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...

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

A day from HE Double Hockey Sticks

They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I sure hope so.

My faith in ever finding contractors or employees to work in administration or layout for me has officially ended.

I am not sure I will - at least not in the foreseeable future, even entertain the idea of trying to find office or layout help. I am so deeply, bitterly disappointed.

A week ago I thought I had a team - this is a recurring mantra of mine that needs to stop.
I seem to attract to me people who are either delusional in what they can manage work load wise or people who say they have skill but truly don't OR they want $35-40 per hour because they have been spoiled by the oil and gas industry.

One gal told me she had worked in an accountants office and knew how to do x, y and z. at the end of our short journey she had minimized a screen and sat for two hours unable to figure out how to get back in to the accounting program. She wanted $15 per hour.

The next gal had a lot admin experience and after three hours of listening to how wonderful she was she told me she wanted $35 per hour.

This latest disappointment was a gal I have know for a good long while. Hugely talented, but as I was soon to find out way too overwhelmed in her world and I suppose unwilling to admit that. During a conversation she expresses to me that she felt she'd like to tackle doing the newspaper layout for me.
I was so elated...finally someone I know who really does have the skill, who rode and so understands our community wants to work with me - wow, I could see Sundays off with my husband, Mondays as admin days, Tuesdays to Saturdays for sales, courses and meetings...I saw a life.

So, I hooked her up with Adobe Creative Suite, let her play in the program, she phones and tells me that she feels she's ready and I send her all of my files, we discuss the paper, it's needs and how we are going to proceed. I have never tried to train anyone to do my job so this was to be an experience.

Yah - it was an experience. Her life is in such turmoil she makes mine look like a tranquil harbour.

My single biggest fear came to fruition when at 8 pm last night I was informed she couldn't do it.
She'd been bawling and having the most horrid day. The sale on some equipment she owned had fallen through and she had needed the sale for cash flow. The guy who was taking over her store's space came in to see the space and further upset her, then apparently someone in her family passed away and so here I am at 2 am getting ready to put an entire paper together that should have already gone out in email. Life gets in the way of things we'd all like to do. I love the gal who had the melt down and let me down. I know that a lot of what's going on with her is life. But - sometimes life slap us down just because it can and at other times it slaps us because we set ourselves up for it and she had, in my opinion set herself up to be slapped.

I went to bed at 8:30 pm last night as I had been working since 2am - I had lost my purse - which I did eventually find - I had been in courses at GPRC, doing sales training with a gent who has expressed a desire to work with me and sales calls. I was exhausted, depressed and so I went to bed.


My reputation as someone who delivers the goods consistently and timely is important to me.
Finding balance in my work life so that I can have a life is HUGELY important to me - I just need to
re think how I am going to accomplish that because I have not to date had any luck at attracting quality staff and when I do they fall in love and leave me...cause the love of their life is in Drumheller.

So, I apologize to all of my advertisers and all of my readers that your newspaper will be late.
I will get it to you by noon today, somehow, just bare with me OK?

In the news today:
The police services are pressing the province really hard to do something with the noise laws.

The Winter Olympics made some pretty strong impressions on people around the world as to who we Canadians really are. 

Prostar Motorsports has a pretty big announcement

And the mid range motorcycle segment in India is heating up competition wise....
And that's what is in the news as of 2:30 am MST on Thursday morning.

Now off to start building this weeks paper...

If you are lucky enough to be riding PLEASE ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, like they are out to get you and just as important - PLEASE be a good ambassador for our community. Use respect with that throttle hand.

There are two days left to vote for your favourite machines in the Beat the PMS Blues on line show 'n' shine....

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP A.I.M. Can
www.aim-can.com
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

Noise Bylaw and wrangling in Edmonton WILL get ugly

Some on my Facebook page seem to think that nothing will come of the desire to squash the noise pollution by motorcycles. I will be really clear on this - Cash grab or NO - if the silent majority stays silent, if people do not fight for their rights, if they do not say something - do something - when the fines start rolling in - the cash grab will do exactly what it's meant to do - grab cash out of the pockets of those not willing to fight and while it will hurt tourism and all sorts of other things the people who won't fight deserve it in my humble opinion.

I am tired of the complacency I witness every day in the motorcycle community especially here in Alberta.

When they shut me down in Olds and I tried to fight the RCMP - only one biker owned business was willing to write a letter to support me and to expose the harassment we experienced that cost me damned near everything -  I am still trying to pay down on $120K in Credit Card debt I amassed as a result of that show - and the amount is growing not getting less.

Read what this very happy and smug Edmonton Journal Journalist has to say...Scott McKeen  

I listen to riders in this community whine and snivel about loosing their beanies or novelty helmets or getting ticketed for illegal equipment like side mounted plates but does one of them go to court to stand up for what they think to be right? NO - they whine, snivel and #itch - but real meaningful action? NO - there doesn't appear to be much for spine or backbone at least not here in Alberta. The odd person who does stand up for their rights - or goes to court to fight a excessive noise ticket - you never hear from them - good or bad out come.

When is this community going to grow a back bone? When are you going to start taking these "Threats" seriously. Do you not read the news? DO you not see the communities in the US like Myrtle Beach who have been successful in basically banning motorcycle events because of noise and rude/lewd or stupid insensitive behaviour?

Come on people get with the program.. It is TIME TO GET ORGANIZED - IT IS TIME TO START USING OUR VOICE TO FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OR LOOSE THEM.
IT IS THAT SIMPLE.

There is a lot in the news feeds today so please go check it out over on www.beltdrivebetty.com

I lost my purse somewhere yesterday and have to go retrace my steps and if I don't find it start canceling credit cards etc...

