Connecticut police say they've arrested a motorcycle club president and are trying to find his brother in connection with a stabbing at the group's clubhouse.
City police on Saturday evening charged 34-year-old Jose Roman of New London with first-degree assault and carrying a dangerous weapon and are seeking to arrest his brother, 31-year-old Juan Baptista-Roman, on similar charges.
Authorities told The Day of New London that 26-year-old Anthony Swift suffered life-threatening stab wounds and three other men were hurt on Sept. 22 in a brawl at the WildStyle Riders Motorcycle Club's clubhouse on Bank Street. Police say Jose Roman is the club's president.
Jose Roman is detained on $400,000 bail and will be arraigned Monday in New London Superior Court. It's not clear if he has a lawyer.
The stereotypical motorcyclist cruising down the interstate with a woman perched behind him is in danger of becoming a quaint memory.
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council’s latest statistics, 25 percent of today’s riders are women. And they’re not on sissy bikes.
Motorcycles are being tailored to this evolving market and the accompanying riding gear modified for shorter bodies and legs.
That, said Claudia Garber, director of women’s outreach for Harley Davidson, has spurred women to take the leap. The contagion spreads from one woman to another.
Safety is the biggest concern, said Cathy Gustafson, a long-time rider herself and a seven-year instructor for the state’s Motorcycle Ohio riding courses.
“What I’ve learned from teaching some all-ladies’ classes is that ladies learn differently than men,” said Gustafson, married and the mother of two. “But physically, it takes them longer to get a skill. You can talk about it and show a video or an actual class demonstration. But they have to actually do it, experience it, to understand. I tell women if they are pondering it, take a class. Our classes are very safety oriented. I can guarantee you that after that class, they know if they want to ride or not.”
The 2011 Harley Street Glide Gustafson rides today is an attention-getter with its Sedona orange metallic paint job and outfitted to the max.
Watching her ride off, it is hard to imagine the job that pushed her toward two-wheel transportation.
“I worked as a bank teller and used to wait on the lady who owned a bike shop. She offered me a job and then they got me riding,” she said. Today, Gustafson is a service consultant at Adventure Harley Davidson in Dover.
“Even when I started riding, very few women did. In probably the last eight years, there’s been a great increase. Women come to talk to you. We have ladies’ garage parties. Women now talk to the dealership guys about quick and easy detachable parts that make your motorcycle fit you,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment