3 States, 3 helmet laws under review, 3 different approaches

There is an article from Missouri in the news today that has me scratching my head.

There are only 19 states in the US that require helmets for riding, one of them is Missouri and they are proposing that for the month of August, motorcyclists be allowed to ride without their helmet.

Is that because they back freedom of choice? No, it's because riders from other states on their way to Sturgis SD for the Blackhills Rally avoid Missouri like the plague and some government representatives  say they are missing too much tourism revenue.

OK - so safety out the window, damn the cost of healthcare - we want the tourism dollars.

Freedom of choice it appears - doesn't enter the equation at all for Missourian's who ride.

Then there is Tennessee and North Carolina, both states have bills on the table to repeal helmet laws.
In North Carolina they are discussing the age of 21 as the point where helmets would not be required and special insurance would be to go without a hemet.

In Tennessee they are taking it a step further.

Begin Quote: Those include having minimum insurance coverage - $100,000 in liability insurance coverage and $200,000 in medical insurance, taking a safety course and buying a special $50 sticker permitting riding without a helmet. End Quote

There is a second proposal on the table - Begin Quote: That bill also would make helmets optional for riders 21 and older and would increase motorcycle license fees from $17.50 to $19.50 with the extra revenue going to TennCare. End Quote

Out of the three states - I like both of Tennessee's proposals.

I like the idea of a special sticker for your plate that says you have met the requirements and are legally riding without a helmet because there is no reason for a cop to jack you up.

And I like the idea that the fee will go up by $2 per year, with the extra funds going into the health care system...I wonder if they read my blog from about 4 years ago when I proposed both the special sticker and special insurance requirements.

The addition of $2 of the license fees going into state health care would make the proposal complete.
I hope they blend the two.

When riding in the US,  I choose to wear a helmet, but I am pro choice as long as there is no undue harm to other taxpayers.

In Saskatchewan, the government has ordered SGI to look at a rate cap for this year.
SGI claims that auto drivers subsidize motorcycle claims yet almost every motorcyclists also operates a motor vehicle.

R.A.G.E. says they will not back down but will keep the pressure on for riders to have a choice of what kind of insurance they carry. Right now they have mandatory medical coverage and many have that coverage through their employment  and do not need the SGI coverage.

Begin Quote: SGI CEO Andrew Cartmell said the corporation will look at safety initiatives and the injury benefit levels provided in the insurance coverage, which would require some legislative changes. End Quote

And the fight is still on in Sturgis SD over the name Sturgis as it applies to the Motorcycle Rally - Begin Quote: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc. has sued Rushmore Photo & Gifts and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. over its Sturgis trademark. The group says the trademark is needed to protect the quality of products connected with the rally that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year.

The defendants say the term is geographically descriptive and shouldn’t be trademarked, and that non-licensed vendors have been selling goods bearing “Sturgis” for decades. End Quote

That's what's on my mind today - as always you are invited to jump in on these topics!
I love hearing your point of view - it always challenges me on mine!

There are other articles in the news feeds that might be of interest to you today, visit 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...laughter - vital to good health.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

When customer service hits the ditch...

During our lives we make a lot of transactions. Some are personal, some are business, some are pleasant and others, not so much.  I have two customer service experiences I want to share.

The first customer experience I want to discuss has to do with a company called MultiView - they put together a newsletter for the MMIC (Motorcycle, Moped Industry Council) that is distributed to some 1,800 motorcycle dealers.

I had never read their newsletter, but the advertising offer they gave me at the end of September seemed reasonable. 12 weeks for $500.00 beginning in December.

At the time that I agreed to advertise everything was going well, but about a week and a half later all hell broke loose and things changed. I emailed to cancel the ad and was told the three day window for cancelling had passed and my request to cancel was denied.

So I expressed to them that I would have to send them post dated cheques to cover the ads, because this was a financial hardship.  They threatened to send me to collections because by the time we had this conversation, 30 days had passed. After some wrangling they agreed. Keep in mind this is the middle of October only and the ads haven't even begun to run.

After a few of the post dated cheques go through, I ask when my ads are going to begin running, and I got told that my account had been turned over to a collections company in the US and that my sales rep would no longer be handling the file.  WHAT? You had 4 post dated cheques, you have cashed three and I have been turned into collections, excuse me?  So I contact the collection agency - they do not have me on file.  I email the salesman back - ZERO RESPONSE.