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Noise Bylaw could see motorcyclists loose their license plate

So - you want to be a cowboy with that right hand?
You love the brap, brap or the rumble of them fancy pipes?
Have you gotten addicted the extra horse power? The looks you get when you ride by?

Do you love them fancy pipes enough to have your license plate taken away leaving you on the side of the road?  Well then hold on to your arse and your pocket book.

Edmonton is considering that as one measure for dealing with inconsiderate jackasses...problem is their whole theory rests on experts who have NO clue what is what.
(Read the CBC article)

Problem is that this whole scenario could be played out by cops who have personal dislikes and agendas - can we say constitutional battle folks??? Let one rider with a good lawyer and legit pipes have their plate taken away...

The province is working on a noise law with testing equipment and new fine levels...
In the meantime, from May to October, police plan to conduct another anti-noise campaign. Last year's effort had mixed results. For one blitz, the traffic section devoted 14 full shifts to the program, but only 63 of the 1,635 charges they laid were related to excessive noise.
A total of 383 noise charges were filed during all of 2009, up from 218 the year before.
Of those cases processed by the court, 86 per cent of the defendants were penalized, either by voluntarily paying the fine, pleading guilty or being found guilty. Close to half the offenders never showed up to court and were convicted in absentia. (Edmonton Journal Keith Gerein)

You see people - do you see what I am talking about here? Half of the people charged NEVER showed up in court - there goes that silent majority thing - that complacent Canadian thing again...If you aren't willing to stand up and defend yourself over subjective measures then do me a favor - Don't be whining. 


Every year we go through this dance and every year I hear riders #itching about the fine they got or the harassment but do we see any change? In order to affect change you have to actually be willing to do something and whining - #itching is not going to get us anywhere...that is not the kind of action to which I refer.


In the news today:
Harley is coasting along although 2010 is set to be another down year for the manufacturer.
Lawsuit over "Unsafe" Suzuki motorcycles is settled...
Triumph has added value to their Tiger....
Biker gang experts in Halifax try to determine if the people murdered had ties to the Hells Angels.

If you are a fortunate sod who is riding - please remember to ride like everyone around you is out to get you, that they are blind and can not see you, and PLEASE use some respect with that right hand - for the sake of all of us.

Our show 'n' shine closes tomorrow night -  March 3rd at midnight. Get on over there and vote for your favorite machine before its too late!

I am going to have a terrific day and I hope yours is as well.

Belt Drive Betty

www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP A.I.M. Can
www.aim-can.com
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

A record that is a long time in the making

14 Gold medals - an amazing feat - did the investment that our government make in Canadian Atheletes pay off? Yes. I am proud to be a Canadian - always have been - this morning I feel a little more pride.
Every athlete  should be proud of themselves whether they won a medal or not. The dedication it takes to get to that level alone is nothing short of incredible.

There is however one thing that REALLY pissed me off about the games and that was the First Nations Chief making such political statements on CTV. The games are not supposed to be about politics and that gets my goat and it would no matter who was making political statements. I too was happy that our first nations people were a big part of the games. They are a big part of the Canadian heritage and culture and like every aspect of our culture they deserve to be showcased but no more or less than any other aspect of our culture. I was also upset  for the very same reason that French was spoken first for the announcements. I am married to a Frenchman and my mother is French - this is not about racism or anything else other than Canadian identity. I felt that since English is our official first language and that it is a universal language it should have been used first for the announcements, then they should have made them in French. I was disappointed from the coverage end of things that our multicultural society wasn't better represented but hey - I also couldn't watch 24/7 so I may have missed a lot.

Anyone who knows me knows I am proud of our Canadian culture - it's diversity and it's depth.
I feel that the organizers did an amazing job in-spite of the weather and every other challenge they faced.

Our broadcasters in my opinion put far too much pressure on our athletes but they came through.

I am a prouder than ever Canadian because these games prove one thing that I have said for a long time...we have talented, talented people here and if our Government would invest in our people - our people would prove the investment a worthy one and man did they ever. Now if the government would take what they learned here and put that into movies, music and a whole host of other people skills our people would be the most sought after in the world. Am I being arrogant? No - just proud - honest!

In the news today:

A Business man has plans to open a "Biker Friendly" bar and grill in Dayton Ohio
It's probably not a place I would go because his idea of being "Biker Friendly" is catering to Harley riders and I hate things that are to me, exculsionistic - it's like the Best Western Thing - they say they are friendly to bikes and yet they have thrown their lot in with Harley - I love my Harley-Davidson motorcycle but not to the point where I would stay some where that my friends who ride Honda's and Triumphs, BMW's and Yamaha's aren't welcome - or where they FEEL like they are not welcome.
Sad but true, a lot of people who ride Harley's are down right rude and scum others who don't ride a Harley. I find that sad and pathetic. The wind is the common denominator, that should in my humble opinion, erase all social stigmas and barriers in our own community - good natured teasing is one thing but to be down right rude like some who ride Harley's are just shows how small and petty they really are.

Neil Johnston of OneWheelDrive is on quite the trip....

And in Halifax a man and woman were murdered. The man reportedly was a member of the Bacchus MC a reported Hells Angels puppet club...

I am going to sign of with this quick reminder...

If you are a fortunate sod who is riding - please remember to ride like everyone around you is out to get you, that they are blind and can not see you, and PLEASE use some respect with that right hand - for the sake of all of us.


Our show 'n' shine closes on March 3rd at midnight. Get on over there and vote for your favorite machine before its too late!


Have an incredible Monday - I know I will!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site
National VP A.I.M. Can
www.aim-can.com
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
YOU, make it a great day!
Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders
and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me