Next protest idea - lets get creative!

[FastBikeGear]

The BIKEOI was brilliant. Now we need some more ideas.

We definitley don't want to go off half cocked with half baked ideas that annoy the public.

I think what we need to be doing now is what everyone is doing! Writing letters to the editor, getting heard on the radio (Well done Les and the Profesor and everyone else)....submitting comments on other forums, etc

Let use this thread to bounce around other 'out of the box' ideas (someone is going to come up with a great idea) for when we need it.
__________________

My first idea - just snapping off a shot blindly in the dark at 3 paces with a water cannon

Lets pick a day and on that day we get every motorcyclist to place one sign each in one car park. The signs should be written on the side of the largest cardboard box you can find (So they have to get out and move it before they can park). The sign should read.

"If you found moving this box an inconvenience - just imagine how inconvenient it will be when I park my car here because inequitable increases in ACC levies mean I can't afford to ride my bike to work"

Let's tell the press the day before why we are doing it first and lets make sure we put a few extra in the press car parks.

Hopeful Biker has suggested we weight each box by placing a bottles of water in each one.
Subike "the box will cost you nothing, can be used in metered parking, gets the point across to many people quickly, and a whole street done with boxes in minites. The same would fast become a news item if it continued on a daily basis in differeing streets. Eventually it could become an urbant myth type protest, as it is just a box with words."
Bend-it suggests "and if there's a couple of minties and a note or something like that for the inconvenienced driver, that would be seen in a positive light"

[merlin]

Nice idea! :2thumbsup

[Hopeful Bastard]

But how you gonna make sure the boxes stay there when they are so light? Fill them with bottles of water??

Also, you'd have to make sure the council dont catch ya or else they might ticket ya for littering..

Sweet idea though! :2thumbsup

[FastBikeGear]

But how you gonna make sure the boxes stay there when they are so light? Fill them with bottles of water??

Also, you'd have to make sure the council dont catch ya or else they might ticket ya for littering..

Sweet idea though! :2thumbsup

Bottle to weight the box is a great idea. (I'll add your suggestion to the original post) There is no way the council will ticket us for littering,

[idleidolidyll]

There are already plans afoot:

take a look at these two for instance:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=112831
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=112498

[FastBikeGear]

There are already plans afoot:

take a look at these two for instance:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=112831
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=112498

My intention is a protest that illustrates a point, has a some humour to it, is press worthy and does not irritate motorists too much.

[paddy]

"If you found moving this box an inconvenience - just imagine what an inconvenience it will be when I park my car here because increased ACC levies mean I won't be able to afford to ride my bike to work"

That actually sounds like quite a nice idea as long as it doesn't dilute our core message too much. It's disruptive without being disruptive if you know what I mean.

[StoneY]

That actually sounds like quite a nice idea as long as it doesn't dilute our core message too much. It's disruptive without being disruptive if you know what I mean.

Paint 'wheels' on the box, add suspender straps, pay the parking fee and place the ticket on the dahs

I learned to drive in that very model car, mine was a Phillips K9 model, I remember learnig along with Jemima and Big Ted and Little ted....

But then again I am officially an 'old bastard' now
:lol:

[idleidolidyll]

fair enough and more strength to you and your plans: we are all on the same side after all

[Subike]

An on going legal as protest action can be done daily.
When ever you go on a group ride on the open road, ensure you have a learner with you, just stick to 70kph. simple?
think about how slow SH1 could become with as few as 10 riders obeying the law. The Tail end charlie wears a banner stating
""beware motorcycle training group "
too simple?
ok

Can anyone find out when any national member, ACC manager of leading business man is due to take either a drive to an important meeting, or needs to travel to the airport to catch an international flight.
A rolling road block in front to these vehicles slow enough to make them late to the meeting, or the airport, possibly late enough to miss an international flight.
If this is done enough, members of pariment will know why, it stays in their face.