I contact the company's collections department and leave a message.  The call that I got back was very contrite.  Apologies made all over the place, my account is paid in full, ads will begin running right away - they are so sorry for the miscommunication. They are going to give me two weeks of extra ads to make up for the imposition.

During the conversation I offered up some feedback as a customer - the fact that I have NEVER been sent a statement - the fact that all contact after the initial sale was made by me.  The fact that the sales rep just puked out that I had been sent to collections and never once picked up the phone to talk to me...

I reminded the manager in collections for MultiView that I talked to that I am in the same business as he is - but that I am the sales rep, the accountant, the Accounts Payable and Receivable department, editor, layout person and chief cook and bottle washer - I have no one to pass the buck to when things go sideways - I have to take it on the chin and put myself in my customers shoes to find a resolution. He agreed and thanked me for the feedback and promised he would coach his sales person.

So, while not a great experience at least as a customer I felt validated and some small measure of compensation was given.

The second customer service experience happened with a company called Premier Spa Boutique.

They sell skin care products.  I had purchased a complete line as I was out of products, the salesman, while high pressured seemed knowledgable.

One product in particular, not only did not do what it was supposed to but it actually harmed my skin.
I had used it for the full 12 days, exactly as recommended by the sales person.

I had called the company to talk to the sales person on the 13th day to express my dismay at the products claims and what had happened to my skin.  I was on the road, so did not have my receipt handy. After a number of back and forth emails with the gal in customer service, each increasingly rude on her part, I finally was able to dig out my receipt and give them the information.

The gal told me I had to go back to the store to get a refund on my card. Since the store is at Iron Cross Mills near Calgary, and I was in Vancouver, that wasn't happening anytime soon.

I was offered different products but as I expressed to them, if my skin is not happy with this product - I am scared to try others from your line.  Still no love.

So I spoke to the company VP - I see now why the customer service rep and the sales person are the way they are.

I was offered a 35% refund if I sent the unused portion of the product back - so I did - of the one product I had used for the 12 days, collect by Greyhound.

But I get an email back form the VP that what they wanted was for me to send back all of the products for a 35% refund.

So now they wouldn't even honour the 35% refund on the one product unless I pay the shipping fees they incurred when I sent the one product back collect, which is $75 because they had a courier go to greyhound to pick it up.

I told them in no uncertain terms what I thought of their ridiculous refund offer. I told them to keep their refund.

So I am stuck with product that my skin rebels against.

I'd rather give the stuff away to someone who has no reaction to it or throw it in the garbage and chock it up to a bad experience. I will not subject myself again to a company that is so rude when handling an issue like incompatibility.

Mistakes and problems happen in business - owners, sales reps and customer service reps are all human, products don't work with all skin types and people have allergies, sensitivities...

When a problem arises, it's an opportunity. To win the customer over, to learn the shortcomings of your product or service and strengthen it. OR it's an opportunity to piss a customer off for ever and for that customer to be in a position to vehemently resent the company and express it every chance they get.

As a customer and a business owner I have been on both sides of the fence and I know what I do when there is a problem that one of my customers experience.

The golden rule for every business man is this: 

“Put yourself in your customer’s place. – Orison Swett Marden

In the case of the two stories above, I appreciate what MultiView has done to correct the problems that have taken place, but now that I have read their newsletter and seen what little substance it has, I know I will not advertise with them again unless the results of the ad I placed with them are stellar. But if they are I would consider working with them and giving them a second shot.

In the Case of Premiere Spa Boutique - I will never darken their doorway again and would dissuade anyone from purchasing their products. If you have a skin sensitivity to their products, they are not going to resolve the issue with any kind of common sense - at least that's my experience.

Some companies get it - others don't - what kind of company do you prefer dealing with?
One that owns up to the mistake and does something to correct the problem or one that tries to rip you off or insult you?

There is a lot of news in the feeds today over at www.beltdrivebetty.com  I urge you to check them out to see what might affect your day or life as a rider.

I need your help to narrow down the filed of names for my Beaver mascot.  We have them down to the top 25, now we need to get them down to the top 5 - then we will hold a final round of voting and my Beaver will finally have a name... Check the suggestions out and help us narrow it down!!!!

