Today sees the news feeds filled with wild and woolly news that truly has one thinking about karma, community and life in general.
In New Brunswick a 26 year old man named Ryan Ellis was killed when his motorcycle collided with a car. This young father was involved in a high speed accident in 2003 where in he was doing over 200 KM per hour on a sport bike when he clipped another rider who died as a result, the rider was a man named Lee Barton. Ellis spent two years less a day in jail over that accident. Now a young girl is without her daddy...
There are a number of sad and tragic incidents like the one in Montreal where a father and his daughter were killed when the motorcycle they were on struck the rear end of a car. The mother who was riding her own motorcycle was also injured when she hit the same vehicle but not severely. The driver of the car had breaked suddenly to allow some ducks to cross the road.
The Hoka Hey Challenge saw a rider loose his life reportedly due to exhaustion - Charles C. Lynn, 44, of Sorrento, Florida died in Wyoming after he reportedly fell asleep, which caused his motorcycle to veer off the road and into a median about four miles north of Douglas in Converse County. The motorcycle crashed, and Lynn, who was not wearing a helmet was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four riders retired (From the Hoka Hey Challenge) due to an accident in the first few days of the ride with another fifty withdrew from ’stifling heat’ and more urban traffic than the riders were used to. Reportedly, the events route was kept to small state roads to avoid heavy traffic on interstates.(From Clutch & Chrome)
My heart is heavy folks...
Then there's this whole NOISE issue - the aldermen and councilors in these cities must all take the same "stupid is as stupid does" pills before breakfast me thinks...either that or they think we complacent Canadian Motorcyclists are just gonna take this discriminatory treatment without some Vaseline...
Windsor is getting really serious about implementing a similar bylaw to the on in Edmonton that goes into effect tomorrow and now so is Calgary. One Alderman in Calgary (John Mar) is going rogue against his Mayor and reintroducing the noise bylaw to council for a vote on July 5th...he is pushing to see the bylaw passed and be enforced by Mid August and has nine signatures from others on council already.
Yes folks, Karma is biting back in many ways. We didn't police ourselves and now look at the state of affairs. Because of a handful of attention seekers in every community across Canada and in the US, noise bylaws restricting motorcycle noise are cropping up everywhere. Our community is under siege.
Think I exaggerate? Look at what just happened in California...
If the new law goes through there - after market exhaust systems will be completely illegal until the after market industry can come up with EPA compliant pipes.
Under siege, singled out as the MAJOR noise offenders in a noisy urban world...that is the lot of the motorcycle community these days - how do we stop the madness?
When will the law makers realize that they can NOT single out one community this way? When will they turn their anger to the boom boxes, the screaming leaf blowers and the chipped up pick ups, cars and noisy semi's who disregard the signs and laws about the use of Jacobs brakes in city/town limits and the vehicles with NO mufflers at all? When will that happen?
When - I will tell you when - WHEN WE, the MOTORCYCLE community band together, hire a really good civil rights lawyer and take these discriminatory laws to the supreme court to have them struck down - that's when.
So community...you up for it or are you just gonna snivel and whine like the good complacent Canadians we are? This year for our Canada Day Celebrations - we all need to look at what the people we have elected to power are doing to our county, our communities and our rights and freedoms and decide that it is time to take them back.
It is time people - it is time to unite and light a F.I.R.R.E. in the soul of every rider in Canada. The Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education NEEDS you. We need a defense fund and we need you to sign petitions, lobby your tourism departments and your business community...
People - remember the Motorcycle, Moped Industry Council is the Group that PAID the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) to develop the noise testing standard that is being used in Edmonton. Think about why the business community - the manufacturers paid to have this standard set just for us...Why - because they claim they wanted tickets issued to be less subjective to the officers discretion. Hmmm, either they think we don't understand the bite the aftermarket industry takes out of the bottom line for the manufacturers and dealers? Is this perhaps a way for them to get us all on new machines? Or is it a way to be seen as addressing a huge issue and being good ambassadors and helping us to police ourselves?
I have no answers, only suppositions, and in this economy, in this time in our history, I think they are looking at both issues because for them, in business that makes good sense.
I personally think we need to start petitions asking these councils who are looking at implementing the noise bylaws against us to start enforcing what is already on the books.
The Transportation Safety Act does not discriminate - Noise issues are already dealt with in FEDERAL LAW in an equal and equitable manner, why won't they consider just actually enforcing what is already on the books to nail ALL offenders of the law, ticket them fairly the way the FEDERAL LAW does?
NOISE POLLUTION - if that REALLY IS the ISSUE at hand here, NOISE POLLUTION is created by us all, and by some more than others - treat the offenders who always go over board the same regardless which noise making community they come from.
One other question I have - how can provincial or municipal laws supersede Federal Law?
Why do they have those kinds of powers if they in fact do? I would love to understand and I am sure many others would love to know too.
As always, I welcome your thoughts on the subjects of the day. It is ONLY through thoughtful and thought provoking dialogue that we will ever change hearts and minds.
Talk to me people!
If you are fortunate enough to be riding today...please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and IS out to get you and ride proud not loud.
