The Grim Reaper Rides a Harley-Davidson

The other day I was driving to our local shopping mall for a leisurely afternoon of mall ratting with my son. As we approached a corner, a motorcyclist came roaring down the street and deftly cut in front of us. This was not just any motorcyclist. He was riding a motorcycle with raised handlebars and a black helmet that covered only the top of his head, not the standard head-covering DOT helmet recommended by the people at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. But what was most striking about his outfit was a black, shiny face mask that had only the tiniest openings for his eyes, nose and mouth. When you looked at this guy at a glance, his face, which blended in neatly with the color of his helmet, had a distinctly skull-like appearance.

I was greatly unsettled by this apparition, and my mind began churning. Was this indeed the Grim Reaper? Most of us say that we're not superstitious, but we're not really put to the test till we break a mirror, you know what I mean? But then my rational mind kicked in. There's some explanation for this. Those kinds of masks are not unknown to bondage and domination aficionados, for example. They would probably be fairly easy to obtain on the Internet. Maybe this gentleman is just trying to exploit the Hell's Angels metaphor for maximum effect. Maybe he's trying to intimidate other motorists. Et cetera.

When we returned from the shopping mall, I discussed the scene with my husband as I prepared dinner, including my initial conclusion that I had encountered the Grim Reaper. My husband surveyed me with more than a bit of annoyance and said, "Honey, his face was probably jacked up in a serious motorcycle accident. That's why he was wearing the mask."

Oh. Right. I was disappointed, yet simultaneously relieved. This is one of the many reasons I keep my husband around - he's wonderful at reeling me in from my many flights into fantasy. I was disappointed because the idea of wandering around in an Ingmar Bergman film and playing a game of chess with Death (assuming I would win, of course), is oddly appealing. And I think most people would probably embrace the opportunity to ask the Dark Dude a question or two, well in advance of their final demise, of course. I was relieved because there's no getting around it - when the Grim Reaper pulls up for you on his motorcycle, you can't suggest he go fill his tank or get his bike serviced. You'd better be prepared to strap on your helmet, jump onto the bitch seat, and ride off into the Eternal Sunset.

By the way, there actually is a Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club in existence. I have listed Wikipedia's entry for it below. I am hoping that these people are Grim Reaper wannabe's and not the real thing, but you never know. So the next time you encounter a motorcyclist pulling rank on the streets or the highway, my advice to you is to give him a wide berth. He might be just another guy on a bike. And yet again ...

Sources:

Personal experience

If you want to read up on motorcycle safety standards, including the proper headgear, this is a great place to start.

Regarding the reference to playing chess with Death, in Ingmar Bergman's film The Seventh Seal the main character plays a chess game with Death. Here's Wikipedia's link to the film.

Click here for Wikipedia's entry on the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club.