banshee777
10-07-2009, 12:08 PM
Before you start it's long and a bit of a vent of my spleen, hopefully you can see some truths in there.
*pulls out soapbox and stands on it*
As you know I haven't ridden for years so I've been getting myself up to speed on my own riding skills and where motorcycling is at compared with about 10 years ago. Here's what I've found (including the bleeding obvious):
More people own bikes than previously (prosperity)
Powerful bikes are now more powerful (technology)
Police are now more powerful (lazy)
Riders as a group are being criminalised, demonised, and targeted (agenda?)
When I used to ride I got up to all sorts of hooliganism and I quickly learned that the best option with the police was not to challenge their authourity when I had been pulled. Apart from the usual handful of idiots on both sides everyone played well together. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, why?
Are there more idiots on either side? Probably!
Is the younger generation stupid and bringing this on themselves? Probably as every younger generation is stupid in the eyes of the previous generation.
So what has changed - politicians and bureaucrats? No they're still the same, they're just doing what they've always done but now the target is different - it's us. Before it was other groups, rights, and privileges:
Gun ownership - done to death with bans on specific types and licensing changes
Pitbulls - done with breed specific legislation (BSL - remember that acronym)
Boy-racers in Skylines - done with anti-hooning laws and confiscation of vehicles
Bad-boy bikers - on the way with the proscribed groups laws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proscription) - coming from Ireland I'm pretty familiar with this one - doesn't work.
Traffic Enforcement - Police Task groups to fix speeding issues, illegal modifications to bikes, lane splitting, more cameras, more traffic cops, sneakier police cars, entrapment techniques...whatever it takes.
So what has caused this? My opinion - 3 things:
Higher visibility of bikes (and their antics) - without quoting stats I'll take it at face value that more people are dying on their bikes. Why are there more? Because there's more bikes. Okay, why are they dying? Because they can't ride their bikes well, ah Q-ride is to blame for churning out riders who can barely work out which foot to put down on the ground when they pull up at the lights? How is this visibility being raised - more bikes around all the local fun twisty roads whizzing past joe-public voter, more sensational headlines in the Courier Mail of bikes doing 240plus on the highway, riders making up higher numbers in the road toll, riders covering their plate with their foot as they hoon past a speed camera, pictures of crosses and tributes/memorials on the side of the road - the spotlight is on bikes, riders, and riding in general.
Politicians - Because the Courier mail and other tabloids publish sensational stories of the CARNAGE on our roads the politicians feel they must act. A politician has only one aim at any particular time - get into power and when in power - stay in power. Would Anna Blighs scrapping of the fuel subsidy or raising of regos have gotten her into power? No, hence why it happens [u]after</u> she gets in. Because of this eons old law of the world politicians will always appease the largest block of voters to ensure their election or re-election to power. Motorcyclists are NOT a large block of voters, same for gun owners, pit bull fanciers etc. etc.
Along with politicians you have bureaucrats - These people need something to do to justify their jobs. The hardest thing for them to do is say that the laws or rules or statutes are fine the way they are. They need to be "improved" all the time, not in a big way, just little by little.
Rider Apathy - the big one. We are one of the reasons that we find ourselves in this situation. How many of us are a member of any organsiation that represents them to governement? How many of us write to our local parliamentarian to voice our concern? How may challenge our local councillor on their position with relation to bikes, bike parking, front rego id, licensing? Who do we think is doing this for us? Who do we think is looking after us and our rights.......maybe our duly elected politicians?
But what about the police? They're just the tool to enforce laws, they don't make them up (mostly). They take their cues from the government on how vigorously to enforce laws, public opinion matters to them as well. I respect them for the other parts of their job that we as riders don't focus on - dealing with murderers, rapists, pedos, drug dealers and all the shattered lives of their victims. But I would prefer them to focus more of their efforts on that part of their job and less on meeting politically motivated anti-bikeriding agendas. More crime prevention (old-fashioned policing) and less after the fact detection (cameras).
Back to the original topic - And this is how it happens, little by little the laws and rules and regs creep forward and your rights are diminished little by little until you look around and see that your rights have been eroded and you wonder how did this happen?
This is bullshit you say, couldn't happen here, we're free!
Let me paint a picture of motorcycling's next 10 years (2019). In 2 years (2011) bikes have crossed into the realms of 200 horsepower at the wheel. Someone riding a bike at it's full potential rounds a corner, loses control and slams the bike into a crowd of tourists stopped at a local lookout. 4 dead and 5 hospitalised. The rider was unlicensed, speeding and has a history of idiocy. Public outcry is huge. Manufacturers stand shoulder to shoulder with the governement on this one and agree to horsepower limits of 130hp and speed limits of 250km/h. Happens again in 1 year (2012) except this time it's in suburban streets and an infant in a pram is killed. Public outcry is again huge, press amps it to the max and links it back to the previous incidnet. Politicians now need a stance - they need to demonstrate action and a crackdown is underway, these elements of our society (motorbikers) are uncaring scum who only care about their own thrills and no one else (we've been demonised and are on our way to being further criminalised). Limits are dropped to 120hp and 210 km/h. Capacities are also voluntarily limited by manufacturers to 1 litre. Registration discounts are applied to riders with limited power and cc's to encourage older bikes without the speed and hp limits to be taken off the road. Front rego stickers for bikes are fast tracked to make speed enforcement easier. Public feels safer. 3 years (2015) later there is still a "high" number of riders dying in accidents, insurance is becoming increasingly difficult to source at a resonable price without limitations such as wearing a high-viz vest at all times when riding. A review of licensing is now underway. 2 years later (2017)with insurance nigh on impossible to source the outcome of that review is the recommendation that bike capacity be limited to 600cc with 100hp restrictions. All current EFI bikes registered on the road are to be remapped to enable a 30% power restriction in return for a further insurance and registration discount. Carb bikes will have inlet stubs and exhaust constrictors put in place to restrict horsepower. Government subsidy is available for people to trade-in their non-complying bikes. An extra licence class has been determined for people who will not trade in their litre plus unrestricted bike, a skills and knowledge test is required to be sat yearly because of the high power of the bike and the danger it represents to the public - you cannot get insurance for this class of licence. The public is appeased and this seems to be good progress for Mr. joe-blow voter. Two years later (2019) another hooligan goes ballistic on his bike and the police are powerless to catch her. She's on a modified bike with all of the restrictions removed. With the channel 9 chopper filming she leades the cops on a merry chase all over Brisbane until she eventually crashes. Tasered into submission by the cops and then taken away it comes out that she recently escaped from prison with her meth cook boyfriend (motorcycling is again linked with criminality). The press reminds the public of the previous incidents and the opposition hounds the police and transport ministers on how she escaped and came to be in posession of an unrestricted bike (now very much in the minority). The governement responds by legislating that all unrestricted bikes are now to be registered with the governemt irrespective of whether they are registered on the road. If you own one - they want to know. New legislation also mandates a 2 year jail term with a mandatory 12months to serve for people not registering their bikes. The jail term for modifying a restricted bike is lifted from 1 year to 4 with a mandatory serving of 2 years in jail. Next year (2020) by making 3rd party property insurance compulsory for all vehicles and with insurance companies only insuring bikes that meet all governement restrictions the number of non-confirming bikes legally on the road is now nil. Penalties are again raised for non-conforming bikes and the previously unrestricted bikes are removed from private ownership and harsh penalties are put in place for people with these now illegal bikes irrespective of whether they are ridden or not.
Breed Specific Legislation is now Bike specific legislation - already starting here with LAMS, and previously in place in England with power restrictions on the likes of gixxers and zzr1100s many years ago. In place in Japan with 400 being the go unless you have a lot of money.
BSL is now Biker specific legislation - already on the way with the proscribed groups. In place in Japan with a rigorous rider training regime.
BSL is the thin end of the wedge.
How can we keep our rights? With our own effort. With our own organised effort. As a group. As an individual. But it all comes back to making sure that we do something about it now and not in the future. I joined the MRAQ - never been to a meeting, know nothing of them beyond what is on their website but my membership money helps their volunteers work on our behalf with the politicians and bureaucrats. I do belive that this is just half of the picture though.
Politicians respond to headlines, news stories, polls, public opinion and you need pressure to get some results and this is what is missing at the moment - what about a ride for rights through Brisbane? ePetitions on the relaxing of the ADR for rear fenders??? Deals get struck, rego hikes stay, fender eliminators are now legal - it happens. Ads in the general press to highlight riding as a sport, hobby, past-time etc. Letters to your MP, councillor, fed rep etc.
I hope this post does nothing except make us all think about what we take for granted everytime we ride a Gixxer1100 up the road, fully insured, with our current licences, at the rego cost we pay, wearing whatever the hell we want to as long as there is a helmet on our head.
Thanks for indulging my rant - *puts away soap-box*
*pulls out soapbox and stands on it*
As you know I haven't ridden for years so I've been getting myself up to speed on my own riding skills and where motorcycling is at compared with about 10 years ago. Here's what I've found (including the bleeding obvious):
More people own bikes than previously (prosperity)
Powerful bikes are now more powerful (technology)
Police are now more powerful (lazy)
Riders as a group are being criminalised, demonised, and targeted (agenda?)
When I used to ride I got up to all sorts of hooliganism and I quickly learned that the best option with the police was not to challenge their authourity when I had been pulled. Apart from the usual handful of idiots on both sides everyone played well together. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore, why?
Are there more idiots on either side? Probably!
Is the younger generation stupid and bringing this on themselves? Probably as every younger generation is stupid in the eyes of the previous generation.
So what has changed - politicians and bureaucrats? No they're still the same, they're just doing what they've always done but now the target is different - it's us. Before it was other groups, rights, and privileges:
Gun ownership - done to death with bans on specific types and licensing changes
Pitbulls - done with breed specific legislation (BSL - remember that acronym)
Boy-racers in Skylines - done with anti-hooning laws and confiscation of vehicles
Bad-boy bikers - on the way with the proscribed groups laws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proscription) - coming from Ireland I'm pretty familiar with this one - doesn't work.
Traffic Enforcement - Police Task groups to fix speeding issues, illegal modifications to bikes, lane splitting, more cameras, more traffic cops, sneakier police cars, entrapment techniques...whatever it takes.
So what has caused this? My opinion - 3 things:
Higher visibility of bikes (and their antics) - without quoting stats I'll take it at face value that more people are dying on their bikes. Why are there more? Because there's more bikes. Okay, why are they dying? Because they can't ride their bikes well, ah Q-ride is to blame for churning out riders who can barely work out which foot to put down on the ground when they pull up at the lights? How is this visibility being raised - more bikes around all the local fun twisty roads whizzing past joe-public voter, more sensational headlines in the Courier Mail of bikes doing 240plus on the highway, riders making up higher numbers in the road toll, riders covering their plate with their foot as they hoon past a speed camera, pictures of crosses and tributes/memorials on the side of the road - the spotlight is on bikes, riders, and riding in general.
Politicians - Because the Courier mail and other tabloids publish sensational stories of the CARNAGE on our roads the politicians feel they must act. A politician has only one aim at any particular time - get into power and when in power - stay in power. Would Anna Blighs scrapping of the fuel subsidy or raising of regos have gotten her into power? No, hence why it happens [u]after</u> she gets in. Because of this eons old law of the world politicians will always appease the largest block of voters to ensure their election or re-election to power. Motorcyclists are NOT a large block of voters, same for gun owners, pit bull fanciers etc. etc.
Along with politicians you have bureaucrats - These people need something to do to justify their jobs. The hardest thing for them to do is say that the laws or rules or statutes are fine the way they are. They need to be "improved" all the time, not in a big way, just little by little.
Rider Apathy - the big one. We are one of the reasons that we find ourselves in this situation. How many of us are a member of any organsiation that represents them to governement? How many of us write to our local parliamentarian to voice our concern? How may challenge our local councillor on their position with relation to bikes, bike parking, front rego id, licensing? Who do we think is doing this for us? Who do we think is looking after us and our rights.......maybe our duly elected politicians?
But what about the police? They're just the tool to enforce laws, they don't make them up (mostly). They take their cues from the government on how vigorously to enforce laws, public opinion matters to them as well. I respect them for the other parts of their job that we as riders don't focus on - dealing with murderers, rapists, pedos, drug dealers and all the shattered lives of their victims. But I would prefer them to focus more of their efforts on that part of their job and less on meeting politically motivated anti-bikeriding agendas. More crime prevention (old-fashioned policing) and less after the fact detection (cameras).
Back to the original topic - And this is how it happens, little by little the laws and rules and regs creep forward and your rights are diminished little by little until you look around and see that your rights have been eroded and you wonder how did this happen?
This is bullshit you say, couldn't happen here, we're free!
Let me paint a picture of motorcycling's next 10 years (2019). In 2 years (2011) bikes have crossed into the realms of 200 horsepower at the wheel. Someone riding a bike at it's full potential rounds a corner, loses control and slams the bike into a crowd of tourists stopped at a local lookout. 4 dead and 5 hospitalised. The rider was unlicensed, speeding and has a history of idiocy. Public outcry is huge. Manufacturers stand shoulder to shoulder with the governement on this one and agree to horsepower limits of 130hp and speed limits of 250km/h. Happens again in 1 year (2012) except this time it's in suburban streets and an infant in a pram is killed. Public outcry is again huge, press amps it to the max and links it back to the previous incidnet. Politicians now need a stance - they need to demonstrate action and a crackdown is underway, these elements of our society (motorbikers) are uncaring scum who only care about their own thrills and no one else (we've been demonised and are on our way to being further criminalised). Limits are dropped to 120hp and 210 km/h. Capacities are also voluntarily limited by manufacturers to 1 litre. Registration discounts are applied to riders with limited power and cc's to encourage older bikes without the speed and hp limits to be taken off the road. Front rego stickers for bikes are fast tracked to make speed enforcement easier. Public feels safer. 3 years (2015) later there is still a "high" number of riders dying in accidents, insurance is becoming increasingly difficult to source at a resonable price without limitations such as wearing a high-viz vest at all times when riding. A review of licensing is now underway. 2 years later (2017)with insurance nigh on impossible to source the outcome of that review is the recommendation that bike capacity be limited to 600cc with 100hp restrictions. All current EFI bikes registered on the road are to be remapped to enable a 30% power restriction in return for a further insurance and registration discount. Carb bikes will have inlet stubs and exhaust constrictors put in place to restrict horsepower. Government subsidy is available for people to trade-in their non-complying bikes. An extra licence class has been determined for people who will not trade in their litre plus unrestricted bike, a skills and knowledge test is required to be sat yearly because of the high power of the bike and the danger it represents to the public - you cannot get insurance for this class of licence. The public is appeased and this seems to be good progress for Mr. joe-blow voter. Two years later (2019) another hooligan goes ballistic on his bike and the police are powerless to catch her. She's on a modified bike with all of the restrictions removed. With the channel 9 chopper filming she leades the cops on a merry chase all over Brisbane until she eventually crashes. Tasered into submission by the cops and then taken away it comes out that she recently escaped from prison with her meth cook boyfriend (motorcycling is again linked with criminality). The press reminds the public of the previous incidents and the opposition hounds the police and transport ministers on how she escaped and came to be in posession of an unrestricted bike (now very much in the minority). The governement responds by legislating that all unrestricted bikes are now to be registered with the governemt irrespective of whether they are registered on the road. If you own one - they want to know. New legislation also mandates a 2 year jail term with a mandatory 12months to serve for people not registering their bikes. The jail term for modifying a restricted bike is lifted from 1 year to 4 with a mandatory serving of 2 years in jail. Next year (2020) by making 3rd party property insurance compulsory for all vehicles and with insurance companies only insuring bikes that meet all governement restrictions the number of non-confirming bikes legally on the road is now nil. Penalties are again raised for non-conforming bikes and the previously unrestricted bikes are removed from private ownership and harsh penalties are put in place for people with these now illegal bikes irrespective of whether they are ridden or not.
Breed Specific Legislation is now Bike specific legislation - already starting here with LAMS, and previously in place in England with power restrictions on the likes of gixxers and zzr1100s many years ago. In place in Japan with 400 being the go unless you have a lot of money.
BSL is now Biker specific legislation - already on the way with the proscribed groups. In place in Japan with a rigorous rider training regime.
BSL is the thin end of the wedge.
How can we keep our rights? With our own effort. With our own organised effort. As a group. As an individual. But it all comes back to making sure that we do something about it now and not in the future. I joined the MRAQ - never been to a meeting, know nothing of them beyond what is on their website but my membership money helps their volunteers work on our behalf with the politicians and bureaucrats. I do belive that this is just half of the picture though.
Politicians respond to headlines, news stories, polls, public opinion and you need pressure to get some results and this is what is missing at the moment - what about a ride for rights through Brisbane? ePetitions on the relaxing of the ADR for rear fenders??? Deals get struck, rego hikes stay, fender eliminators are now legal - it happens. Ads in the general press to highlight riding as a sport, hobby, past-time etc. Letters to your MP, councillor, fed rep etc.
I hope this post does nothing except make us all think about what we take for granted everytime we ride a Gixxer1100 up the road, fully insured, with our current licences, at the rego cost we pay, wearing whatever the hell we want to as long as there is a helmet on our head.
Thanks for indulging my rant - *puts away soap-box*