I’ve always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle, and a few weeks ago I finally took the leap. The photo is of me and my first bike (I blurred my face just for internet safety!).

Honestly, I wish I could say it’s been a good experience, but the process of getting my permit sucked. My instructor was a gristly old misogynist and it was so discouraging that I nearly gave up halfway through the motorcycle safety course. On the first day, I was really struggling with the bike they gave me, but when I told him that and asked for help, he degraded and dismissed me. I literally crashed the bike on the next drill, fucking up my leg in the process. And if that wasnt bad enough, the next day he put me down in front of everyone. He was standing on one side of the parking lot with a group of male students, and I was walking on the opposite side when he called me out from ACROSS the parking lot for “walking with so much swagger like you did something cool.” This grown ass man actually yelled that. At first I didn’t even think he was talking about me because I was so far away and why on Earth would my instructor do that? But when no one replied to him, I glanced over and realized everyone was looking at me. What an unbelievably petty and disrespectful thing to do. We were in a motorcycle class… practically every man was strutting around like their shit didn’t stink, but I was the only one who got called out for it, because god forbid a woman walk with confidence and purpose. And for the record I was walking the way I do when I’m on a construction jobsite: shoulders back, head up, and a long confident stride. Nothing over the top, but definitely not meek. By necessity I’ve gotten used to carrying myself in a way that is unyeilding and discourages harrassment. I’m 5 feet tall and just a little over a hundred pounds so I have to be assertive with how I carry myself. And of all the things I’m unwilling to apologize for, my walk is damn near top of the list. I have every right to take up as much space as the men that I work with and interact with, but the right to that space isn’t handed to me. I have to take it. And the fact that it made him uncomfortable enough that he tried to knock me down a few pegs by embarrassing me in front of the whole class is evidence enough that it works.

Despite everything I made it through to pass my test, and boy am I glad that I did. Riding has been such a joy and there is truly nothing like the feeling of cruising down country roads during the golden hour.

I guess part of the reason I wanted to share my experience was so that I could vent, but also so I could say that even though it can be challenging or disocuraging at times, I would still recommend that any woman who wants to get into bikes take the leap. It is so rewarding and freeing. If you’re on the fence, I would highly recommend giving it a shot.

Ps: That gate-keeping asshole said that he’d tell anyone with an e-clutch to go home and ride a real bike, and I bought myself a beautiful bike with a comfy e-clutch and he can go fuck himself❤️