Encounter with Hells Angels

**NewKilt** · 25th July 07, 04:11 PM

My wife and I returned from Ohio to Missouri yesterday after a visit with my 80 year old mother, my 5 sisters, and my niece and nephews. We were there 3 days, and I took only kilts (4) for my daily attire, since that's what I wear daily. I had not been home in two years because of successive spinal surgeries, and it was the first time they had seen me kilted other than in photo's. They all thought the kilts were great and my sisters told me I looked very handsome in them.

To the main point of the story: On our way back we stopped for gas in eastern Illinois at a large gas station that was linked with a fast food place and several other stores. I noticed that there were several heavily packed, Harley-Davidson motorcycles with New York plates parked up close to the gas station. I went in to use the men's room, and as I exited the front door of the station, I hear man's voice from behind me, "It's a great Scottish day." As I started to turn, the man had caught up beside me. His left and right arms were covered in tatoos. He did not have a left hand, but a large silver hook. He wore a leather vest, and on the back, surrounding the Deathshead insignia, were the words HELLS ANGELS NEW YORK.

He asked me if there was a Scottish event taking place and I told him no, that I wore kilts as my daily attire. He thought that was great, and looked over my outfit including the sgian dubh. We introduced each other and shook hands. I told him that I had ridden motorcycles on and off for many years and now had a Suzuki 650 Burgam scooter because I could no longer shift with my right foot. He said, That's no scooter, it's a 650cc motorcycle with an automatic transmission." By now the other Hells Angels had come out to their bikes, and Marty, the one I had been talking with, told them not to call my kilt a skirt unless they wanted to find out what a sgian dudh was. Marty asked one of them to take a picture of the both of us together (wish I had asked if they could e-mail it to me). I looked over there bikes for a bit. Marty had over 72,000 miles on his and said he was carrying over 130 pounds of gear. We shook hands again, and they all rolled off like thunder down the highway - on their way to Arkansas.

I hadn't noticed the people that had accumulated standing off in the distance. They had looks of almost disbelief on their faces - the Hells Angles are here, and there's a guy in a kilt out in the middle of them talking to them and shaking hands - well, it's the power of the kilt don't you know?

Darrell

**Kid Cossack** · 25th July 07, 04:32 PM

How could you not love that?

Being kilted is unusual, and I think bikers respect that, being somewhat out of the norm themselves.

**Alan H** · 25th July 07, 04:35 PM

Great Story. Bikers like independence, and a kilt speaks of independence.

**gilmore** · 25th July 07, 04:46 PM

This anecdote tells more about the misconceptions that some people have about Hell's Angels than it does about those that some people have over men wearing kilts.

The Angels did security at Altamont, remember? They were often at Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, etc, concerts at Winterland, Fillmore West and Golden Gate Park in SF, one saw them hanging out with a diversity of people in North Beach, the Haight, and elsewhere, hippies, gays, Hispanics, African-Americans, etc.

One wonders when they will get their own tartan...

**arrogcow** · 26th July 07, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by gilmore

This anecdote tells more about the misconceptions that some people have about Hell's Angels than it does about those that some people have over men wearing kilts.

The Angels did security at Altamont, remember?

And that's why some people see them as hoodlems (I'm not bashing the HA, just wondering why mentioning Altamont makes them good)

Adam

**gilmore** · 26th July 07, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by arrogcow

And that's why some people see them as hoodlems (I'm not bashing the HA, just wondering why mentioning Altamont makes them good)

Adam

Some have behaved quite badly indeed. You miss the point. It doesn't make them good at all. It does, however, make them more cosmopolitan and experienced than some who think of them as ignorant oafs, and of themselves as sophisticated know-it-alls.

**JRB** · 25th July 07, 04:38 PM

Damn that's cool!

**pdcorlis** · 25th July 07, 04:38 PM

What a great experience - THANK YOU for sharing that amazing story!

**ozone** · 25th July 07, 05:52 PM

AWESOME story...but dont be fooled by the hell's angels. They are known to have had many run-ins with the law.

My parents had a similar good experience several years ago when they met Sonny Berger (sp?) the infamous hell's angel from california and the alleged ring leader for many years. He was very kind, gracious and had finally been released from prison for murder.....

**mbhandy** · 25th July 07, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by ozone

AWESOME story...but dont be fooled by the hell's angels. They are known to have had many run-ins with the law.

My parents had a similar good experience several years ago when they met Sonny Berger (sp?) the infamous hell's angel from california and the alleged ring leader for many years. He was very kind, gracious and had finally been released from prison for murder.....

http://sonnybarger.com/index3.html

He has written a book called Freedom

MrBill