Reposted from the Busted Knuckle Chronicles... Canada’s
Most Rider Friendly Contest Winner!!!!
Our
Quest to find the MOST Rider Friendly Community from the 2017 riding season is
over and in a resounding win, Lloydminster Alberta won that honour.
The
only border city in Canada, Lloydminster straddles the provinces of
Saskatchewan and Alberta and the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta is
signified by 4 100” tall survey markers.
Running
North to South on the 4th Meridian, the border falls directly on 50th Avenue
(Meridian Avenue) in the centre of Lloydminster. Addresses east of 50th Ave. are considered to
be in Saskatchewan and addresses west of 50th Ave are considered to be in
Alberta.
This
border town of 31,400 has a lot to offer the visitor.
For
the rider who needs parts or service, Edge Harley-Davidson (and they are member
business of the Rider Friendly Business Association), Lloydminster Honda , Rough
‘n’ Tough Powersports, Boundary Motorsports , White Knuckle Motorsports and
Lethal Motorsports are there to serve you. See their links below.
The
EconoLodge by Choice Hotels in Lloydminster is part of the Rider Friendly
Business Association and offers riders up to 20% off on rooms!
Sandy
Beach Regional Park offers a wonderful sandy beach, camping with serviced and
unserviced lots, tenting (which is becoming rare these days), golfing and a
camp kitchen and hall that are both for rent.
The
Bordertown H.O.G. Chapter is an active and busy one! They host the Toy Run in
September and are actively involved in every charitable ride in the region!
I
look forward to being in Lloydminster for their Toy Run in September to film 2
episodes of Ride Like a Local and learn all about the city and why riders in
the region are so proud of it!
Until
next time, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!
I rode in to Two Hills Alberta on Friday, June 13th at about 2:30 PM.
I had stayed in Camrose the night before in order to be fitted for a gown for a ceremony that I will be part of in September.
Ladies, if you are in need of a formal gown Tish's Fashions & Finery in Camrose is the place to go! Wow what incredible service - but more on that another day, I promise.
Back to Two Hills and my reason for being there, the Run to the Hills Memorial Bike Rally....
In Beaver County, just before the little community called Viking, there was BRAND NEW black top, about 10 K worth, not a whisper of wind and amazing blue skies.
What a happy, happy place to be!
I pulled in to the grocery store in Two Hills to meet up with my girlfriend Laurie from Fort Saskatchewan. She had picked up the order of Scavenger Hunt Maps that Staples had printed for us. All 20,000 of them, her poor little Ford Thunderbird sports car!
Well, we set about dropping off maps to lighten her load and then went to the Two Hills Inn for some Chinese for lunch. Lemon Chicken and Special Fried Rice! As usual the portions were so huge that Laurie took enough leftovers home for her and her hubby to have for super!
Although the Two Hills Inn is an old building, Julie and her hubby, Chow, have renovated all of the rooms and they are really decent rooms, with individual air conditioners, bathrooms, albeit small ones in each room, comfy beds and a really good price point.
After our scarf, we headed down to the rally site at Galeta Park and dropped off a ton of the maps in the beer gardens so that the various advertisers could pick up their share of the maps for distribution.
There had been vicious rain the night before but low and behold, there were motorhomes, toy haulers and tents everywhere. Easily 300+ people were already here!
Laurie and I headed over to the Junction Inn which is where I would be staying this year for the rally.
I had my favourite room, #107 on the ground floor.
Laurie had to head back to Fort Saskatchewan so we said our good byes and I proceeded to get settled in my room when all of a sudden the thunder hit and a few minutes later, so did the hail. That was followed by 2-3 minutes of a total deluge, an absolute down pour....
On Friday night the rally serves up a welcome dinner as part of your rally fee, and this year was no different except that lightning had knocked out the power to the better part of the entire town for about an hour and as a result dinner was late getting underway.
Josee Milroy and her team of volunteers including Twiggy did an amazing job serving up ham, veggies, lazy cabbage rolls, buns, salad....
