HOG, Insurance Companies, and the Sacramento Kings Arena Tax

Now you might be wondering, what do the Harley Owners Group, insurance companies, and the Sacramento Kings have in common. Nothing really other than they represent annoyances in my little world.
A local Harley Owners Group® (HOG) advertises itself as

“_________ HOG Chapter is a not-for-profit organization created to promote the interest and enjoyment in Harley-Davidson® motorcycles. Activities include monthly meetings, poker runs, fun runs, dinner rides, charity rides, and promoting motorcycle safety as well as others.” and from the Harley Davidson USA site :” “Your mission – if you choose to accept it – will be a simple one: “To Ride and Have Fun.” Here’s the bottom line: We like to think of Harley-Davidson® – from the top corporate officer to the newest Harley owner and rider – as one big, happy family. The Harley Owners Group® helps us turn that philosophy into reality.”

One of my friends talked me into going to local HOG chapters meeting to check out all this fun and friendship we were missing out on. I tried to have an open mind – really I did. My friend is what most would call a good looking woman and she knows it, I on the other hand could not care less about that kind of stuff and unfortunately am not a looker LOL. Well, maybe you know where I am going with this but just in case you don’t… the few people that could be bothered with even saying hello to us lowly Sportster riders were of course more interested in signing my friend up to join in than I. Ok, woopee, but did ya have to glare at me like who the heck are you and why are you here.

Oh my goodness you have full face silver and white helmet and a textile jacket – what no leather, no goovy patches all over your vest? – I actually heard one lady tell her lady friend next to her that I must be a newby rider to show up in textile not leather – you know when you are in the wrong places! When introductions were made I found out that one of gals had been riding a whole hot 2 years – oh they must be goddesses of HOG LOL. Well needless to say I left at the break and enjoyed the evening out in the parking lot till my friend was done. I figured I was not fat enough, rich enough, and frankly I drather ride alone than be seen with this group of snobs, RUBS (Rich Urban Bikers), whatever ya want to call em as they give a new meaning to the words Hog Wash.

The fun of it all happened tonight at the Harley dealership. The lady walks up to me and says oh I saw you at the meeting – you have a little 883 right? The tone relaying her superiority because she had a 1200. I admit this was getting to me now. I just smiled said yeah and mingled away. I wonder if she saw my big grin as she stood alone while I munched hot dogs with my friends.

Later that night I wonder if she saw my big grin as I pulled up next to her at the stop light and balanced long enough for the light to change while she had to put her feet down – twice – the second time she tried she almost fell boom. The challenge was on ! Evil I know but come on – after all – I thought her cool leather vest with all the patches meant she was a real bike and all. 🙂 Myself, I just ride motorcycles.

Moving on-

The insurance companies feel obligated to call at least twice a day. Now the mystery is why is insurance company A is calling me saying they insure the car that hit me, when the driver of that car said she had company B before she split the scene? Plus it is two weeks ago tommorrow – a little late dont ya think? Who knows maybe it is for real and I will get my deductable back.

Hold your hats folks – the leading news story, more important than Palestine and Israel, more important than Iraq – a proposal to build a new sports and entertainment arena in Sacramento has been reached, city and county leaders are going to put a a quarter-cent sales tax increase effective for 15 years to help pay for a project intended to replace the aging Arco Arena on the ballot for all of us Sac-ra-tomatoe-ians to vote on. Wow. A sales tax, noted for not being a fair tax, to build a new arena for the rich owners of the Sacramento Kings. If the city did not agree to something – oh my – they threatened to take the Kings away from Sacramento. They should have let em go. IMHO the old arena is run down because the Maloof’s never maintained it. They want to sell the land it is built on – it is prime real estate now.