I constantly try to get riders and people to be cognizant of the machine that is our government. Most of them don’t give a rats ass. They don’t vote, they don’t get involved. But, whether they realize it or not they are involved. And some of them are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Unlike automobiles, motorcycles in the U.S. are seen as recreational vehicles and not necessary forms of transportation. Most of this is perception, but even from a legal perspective we (the U.S.) haven’t made much of an effort to protect, encourage, and support motorcycling in the U.S. even though it is a far more efficient form of transportation than most vehicles.
As motorcycling has been growing in the U.S. the general public (cagers) are starting to get fed up with the antics of morons on bikes. This comes from the two major sides of the house:
Sportbikes – typically doing stupid crap like stunting in public or excessively speeding on congested freeways.
Cruisers – typically with loud pipes and drinking while riding.
Whatever you ride, whatever it is you do, these people are ruining it for all of us. Taken to the extreme there are reports of people that are literally laying down oil or other slick substances in corners known to be well traveled by bikers. For us, this is the rough equivalent of pointing a loaded gun at someone and pulling the trigger. You might hit them, might not, but if you do you are certainly going to hurt them in some manner.
But what is also happening in the background is that people are trying to enact laws to prevent motorcycling all together. Surprise! I get a lot of reactions on this one such as “they can’t do that” and “it will never happen.”
Really?
Just recently in Tennessee they made it illegal to wheelie.
New York introduced a bill to prohibit “exhibition driving” punishable as misdemeanor. Keep in mind that “exhibition driving” is completely subjective.
In Missouri they are proposing making motorcycle stunting a felony on a second offense. They define stunting as “removing both hands from the handlebars while operating the motorcycle.” For those of you who are cagers, I do this all the time while approaching a stoplight. It’s no more dangerous that doing it on a bicycle and probably less dangerous than taking your hands off the wheel in a cage as I still have more control of my bike.
In certain parts of CA they are proposing legislation that would allow townships to make illegal to ride a motorcycle in the town!
I have had some involvement in the TMRA II here in Texas and it’s amazing some of the crap they try to pass or sneak in under another law. Like the time one moron proposed a bill that would organ donation MANDATORY if you were hit on a bike.
Another proposed bill in the works will give insurance companies the right to refuse coverage because you were engaged in an extreme hobby (riding a motorcycle). Imagine you are out riding and a cage takes you out and then the insurance company refuses to pay you life insurance policy to your wife and kids.
*sigh* and on it goes. But I tell my friends and other bikers about it and they still ride like assholes in residential neighborhoods. They still rev their bikes with the pipes under bridges and in parking lots so that people can’t hear well enough to talk to each other. They still get on their bikes completely wasted and ride. I still see “stuntahs” riding wheels at 90+mph down I-30 in traffic, doing “stopies” at red lights, and running 100+ mph down 360.
So please, next time you get on your bike, think about what you are doing. And if you don’t want to do that, then you better get out there and vote and get involved or pretty soon you will be looking at bikes in a museum saying “I remember when we used to be able to ride those things.”
No comments:
Post a Comment