out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, words are hard. Ok, the meat and potatoes part of the comment. It’s easy to think the worst when someone starts talking about riding a motorcycle because the severity of injuries vs the amount of protection that a standard vehicle has. I get it but there’s way more to unpack. There are things you can do to protect yourself as a rider and truth be told, you have far fewer distractions while riding than while in a car. I’ll be honest and tell you and the world that yes, I have looked at a text or even replied. Guess what? Never replied to a text on a motorcycle. This is just one example… How bout eating or drinking. One time I dropped a (surprise) Diet Dr. Pepper bottle and it rolled under my brake pedal. Luckily there was no issue, but I would not have been able to apply the brake fully if needed. Hasn’t happened on a bike. People that assume the worst about this fall in two categories in my opinion, one they love you and worry about you and two, they are know it alls and are talking down to you. I’m sure you can break it down into sub categories, however I will leave it at that. As for the speed I do agree with you and if I remember the video correctly, I shifted between myself and others. I have more time to react at my level because I don’t ride fast and chose this motorcycle because it fit what I was looking for. There are always exceptions to the rule or stereotype for speed. I watch you videos obviously and it clearly comes across whether achieving higher speeds, changing lanes, braking, and accelerating, you appear in complete control. The one cavate to the matter with everyone with speeds outside of experience is the others on the road. Judging distance and speed is a lot more inaccurate to the other drivers that see a wide open lane for a merge or lane change and the motorcycle behind quickly eats up the distance while the lane change is occurring. This has been the case in several accidents that I have personally been dispatched to on the interstate. Plenty of other factors involved as well but kinda the point but a bit more elaborated. I exported this video about five times before it worked. Three hour wait times and the other day I did see your new logo, which I do like by the way. I was like… “Damn” A lot of laughs in your comment and I can promise you that what I do is simple to me meaning, I found my right career and what I might be made for. You have what would be challenging to some that you don’t even bat an eye. I will reflect back to your family video for example. That obviously is a challenge that you took head on and can see right through that you have not only passed but passed with flying colors. Anyone that watches can see your son and think, that’s a good Dad right there and you would turn it around and say, that’s a good son right there. Lovely family!!! I honestly think having kids or a kid would change a lot of the things I do. Even as simple as having a KZbin channel because I don’t know how I would have anywhere close to the time I have now. This new puppy we got is challenging enough! Ok, I gotta go cause I wanna watch your video now. Pumped you released another!!! You’re an OG here!