Music got underway with Anthony Poirier the one man band and people started coming in from their soggy campsites to listen to him. The Steven Spencer band came on at about 10 pm and rocked the house out. When my time to hit the hay came I took the shuttle sponsored by Wing Shot Guiding Service over to my motel room and closed the door on an amazing day.
Weather people don't seem to have a very good handle on the weather, it had been calling for partly cloudy and 22 on Saturday, but that never materialized until Sunday. (At least everyone had a nice ride home weather wise!) The sun finally came out late Saturday afternoon/early evening, but the temperature never hit 22 and the wind was cold and bitter.
In spite of Mother Nature's hissy fit, the riders just kept coming, and coming and the unofficial head count was about 485 people registered, down from 700+ of the year before, but still an admirable and respectable number!
Of course the poor ice-cream vendor didn't sell a lot of ice cream, but the mini donut vendor did a decent trade. MJ Hearing didn't do big business, but the Golden Gopher Tattoo Studio & Cafe in Derwent (Reneta and Dana) worked their fingers off until the wee hours of the night on both Friday and Saturday and Dana was tattooing on Sunday morning!
Tara Allen was on hand with her massage studio and there was a gal there selling skull candles - Wicked Wanda was selling her leather gear and managing sales of the Run to the Hills Memorial Rally gear and Wayside Fallen Riders Park gear and The Bear Biker Wear was also on hand as usual - Bear and Penny are a joy to be around!
Lots of bikes entered the Show 'n' Shine, mud and all, about 350-400 took in the roll call with Pastor Wes as the of 28 names of lost love ones were read out after a short sermon and there were about 40 brave souls who went out on the poker run.
While people were out on the poker run, I helped Bob get the rodeo games set up and generally ran around for him, pitching in where I could. You see Bob is the Vice President of the Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association that I am executive Director of and so we help each other out, a lot.
After the rodeo games, which were shorter than normal thanks to the wet ground conditions and the ensuing safety concerns, I caught up with some good friends and was invited for a feast of corn, roasted potatoes and baked BBQ'd pork chops. Joey Carruthers Csapo, you rock!
There was a wedding happening, but word throughout the campground was that the wedding party did not really want the rest of the rally goers to attend, so many just stayed in the camping area while the wedding party were riding around honking their horns and revving their throttles letting everyone know they were part of the wedding.
The wedding party held a dinner and the $10 per plate they were asking for went to the Rally as a thank you for providing them the venue, music, etc....again, because a rumour had circulated very few from the camping area attended which sadly hurt how much the rally earned, but it is what it is and I know Bob was grateful for the gesture!
There were a whole host of wonderful people from the community of Two Hills doing security - the Fire Department, town and county had a number of volunteers working their butts off and the gals that were running the bar were phenomenal.
Heck earlier in the day the mayor had come out to welcome us all and to thank Bob and the whole Rally Committee for everything they do through the motorcycle community that aides Two Hills town and county so much.
The Fire Chief for the county, Brad Straty rides and volunteered in security, and one of the longest serving members of the Ag Society, Cleta Dieken attended the rally on her bike. Sherry Baker, the manager of the Junction Inn loves riding and volunteered on the shooter bar, Deb Tupetchka a town councillor was on the gate with her mom handling registrations. In fact county employees and volunteers from other organizations in Two Hills were all taking part in helping this rally succeed.
Out of all of the volunteers though, Ricky is probably the best loved of all them all, as this man who has his challenges, is the most friendly ambassador a community could ask for and as usual he was out keeping the grounds clean. Ricky's smile, hugs and hand shakes are well received by all!
Throttle Up was the band for Saturday evening and man, those guys managed to pull people out of the campground in large numbers!
After Miss Charlie Vegas, the burlesque dancer did her routine - which was incredible given the small stage for her to perform on, I brought Rita around with me to sell raffle tickets.
Well that little beaver ended up being a real money maker and together we made over $300 for the Memorial Rally's coffers in about an hour and a half!
One of Bob's volunteers is a gal named Sue Tchakuk and when I asked, she brought me 8 boxes of crayons. She liked this idea I had of holding an adult colouring competition!
