Advice from USA needed (especially lawyers and bikers)

[Venefica]

Hello all,

I am totally new to this site and forum and would need help with a story idea and the first pages I have written.

I am from Germany and English is obviously not my mother tongue. So I need help with the language but also with some issues about the background of my story.

The idea is not brandnew but ,maybe, not totally boring. It is about a couple from totally different worlds, i. e. about a female attorney and a biker falling in love. I have setup about 10 pages with the initial encounter of both with the help of my school-English and the IT .

So, my heroine is a female attorny recently divorced and recently relocated from anywhere of the US North-East to Texas. She travels home from a courtproceeding and makes a stop at a roadstop and gets trouble with some 1%-bikers.

My questions are:

Is such a relocation meaningful as the local law will differ? Happens that in reality? In Germany the law of the states is not so different as in the USA, I think. E. g. all penal codification is an issue of the federation, not of the states.

Is such a travel via car (within Texas about several hours) today meaningful or unrealistic?

Is is realistic that a biker-gang in a public diner would catcall and try to grope a woman miles away from their league?

is the scene concering talking about bikes realistic? I am and was not a biker-girl and have no clue about bikes with the exception that a customised Harley is the dream of all bikers .

If wanted/needed I can give you my draft. But it is really still a very raw draft.


Best regards

Venefica

 

[RejectReality]

There would be significant differences between the northeast and Texas law. Firearm laws are vastly different. So are labor laws. Nearly any case she takes is going to require significant research on her part. It's not going to be an easy transition. It depends upon what kind of law she practices, but there's probably going to be a learning curve for any particular area of law. A lot of the precedents she's used to citing in the northeast are going to carry less weight when they're from a different circuit court.

Outside of large urban centers, driving distances that would be considered long in Europe are everyday in much of the U.S. I have a 40 minute commute to work every day at highway speed. You can drive all day in Texas and still be in Texas. Coming from the Northeast, it's likely going to be an adjustment for her, but long drives in Texas are going to be inevitable. She's probably working out of a major city, but the clients and the courts where their cases are heard could require a lot of driving.

No, cat-calling and groping by any group of men trying to show off for each other wouldn't be unrealistic. Add in drugs or alcohol and the probability rises. It's likely this is one of the bikers' normal places to stop, so the employees are used to their behavior and more likely to ignore it, reducing any potential consequences. A better question would be whether she would stop at a place where there are a large number of motorcycles parked. She's going to see those bikes. Bikers want their bikes to be seen. Nobody is going to mistake them for anything but bikers' bikes. You're going to need a good reason why she wouldn't drive past and look for another place to stop. Hungry wouldn't be enough. You're going to have to go with something more urgent like the need for a bathroom break. Without a critical need to stop there, she's going to take one look at those bikes and keep on driving.

 

[Venefica]

Thank you very much. That helps a lot.

I will change that and she will not relocate from North to South. That is not important for the story. Weapon-law would be an issue in an older version I had in my mind but actually I circumvene that and have now a more realistic scenario, I think.

I can change the scenario that the gang comes in, when she is aleady in the diner. But she is a tough cookie and not quickly afraid of something as she did martial arts. Maybe it is not neccessary to change that. And she has a little bit Biking-past.

Then another question concering Bike-details. I did a bit research and set-up this dialgue. Does it contain errors concerning the bikes?


Charlotte smiled and tried to change the subject: "What's your bike?"

"Ah, that's my beauty over there," Jake said, jerking his thumb toward a sleek black Harley-Davidson parked outside. "A custom job. Not like the ones you see on the highway."

Charlotte looked at the bike: "Hm, I think the basis is a Fat Boy?"

Jake's smile widened. "Good guess, but it's a Softail Deluxe. Customized to perfection. You know about bikes?"

Charlotte smiled: "No, not really. Like I said, I had a boyfriend 20 years ago who was in love with a Harley. He infected me a bit with the virus. I just had a used Yamaha SR 250".

"That's a good start," Jake said with a smile. "But nothing compares to a Harley. Maybe I'll take you for a ride sometime."

Charlotte smiled: "My last ride ..." she chuckled ..." on a bike ..... .", she chuckled again," ... is 20 years ago!"

Jake laughed, "Well, that's a long time. But it's like riding a bike, you know, it's in your blood. You never forget!"

"Jake, I have no bike, no leather suit, no boots, not even a helmet anymore," Charlotte protested."