I leave you with a few funnies, shared with me by friends on Facebook and via emails...

Have a fantastic hump day everyone!

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

Texting and driving, he kills a rider and our justice system let's him go free.

I am in shock, I feel sick to my stomach - what the HE double Hockey Sticks is wrong with our justice system?

One man dead, 3 others severely injured and the perpetrator? Texting while driving and not guilty of  dangerous driving causing death or the three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm he faced.
All four motorcyclists were/are members of the Barrie Chapter of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club.

What is the point of putting a law in the books if it has no teeth?

We have distracted driving laws that have NO TEETH.

If people can get off scott free AFTER they have admitted to texting an driving - then what is the point to the law?

Begin Quote: 
The officer who worked on the case, OPP Const. Trina Gosse, she she was also disappointed with the verdict.

“It is troubling when you see so many people injured,” Gosse said. “The deceased’s daughter was crying pretty hard.”

She noted that even Rogers admitted he had been using his cellphone while driving that day, however the judge could not find beyond reasonable doubt that he was using it at the time of the crash.

Gosse said this was her first case involving an alleged texting while driving causing death.

“But sadly, it is not all that uncommon," she said. End Quote

It is my firm hope that there will be an appeal.

The OCC - Ontario Confederation of Clubs does not appear to be on the rampage about this verdict, but from my personal experience with them -they appear to focus more on 1% issues than ALL rider's rights issues.

Regardless I would have thought that they would be outraged and sitting on the steps of their provincial legislature asking for the judge's decision to be reviewed or for a retrial.
I would have thought we'd see a statement or a press release, but nothing anywhere that I could find.

We NEED a national riders rights organization - a watch dog - someone to protect our rights as citizens and human beings.

Just because this happened in Ontario does not mean riders from other provinces can't have an impact.

The more we flood the Attorney General's office with letters of outrage - the more likely a review of the case will take place.  PLEASE - take 5 minutes and DO SOMETHING....

So - how can we, Joe Q Citizen have any impact on this particular injustice?

Write to the Attorney General of Ontario:

The Honourable John Gerretsen, Attorney General:

E-mail at attorneygeneral@ontario.ca

Mailing address:
Ministry of the Attorney General
McMurtry-Scott Building
720 Bay Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, ON
M7A 2S9

You could also flood the Crown Council's Telephone Lines in Barrie asking for an appeal:
Barrie Crown Attorney’s Office - (705) 739-6188

UPDATE - here is my letter to the Attorney General:

Dear Honourable John Gerretsen, Attorney General of Ontario,

The Justice system failed motorcyclists and all victims of distracted driving yesterday with the ruling by Justice Cory Gilmore in the case of Michael Rogers, a 24 year old who was, by his own admission texting and driving, crossed the centre line and killed one rider and injured 3 others.

According to the article in the Barrie Examiner today:
Crown attorney Dave Russell argued that Rogers was looking at a text message on his cellphone as he swerved out of his lane into the path of the riders.

Defence lawyer Lydia Riva argued Rogers committed no crime, but rather the tragic incident was a “moment of inattention,” and not an act of dangerous driving as defined by the Criminal Code. End Quote

Distracted driving is an offence and according to a Ministry of Transport statement on their website: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/distracted-driving/index.shtml
There is a ban on hand held cellular device use while driving in Ontario.

Would you please explain how using a hand held cellular device to read a text is not distracted driving, which is also dangerous driving?
Why was it is not considered Dangerous Driving causing death and causing bodily harm in this case?
If the person had been drinking it would be, would it not?
If the person had been stoned it would be would it not?

Why is this case any different?

What can be done to force an appeal?

I am a moto journalist who travels by motorcycle in Ontario usually once per year. I will be sharing your response with the riding community of Canada. Thank you

There is a lot going on in the news today - please check it 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 Email - after the crap in the news - I need a laugh:

Have a great weekend everyone

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

I'm probably not going to be too popular today.

The results are in on our 6th Annual Beat the PMS Blues Online Show ‘n’ Shine.

We will announce the winners in the newsletter that your newspaper comes in, tomorrow morning.

