Reply With QuoteI think its actually in the 'Racist' camp to discriminate against a group of individuals
Bit of a weird one for me this.
Earlier today, I was out for a ride on my motorbike. It got to around lunchtime and I remembered a place that i'd been to a long time ago that had a nice cafe so I headed there for a bit of lunch. This place used to be full of cyclists on a nice sunny day, in fact, I just looked on Google street view and the place was teeming with them back in 2009. When I got there it was looking a little quiet but I parked on the road outside the place, next to a couple of cars and went over to look at a menu.
A young lad who obviously worked there came out to speak to me. The conversation went a bit like this
Him: "Excuse me, are you thinking about eating here?"
Me: "That's the plan"
Him "It's just that we don't allow motorbikes to park outside here"
Me "Sorry, am I in the way"
Him "No, we just don't let bikes park there. We don't really serve bikers"
Me "Isn't that a little strange?"
Him "It's just our policy"
Then he turned around and walked back inside
I put my gear back on and moved the bike over the road to a barn that has a cafe. I asked one of the women working there if they have anything to do with the place over the road and she asked what 'He'd' done now. I told her about what the lad had said and she mentioned that he was a bit weird and doesn't seem to like the road bikers these days either, which was fine by her as they were getting all their business (it was packed here).
The barn did me a fabulous pork and stuffing roll so I was happy anyway.
Don't think this is a rant, I'm just surprised that places can turn trade away for such a strange reason. I know there are a lot of bikers around the forum. Has it happened to anyone else in other places?
Am I a rebel now?
Do I need to join a 1% club?
Should I get a piercing?
I think its actually in the 'Racist' camp to discriminate against a group of individuals
RIAC
A "Sons of Anarchy" tattoo is a must, don't you think?
For sure, heres mine, looks really coolOriginally Posted by drhexagon
RIAC
Remember used to be like that not too long ago, then the born again biker boom happened so loads of older blokes with money kept getting turned away from pubs. Soon the attitudes changed when they realised the actual profile of bikers had altered somewhat. Not heard about a "no bikers" policy at a pub for a while now.
Malc
Strange. Always thought this sort of thing only happens to 'rocker gangs' on Harleys.
He wasn't wearing one of these was he
seems rather odd, especially when you weren't riding in a huge pack. even then i would have thought they would want the business.
glad you found a nice friendly place across the road though.
Why were they banning bikers anyway? Are they a bit of a problem normally? They usually seem fine to me, apart from the awful clothes
Right, That's on the list
Looks like you guys are thinking along the same lines as me. I wasn't carrying my chains and there were no mods to fight with so i didn't think there would be an issue. I must just look like a wrong 'un.
Havent had that happen to me - yet. That does seem really strange (especially these days with a lot of businesses struggling), it sounds like its their loss though if the place you ate at was doing a good trade.
I think that officially makes you a real deal outlaw and one percenter :)
The owner's wife probably ran off with a biker
You should have adapted the line from 'The Rose'
Barman - We don't serve hippies
Bette Midler - Good, because I don't eat hippies.
I've been a biker (on the road ) for around 24 years and have been to many cafe's/pubs and have never once been told I couldn't eat or drink. At times there have been 20 of us and nobody has said anything, yes you do get the odd headshake from people when you pull up because of the noise but that's about it.
Where was this place? It seems ridiculous. Are bikers offensive to people? Do you lower the tone if you pull up on a bike ? There are arseholes in/on all types of transport these days, I wonder why they would take offence to a biker?
What on earth do you look like? I'm picturing Satan on a Harley.
Cheers Mick
I belong to a club of bikers and we go off for weekend camping - tents that is ;-) - and we are always welcomed back to venues we've been to previously. However, I went to book a site in my local area last year and was surprised at some of the negative reactions when I visited several sites and explained our transport... Again, their loss: we'll drink and eat locally and run up some significant expenditure on both and there's never been any trouble for the locals, just good income.
A la my sig line, his loss & the alternative cafe's gain.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
25 years riding. I'm no biker, only riding Euro & Jap stuff and no leather apart from Rukka Gore-Leather. Still, I've been denied service a few times in Poland, Austria and Russia. The Austrian episode had to do with lots of rain and very wet rider vs nice carpeting and silky sofas. Otherwise, I think that the nicked wifey scenario applies.
No being allowed to fill up wearing a helmet & such is of course different.
That sounds likely!The owner's wife probably ran off with a biker
Yeah, That's pretty much me
Actually, (I think) I look pretty normal. A few people have met me at GTG's and none/very few of them have recoiled in disgust. The bike's pretty low key too; a Honda Hornet 600.
I thought the image of the biker riding into town to cause trouble was all but gone. I suppose there will always be a few places with old fashioned attitudes. It's a shame really, but i'm glad they are few and far between.
And he thought you were bringing her back!The owner's wife probably ran off with a biker
Name and shame, so we know where to avoid
+1
Go on tell all
B
Happy to turn up there myself with a few friends and sit in their cafe until they relent. Some people need to be taught manners!
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
I think it's a hangover from the days when gangs of ill-behaved louts on bikes used to piss people off in nice pubs. Definitely a good idea then but time to move on from that .. times have changed.
Been a biker since the early 80's and never been turned away.
