When I first announced that I intended to learn riding and get my Class 2B Motorcycle Licence, my father wasn’t too pleased. I was met with objections around me; people who meant well and have seen or heard one too many gruesome incidents that involved riders as victims. The risk with riding, as they say, is augmented because even when it is the fault of a third party, the consequences may prove deadly to you. Initially, I decided to only learn how to drive, in the hopes that I could be on the road somehow. After a year of becoming a licensed driver, I realised just how expensive costs to get around Singapore by car. Within a year of being accorded my driving license, I found myself back at the driving center, this time uncompromisingly intent on getting the Class 2B licence.
Don’t Worry About Sticking Out
If you’re reconsidering getting your Class 2B Motorbike Licence out of fear that you would stick out like a sore thumb for whatever reasons, rest assured that there is a diverse demographic of learners. There are the younger learners whose status as students is apparent in the school shirts they show up in, the middle-aged adults who are looking to turn their brief holiday riding experience into a lifestyle choice of commute, and even older adults who are back after ditching the pursuit of the license in their glory days; they come in all sorts of appearances from all walks of life. Believe me, the last thing you ought to worry about is looking out of place. Plus, the instructors are friendly and make all feel welcomed.
A Challenging Start
If there’s anything to worry about, it is getting familiar with the bike. Especially when you are just starting out, just mounting the bike itself could be a challenge when you are not used to its sheer size. This is where the warm-up stretches before the lesson come in useful, because before long, you will find the muscles of your leg tensing up as you stand on the tip of your toes. The system at the ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC) works such that there are eight lessons which you are required to complete stepwise. This means that unless you are cleared for the lesson before, you will not be able to proceed to the next. I remember being crestfallen after my third failure at the first lesson, ready to throw the towel in as I walked out of the gates of the CDC still missing the stamp that represented a successfully completed lesson on my booklet. It can get demoralising, but it helps to show up each time regardless of the previous outcome. The longer you spend on the bike, the less it will feel foreign to you. The feeling of being on the motorcycle, astride, restores your original resolution of learning to ride.
Riding as a Refuge
And I am about to deliver further glad tidings: you will never be desensitised to the thrill of riding, even long after riding. Maybe I am saying this too soon after only two years of riding experience, but safe to say it never gets boring on the road. My rides have been my place of refuge after a long and difficult day in school or an emotional episode at home. I am not proud to admit that on occasion I do let my emotions get the better of myself and succumb to road rage, especially at the misdemeanour of other road users. However, as I’m starting to learn, people are not always going to treat you fairly – which is actually a great analogy about life – but you can control how you react to it. If meeting their unfair treatment with malice is only going to put yourself at risk, then it is clear who would be at a greater loss. So, most times, I let it slide except for a violent shake of the head as I pass their vehicle, because well, other gestures are illegal in Singapore law and probably even in Islam. It is a subtle consequence of their imprudence, one that might even go by unnoticed, but at least they would know someone is disapproving of their behaviour. This resonates with the hadith: “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” [Muslim]
That is not to say that I am the safest or most excellent rider. I would have to be blind to my intrinsic flaws to declare such a thing so brazenly. I try to go by the book whenever I am on the road but I have realised that it does not always translate to the best outcomes for my safety nor others. So, at times, I have been compelled to exercise due discretion even if it means taking a departure from what I had learnt from the basic theory. Again, this has the making of another great analogy of life: following rules blindly is not always ideal in all situations and sometimes might even come at a cost. Even now, I am still learning how to be street smart by unlearning certain rules. Of course, there are some clear violations that you would not be able to talk your way out of with a traffic police officer, so do not try to stretch it.
However, as I’m starting to learn, people are not always going to treat you fairly – which is actually a great analogy about life – but you can control how you react to it. If meeting their unfair treatment with malice is only going to put yourself at risk, then it is clear who would be at a greater loss.
The Gains of Independence
One of the most fulfilling aspects of riding is the independence. Before long, the chat with the “SG Bus Uncle” is buried deep in the pits of Telegram, and you find yourself less prone to tapping on the Grab App on your mobile device. Not to mention the extra few hours of sleep, especially in the mornings where you feel glued to the bed. I have gotten to enjoy a morning unrushed, sipping coffee in the comforts of my own home, instead of taking it to go. Nevertheless, it would be a grave injustice to just fail to mention that the independence comes at a hefty cost of weekly petrol runs and the monthly oil change at the workshop. At the end of it all, it boils down to the price tag you put to your independence and convenience. Some people do not bat an eye at e-hailing on their apps if it means a comfortable ride home tucked away from the crowd and the unforgiving humidity. For me, I appreciate the convenience that comes with having my own ride enough to be willing to make such investments.
The Hijabi Rider
Riding as a hijabi is not as uncommon as you would think. The number of times that I have found a fellow hijabi pounding the streets on their Yamaha bikes is not at all surprising: we, like any other rider, are drawn to the convenience and entranced by the thrill of riding. Maybe we are sensation seekers, but it truly represents one of the peaks of the human experience to be out on the road with the wind against your face and the buildings of Singapore passing by you in a blur. My personal favourite is riding up a flyover, getting close to the clouds, and seeing familiar sights from a different angle. My least favourite, while we are at it, is to bring a pillion around, because having a second weight on the vehicle just changes the dynamics of the ride. Not to mention that it is another life you have in your hands.
The First Accident
I remember my first accident as I entered the expressway, en route to school. What made it all the more infuriating was that it was just the start of the first stretch of my 32km journey. My mind must have been somewhere else because I was following the car ahead uncomfortably close and before I knew it, I nearly crashed into it as it came to a sudden halt. To avoid colliding into the car, I made a sharp turn and disengaged the gear of the bike, which made it crash fall to the ground. There was a moment of pause before I could gather myself, staring at my bike in confusion. The car, oblivious to the little accident he had invoked from his sudden braking, pulled away. Everyone else seemed to just whiz past too, unbothered by my calamity. Thankfully, a kind-hearted man pulled up in the lane next to mine to help prop my bike back up and pushed it to safety.
In closing, riding comes with both its highs and lows. Not everyday is a great riding experience. Sometimes the roads get choked up with vehicles and other times you are racing against a tank near “Empty” and the fuel reserve light gets activated to send you into a fit of anxiety. Occasionally, another rider comes too close to you for comfort, or darts out of your blindspot before you could react. But as with most things in life, you decide what to make out of the experience and how it affects you. We are hardly in control of circumstances, but we have greater control over our emotions more than we realise. If it is not something we will be concerned with five years from now, we should not let an incident affect us for any longer than five minutes. Riding is just you and the machine—everything else fades into the background.
But as with most things in life, you decide what to make out of the experience and how it affects you. We are hardly in control of circumstances, but we have greater control over our emotions more than we realise.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the articles on The Ocean’s Ink are the authors’ own, written in their personal capacity. They may not reflect the view of The Ocean’s Ink or IMSGP as an organisation.