 

[RejectReality]

Charlotte smiled and tried to change the subject: "What's your bike?" Feels a little stilted. Maybe, "Which one is yours?" or something similar.

"Ah, that's my beauty over there," Jake said, jerking his thumb toward a sleek black Harley-Davidson parked outside. "A custom job. Not like the ones you see on the highway."

Charlotte looked at the bike: "Hm, I think the basis is a Fat Boy?" Even for a lawyer, this feels a little formal. "Did you start with a Fat Boy?"

Jake's smile widened. "Good guess, but it's a Softail Deluxe. Customized to perfection. You know about bikes?"

Charlotte smiled: "No, not really. Like I said, I had a boyfriend 20 years ago who was in love with a Harley. He infected me a bit with the virus. I just had a used Yamaha SR 250".

"That's a good start," Jake said with a smile. "But nothing compares to a Harley. Maybe I'll take you for a ride sometime." I can't see a biker saying a Yamaha was a good start. LOL I'd skip straight to "nothing compares to a Harley"

Charlotte smiled: "My last ride ..." she chuckled ..." on a bike ..... .", she chuckled again," ... is 20 years ago!" This feels too broken up. I'd put the first chuckle with the smile, put all the text together, and then cap it off with the second chuckle if it was me. And "was 20 years ago" instead of "is".

Jake laughed, "Well, that's a long time. But it's like riding a bike, you know, it's in your blood. You never forget!"

"Jake, I have no bike, no leather suit, no boots, not even a helmet anymore," Charlotte protested." Instead of leather suit, I'd go with "leathers"

I'm hardly a bike enthusiast, but I've heard some think of the Softail Deluxe as a woman's bike. Google suggests it wasn't just faulty memory. It wouldn't really matter what it was at the beginning if it's completely customized. What makes people call it a "woman's bike" is that it's an easy, comfortable ride. No doubt the customizations have removed any hint of that. He might very well not volunteer that it was a deluxe because of the potential stigma, though.

 

[Venefica]

Thank you very much

Concering the Fat Boy, I wanted to express that Charlotte sees that it is a customised Harley based on a Fat Boy. Concerning the "womens bike", that was exactly the reason for my question.

Concerning the Yamaha ... Biker in Germany call it a "rice-cooker", at least 20 years ago, when I rode on a back as a "Sozia". I know that this is, of course, not a Bikers bike. but I think that Jake want more contact to Charlotte and is, therefore, kindly. And Charlotte knows that this is not a bikers bike, so she empasise that she does not really knows bikes.

 

[Britva415]

I think the main issue with a relocation would be licensing. Someone who holds a bar license in one state can't necessarily practice in another state. Sometimes this is waived or permitted by the court in the new state on a case by case basis, but to just up and open a law practice - and make court appearances - in a state other than where she's licensed might not be realistic.

Maybe there's an American lawyer here who could spell out what hoops she would need to jump through, to move between states and be licensed in the new one.

 

[Kitty_so_frisky]

Depending on from where in the northwestern US she’s relocating, there will likely be a HUGE cultural difference, and their values and therefore laws will reflect it. Without getting too heavily into politics, Texas is a “red” state and most of the NW are “blue” states. Pennsylvania is considered a swing state, but still quite different from Texas. Also, when moving states, she will probably have to pass the bar exam for almost any US state she plans on taking on paid clients.

As far as how they meet goes, her car probably broke down in the midday Texas heat, and was towed to the nearest mechanic, who operates out of what is basically a highway rest stop gas station, with nothing but a diner and bar open within visible walking distance. The mechanic tells her it will be at least 4-5 hours before her car is fixed. She already had lunch, so she figures 4-5 hours is more than enough time to have some drinks and let the alcohol work out of her system before driving again. She enters the bar, not knowing it’s a biker & trucker bar, and proceeds to drink her many troubles away. The bikers do the standard catcalls, not really expecting much of a response from someone like her, but she surprises them…

 

[Kitty_so_frisky]

Oh, also, the reason I clicked this thread title in the first place: you should be aware of the association Americans will immediately have when they hear bikers and lawyers in the same sentence. There is a legal network call The Law Tigers (“Lawyers who ride!” who deal in motorcycle law specifically, and ride motorcycles themselves, and have nationwide commercials in varying degrees of cheesiness

 

[Venefica]

Oh, also, the reason I clicked this thread title in the first place: you should be aware of the association Americans will immediately have when they hear bikers and lawyers in the same sentence. There is a legal network call The Law Tigers (“Lawyers who ride!” who deal in motorcycle law specifically, and ride motorcycles themselves, and have nationwide commercials in varying degrees of cheesiness

Yes, that would have been the next question.

