Watch for this week's Busted Knuckle Chronicles, coming out on Thursday morning for the low down on the show!
Cookie attended the Port Dover, Friday the 13th celebrations and also has a wonderful report on that event in this coming Thursday's paper...
Now, on to the news of the day...
There is an article in the news today that may prove of interest to riders here in Canada who have experienced profiling by police officers. In Grants Pass, Oregon, bikers are protesting traffic stops and profiling & are considering legal action.
Everyday across north America, riders encounter the discriminatory practise of profiling by the police. (A practise that is disallowed by law when applied to ethnic communities.)
Many riders believe that what the outlaw and 1% clubs do or experience have little to do with them, however they would be very wrong. Attend an event where outlaws and 1% patches are present and you can almost bet your bottom dollar that you have been photographed, so has your ride and license plate. You can also rest assured that you are listed on an associates list in the databases of the police services. When you see the police attending motorcycle events in a large way, protection is only ONE service they are providing - the other is intelligence gathering. Because the police view the outlaw and 1%er clubs as criminal organizations, anyone who speaks to them, admires their machines, attends the same events is fair game in the eyes of the police because you just never know when that 75 year old grandmother might be a drug mule.
In the US there are pushes taking place all over the place to challenge and change laws that are discriminatory towards motorcyclists. Just because you ride a bike, attend events does not automatically mean you have criminal intent.
The push for equality of treatment as road users and citizens is one that every motorcyclist should consider getting behind. Some argue that it's the outlaw & 1%er clubs that have brought this on themselves and they should fight their own battles and if the police ONLY targeted those persons when gathering their intelligence and stopping riders, then I would agree with them. However, it is the police that have made these issues something that has the potential to affect every rider who attends motorcycle related gatherings of any nature. It's one of those issues that like the use of helmets and the noise generated by some riders that causes lots of debates and disagreements.
Another article of interest comes from Virginia where it is now legal for motorcyclists to ride side by side.
The old law in Virginia saw riders fined for pulling up beside each other at a light, or riding up beside a fellow rider to signal a need to stop etc..the new law now gives the riders the right to decide when it is safe to ride side by side. Bikers in that state are looking at the new law as a win against the discrimination that they face with regards to laws.
What are your thoughts on this topic? I think it should make for some interesting discussions!
In other news:
Steve McQueen of Calgary is the first Albertan sporting a Veteran's plate on his motorcycle. After 7 years of lobbying, his efforts have been rewarded!
In Michigan where the right to choose whether or not to wear a helmet was recently granted to riders, if you 1 - take a safety course and 2 have $20,000 in medical insurance is seeing an interesting debate starting...should riders who choose to ride without a helmet be forced to sign an organ donors card? What do you think?
In Zurich Switzerland, travellers are being treated to a massive series of displays of Ducati Motorcycles.
In Cuba, Harley riders are celebrating their first ever motorcycle rally.
There are travel articles, sports news and other bits and bytes that might be of interest to you over at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.
I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and by email...
Laughter is a great way to start a Monday!
Have a great day,
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
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