The motorcycle community is over 115 years old and with that age comes tradition, history and protocols that far too many in this community have ZERO idea or knowledge about.
The motorcycle is a wonderful conveyance that takes us to see fabulous sights, lets us revel in Mother Nature, both the good and the bad, and allows us to meet people we would otherwise never get to know. Riding a motorcycle erases so many barriers to conversation, almost everyone who rides tends to feel some sort of connection to another person on a motorcycle.
UNLESS you wear a 3 piece patch and then watch the mixed reaction you get.
You'll see everything from fear to abject admiration and respect along with hostility and resentment.
I am not talking about the reactions of non riders here, but of those right in our own community.
In a previous article that I did on
Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs, I covered much of the history of the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and how they came to be. Predominantly a man's world, the three piece patch world is one of extremes. Loyalty and hatred often run equally as deep in this world.
I want to talk about some of the reasons there is so much tension between the 3 piece patch clubs, especially in the US. (As our community here in Canada grows, and more people want to bring an established club from the US to Canada, you will start to see some of those tensions grow here.)
Three piece patches, more than any of the other patches in our community make it very easy to identify who is who, but only when proper protocols are addressed in putting the proper identifiers on your cut.
Sadly there are those who are truly muddying up the waters and making it tough on everyone and those clubs that do that are troublemakers, pure and simple either that or they are ignorant of the MC world and are about to get an education.
The 1% faction of the Outlaw Club world in particular has a problem with other clubs that do not identify who they really are.
- If you are a 3 piece patch Motorcycle Ministry, then you are to put MM for Motorcycle Ministry on your cut.
- If you are a Veteran's 3 piece patch club, the you should have VMC as your designation.
- If you are a Law Enforcement club, then you should have LE MC as your designation.
- If you are a first responders 3 piece patch club then your designations should be PS MC (Public Service). Often times fire and ambulance use the symbols of their profession and by doing so identify themselves accurately.
- If you are just a group of guys who does not accept law enforcement in your club then your designation should be MC and you should be approaching the local dominant club about your cut and your bylaws , etc., so they know you are not there to be in their business.
And then there is
no man's land — the clubs that allow both civilian and law enforcement - there is no official designation for those clubs, so they wear the MC and get called out as cop clubs among other things.
These clubs are the ones that are in purgatory.
They are open clubs in that they do not care what you do to earn your living, what bike you ride as far as brand goes, they care about your character.
These clubs party too hard to fit into the AMA world.
They are outlaw clubs with a hang around and prospecting phase, but because they allow Law Enforcement officers, retired and active, they don't fit into the CoC world either.
The two most hated types of MC's in the Outlaw world are those of Law Enforcement MC's who do not fly the LE designation on their cut and those Outlaw Clubs who allow Law Enforcement officers as part of their club.
The Law Enforcement Clubs who do not fly the LE designation on their cut are, in my mind, troublemakers and should not be trusted by anyone be you in an MC or just Jane Q rider.
These men are looking for, or to cause trouble. Why else would they not run the LE on their cut?
It could be about infiltration of another club, getting intell for work or it could just be that they are bullies who like to fight.
In every case that I researched they all proudly declare on their web sites or Facebook pages that they are law enforcement clubs so they aren't doing a good job for intel or infiltrating other clubs, but they don't fly that designation in their colours. To me these guys are looking for fights and often times these law enforcement clubs do end up in big melee's.
They bring discredit to their badges and unneeded and unwanted grief in the Outlaw MC and consequently the riding world.
Those LE Clubs that refuse to put the LE designation on their cut, often times are the clubs that everyone has most reason to fear, as they will provoke fights with the other clubs, they seem to be rogues and revel in that. These types of LE MC's leave a bad taste in the non MC rider's mouth too because they further that stereotypical fear/resentment of all things cops that is steamrolling through our society these days.
Here's a few articles to help you understand the grief they cause:
Police Biker Clubs Draw Scrutiny in Wake of Bar Brawl
Police Biker Clubs. Are They Hurting The Credibility Of Law Enforcement?
Lines Blur between cops and bikers across the country
Law Enforcement biker gangs: Damaging Officers Credibility?
They are being purposely evasive about stating who they are and what their intentions are when they are on their bikes and that causes fights - we are after all talking about men, their pride, their sense of territory and mostly their sense of honour.
