Lat week I asked you how you felt about the 1% community, there were no responses, so either you chose not to respond, or no one read the article.
The 1% community influences law enforcement and government when it comes to the treatment of the you and I - the everyday ordinary rider get treated.
Last week an event in Oregon was shut down because of the Mongols and the Angels having a dispute.
This week, there is news that a prominent immigration lawyer named Margaret Wong is suing the US government on behalf of the Hells Angels over it's policy of denying entry visas to members of the group.
Begin Quote: "Wong and Kentucky lawyer Matthew Robinson are representing the motorcycle club in a lawsuit filed last month in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The suit says Hells Angels members have been denied travel visas after the Homeland Security and State departments designated the club as a "known criminal organization."
The suit says the blanket designation is unwarranted and violates federal immigration law." End Quote
Regardless of what your personal views are on who the Hells Angels are, if governments can deny entry into a country based on the fact you are a member - and you have no criminal record...do you think it could happen to you?
I have a taped interview with a German biker who visited this country about a year ago. In that interview he expresses that he travelled through 3 international airports and their security before landing in Toronto. In Toronto he was strip searched and grilled over his tee shirts and what they meant - why? Because he chose to wear his leathers sooner than pack them in his bag and pay for the extra weight. He expressed that the officers who interrogated him, insisted his tee shirts were gang related and not event related as he insisted they were.
So - while the Hells Angels and others of their ilk may be the cause of the grief many of us go through, the RCMP and other police services are the ones who perpetrate the profiling of our community. I had spoken to MP Chris Warkenton a while back regarding the issue of police profiling and he said he would never ask or insist they stop profiling because it is a valuable tool. Hmmm - I wonder.
So - what are your thoughts on this fine Monday morning?
Is profiling a good tool for the police to use?
Are the Hells Angels right to be suing the US government over denying visitor visas?
How do you feel about tourists who are not members of 1% motorcycle clubs being strip searched over the apparel they wear?
I would love to know!
In other news:
A rider in Edmonton is in serious condition after a crash last night on Groat Road.
Also in Edmonton, a plea is being sent out for Edmontonians to endure the noise generated by the upcoming Toy Run.
The Barber Vintage Festival is dubbed the fastest growing celebration of vintage motorcycles and is scheduled for October 12 – 14, 2012 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
In Sports - Valentino Rossi finished second, 4 second behind Jorge Lorenzo this weekend. It was Rossi's best finish in two years!
There is lots of other articles in the news feeds that may be of interest to you as a rider, check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed!
I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via emails...
Have a fabulous Monday and please - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
The 1% community influences law enforcement and government when it comes to the treatment of the you and I - the everyday ordinary rider get treated.
Last week an event in Oregon was shut down because of the Mongols and the Angels having a dispute.
This week, there is news that a prominent immigration lawyer named Margaret Wong is suing the US government on behalf of the Hells Angels over it's policy of denying entry visas to members of the group.
Begin Quote: "Wong and Kentucky lawyer Matthew Robinson are representing the motorcycle club in a lawsuit filed last month in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The suit says Hells Angels members have been denied travel visas after the Homeland Security and State departments designated the club as a "known criminal organization."
The suit says the blanket designation is unwarranted and violates federal immigration law." End Quote
Regardless of what your personal views are on who the Hells Angels are, if governments can deny entry into a country based on the fact you are a member - and you have no criminal record...do you think it could happen to you?
I have a taped interview with a German biker who visited this country about a year ago. In that interview he expresses that he travelled through 3 international airports and their security before landing in Toronto. In Toronto he was strip searched and grilled over his tee shirts and what they meant - why? Because he chose to wear his leathers sooner than pack them in his bag and pay for the extra weight. He expressed that the officers who interrogated him, insisted his tee shirts were gang related and not event related as he insisted they were.
So - while the Hells Angels and others of their ilk may be the cause of the grief many of us go through, the RCMP and other police services are the ones who perpetrate the profiling of our community. I had spoken to MP Chris Warkenton a while back regarding the issue of police profiling and he said he would never ask or insist they stop profiling because it is a valuable tool. Hmmm - I wonder.
So - what are your thoughts on this fine Monday morning?
Is profiling a good tool for the police to use?
Are the Hells Angels right to be suing the US government over denying visitor visas?
How do you feel about tourists who are not members of 1% motorcycle clubs being strip searched over the apparel they wear?
I would love to know!
In other news:
A rider in Edmonton is in serious condition after a crash last night on Groat Road.
Also in Edmonton, a plea is being sent out for Edmontonians to endure the noise generated by the upcoming Toy Run.
The Barber Vintage Festival is dubbed the fastest growing celebration of vintage motorcycles and is scheduled for October 12 – 14, 2012 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
In Sports - Valentino Rossi finished second, 4 second behind Jorge Lorenzo this weekend. It was Rossi's best finish in two years!
There is lots of other articles in the news feeds that may be of interest to you as a rider, check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where our work is keeping You informed!
I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via emails...
Have a fabulous Monday and please - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
Fishing for comments on these subjects from a complacent biker community is a futile endeavor as most either are envious and don't want to alienate or are scared to death and don't want to anger them.
ReplyDeleteToo true JD, too true...but it would be nice someday to have some honest dialogue
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that JD, it's a complex question and my answer would be longer than is suitable for this comment box.
ReplyDeleteShort answer is I don't spend a lot of time thinking about 1%'s. Their world and mine rarely overlap, apart from at the odd ride or bike show. I knew going in that being part of the riding community would mean I'd be treated differently by the mainstream, but I'm at a point in my life when I really don't care.
As far as profiling is concerned, I think it's unavoidable. For instance, if someone told me that their bike had been stolen by someone with green skin, I'd be looking at bikes being ridden by people with green skin, not blue skin. Simple example, but that's profiling.
What happened to the German tourist was wrong, and was a case of profiling being taken to an extreme or abused.
Thanks for sharing Bonecutter - I appreciate your candour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Bonecutter - I appreciate your candour.
ReplyDeleteJust a further thought and a bit of a rant:
ReplyDeleteMaybe a good question would be how much damage do the some of other 99% of riders do to the perception of bikers?
Go to a bike show. Watch some of the guys from the mom and pop clubs slip on a leather jacket or vest and suddenly start walking around like they just grew a set of biceps.
Go to a pub night and watch the same people indulging in juvenile antics before they go home and take off their "bad boy" costumes. Before they go back to their day jobs and their regular lives.
If riders don't want to be associated with that image then leave the leathers, the vests, the patches - leave all of it in the store. Put on your colourful Joe Rocket gear, take off the loud pipes, leave the attitude at home and enjoy your ride. There's nothing wrong with that.
But so long as people get a thrill out of living out their idea of a bad boy image - we're going to keep contributing to the problem.
Oh bonecutter you got that one pegged really well. This community can be it's own worse enemy - is there a way to change that? Not sure..but I know one thing I appreciate you getting in on this conversation!
ReplyDelete