How would you respond to this?

[Cath]

I'm sure you guys have all heard it before - I hear it *constantly* - so can you help me out here?

Just what is the correct response when blokes say "I'd love a bike / I had a bike years ago, but my wife / girlfriend / ball and chain / handbrake / missus / insert euphemism here / won't let me"

All the things that pop into my head at that point feel inappropriate to say:
"sucks to be you",
"what a great way to live the only life you'll ever get",
"[nelson muntz] HA HA [/nelson muntz]",
"why the fuck would you put up with that?",
"hope she's good enough in the sack to make up for dealing with that crap, dude",
So I usually just look a little taken aback, not sure how to respond. Dave changes the subject.

So what is a socially acceptable response? Or if "socially acceptable" isn't your thing how do you respond to this?
Or if you've ever said this (before getting a bike), what sort of response were you expecting?

[MadKaw]

My usual response is.
"Stop your whinging Damon and grab us a beer."

[robracer]

Cath its Called setting out ground rules first then you don't ever have to respond to it

[6maniac]

" How much do you think you'd get for her as a trade-in ? "
Seriously tho - I've had bikes since I was 15 - sold the Duke Silver Shotgun for extra deposit on a house on the condition my wife (now ex) bought me a new bike after we were in the house 12 months - she paid off the R65 while I paid all the bills.

[Blurr]

does she know that your out while the street lights are on!!!

[red_dave]

I respond "get a missus like mine... "

[Colette]

I'm with you there Cath, never could understand women who "tell" their partner they cannot do something they love - and something they probably did before she came along!

If a guy dared tell me to choose between them and my bike, I know which I'd take

[matchan]

"Sucks to be you" sounds about right

Matt

[Ratmick]

Well, I'm sorry to say I had this when my ex and I first got married (back in dinosaur era when all bikes had wooden spokes and inflatable tyres were for wooses).

I did what a lot of guys would have done in the same situation, and said 'Oh, ok then'...and the matter lay dormant (but not forgotten) for about a decade. Many years later we were looking at moving up here, and I raised the matter again (instead of buying a second car). This time my maths passed muster and three bikes later she's gone and at this stage the latest bike's still here .

Glen (my new partner) doesn't particularly like motorbikes (I think she lost a close friend on one years back) but she knows that I love mine (even though it's a Honda). She has said she would never make me get rid of it, so I guess that makes her pretty close to ideal in my book (along with other stuff we won't go into on a family forum)

Mick

[Daisy]

"Sucks to be you" sounds about right

Matt

Were there other options?

[kellz]

they guy who just bought our tracky said.
he would prob loose his missus because he bought a new bike to go racing on

i said

"well she aint worth it" before i thought.

but

yeh i would still say the same

someone who cant accept you for who you are and thge hobby you choose obviously doesnt understand you as a person.

[Gosling1]

.........someone who cant accept you for who you are and the hobby you choose obviously doesnt understand you as a person.......

I don't think anyone could put it better than that !!


(ps - my normal response to blokes who say stuff like that is * Grow some fucking balls you pissant !!*......)

[Wattie]

the question is, who are we talking about??

[seraph]

wow can understand if yer kids make you not want to ride anymore, but yer Mrs insisting that you have to give up your bike that you love?
cowboy the fuck up, princess. I left my non-rider husband 6 months after he said I couldn't get a new bike. was worth it, my zx12r never tells me my arse looks fat, and satisfies every time... -J.

[myk1979]

I just take that as a sign of it being open season on his lack of masculinity and pay out on him till he runs away crying back to the missus. Starts of with something along the lines of HARDEN THE F*#K UP C$&T!! and so on and so forth........