In the 3 piece patch world, when you clearly identify that you are a Motorcycle Ministry, a Veteran's MC, an LE MC, the other MC clubs generally ignore you because they know and understand you aren't in their stuff, their business, or out to do harm in their territory. Especially if you have the good sense to introduce yourself and your cut to the other clubs that are around if there are any in your area.
There is very seldom any kind of real animosity. It's more an air of indifference. Live and let live.
BUT, when you purposely leave that LE off of your colours, your are perceived as being dishonest and devious and that goes against everything that the MC's stand for.
In the Motorcycle Club world it is important to stand up for what you believe in and to be who you say you are and when you don't shoot straight in the way you represent yourself via your colours you have already proven yourself to be dishonourable, untrustworthy.
No one says you don't have the right to wear the cut of an Outlaw, but wearing the right designations on your cut is as important as the right designations on your uniform at work. If you are a cop and you are only a corporal, try wearing the stripes of a sergeant and you will get your ass called out and fired most likely. Same shit here - say who you are, be forthcoming and honest or get the shit kicked out of you for being a liar, a poser.
RESPECT is something these particular LE MC's have no idea or clue about and I bet they are the officers on the job the rest of their fellow officers have questions about too.
In my opinion, the LE MC's that do not identify themselves as such on their cut are the biggest bunch of asses in the world. They put everyone around them at risk and don't give a shit, they are the epitome of what is wrong with our society.
For those like the Iron Order who accept all walks of life and for whom there is no real designation in our community, they too often get lumped into the "Cops" + "Posers" category and they tend to be the kinds of clubs who refuse to "ask permission" of the local dominants for their patches to be approved.
These clubs tend to end up in a lot of altercations having to defend their right to be who and what they are.
They are in no man's land, and the ride they take will be filled with land mines, and only the bravest will navigate them and still be standing, having fully earned their place in the MC world. If there was a designation specifically for clubs that were outlaw but all inclusive with respect to brand and job, we could possibly save further angst and discord in the MC world.
Perhaps the No Man's land clubs should consider starting to use a designation like OC - Open Club or AI - All inclusive club or EO - Equal Opportunity then every other Outlaw Club in the world would know that these people are no threat, not in their business.
But then maybe it would also take away the "fun" of fist fights and bar brawls....and you would not have the great war stories to share if the other Outlaw MC's left you alone...
The bottom line is that...No one in the MC world gives a shit about and your club you unless you are misrepresenting yourself or your intentions. No on in the MC world care's about you unless you are in their business.
So if you want to stay out of harms way, then stay out of their claim bars, away from their clubhouses and parties and don't play tough guy by trying to start shit or it will end badly.
If you are looking for a fight, if you are trying to prove you are tough and bad assed, then have at it - the chaff will rise to the top to be blown off by the wind.
In one day of research I came up with over 90 LE MC's and 49 of them properly represent who they are while 42 of them do not fly the LE designation on their cut.
I came up with 4 no man's land clubs that aren't territorial, aren't in anyone's business and yet they are lumped in with the cop clubs who don't fly proper designation because they allow law enforcement members. (They allow politicians and lawyers too but no one seems to take offence to these professions as far as membership - only cops)
One of the 4 non man's land clubs has no MC or LE designation and let's women in - so they shouldn't be flying an Outlaw Cut - period. (Iron Plainsmen)
Remember these are supposed to be MEN'S Clubs.
I haven't had a ton of time to research how many no man's land clubs there are, but if there are many, then setting up a designation for their cut would solve a lot of issues. I truly don't think these clubs are purposefully trying to misrepresent themselves, but there is no designation as an identifier that they could use and so they are deemed untrustworthy and as trouble makers by the 1% and Outlaw MC's.
Here is a list of LE Clubs and how they designate themselves... the first 49 clubs seldom ever have any issues with the other Outlaw MC's, the second group, 43 of them are the ones you will most often hear of in altercations and brawls. The other 4 have mixed reactions and are also often involved in altercations.
LE MC's Who wear the right Indicia to reflect who they are:
For the rest of us, this has been a community service message that hopefully helps you keep your ass out of the middle of something that has nothing to do with you!
Have a great day,
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