I will be contacting the winners and organizing for their prizes to go out. 

I have some things to say, they are hard to say but they must be said.

There are a few people who made this, our sixth annual - FREE Show 'n' Shine hard to deal with - they took all of the fun out of it for me.  

You see I truly love seeing all of the entries and knowing what my friends and other community members ride. I get a kick out of it and it really does ease up some of the dreadful PMS that I suffer with - Parked Motorcycle Syndrome, for those not in the know.

When we do it again next year there will be some measures put in place just for those who think they need to win at all cost.  Or they think someone is cheating so they should too, to win.

People do not seem to understand the power of social media and if one person has lots of friends voting for them, their tallies go up - fast. 

There is a right way and a wrong way to win. This is the right way, getting your FRIENDS to vote for you.

Everyone was encouraged to contact us if they had any issues. 

Many people did, their problems or challenges resolved, one rider had friends that Sasktel was blocking from accessing our site for some unknown reason, he emailed us, we verified the problem and worked through friends, to get the issue with Sasktel resolved, and he gave us the names and phone numbers of people who were having trouble voting for him and he was given the appropriate number of votes.

We verified that their IP's had been showing up consistently and then all of a sudden all 5 stopped.

We do everything in our power to keep it fair and real.

We can tell you if some one is cheating or not by the IP addresses that they use and the time stamp.

When someone has 50 or 60 friends voting for them and they all have different IP addresses – there is no cheating.

However when you see the same IP on the show 'n'shine page 25 and 30 times a day.... 

We remove those votes, we email the offender and tell them they were removed – so there really was no point to the effort. And this of course, would therefore be, the wrong way to try to win.

The reason I no longer do calendar contests is for a similar sort of reason.

Back biting, name calling, horrid, horrid behavior from people who are supposed to be adults and of course the attempts at cheating.

I hold contests for FREE – the prizes, we spend hours and days gathering, the labor it takes to host a contest is mind numbing - we do it because we want to have some fun, lighten things up – we have enough grief and enough challenges to deal with every day as riders and people. 

Does it help our business – yes, but my primary purpose, especially with this contest, is to have some FUN.

BUT - there comes a time when one really has to look at the whole thing and ask yourself – is it worth it?

Our community is based on the fundamental principles of life – being respectful is one of them and another is standing up for what you believe in.

Well I believe in fair play.

I believe that if I don’t like what someone has to say, I don’t need to take it in to my soul and then lash out hatefully. 

I believe that if someone is a jerk, you don’t keep poking them – you walk away and give them no energy.

Soon enough, they go away.

These are but a few of the core and fundamental values of being a good human being, I believe.

I have never pussyfooted around an issue that was important to me, much in my life.  

I listen to other people’s opinions, I decide what if anything they have to say resonates with my core values, makes sense to me on any level and look to understand their point of view, but understanding their point of view and adopting it or taking it into my soul are two different things. Understanding lets me hopefully find a better way of working towards a resolution to a challenge but I do not have to take that person's viewpoint on as mine in order to work to a resolution.

AND I am not pussyfooting around this issue either.

RESPECT is one word that I believe in and the disrespect shown to Ali who busts her hump, our sponsors who supply the prizes blows my mind.  

As the idiot who does all of the legwork; the obtaining sponsors, the emails and letters, the promoting – I am just discouraged. 

Next year will be far, far different.

We will be putting in every safe guard we can find to ensure a FRIENDLY AND FUN contest. 

And if we can’t find a way to prevent the nastiness – then we won’t be doing it again. 

I do not get paid enough to put up with some of the situations I have been put in over this.

This was supposed to be a fun thing. 

But there were some people who took the fun out of it for me.

That won’t happen again – I do not do things like this unless they make people feel good. PERIOD.

Belt Drive Betty,

Editor & Rider

IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE RIDE...

Taking the things we love for granted.

I love my husband. But there are times when, like every other human being out there, I take him for granted and some days that shoe is on the other foot. And then you get a diagnose of Multiple Sclerosis and your world changes – you are challenged with the loss of many things – your spouse – your relationship, your security…

All of a sudden you are in gratitude mode and guilty mode all at the same time.  And then things improve, and life returns to a new version of normal and you slowly start taking time for granted, them for granted, until the next scare…we humans can be hard learners.

