Long delayed, way overdue apology

The BBQ Pit
1

I thought of putting this in MPSIMS, but since the original incident happened here, I thought it best go here.

To begin:

I made an ass!ass!ass! of my self almost two years ago here on the Dope. I realized at the time that I had, but not to what extent until recently.

This kicked it all off. I was really just venting initially, and didn’t truly mean anything I posted in the OP. But some of the reactions of other posters just lit my fuse and set me off even further. Not that I blame any of them for some of their responses; given the context of a large-ish message board, their responses were more than understandable.

So instead of simply saying “Whoa! I was just venting!” I grabbed a shovel and dug myself in even deeper until the Mods. shut it down.

The issue was pretty dead to me until this recent thread, and specifically this post, in which I admitt (and admitted in-thread) to being flip, but overall I stand by my list.

With this, it finally hit me what a “poster’s history” might truly mean, and the incredible damage that my own pride, and stupid stubborness, has inflicted on me.

My sincere thanks to TastesLikeBurning for a long delayed, long overdue “slap in the face” reality check.

And my apologies go out to the following:

Stranger On A Train, featherlou, Metacom, Troy McClure SF, Kevbo, Pedro, CanvasShoes, yBeayf, This Year’s Model, brickbacon, Greathouse, Campion, VegemiteMoose:

Most of you posted sound advice, or at least asked genuine questions; your responses didn’t warrant my insults and hostility. I’m sorry.

TVeblen: the wise counsel you (consistently) provide went unheeded. Your job is thankless enough already without my little slice of trainwreck added on top. I’m sorry on both counts.

A special, particular apology goes out to enipla, and all the other pro-gun folks here on The Dope. His(?) comments here now have a particular resonance for me. I don’t know what I can say or do to undo the damage I have done; I only hope that this can be at least a first step, in your eyes and those of my fellow board members and gun owners.

I’m deeply sorry.

In closing, I’d like to especially thank matt for this. If any redemption is possible, read this first, and contemplate, before passing final judgement on me.

Whatever that judgement may be, I’ll abide.

2

Are you carrying a gun on the road these days? Jeez, you were one scary fucker in that thread.

3

Eh fuck it. You were rightfully pissed and wanted to shoot some bitch that cut you off. Who hasn’t? Assuming you’re not actually out filling people full of lead for driving infractions (even really dangerous ones), don’t sweat it.

4

Not tyically, no. At least not for defensive purposes. When I go to the range my firearms are unloaded, in locked cases, with ammunition stored seperately, as required by law here in Missouri.

5

Wow, that long ago? Rereading the thread informs me that I was fairly wrought up, too. Forget it.

I must admit, I hope you’re calmer these days.

6

You were completely in the right in that thread, and anyone who tried to call you out for it is a bleeding-heart asshole. When it’s SUV vs. bike, you’re talking self-defense, period.

7

Except for that monstrosity, I was (and still am) a fairly calm person.

8

Meh. I’m a motorcyclist myself. Wish I had a nickle for every time a motorist has tried to kill me.

The way it works is, people drive like children and they like to play these “cut the other person off and get there first” games. Fine, be children. Worse thing that could happen is a fender-bender.

What these idiot drivers don’t realize is when you play these games car vs. motorcycle, the worst that can happen isn’t a fender-bender, it’s horribly disfigured/paralyzed/dead motorcyclist.

What’s wrong with fantasizing about equalling the odds with car drivers, bullet-to-the-head-wise? It was just a fantasy, wasn’t it?

9

Not really, lev. Just an explosion of spleen.

I might’ve fantasized about giving her a good hard slap in the face, but beyond that, nothing else.

Edit: added quote.

10

Probably shouldn’t play the games if you’re the dude on the motorcycle then, eh?

11

Or the one driving the car…

12

:confused:

13

Don’t be a dumb-ass. You don’t fuck with motorcyclists because they should know better than to get in your way, in your big tough car. You beat up little kids, too?

Stupid motorcyclists generally don’t stay motorcyclists for very long, but do you want to be the one who teaches 'em a lesson?

14

I haven’t re-read that thread, but I do remember it and I don’t recall that you owe me an apology. Or, if you did, I remember you emailed me. So no need to apologize now.

I’m not sure that any of us could be in a position to pass judgment. In fact, I’m relatively confident that if one were to examine the posting history of any even vaguely interesting poster here, one could find episodes that perhaps don’t show that person in the best light.

But as someone told me once when I was pretty hot under the collar over something, it’s just a stupid messageboard. Don’t take it too seriously. :wink:

15

The greatest part about the occasional hamster dying is that sometimes those episodes vanish.

There was a little incident I posted back in '01 that I can no longer find :smiley:

16

Hakuna Matata baby. Dont sweat it.

Of course, this thread could turn into a monster :frowning:

17

Quit being a dick.

18

:dubious: do you just HAVE to come in and call people out on every little thing? It seems ridiculously contentious to come in and respond to a post about motorists in large vehicles behaving dangerously around law-abiding motorcyclists with an out-of-the-blue admonition to him that implies he does the same thing…

19

Uh, hello - I said “Probably shouldn’t play the games if you’re the dude on the motorcycle”. I did not say, “You should fuck with motorcyclists”.

Try actually reading, jackass.

20

Huh? ExTank started this thread. I said nothing to ExTank.

Levdrakon posted about “when you play these games car vs. motorcycle”, that the motorcyclist is the one who gets hurt or killed. I don’t see the worlds “law-abiding motorcyclists” in that post. It seems to me that it takes 2 to play a game. If he was talking about some situation where one party has done absolutely nothing, and the other party just for no reason decided to run his car into the person and kill him, then he should have been clear about it. It didn’t sound like that was the case.

I would suggest to anyone, that if you’re the person who stands the biggest chance of getting killed, that it’s probably not a good idea to fuck with people or play games on the road. Anyone who believes that is equivalent to my saying that car drivers should run motorcyclist off the road has his head up his ass. Also, I never implied anything about levdrakon’s riding habits. I don’t even know him. All of you do understand that saying “You shouldn’t do X” is not equivalent to “I believe a specific person does X”. Right - you do understand that, don’t you?

If anything is “ridiculously contentious”, it was lev’s statement “What’s wrong with fantasizing about equalling the odds with car drivers, bullet-to-the-head-wise?”

I mean, you guys are gonna bust my chops after he said that amazingly assholish shit?