I dress in all the power ranger style leathers too whilst riding my Aprillia Mille.
A funny thing happened to a venue well known to northeast bikers a few years ago...
They used to gather in their droves in a lovely small village called Helmsley on a Sunday and the local businesses/shops/cafes loved the money that they brought in.
So the council (wanting a piece of the action) introduced car parking charges, which the bikers ignored to begin with.
They were told that they HAD to pay to park, so in their ingenuity they parked 4 bikes per space and bought one ticket.
The council then said that they had to have one ticket per bike, so the bikers then bought a ticket each, but also parked one bike per space, meaning that they soon filled up and cars could not park there at all.
The bikers still attend in their droves and if they didn't go to this village then many of the local businesses would close.
That's the mentality of the council, and possibly one of the reasons why the high street is in a decline with most shops closing, due to parking charges.
It was a little village off the A6 called Scorton. Pretty little village but there's not really a lot there.
The people who run Scorton Barn were lovely, very friendly and make gorgeous cakes.
The other place is called the Priory.
Why would you want to insist that some ignorant business owner takes your money?Happy to turn up there myself with a few friends and sit in their cafe until they relent. Some people need to be taught manners!
I'm not a biker but many years ago I was turned away from a cafe in a small town in Wales, the owner pretty much raced over to me as I entered and said "we don't serve your sort here", he wouldn't tell me what "my sort" was but I'm fairly certain he didn't mean, middle class, public school educated individuals, but clearly he thought I was something other than that.
I was fairly scruffy in jeans and a t-shirt, but this was a builders type cafe and I was no scruffier than anyone else. I always assumed it was a reference to my swarthy appearance.
I said fair enough it's your business, and went next door and paid them for a nice meal instead.
I just can't abide ignorance, and I can't resist making ignorant people uncomfortable. 20 bikers turning up at this cafe, sitting down and waiting to be served would be priceless. Hopefully they would call the police which would be ironic, especially a 3 of these bikers I know are traffic cops, and 2 are biker paramedics.
Last edited by Chinnock; 9th August 2013 at 00:13.
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
This hasn't happened to me since the early '80's. I thought the days of no bikers signs outside pubs and cafes had long gone. Sad really.
Personally, I'd see if they turn you away, and then if they do you can have a nice picnic on the public highway outside the venue, and if in the course of that you accidentally cost the business some customers that would be most unfortunate.
You're a droid, aren't you.
You were better off being barred -- someone was gonna get their arm chopped off that day.
Helmsley - lovely place. Stayed at The Black Swan a couple of years back and hired an E-Type V12 for the day.
Oh I used to recieve that shit all the time years ago. It made me even more belligerent. Our local chapter(20 odd blokes in there 30's)........ was 'The Sad Old Gits' we had tee shirts and hoodies made up with it on the back. Upset all the locals ... we turned up at Castle Hedingham about 20 strong, you'd have thought the 'Red' army had arrived! Woman were running off holding babies, old boys were shaking their sticks, our provacation was to wear BLACK!
Be loud and be proud... enjoy your two wheels... keep demanding the right to be unique!
Perfect so after filling the owners in at least they could be patched up instantly! Always caring thats the biker for you
RIAC
Years ago, we used to go from Rayleigh weir up to Burnham about once a month, you wouldn't believe how people behaved, once we had people in Bradwell out shouting and waving sticks at us, some still in their pajamas, those were the days, Cold Norton, Mayland Mill etc etcOh I used to recieve that shit all the time years ago. It made me even more belligerent. Our local chapter(20 odd blokes in there 30's)........ was 'The Sad Old Gits' we had tee shirts and hoodies made up with it on the back. Upset all the locals ... we turned up at Castle Hedingham about 20 strong, you'd have thought the 'Red' army had arrived! Woman were running off holding babies, old boys were shaking their sticks, our provacation was to wear BLACK!
Be loud and be proud... enjoy your two wheels... keep demanding the right to be unique!
This used to happen all the time in the 1970's, but as others have said times have changed. I'm amazed that any business can afford to turn away paying customers these days...
Burnham Bends - still do them most Sundays.
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
I think you did admirably.
I'd probably have got all stroppy, ended up swearing and perpetuated his (generally wrong) perception of bikers. There are few things that get me going more than pettiness like this. After I eventually left (probably having been forcefully ejected) I'd have made as much noise as possible as well. Yes, it's crass, immature and probably bad for the image of bikers, but I can feel my blood pressure increasing as I type!
Is it time for my medication nurse..?
The Priory has stopped serving bikers!? WHAT!?
What about cyclists? I used to go there as a kid and it was always, always full of cyclists.
Soon be time to get conkers from the church behind
I did resist the urge to do a burnout as I left. It's a new tyre and I didn't want to waste it on them
I know! In the past when i've been there it was always full of cyclists. This time they were all in the barn over the road.The Priory has stopped serving bikers!? WHAT!?
What about cyclists? I used to go there as a kid and it was always, always full of cyclists.
Soon be time to get conkers from the church behind
I suppose its up to them if they want to drive customers away. They're obviously going for a higher class of clientele these days. Hope it works out for them
Thanks for the heads up, sounds like a nice place to go without self centered bikers. :-)
Posting Permissions