Belt Drive Betty
In New Brunswick a 26 year old man named Ryan Ellis was killed when his motorcycle collided with a car. This young father was involved in a high speed accident in 2003 where in he was doing over 200 KM per hour on a sport bike when he clipped another rider who died as a result, the rider was a man named Lee Barton. Ellis spent two years less a day in jail over that accident. Now a young girl is without her daddy...
There are a number of sad and tragic incidents like the one in Montreal where a father and his daughter were killed when the motorcycle they were on struck the rear end of a car. The mother who was riding her own motorcycle was also injured when she hit the same vehicle but not severely. The driver of the car had breaked suddenly to allow some ducks to cross the road.
The Hoka Hey Challenge saw a rider loose his life reportedly due to exhaustion - Charles C. Lynn, 44, of Sorrento, Florida died in Wyoming after he reportedly fell asleep, which caused his motorcycle to veer off the road and into a median about four miles north of Douglas in Converse County. The motorcycle crashed, and Lynn, who was not wearing a helmet was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four riders retired (From the Hoka Hey Challenge) due to an accident in the first few days of the ride with another fifty withdrew from ’stifling heat’ and more urban traffic than the riders were used to. Reportedly, the events route was kept to small state roads to avoid heavy traffic on interstates.(From Clutch & Chrome)
My heart is heavy folks...
Then there's this whole NOISE issue - the aldermen and councilors in these cities must all take the same "stupid is as stupid does" pills before breakfast me thinks...either that or they think we complacent Canadian Motorcyclists are just gonna take this discriminatory treatment without some Vaseline...
Windsor is getting really serious about implementing a similar bylaw to the on in Edmonton that goes into effect tomorrow and now so is Calgary. One Alderman in Calgary (John Mar) is going rogue against his Mayor and reintroducing the noise bylaw to council for a vote on July 5th...he is pushing to see the bylaw passed and be enforced by Mid August and has nine signatures from others on council already.
Yes folks, Karma is biting back in many ways. We didn't police ourselves and now look at the state of affairs. Because of a handful of attention seekers in every community across Canada and in the US, noise bylaws restricting motorcycle noise are cropping up everywhere. Our community is under siege.
Think I exaggerate? Look at what just happened in California...
If the new law goes through there - after market exhaust systems will be completely illegal until the after market industry can come up with EPA compliant pipes.
Under siege, singled out as the MAJOR noise offenders in a noisy urban world...that is the lot of the motorcycle community these days - how do we stop the madness?
When will the law makers realize that they can NOT single out one community this way? When will they turn their anger to the boom boxes, the screaming leaf blowers and the chipped up pick ups, cars and noisy semi's who disregard the signs and laws about the use of Jacobs brakes in city/town limits and the vehicles with NO mufflers at all? When will that happen?
When - I will tell you when - WHEN WE, the MOTORCYCLE community band together, hire a really good civil rights lawyer and take these discriminatory laws to the supreme court to have them struck down - that's when.
So community...you up for it or are you just gonna snivel and whine like the good complacent Canadians we are? This year for our Canada Day Celebrations - we all need to look at what the people we have elected to power are doing to our county, our communities and our rights and freedoms and decide that it is time to take them back.
It is time people - it is time to unite and light a F.I.R.R.E. in the soul of every rider in Canada. The Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education NEEDS you. We need a defense fund and we need you to sign petitions, lobby your tourism departments and your business community...
People - remember the Motorcycle, Moped Industry Council is the Group that PAID the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) to develop the noise testing standard that is being used in Edmonton. Think about why the business community - the manufacturers paid to have this standard set just for us...Why - because they claim they wanted tickets issued to be less subjective to the officers discretion. Hmmm, either they think we don't understand the bite the aftermarket industry takes out of the bottom line for the manufacturers and dealers? Is this perhaps a way for them to get us all on new machines? Or is it a way to be seen as addressing a huge issue and being good ambassadors and helping us to police ourselves?
I have no answers, only suppositions, and in this economy, in this time in our history, I think they are looking at both issues because for them, in business that makes good sense.
I personally think we need to start petitions asking these councils who are looking at implementing the noise bylaws against us to start enforcing what is already on the books.
The Transportation Safety Act does not discriminate - Noise issues are already dealt with in FEDERAL LAW in an equal and equitable manner, why won't they consider just actually enforcing what is already on the books to nail ALL offenders of the law, ticket them fairly the way the FEDERAL LAW does?
NOISE POLLUTION - if that REALLY IS the ISSUE at hand here, NOISE POLLUTION is created by us all, and by some more than others - treat the offenders who always go over board the same regardless which noise making community they come from.
One other question I have - how can provincial or municipal laws supersede Federal Law?
Why do they have those kinds of powers if they in fact do? I would love to understand and I am sure many others would love to know too.
As always, I welcome your thoughts on the subjects of the day. It is ONLY through thoughtful and thought provoking dialogue that we will ever change hearts and minds.
Talk to me people!
If you are fortunate enough to be riding today...please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and IS out to get you and ride proud not loud.
Belt Drive Betty
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