We divided the crayons up into beer glasses and started handing out the scavenger hunt maps, you see Road Trip Rita is featured on the back of the Two Hills Scavenger Hunt Map!
The prize for this contest?
A shot of Jack Daniels....
What we didn't expect was the number of people who coloured my beaver and the number who actually submitted their creations for judging!
Bob Ross chose the winning entry by Sharon and Nadine.
I laughed until I cried at the good old fashioned, tongue in cheek adult humour.
My face and tummy hurt from laughing so hard.
Afterward, we danced, and we had fun and we laughed and that's why everyone loves this rally - everyone has FUN - there are no fights, and
Ricky - The BEST Volunteer
when people do get a tad carried away as they are want to do sometimes, they all listen to Bob and they knock it off.
There are no attitudes and no campgrounds left dirty for someone else to clean.
And you know what...this rally attracts that kind of respectful person, no matter their age.
This year saw all kinds of young, fresh faces, and they exhibited those same qualities, and that says al lot about what the rally committee, the town and county of Two Hills is doing right, TOGETHER. Promoting a welcoming attitude based in respect, and they get that respect back.
Funny how that works huh!
The Run to the Hills Memorial Bike Rally in Two Hills Alberta, Canada's FIRST Most Rider Friendly Community winner!
This is a rally you need to come and experience. WARNING....it will steal your heart and cause you to be a repeat attender!
Did you know that here in Alberta we pay two to sometimes four times more for road tests than any other province? It is privatized right now, but the province is considering taking it back.
Makes a person wonder how the fees are allocated. It's obvious that some of it goes to the examiner, and helps to pay for insurances that protect the tester and the testee.
Information gathered from one registry in Southern Alberta says that the Road Test is 90.00, and then you also have to pay an additional 22.45 for the license, then you will be a Class 5 GDL Driver. Once you are ready to graduate out of the GDL program the test is 150.00 and then 22.45 for the license. That's a total of 285.00 for testing and licensing, and that's if you pass on your first go around-and that rarely happens.
It gets expensive for a person who has teenagers who do not pass on their first try, leaving them to wonder why does it have to be so expensive. Maybe there should be a lower fee for a second and third try. Is this a money grab, it sure seems like it.
With the privatization of Driver Licensing comes other issues that have nothing to do with money. With there being no video recorders, there have been complaints of improper behavior during tests such as improper scoring, unsavory customer service and even sexual harassment. If that's the case, having a video recorder in the vehicle during testing should be mandatory. And a "Permission Slip" should be signed by test takers over 18 years old and by the guardians of those under 18 years of age. We shouldn't look at that as an invasion of privacy, but as a means of protecting ourselves and our children should anything happen that we don't want to.
Perhaps things will be different if and when the province takes back Driver Testing making it less expensive and safer for those taking the tests.
As an Albertan what are your thoughts????
By Marnie Thibodeau
Guest Blogger
For more information on this topic click the link below
Since beginning its lobbying efforts 4 years
ago, RTI has realized an unprecedented level of success in persuading public
officials to take motorcycle policy issues seriously, and to recognize the role
motorcyclists can play in helping to relieve traffic congestion.
The Rider Training
Institute has successfully lobbied Toronto City Councillors to forward a motion
containing the most comprehensive set of motorcycle related policy changes ever
proposed in a Canadian municipality.
The proposals set forth in the motion, drafted
by RTI in collaboration with Toronto Council Staff, focus on encouraging
motorcycle use in 3 key areas:
1. Secure Parking: a request
that the city expand the number of dedicated motorcycle & scooter parking
zones currently in place, and to begin immediate ticketing of prohibited
vehicles parked within those zones. 2. Access to Reserved Lanes:
a request that motorcycles be allowed access to a number of dedicated public
transit & taxi cab lanes in the downtown core, as well as on municipal
expressways.
3.
Lane Filtering Pilot: a request that the city investigate a pilot project that
would allow motorcycles to filter between other vehicles, and only up to active
stop lights, along the Richmond and Adelaide Street corridors in downtown
Toronto.
“RTI’s success in
pushing this motion forward follows its success last year in lobbying the city
to include motorcycles as one of the vulnerable road using populations identified
for special consideration in Toronto’s Vision Zero plan.” says Michel
Mersereau, instructor and lobbyist with RTI
In my interview, it was explained to me
that lane filtering (not to be confused with lane splitting) can markedly
reduce traffic congestion in an urban setting.
“Data suggests that under the correct
circumstances, and by reducing the risk of front or rear facing collisions,
filtering can “markedly” reduce the risk of death or serious injuries to
motorcyclists.” Said Sharron St. Croix, Executive Director Rider Training
Institute.
As I learned, the circumstances are
twofold:
1) Motorcyclists must perform the activity
only under the correct conditions
2) There must be a broad awareness on the
part of other drivers of the activity
The conditions they are proposing involve
filtering only up to an active stop light, only along lane boundaries that are
not adjacent to any curb, and with other vehicles at or near a standstill.
The pilot area being proposed intersects
the area of the city with the highest percentage of multi vehicle collisions
(Adelaide & Richmond Streets).
If pursued, RTI will work with the city on
an advanced signage/messaging campaign along the proposed corridors to alert
drivers of the upcoming change. Sharon says, “Ideally, this messaging campaign
will have a 6-8 month lead in time prior to the launch of the pilot.
RTI will not support the initiative unless
an active messaging campaign is deployed well in advance, additionally, we will
work with media partners to get the message out to riders about the right &
wrong way to perform the activity if and when the pilot is approved.
We realize that opinions on lane filtering
are mixed in the riding community, but we also believe in pursuing evidence
based initiatives that have the potential to make roads safer for riders,
encourage motorcycle use, and help to ease congestion on our roads.
Lane filtering, contentious as it may be,
is one of those examples.”
If you
have any questions regarding the proposed policy, please contact:
Sharron St-Croix
Executive Director RTI
302 - 30 Duncan Street
Toronto, ON M5V 2C3
416-516-6151 or 1-866-876-1551
The new narrative of the Royal Canadian Legion's Dominion Command is a disappointing one.
It started because a police officer took offence to a veteran wearing motorcycle garb at a Remembrance Day event while also wearing his medals. The police officer called it disrespectful and after discussions the Dominion Command of the Royal Canadian Legion decided to adopt a ban on "outlaw" clubs...
Let me go back in time a bit...
In the late 40's, after WWII a lot of veterans came back missing the camaraderie of those they had worked with, and needing adrenaline fixes to keep the PTSD at bay (they called it shell shock back then).
A lot of veterans took up motorcycle riding and today, our highways are filled with veterans who ride motorcycle to ease the pain in their head and more.
A lot of these veterans have joined male only motorcycle clubs that are generally comprised of a small knit group of like minded people. They support each other just like they did when they were in combat. They have each other's back, they eat together, ride together, drink and party together. They stay to themselves for the most part, because they want to be with peers who understand, without having to say a word.
I truly understand that whole world these days and in ways I never thought possible.
It's the same world that Firefighters belong to, where peer to peer counselling is a big part of what goes on after a fire because there is a credibility the person you are talking to has when you fought a fire side by side with them or you fed them....When I spiralled into an 8 month PTSD pit of hell in May of 2017 after the first anniversary of Fort Mac's wildfire, I couldn't afford counselling. It was the guys from Wood Buffalo that literally talked me off the ledge twice during that 8 months and I credit them with why I am still here today.
I was that close to going down the rabbit hole.
It is for that reason that many veterans choose to ride in close knit groups with a vetting period to ensure that the person they let into their fold is going to have their back when they wig out.
There really is nothing more sinister than that going on in 99% of these clubs.
The problem with a lot of riding clubs - one piece patch outfits - there is no vetting period - you buy your patch and you attend or don't attend events and rides. There are a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences but very seldom do they and the veteran truly have much in common. A lot of the time, because the supporters don't know how to handle PTSD etc., there is a large ebb and flow of membership, this is not what most veterans are looking for, they are looking for consistency, stability in an otherwise unstable world.
A person who has never experienced PTSD has no clue how to deal with the psychological traumas that some of these people have. Being around people who don't understand makes some of these veterans pull away, become anti social etc...
All three piece patches are not created equally and this is not an issue about 1% clubs like the Hells Angels or the Outlaws or support clubs like the Dirty Few. Those clubs, they don't give a rats arse about the average rider. Individually I know some members of those clubs, and they have always treated me with consideration and respect, however, in the grand scheme of things, I am no one in their world and neither is the average rider.
I am not here to judge who is a criminal and who is not. I know that there are members of 1% clubs who don't have so much as speeding tickets because that's who they are as a person. I work hard not to generalize as generalizations lead to profiling which is what the police appear to do in our community on a regular basis.
I have two uncles who were RCMP officers and they definitely did not like the Rock Machine, the Angels, the Popeyes but...they did not deny the rest of the riders in the country their charter rights to try and nab what they deemed to be the bad guys. They did sound police work to get their "man".
Why the Royal Canadian Legion has decided to do just that is beyond me: take away the charter rights of VETERANS - the very people they are sworn to serve...
UNLESS YOU WEAR SOMETHING WE DON'T LIKE
A person I know who wears the patch of a Veterans MC was asked to leave a licensed establishment for wearing his colours on date night with his wife just a few weeks ago.
He is not a criminal, his Motorcycle Club is not a gang. BUT because the waitress knows she stands to face $10K in penalties and or up to 6 months in jail for serving "outlaws"....well, she asked him to take his cut off or leave and he didn't want to do either so the cops were called.
Nice right, a veteran, eating dinner with his spouse... let that sink in...
He wasn't fighting, he wasn't disrupting the other patrons, he was having a nice dinner with his WIFE.
It's for people like him that I am standing up and putting my butt on the line with my Legion Membership.
Please people, educate yourselves about the fear mongering and what the penalties are for volunteers, waiting staff and owners...here are just a few of the penalties in the province of Alberta for serving someone you are not supposed to under the act:
A waitress can face up to $10,000 and or 6 months in jail.
An owner can face up to $50K in fines and temporary closures and as high as $200K in fines and loss of license.
If you serve a member of a "gang" who is wearing their "colours" you can face the fines above if you get the right police officer because under the liquor control act, they are considered liquor inspectors.
So, out of the 5,000 or so Motorcycle Clubs in the world, how many are considered criminal or unwanted by the police?
And how many get tarred with that brush simply because they have asked for permission to wear a three piece patch instead of doing what the Iron Order did in the US and just stand themselves up, don't talk to the dominants and create turf wars everywhere?
Our Traditional MC's get penalized for being considerate and polite and NOT CAUSING TURF WARS, by the police who try to make it look like these guys are in bed with what the police consider to be a criminal entity.
So folks - this petition I started is not about standing up for the 1% clubs.
They can and will do that for themselves.
My assistance is not needed by them, neither is yours.
No, this is about standing up against Patchwearerphobia (Similar to Islamaphobia which is now illegal in this country).
Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms under the Constitution Act of 1982:
Fundamental Freedoms
Marginal note:Fundamental freedoms
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
(d) freedom of association.
AND
Equality Rights
Marginal note:Equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of law
15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
I feel for the waitress or volunteer who tells someone they must either take off their clothing or leave.
I feel for the person whose Charter Freedoms are being stripped away.
The Legion's general meeting is in August.
I am trying to reserve my personal decision on staying or leaving until that meeting transpires.
I love our branch president here in GP and the relationship that I have with our region 1 commander. is wonderful. I really don't want to loose that.
I do not love what the organization's command has decided. I think they have forgotten that a Veteran is a Veteran - their clothing choices do not cancel out their service to our country.
What say you?
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
Don't forget our Father's Day Contest....
Win some Haupy's Beaver Rub by snapping a photo of the "dad" in your life at the BBQ...
and then Like our page: CanadianMotorcycleEvents on Facebook.
(Please, rub responsibly and remember, this rub is not for use on live beavers)
7th Annual UN NATO Canada Veterans – Edmonton Crew’s Show and Shine and BBQ
by Ray Ralph of the Harley-Davidson Edmonton Community & Mayor of Devon
I was fortunate to attend this years 7th annual UN NATO Canada Veterans – Edmonton Crew’s Show and Shine and BBQ which was held at the Kipnes Centre for Veterans.
The Kipnes Centre is home to more than 80 veterans, with the eldest turning 101 years old this year. The centre provides 24/7 nursing care as well as other support such as physiotherapy, recreation
therapy, occupational therapy, social worker, dietician, music therapy and
spiritual care. The centre itself has 100 registered volunteers. This years one
day event raised approximately $2540 which was generated through the
registration fees for the show and shine, silent auction, 50/50 draw and the
cost of the BBQ for non-residents. I must give a big hat’s off to everyone who
made this event such a success, especially the two key organizers Don and
Sheila. The event started with several of the members of the Edmonton Crew meeting at the Edmonton Garrison and then arriving at the same time on their motorcycles which created lots of excitement for the residents to kick off the afternoon of activities. Mother nature was good this year and the weather was terrific for enjoying a BBQ. The UN NATO Canada Edmonton crew took care of all the supplies including doing all the cooking of the burgers and Hot Dogs and offer’s the BBQ to the residents at no cost to them. The Show & Shine portion of the event had 16 bikes and 4 classic vehicles registered.
There were also two gentlemen who were offering rides to the residents in their Urals which was a giant hit.
It is great to see some of the increased mobility equipment and other purchases that the centre has been able to make over the years for the residents through these fund-raising activities. As one of the Board members of the Kipnes Centre stated at the event. “without these funds raised through these events they would not have the money to purchase these items”.
You can see and feel the appreciation from the staff, residents and their families when you look around the room when the prizes for the Show and Shine are being presented and the announcement of the additional funds generated to assist with additional purchases in the future.
This year was my second year of being able to attend this
event and present a cheque to the UN NATO Canada Veterans – Edmonton Crew in
support of the Kipnes Centre on behalf of the Edmonton Harley Davidson
Motorcycle Community through our Calendar sales and Annual Motorcycle Fashion
show. In 2018 the E.H.D.M.C. has raised over $11,000.00 for the centre.
If it wasn’t for these men and women who put their lives on
the line for us we would not be enjoying the freedom we have today. I am hoping
that the Edmonton Crew hold another event next year
Photos by Ray Ralph, Gerald Maximilien & Charles Issaacs
Why did I make the headline sound so gloom and doom?
Because folks, this is my 16th riding season covering the kind of crap that has come up in the newsfeeds again, it's depressing, demoralizing and discouraging that after 15 years of writing, talking, sharing, no one has gotten off their butt to unite and actually fight for the rights of motorcyclists.
Somewhere in this country there has to be someone with the gift, the ability to unite people and get them working together to remove the discrimination and disdain that riders experience constantly.
Do you know how many times and how often I am forced to explain why a motorcycle tourism association is spearheading the building of Veterans Memorial Gardens or why I pushed to build the Afghanistan War Monument? It's disgusting that people's minds automatically go to the bad places, the places that sadly, the RCMP and other police services seem to lead them through the bastardization of terminologies that are commonly used in our community and a main stream media that can't seem, or doesn't want to, actually do journalism. It seems that so much of what they do is sensationalized into stuff that it isn't.
In the last 36 hours or so, three articles have hit the news that should be disturbing for all motorcyclists.
Because of the way sound reverberates in the mountains, the retirees of the Kootenay's are getting tired of all of the noise that motorcycles generate, and we now have a zero tolerance on after market pipes in the Kootenay's.
"Police throughout the East and West Kootenay will be stepping up enforcement and adopting a zero tolerance policy with respect to motorcycles that have altered their exhaust pipes or installed after market equipment to make the motorcycle louder." Read the rest of the article HERE. If louder was the only reason for the upgraded pipes that many have installed - ok, but truth is many dealerships sell these pipes so that the engine will breath and perform better. Dr. Jeckill and Hyde Mufflers are what should be stock on every motorcycle sold. PERIOD. Quiet mode in town, louder mode when you are on the highway looking for fuel efficiency and performance. Loud Pipes do not save lives, they piss people off and make all motorcyclists into villains. The average citizen doesn't look at me and say, she's running stock pipes, she's a good motorcyclist but look at him, he's got illegal exhaust, he's a bad motorcyclist. And even if they did say that, they'd still be wrong cause buddy with a louder exhaust can control the sound, it's all in the wrist. They just look at all of us and tar us all with the same noisy, disrespectful brush. And so, the us against them, the Loud Pipes Saves Lives group against Riding like everyone is blind Group, the I want to sit on the deck and have a conversation, not scream above the loud pipes groups VS, the OH LOOK AT ME crowd... Respect - our community touts it all the time - but seriously there is nothing respectful about a set of pipes that sets off car alarms for three blocks.
A Fire Fighters Club
Then there's the whole Three Piece Patch World and how cops have this idea that three piece patches are all property of people who do bad things.
Not all three piece patches are created equally.
On Whyte Ave in Edmonton a member of the Veterans MC Canada was asked to leave a dining establishment because he was wearing his cut while on a date night with his spouse. Now we have people concerned about firefighters who have been seen at motorcycle functions with members of the Hells Angels. Read the article: Florian's Knights The police do not understand the culture of the three piece patch clubs (or they act very obtuse about it) there is a dominant club in every region and if you want to wear a set of patches then you need approval so as not to cause a male dominated piss fight. The dominant wants to know that you are not there to start trouble or interfere in the community and that you are not there to try to challenge their dominance. The Florian Knights out of the Lower Mainland did what every respectful club does, they said - Hey Motorcycle Community - do you have a problem with us flying these colours and riding together to raise money for charity while being brothers who help each other? The dominant - the Hells Angels said no, you aren't going to cause problems in our community, we have no problem with you. The other clubs said hey, welcome to the community. End of. BUT.... The cops use/interpret that to mean, oh, you are in bed with the Hells Angels cause you asked their permission to fly your colours. And because you get seen at motorcycle events and the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has members present, well, now you really must be in their hip pocket or somehow associated. Or god forbid, you were childhood friends with someone who became a Hells Angels Member... OMG that is horrible and against the law that a Hells Angels member could have a friend. NOT ALL HELLS ANGELS MEMBERS ARE CRIMINALS.
And then there is the Royal Canadian Legion and their new edict about barring 3 piece patches from their club houses while also stating that it is disrespectful for a motorcyclist to wear his medals on his riding vest....talk to the good folks who attend and ride in the Ride to Remember at Beechwood Cemetery, then come tell me about disrespect. Tell that to any member of theVeterans Paratroopers MC, of the Veterans MC Canada. I bet you'll get an ear full. They want to court riders, they have their own "Club" The Legion Riders, they play a part in the promotion and running of the National Memorial Ride: http://www.legion.ca/remembrance/promoting-remembrance/national-memorial-ride Can you say HYPOCRITES?
It is obvious to me that there is another riding season disinformation campaign going on and yet again, many are falling into the trap. "All who wear a three piece patch are trouble, you need to use the petty trespass act to get rid of them out of your club house or establishment or you are going to loose your liquor license." says the nice police officer. There is a problem with that disinformation campaign....not all Three Piece Patches are worn by those who commit crimes. Now, I have preached this over and over and over until I am sick of having to say it. Not all who wear the 3 piece patch of the Hells Angels are criminal. Not all who wear a three piece patch are criminal. Not all who wear a three piece patch are connected to the Hells Angels. Just Like: Not all priests are pedophiles Not all cops are drunks who mow motorcyclists down and flee the scene like Monty Robinson.
Generalizations SUCK. PROFILING is WRONG, ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL. Know your Charter Rights and USE THEM PEOPLE. Please sign my petition. HERE
What say you? Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider Just a few of the photos from around the Internet that expose the Hypocrisy, Lies and Lunacy of it all:
