Living with your head in the sand...

There are some people who have criticized me because I have called people who see how many car alarms they can set off with their pipes, who ride their motorcycles in such a way as to effectively assist in creating negative opinions of motorcyclists - Wanna Be's or Cowboys or Jerks. (Owning a bike does not make you a biker/rider IMHO)

They feel that because I have brought to light the fact that cities around the world are beginning to ban motorcycles, motorcycle events or enact special noise legislation to try and keep the motorcycle noise pollution to a dull roar that I am some how fear mongering or being a chicken little.

I am actually trying to get people to understand that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Noise pollution is but one issue that affects our community - but it is the biggest issue our community needs to address right now in my humble opinion.

Now our populations here in North America may not compare in size to those of the Chinese cities that have banned motorcycles from their road ways or in some cases restricted where they can go, but make no mistake, noise pollution is becoming a bigger and bigger issue here in Canada and the US. Yes their populations are extremely dense and it does make it hard to compare them to us and our situation so I decided to research the issue here in North America and see what communities around the country think, say and do about motorcycle noise pollution.

Perhaps we won't ever see a ban on motorcycles but what about a ban on aftermarket exhaust systems? We never thought we'd see ATV's and small motorcycle sales banned but the lead scare in the US did exactly that...http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/5/2382/Motorcycle-Article/Lead-Ban-Stops-Youth-ATV-and-Motorcycle-Sales.aspx

Read through the various links I provide and then let me know if perhaps there is a tad of an issue and whether or not you feel it is one we might actually be able to address....

Noise Complaints Against Motorcycles in North America

Here are some complaints from 2009 - in Calgary:
http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/soundoff/archive/2009/06/15/369344.aspx

How about Fredricton New Brunswick:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/05/06/nb-fredericton-motorcycle-noise-1000.html

Here is a wonderful example of how unwelcome motorcycles are becoming in one Quebec community:
http://thereview.ca/story/motorcycle-restrictions-aim-reduce-noise-pollution

Charlottetown:
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=270591&sc=98

Here is a very interesting read about how "Citizens Are Taking their Cities Back - USA"
http://www.noiseoff.org/motorcycles.php

Noise Free America's Info on Motorcycle Noise Pollution:
http://www.noisefree.org/motorcycles.php

One from New York:
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/11/city-council-bill-aims-to-quiet-motorcycle-noise/

How about Boston:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/station/20144774/detail.html
(http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht03/ht03246.htm)

Colorado: http://www.scooternews.net/node/2490

Vermont: This one is from last month...
http://motorcycle-vermont.com/front-page-feature/vermont-motorcycle-noise-law-kick-starts-loud-pipes-discussion/

Maine: http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-regional-local/13840331-1.html

From this month:
http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/thursday-opinion_2010-03-03.html

Maine Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles:
http://www.mecalm.org/

Here are some active petitions going on about excessive noise:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/motorcyclenoise/

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-motorcycle-noise-pollution.html

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/20/take-action-against-illegal-motorcyle-noise-in-kailua-gardens

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/antimotorcyclenoise/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pipe-down-in-prescott

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/reduce-noise-pollution-in-regina.html

Some of these petitions have lots of support - some have little to none but the fact that they even exist points to a problem...Remember the Charter of Freedoms and Rights - yours stop where they infringe on another....

All one has to do if they really want to know how some places are dealing with motorcycle noise pollution is Google or Bing Search. You can come up with hundreds of examples from Australia and Europe to North America - While Noise in many cases is the main thread the real issue is a lack of consideration/respect.

If you choose to live with your head in the sand and say it can't happen here because we don't have the population then why are small communities in Quebec, cities like Edmonton and Calgary, Fredricton and others trying desperately to quell the noise and why are they targeting motorcycles?

Then there are the other reasons that motorcycles are in some cases being banned or severely restricted...

Here's an interesting ban for you - This example comes to us from Lebanon...
The ban was put in to effect because of armed conflicts between bike "gangs" - Because of the "gangs" ordinary citizens are not allowed to gather or to ride their bikes at night.
In Lebanon - on October 15th 2009 a curfew was placed on motorcycles - no motorcycles on the road ways from 6pm to 5 am and a full ban on motorcyclists gatherings http://www.plus961.com/2009/10/10/banning-motorcycles-in-lebanon/

Hmmm - I bet the silent majority who are respectful law abiding riders in that country never saw that one coming.

We as a community, I believe - need to be pro-active...
I don't think there is anything fear mongering about the old adage "An ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure." If you look around at what has and is happening around the world maybe we could actually learn something that could protect our lifestyle - my dad used to tell me that to be forewarned was to be forearmed.

Here's a REALLY good example of what can happen:http://www.bikerlawblog.com/index.php/biker-laws/2006/11/03/brain_dead_in_canyon_lake_ca_who_would_w

"Imagine buying a home in a gated city called Canyon Lake, in Riverside County (California). You move into your new home with your family; everything is great.
Then imagine jumping on your motorcycle to ride to work, no biggie right? Wrong!
In Canyon Lake, California, which is a gated city consisting of around 4300 single family homes; riding a motorcycle anywhere in the city has been banned by the Homeowners Association."

Here is what the local bike club has to say: http://www.canyonlakemotorcycleclub.com/gpage.html
From what I can ascertain this fight has been going on since the mid 80's and from what I understand still goes on today.

You decide folks - if the links to the various stories I have provided aren't enough information for you to want to be PRO ACTIVE - I can provide a ton more, just let me know and I will be happy to oblige.

All I want is for the culture we love to flourish and I personally feel that WE need to be the ones to protect it.

Live with your head in the sand and say it can't happen here or be PRO ACTIVE so IT CAN'T happen here...

If I had the resources I would choose to live in Lake Weir Florida in the Motorcycle ONLY community: http://lakeweirliving.com/rider/

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today - like I intend to be...then please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, ride like they are all out to get you and PLEASE, use respect with that right hand...