Lets disturb big business
Ellersley race course?
Time loud rides past the race course that co-incide with the running of horse racing, some horses are skittish to loud noises, and thus could shy at the sound. Those people betting could be out of pocket due to the horses not performing.
If this was done to each race on one night, it would not take long for the culprits, bikes, to come to the attention of the racing public at the meeting. Who are the people who make and spend the big money, and pay the big taxes and dont give a fuck about bikers.

This could be done across the country at several race meetings or a serries of meetings.
As a point, injuries to people from riding horses is a huge number relitive to the number of horses . Stats of ACC claims for them would be interesting as they are also an unregisterd road user

[slofox]

The BIKEOI was brilliant. Now we need some more ideas.

Next protest

Lets pick a day and on that day we get every motorcyclist to place one sign each in one car park. The signs should be written on the side of the largest cardboard box you can find (So they have to get out and move it before they can park). The sign should read.

"If you found moving this box an inconvenience - just imagine what an inconvenience it will be when I park my car here because increased ACC levies mean I won't be able to afford to ride my bike to work"

Let's tell the press the day before why we are doing it first and lets make sure we put a few extra in the press car parks.

Hopeful biker has suggested we weight each box with a bottle of water

Why not actually do the deed - have a "leave your bike at home" day. Everybody who has one, takes the car and fills up all available parks...might make it obvious just how bad things would get if bikes were priced out of the market...

[Subike]

Why not actually do the deed - have a "leave your bike at home" day. Everybody who has one, takes the car and fills up all available parks...might make it obvious just how bad things would get if bikes were priced out of the market...

Because the box will cost you nothing, can be used in metered parking, gets the point across to many people quickly, and a whole street done with boxes in minites. The same would fast becaome a news item if it continued on a daily basis in differeing streets.
Eventually it could become an urbant myth type protest, as it is just a box with words.

[NighthawkNZ]

Why not actually do the deed - have a "leave your bike at home" day. Everybody who has one, takes the car and fills up all available parks...might make it obvious just how bad things would get if bikes were priced out of the market...


Wouldn't be as noticable as the weighted boxes... as it would be just another car... they wouldn't know its a protest

[sunhuntin]

If statistics on "risk" are so easy and "fair" to use, and groups of people are so easy to be singled-out and targetted, why are drivers of black cars not made to pay 12 to 47 percent higher ACC fees than drivers of white cars? [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_safety ] Colour is in the vehicle registration database, and is verified at each W.O.F. - so this is easy to manage. Come on drivers of black cars! Pay your "fair" share!

from trademe http://www.trademe.co.nz/Community/MessageBoard/Messages.aspx?id=66024&p=2&#p1368822

[Ragingrob]

I thought we'd just head into the CBD one working morning and park one bike in each pay and display car park, then sit in the cafes having a coffee while watching the chaos ensue.

[kevie]

There was a good writeup in the Manawatu Evening Standard tonight.Was also pleased after emailing Iain Lees-Galloway that he not only appeared at the protest .... but went there on the back of one of the BIKEOI bikes.

I emailed the reporter complimenting her on a good writeup and also to challenge her to follow up Professor Charles Lamb's topic and check some of the info that is being released and be a National hero (not a hero of National by the way) and tell the public what is really happening with ACC and National and save ACC.

One move between now and the next "bikeoi' is for all of us to badger the human rights commission, as many MPs as we can, the media and also tell all we encounter whats actually happening...... we have a lot of kiwis on our side.... lets use that and get the momentum to 'avalanche status' and snowball National and the ACC's changemakers plans

[FastBikeGear]

Because the box will cost you nothing, can be used in metered parking, gets the point across to many people quickly, and a whole street done with boxes in minites. The same would fast becaome a news item if it continued on a daily basis in differeing streets.
Eventually it could become an urbant myth type protest, as it is just a box with words.

Exactly


[Actually parking our cars in the parks instead of boxes] Wouldn't be as noticable as the weighted boxes... as it would be just another car... they wouldn't know its a protest

Exactly


An on going legal as protest action can be done daily.
When ever you go on a group ride on the open road, ensure you have a learner with you, just stick to 70kph. simple?
think about how slow SH1 could become with as few as 10 riders obeying the law. The Tail end charlie wears a banner stating
""beware motorcycle training group "
too simple?
ok

Can anyone find out when any national member, ACC manager of leading business man is due to take either a drive to an important meeting, or needs to travel to the airport to catch an international flight.
A rolling road block in front to these vehicles slow enough to make them late to the meeting, or the airport, possibly late enough to miss an international flight.
If this is done enough, members of pariment will know why, it stays in their face.


Lets disturb big business
Ellersley race course?
Time loud rides past the race course that co-incide with the running of horse racing, some horses are skittish to loud noises, and thus could shy at the sound. Those people betting could be out of pocket due to the horses not performing.
If this was done to each race on one night, it would not take long for the culprits, bikes, to come to the attention of the racing public at the meeting. Who are the people who make and spend the big money, and pay the big taxes and dont give a fuck about bikers.


Protests which annoy the rest of the public (whom we are getting support from) keep us in the public eye but not in the way we want! Remember our protests are designed to:

Keep our issue
in the public eye
Get the support of the wider public (And we have this so lets not blow it out the window).
If we can make our protests fun for us the media and the public so much the better. Imagine a street with a row of cardboard boxes in each car space?

[Clockwork]

Multiple mini protests...

Groups of 10-20 Noisy bikes with protest signs doing slow(ish) circuits of the CBD... sort of "Flash-mob" thing.

[NighthawkNZ]

Blowing up parilment... oh wait guy fawkes has been and gone... next

[Big Dave]

At this stage my recommendation is that your protests should be targeted at the decision makers - and should have no adverse impact on the general public. None.
Public opinion is still on our side. It's a fragile thing.
If you piss anyone off from 'the public' you will be giving the sensation hungry media exactly the ammunition they want.
Target the MPs. Target ACC. Leave Joe Public alone - they are already as aware of the issue as the news grabs can make them.
All disruptive protest can achieve with them now is alienation.
That may change.

[Bald Eagle]

At this stage my recomendation is that your protests should be targeted at the decision makers - and should have no adverse impact on the general public. None.
Public opinion is still on our side. It's a fragile thing.
If you piss anyone off from 'the public' you will be giving the sensation hungry media exactly the ammunition they want.
Target the MPs. Target ACC. Leave Joe Public alone - they are already as aware of the issue as the news grabs can make them.
All disruptive protest can achieve with them now is alienation.
That may change.

Absolutely agree we need to inconvenience the people responsible, however we need to do it in a way that gets media attention to maintain the sound bite awareness.

[Drogen Omen]

how about card board car's weighted down with water bottles.... hahahaha

[Pinstripe]

I thought we'd just head into the CBD one working morning and park one bike in each pay and display car park, then sit in the cafes having a coffee while watching the chaos ensue.

This would be my pick, it's a classic. It could work fine on a saturday, plus more folks would be keen I'd say.

The box idea is a good'un too :niceone:

[Ixion]

A couple of points to consider.

The people we have to influence are the government. Nick Smith is the guy that makes the decision.

The government do not really care at all if the public are inconvenienced. but the public do care. Nick Smith doesn't care how many people get pissed off at not being able to find a parking spot. Unless the disruption becomes so severe that the government is forced to take action, and there is no effective way to stop the protests.

That's not the case with us. Any disruptive action targeted at the general public can never be big enough to achieve more than annoyance value. And can easily be shut down by the police.

Nick MAY care what his caucus colleagues are saying - and that will be based on self interest "Nick, I only have a small margin , I'm worried that these bikers may influence enough voters that I lose my seat next time round".

We need to consider the audience we are wanting to engage. Protests have several rationales.

One is attention grabbing, to draw public attention tos omething they don't know about. That's what the truckers were trying to do - the public didn't realise what a raw deal they were getting, the disruptive protests made the public aware.

In our case,we've already reached that point, there can be very few people who don't realise that bikers are angry about ACC levies, and that we consider the increases unjustified. Anyone who still doesn't know is living under a rock and won't take notice anyway.

There's a risk of going to far with such activity - you get to the point where people start saying "yeah yeah, enough already, we've heard you the first time".I think we have probably reached that point.

Or, second type protests can be to force action on someone. The bus drivers work to rule is a good example (it's a form of protest). They didn't do it to draw attention to their cause, they did it to inconvenience the employer, (the other affected party), in the hope that the employer would say "It's cheaper to pay them than to put up with this".

Or, third, a protest may be to draw other people into the battle - "See what they are doing to us, if you do not support us, they will do it to you to".

Or, fourth, to point out repercussions. "maybe you don't realise that if the government do this to us, it will affect you because ... "

So, I'd suggest that protests that just annoy the public (type one) will not pay dividends.

Protests that annoy MPs and National party officials (type two) may be of benefit. Ditto for protests that affect entities that have influence with the government (large corporations are obvious).

Protests that are targeted at other groups that may be affected may be good

And protests that show the public the flow on effects of bikers being forced off the road are good.

Protest organisers need to consider their target. Why should the National government care if that target is unhappy? No matter how many car drivers are pissed off at not getting a parking space, National won't care. The car drivers affected are not even very important people , from a National party perspective - important people have reserved places in the underground car parks.

But if those important people found that they couldn't get into or out of their reserved car parks, the government might take notice.

Action targeted at insurence companies in line to pick up rich rewards from privatisation of ACC, would not much annoy the general public (many people would be quite happy for insurance companies to be annoyed). But it would worry the government.

Think outside the square. there are other possibilities beyond the "take up all the parking spaces" and "ride slowly on the motorways" perennials.

For instance, if a group of motorcyclists arrived out of nowhere and slapped a chain and padlock on the roller grille of the ACC parking exit. Photo for the press, then disappear before anyone has a chance to ask questions. Oh dear the door won't go up to allow the ACC managers to enter . They'll have to park in the street.

It would be quite easy to disrupt rail services. Then rail patrons would take their cars instead, enabling us to point out the benefits of motorcycles .

[FastBikeGear]

Ixion you make good sense.

The general public now sympathises with us and we don't want to do anything that can jeopordise their support. Anything that gets them angry with us is totally counter productive!

However their passive sympathy won't help us unless they become motivated to express their concerns and joint us in more acitive support and denouncement of the levies. We need for non bikers to express their displeasure to the Government so that the government realises the voting public is becoming disenfranchised.

The cardboad box idea only marginally inconveniences motorists as it is intended that they can easily move the card board boxes before they park and hopefully if we paint/draw some wheels on the side of the large shoe box or whatever we use (the larger the better) they can have a chuckle while they are moving it.

We don't need or want to try and fill up every park, just some strategic ones that will catch attention. i.e. car parks at press offices, the Wellington and Auckland City council, ACC offices, MP electoral offices. What else can people think of?

The idea is to demonstrate the inconvenience without actually causing it and to keep us in the press as likeable fun guys and gals with a sense of humour - not threatening thugs or bullys.

[NighthawkNZ]

The cardboad box idea only marginally inconveniences motorists as it is intended that they can easily move the card board boxes before they park and hopefully if we paint/draw some wheels on the side of the large shoe box or whatever we use (the larger the better) they can have a chuckle while they are moving it.

yes that is the idea, and that we understand if the levies go through next time they may not get that park....

[Bend-it]

and if there's a couple of minties and a note or something like that for the inconvenienced driver, that would be seen in a positive light

[Big Dave]

and if there's a couple of minties and a note or something like that for the inconvenienced driver, that would be seen in a positive light

I'm sorry - but It wouldn't.

Do you like having to get out of the car to remove spam from under the wiper blade. PITA - Same trip.

I tell you what most car drivers will say as they climb back into their vehicles: 'Bastards should just pay up and shut up.'

[Mystic13]

I'm with BD on this. And extending that to the protest at Mission Bay this Sunday. Motorists there will be inconvenienced because they have to walk further or drive on to somewhere else.

This fill the parking spaces thing looks good and it's effectively targeting people coming into Mission Bay for Brunch. It seems to me that one biker per park will potentially add to the ill will this creates. Depending on numbers that turn up and the % of parks that are lost.

Having said that breakfast at mission bay sounds good.

[Pedrostt500]

Do Not Bite the hand that Feeds, and as far as this goes for us it is the hand of Joe and Jane Public we must not bite.
My observations of the New Zealand public is that it is a fickel creature, and very easily bored of a subject.
There is alot that still can be done to shine the positive light in our corner, ie making sure that Motorcycle fund raising events get media attention, Country School Trail rides, HOG Toy Runs, Ulysses West Pac helicopter charity rides, WIMA pink ribbon rides, etc.
yes I know none of this is Storm the Fortress type stuff, but we need to maintain our position of being the GOOD GUYs in this Battle, if we PISS Joe and Jane Public off then we become the bad guys, and then we are fucked.

[kevie]

I thought we'd just head into the CBD one working morning and park one bike in each pay and display car park, then sit in the cafes having a coffee while watching the chaos ensue.

Reminds me of a Friday night in 1970 when the police were harrassing us teens (yeh I was a teenager once) about parking 4-6 bikes per parking place on the main street of Wanganui ....saying one vehicle park park per meter payment.... we tried to convince them what would happen if we did that, taking up multiple car parks with bikes... they said "the law is the law" so the following week we rounded up any and every bike we could and rode round and round the block and each time a car vacated a park a bike took it, payed the meter and sat there, we took up a whole block and got abused by shop owners, shoppers and the police ( who had to admit while we were being a pain in the perverbial we actually werent breaking any laws therefore while the meter was payed they couldnt move up along)... they conceded our point and after that we were allowed to park multiple bikes in a parking spot.

Sometimes you just have to make a point eh LOL

[mashman]

You could gather en masse, every morning in Auckland and monopolate the lanes in both directions (with a little coordination) on a toll road. Know where your payment is and stop, unzip etc... take out your payment and pay the guy. If you get into a discussion along the lines of "but bikes go for free", then do the courteous thing and explain IN FULL why you feel you need to pay your way... nothing illegal about that, but it may well cost you $1 per day!!!

[FastBikeGear]

Do Not Bite the hand that Feeds, and as far as this goes for us it is the hand of Joe and Jane Public we must not bite.
My observations of the New Zealand public is that it is a fickel creature, and very easily bored of a subject.
There is alot that still can be done to shine the positive light in our corner, ie making sure that Motorcycle fund raising events get media attention, Country School Trail rides, HOG Toy Runs, Ulysses West Pac helicopter charity rides, WIMA pink ribbon rides, etc.
yes I know none of this is Storm the Fortress type stuff, but we need to maintain our position of being the GOOD GUYs in this Battle, if we PISS Joe and Jane Public off then we become the bad guys, and then we are fucked.

OK so I think most of us agree with these sentiments and the good logic which is inescapable. Bike riding protests are fun (hey any excuse to get on the bike with some mates is always going to be fun!) but we need to make sure that they have a positive effect.

We definitley don't want to go off half cocked with half baked ideas that annoy the public.

I think what we need to be doing now is what everyone is doing! Writing editors to the editor, getting heard on the radio (Well done Les and the Profesor and everyone else)....submitting comments on other forums, etc

Let use this thread to bounce around other 'out of the box' ideas - someone is going to come up with a great idea for when we need it.

[Ender EnZed]

I agree with everything but this


It would be quite easy to disrupt rail services. Then rail patrons would take their cars instead, enabling us to point out the benefits of motorcycles .

Please do not fuck with the trains. They might be an easy target but in Wellington at least we already know very well what happens when there is a genuine problem with the line. A very small percentage take the car, the rest are hours late to work after finding a bus and many just don't make it. It is very difficult to fit a car into Wellington anywhere very precise if it's not what you do everyday.

It would piss people off more than burning all the cafes in Mission Bay.

[Dodgyiti]

I'm all for a presence at every National Party meeting, public or otherwise. Not disruption but a presence to say- these are voters, and their not happy. I will be going to Nick Smith's meeting at the yacht club. I don't think I will even go inside, but I will be there on my bike to show I'm a biker and I'm a voter and I'm not happy.

[Pixie]

You could gather en masse, every morning in Auckland and monopolate the lanes in both directions (with a little coordination) on a toll road. Know where your payment is and stop, unzip etc... take out your payment and pay the guy. If you get into a discussion along the lines of "but bikes go for free", then do the courteous thing and explain IN FULL why you feel you need to pay your way... nothing illegal about that, but it may well cost you $1 per day!!!

The only cash toll road I know of is in Tauranga and it wouldn't work there because BOPpers are too tight to pay to use it

[mashman]

The only cash toll road I know of is in Tauranga and it wouldn't work there because BOPpers are too tight to pay to use it

Bugga... ok let's see if plan B is of any use. Why not use the give way to traffic turning in from the right rule to halt traffic. Estimate the numbers of bikes, find yourself a car dense piece of road, locate a suitable right turn for maximum disruption and just wait until the queue of bikes ends... funny if you can pick a decent enough piece of road that would allow a couple of hundred bikes ride around continuously, a sort of catch 22...

[KeyboardRider]

G’Day all,
My two cents:
As written in my past posts, and as I conclude from exactly the same campaign run in Israel that we should do the following:
Change our aim to a broader aim and support and lead the campaign for a flat rate for all road users (or, tax on petrol which seems to be the fairest. One just needs to find out how much petrol was sold during the last year, and how much ACC claims have been paid in order to see some realistic figures).

Why should we do this?
1. Because we (as motorcyclists) are an organized and aware crowd. We already invest time, efforts, energy, logistics, and manpower in this campaign and already have it going, so we better do it for something most of the public will support.

2. Because ACC levy on motorists was/ is/ should be a social law (same as the ACC levy you pay as taxes), regardless of risk level any motorist represents.

3. If we have all the cagers with us, we have a few magnitudes larger support, and this is something politicians cannot ignore.

How should we start?
1. The most effective and cheap way nowadays is to use the Internet. Nobody has to go out and protest in early stages, just click a button. As we have on board some creative folks, pick some brains that can promote this campaign for all motorists (i.e. “forget your rego, you’ll pay just $30 for it. From tomorrow you just have to pay ¢2 extra per litre instead”).

2. Prepare a few PowerPoint slides that look like a commercial and that “sell” this message. Later we can go for Sticker designs (“Reduce your rego to nil, just ask me how!”, “you don’t need to pay two rego’s if you have two cars!” etc.), T-Shirts and banner designs that will also help to expose this idea to more motorists.

3. Create a website for that campaign that explains the reasons and the outcomes, and where one can download and print propaganda material, buy this material, and most important - sign an electronic petition.

4. Put the PowerPoints with a link to the site on YouTube and start to circulate a promotional mail around (start by that that each biker sends this mail to his mailing list, and they in turn send it on).

5. In a few weeks we will be able to see where we go in terms of numbers, as the hit numbers on YouTube will indicate the exposure rate.

What then?
1. Once this number reaches a few hundreds of thousands, somebody might wake up in the Beehive. Don’t worry, when politicians smell a large crowd, they will try to attract their attention.

2. Now, once we have such a support, we can start a “dialog” with the politicians through that website (i.e. send them questions, post their answers on the website – turn these into five to ten seconds long PowerPoints which terminate with “Would you like to be elected again after F@$%ing your voters?”, and post them back on YouTube).

These are just my thoughts. If I can assist, I’ll be happy to do so,

Keyboard Rider

[idleidolidyll]

About a dozen bikes protested John Key in Whangamata today.

At one point his speech was drowned out by revving motorcycles.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1129527365 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1129527365#post1129527365)

The media were there but pretended we don't exist again: no respect from either TV3 or TVNZ