Our motorcycles are another love that sometimes we take for granted. 

It doesn’t mean we don’t love them to distraction; it’s just that we have become comfortable that they will always be there for us. Until someone threatens to take our love away…

The recent request for a rate increase by SGI has taught us all something, I hope.

We need to reconnect with the love of our machines and the utter feeling of freedom and empowerment they bring.

One person on the R.A.G.E. Facebook page expressed the love for his motorcycle as one of massive joy.

What a great way to describe riding.

This has gotten me to thinking about our community, the community of motorcyclists, I don’t care if it’s a 50cc dirt bike, and enduro, a sport bike a drag bike or a cruiser, a Honda, a Yamaha, a Kawi or a Harley etc. etc. etc.

There are things that most of us have experienced in our life as riders that connect us on some levels and if we could find the right things to connect on, we could erase our own prejudices in our community first.

Then we could work on the outside world seeing us differently.

So I came up with a short list of things that might connect us…

You might be a biker if…

You and your machine have encountered many kinds of riding conditions from torrential rain to snow and all things in between.

You and your machine feel like you are a part of each other. There is a bond.

You have encountered friend and foe by the very nature of the receptions you have gotten from those who don’t ride.

You and your machine have endured countless political debates over whether or not you are gang members or if that patch you choose to wear is legit or not.

You and your machine have had discriminatory bylaws put in place to muffle you, the only noisemaker in the vehicular world. (Said sarcastically.)

You and your motorcycle have ever been restricted as to where you can and cannot compete or ride – referring to the recreational land use issues being faced in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

You have ever had your charity fundraiser affected by laws, discrimination, and misconceptions.

You have ever had insurance premiums threaten to cost you your ride. You might be a biker…

Our brothers and sisters in Saskatchewan are facing a challenge that the rest of us need to feel – to own. 

Their freedom to choose a motorcycle, as a method of transportation, is being threatened.

We need to understand that we live in a political world – like it or not and those politics have the power to take our passion, our freedom, our life line to sanity, a part of our identity, our entire lifestyle away from us unless we unite and do something proactive - it will be taken away from us.

This is not in the distant future people and I am not being a fear monger.  The danger is real and it is imminent.

It is time that we began working together. That we began in earnest to share the issues each town, each region, each province and territory is experiencing and help each other to protect and preserve our lifestyle, our right to choose to ride.

Do you need any more examples before you realize that I am speaking the truth?

Our very way of life is being threatened and I don’t care HOW you love that motorcycle be you a trials rider or a drag racer, a motocross rider or a cruiser/touring rider, adventure rider or road racer.

Never more than now, has there been a time to educate our fellow rider about their actions and how they affect the greater good.

Never more than now has there been a reason to share, talk, communicate and UNDERSTAND that even if the fight is not your fight – IT IS YOUR FIGHT.

Every time one segment of our community looses it’s freedoms or is in someway unfairly restricted, it undermines our Charter Rights and takes us all one step closer to walking …

Everywhere you look, our rights are under siege, our freedoms are being restricted – we can’t take on all of the challenges, but we, the riding community could lead the way in showing other communities how to work together and how to protect our cherished way of life.

There is an old saying that you never truly appreciate what you have until it is gone.

Remember that with freedom comes obligation – the obligation to remember that our rights and freedoms stop when they infringe upon those of another.

We need to learn to share our world and that is becoming harder to do the bigger the population becomes.

Something I want you all to ponder and consider.  Is riding a motorcycle important to you?

Do you finally believe that it CAN happen to us – the bureaucrats really can take our lifestyle from us – and do you understand that we have to let them first! 

If you are with me, that we need to somehow get organized on a national basis – then email me at bdbetty@gmail.com with the subject being Riders Rights.

In the mean time I invite you to help R.A.G.E. inSaskatchewan by buying one of our patches - $2 from every patch sold will go to help them get up an running financially – these guys and galls are shaking the Saskatchewan government hard and really need the boost that outside support from their family Wind members in other provinces can offer…

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via emails...

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and please do one thing for me...go look at your motorcycle, remember the sun, the rain, the wind, the scenery, the empowerment, the freedom and ask yourself one question - what would happen to me if I couldn't ride my motorcycle?

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider