Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
32 nSeptember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS A shot in the dark The market is saturated with motorcycle alarms, both from the factory and the aftermarket. Ignition alarms, disc locks, and more have, for years, been a staple in a world rampant with motorcycle thefts. But Yannick Read, a British inventor that has suffered thefts of both bicycles and motorcycles at night at his London home, has come up with a novel idea—the Bike Mine. Read knew that automobile alarms widely ignored as false alarms are quite common, so he wanted to create something that would grab every- one's attention and scare the evildoer at the same time. The Bike Mine not only sounds a 150 dB alarm but actu- ally explodes in a plume of smoke meant to startle the would-be thief into abandoning his would-be booty. It is a small device consisting of a length of titanium wire, spring-loaded mechanism and a detonator, and can be attached to just about any two-or- three-wheeled conveyance. When the wheel turns, the device triggers a small bomb that creates sparks, smoke and noise. Read had set up a Kickstarter to see the design into production, but unfortunately, it reached less than 30 percent of his goal, so the campaign was canceled. With the bomb sounding a bit like gunfi re, the potential of fi re from the sparks, and instructions not to set the Bike Mine's fi ring direction towards one's face, what could go wrong? Beauty and the bike British vehicle insurer Carole Nash has conducted surveys proving that bikers scored higher than car driv- ers for driving tests and road safety knowledge, so the company started offering discounted rates on car insur- ance for bikers. The insurer has been looking for more ways to, according to the company, "prove that bikers are at the top," and determine whether "bikers win at other aspects of life." So the insurer chose a half-dozen male and female models, photographing them in normal street attire and again in biker gear. These photos were used in an independent survey of 1,000 people across the U.K. In all but one case, the models, when dressed as bikers, were voted as more desirable than when they wore civilian clothing. The research also showed that riders have more positive personal- ity traits, such as being adventurous, daring and fun. And it seems that 25 percent of the men responding to the survey would pretend they owned a motorcycle to impress a woman, with an even bigger percentage saying they'd learn to ride for the very same reason. We are heartened that now the whole world has learned what we already knew. But that one guy who didn't make the cut? Well, it just proves that not everyone is meant to be a biker. Not so bashful bride Nadia Hussain, a 29-year-old Harley-riding woman from Abu Dhabi, has always dreamed of a very spe- cial wedding—just not the kind that one would expect in the United Arab Emirates. She and Salem Al Muraikhi, her husband-to-be, decided that they would ride motorcycles in their wed- ding. So the couple rode their Harleys from their reception, joined by fellow riders and guests from all over the Middle East and Germany. The bride was dressed in white, and the outfi t included a rather non- traditional hijab, but with white pants under a white tulle skirt, beaded gloves and jacket, spiked epaulettes, and rhinestone-adorned helmet. The groom didn't even try to compete with Nadia's dramatic look, opting for a black T-shirt with skulls. The couple had invited a Jordanian website to fi lm the wedding, which quickly became a YouTube sensation. Apparently many viewers disagreed with a woman being so brazen, and the newlyweds received insults and death threats on social media. Nadia was accused of "acting in a manner that contradicted UAE traditions and val- ues," according to news reports, and for breaking the rules of hijab. In fact, the threats were so intense that the couple had to cancel their honeymoon as they were unable to leave their hotel. But the newly minted bride isn't taking this lying down; she has fi led defamation cases against those that insulted and threatened her, some of whom are members of the couple's riding club, and all of whom were Emirati men. A defense attorney com- mented that the defense would focus on whether Nadia's actions were an affront to public decency and order. She report- edly stated that she cared more about holding her tormentors responsible for the damage they caused rather than any fi nancial compensation. Yet Nadia com- mented, "…I did achieve my goal and had a successful biker wedding. I'm so happy that I'm the fi rst who did a biker wedding, and I want to thank my hus- band who supported me all the way."