I know that groups like Banditos or Hell Angles have their "own" attornieys who train them f. e. how to react in a prosecution, similar to certain Mafia attorneys.

Therefore, I think it not very meaningful to have her dealing with Jake as a client. But a possible scenario would be that there is a struggle between gangs, the other very powerful side is supported by attorneys he rely on as his group is not so important, and he cannot or want notuse the usual attorney.

Yes, the overall idea was a couple over all frontiers and borders but I think that exceeds by far my knowledge about the life in the USA. I think, I relocate it to Germany.

 

[alohadave]

One big difference from Washington to Texas: no mountains. Texas is flaaaat. The Pacific Northwest is very much not. Of course, the idea of curves and topography might be something a smart biker would try and cook up pickup lines with ...

The character is described as coming from the northeast, not northwest.

But besides that, if she came from Eastern Washington, she'd likely find that things are pretty similar (climate and terrain) depending on where in Texas she moved to.

 

[Venefica]

Could someon give me a hind what type of Harley would be the right one for such a Biker? I undertsand that a "soft tail" means more suspensionm and more suspension sounds "female" and not "manly"?

 

[alohadave]

Could someon give me a hind what type of Harley would be the right one for such a Biker? I undertsand that a "soft tail" means more suspensionm and more suspension sounds "female" and not "manly"?

Hard tail. No suspension in the rear. Supposedly more manly or macho. It's murder on your back though.

 

[Venefica]

ok ... my question was not the most intelligent, I think

 

[Venefica]

OK, thanks a lot.

Now i have a new question. I will keep the story in the US but the heroine will not relocate to Texas. The bikers do (of course) something illegal but I do not want that they are involved in drugs, prostitution etc. . Is smuggling cigarettes from Mexico to the USA meaningful or nonsense?

In Germany there are gangs specialised on smuggling cigarettes and tobacco but that depends on the tariffs. So is that a business for a gang in the USA?

 

[Bamagan]

OK, thanks a lot.

Now i have a new question. I will keep the story in the US but the heroine will not relocate to Texas. The bikers do (of course) something illegal but I do not want that they are involved in drugs, prostitution etc. . Is smuggling cigarettes from Mexico to the USA meaningful or nonsense?

In Germany there are gangs specialised on smuggling cigarettes and tobacco but that depends on the tariffs. So is that a business for a gang in the USA?

Cigarettes are pretty easy to acquire legally, and depending on which state(s) are involved, they can be fairly inexpensive (cheaper in southeastern states like Virginia or the Carolinas, where tobacco is a major crop). I don't think anyone would bother smuggling them in from Mexico, unless there's something really special about them. Cuban cigars might be an option, given the US embargo, but they're kind of a niche item so they might not be a great fit for a biker gang (plus, of course, you can't motorbike to Cuba).
You could have them involved with smuggling people from Mexico, although that might generate some social or political angst since it is currently a divisive issue, and might distract from the story you want to tell. They could be involved with stealing cars for parts (chop shops) or raiding distribution warehouses like the Vikings of old. There are still places in the US where alcohol can't be sold (dry cities or dry counties is the term), sometimes not at all or not on Sundays; they could potentially smuggle beer and liquor into such a place.

 

[Venefica]

Thank you very much!

 

[grey228]

@Venefica - not to shit on your choice of a story  meinherr but you are going to write about a female attorney specializing in U.S. criminal law in a country you're unfamiliar with. Not a great start for believabilty, but you do you.

I've watched enough  Knallerfrauen to pick up weird little details of German life, and decided I wouldn't be able to write about Germany (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th reich) any convincingly than I'd write about Judaism from a black man's perspective.

I'd go with a cross-border civil matter (custody usually) that somehow involves a "biker" ruffian. Biker clubs/gangs are small fry now in the U.S. The larger concern are cartel and superorganized crime syndicates.

I know a lot of Texas gets injected into exported Americana overseas (one of your GS9's commanders schmoozed with Richard Marcinko in a Texan bar, the supposed administrative meddler who put in the SEAL command element in SOCOM so they had a say in overall operations) but from what I've read of what you want to do, use California, specifically southern California, so you have plenty of environs to choose from, and the TV shows you see will have similar landscapes.

 

[Venefica]

Ok, that you very much for your input!