Three Strikes Protest Run, 5 May

[roadrage]

The publictransport is a complete mess, when i used to go by train i used to stand on one foot because there was no space besides the fact having to chagea train and a bus.I support this and want to let the goverment know: the harder they try to get us off our bikes the harder we shall hold on:

[Smifffy]

Loving all of the publicity this protest generated.

[theseekerfinds]

as a society (of riders) I believe some of us have the right to sit back while others do "all the work" just as some of us have the right to step up and do all the fundraising and others have the right to make suggestions that they need others to pursue and fulfill.. we are all great at something.. none great at everything..

Too many on this thread seem to think that everyone needs to do something, at worst everything, or that if you do nothing your are providing nothing.

To many people those that do nothing provide the catalyst to make others do lots, or more.. to some the suggestions put forward by others provide drive and inspiration to complete those suggestions and bring them to fruition.. it seems like many of the posts on this thread belong in a playground amongst 5 year olds, while others are positive and subscribe to and suggest change and put forward great ways to achieve the change necessary..

but it is a bit rich thinking that just because someone can suggest great things that they are the same people who can, and should, do everything to turn those great suggestions into reality, just as it is a bit rich to think that by simply telling someone they are expected to put in some effort that they have told the right person, the person who actually puts in effort, that they need them to put in effort when actually they have told the person who actually does nothing..

sure we need action, sure we need suggestions..

but in reality it's a lot more like running a country as opposed to running a company. There are tens of thousands of bikers in NZ, all with differing opinions, all with different bikes, all wanting different things from those they align themselves with and those organisations they join.. just as political parties pick and choose who they represent and then work to represent their catchment of voters so it should be seen to be with our bikers support organisations.. they work for the betterment of all riders but not necessarily working together all the time (in the public domain at any rate), they work in the same general direction but not necessarily doing the same things.. they have to put up with those who support one organisation slagging off the ideas of those who support the other organisation, one organisation must put up with being slagged off by the other organisation and so it goes.. but saying just because you did nothing the whole thing went belly up is just shit, it takes more than a few people simply not doing something to bring about the downfall of a great suggestion.. perhaps there was just no plan to get the suggestion to fruition? the suggestion needs to be put to the right people, who need to engage the right people to get it started, who need to engage the right people to carry it through, who need to engage the right people to see the completion, who need to know the right audience to perform in front of, who need to be the actual decision makers and not just those who work for the decision makers..

and as an aside businesses fail because of lack of planning and contingencies, there is no other reason, everything falls under planning and contingencies.. money and customers do not make a business successful, they simply sustain it, but they do not make it, both will always come and go, which a successful business will have planned for and when one is in short supply they will have plans in place to access more of the other..

it just seems like a lot of folks on here expect that because things are suggested they will automatically occur, that someone will pick up the idea and see it through, when what really needs to occur is serious planning not just schoolyard talk.. as the old adage goes "talk is cheap" but the real truth is "failing to plan is planning to fail"..
this is not directed at anyone in particular, more a response to the posts that I have read decrying one group at the expense of another and decrying one's ideas at the expense of another.. we are all, after all, bikers, and we should put our suggestions to those who would make use of them rather than to those who would decry them as useless because no suggestion is useless, it is just not acted upon..

sorry I know I rave on but I love riding and I love talking to those who ride, sometimes it's just that what we say should be said to someone else because the one we choose to speak to isn't the right person to make that suggestion eventually see the light of day, rather they undermine what we say in their support of other opinions put forward when both opinions are valid and full of merit..

I've raved on enough and need a break

[Berries]

my10c worth

I think you'll find that was a dollars worth.

[StoneY]

I think you'll find that was a dollars worth.

Not just a dollar mate, that was fuckin brilliant and bang on the money.
Inspirational even.

Now that's $0.02

[oneofsix]

Not just a dollar mate, that was fuckin brilliant and bang on the money.
Inspirational even.

Now that's $0.02

Agreed but theseekerfinds has raised a point for MAG, BRONZ and all the other groups to answer.

How do we get the message to the right people to get some action?

This is a once in triannual opportunity, being election year, to let the politicians know the this community with all its factions isn't a push over and easy money supply. Politicians, especially in election year, respond to pressure groups. As Stoney keeps reminding us he organised the Bikhoi before BRONZ Wgtn was resurrected and at short notice but he did have a good subject to focus on. This year we need a similar ride but it doesn't have to be as big, just a reminder we are still here.
As stated many posts ago I'm not am organiser, sorry.
well that's my $0.02

Quote that theseekerfinds post reminded me of but not sure where from;
"Those also serve who just stand and wait."

[bogan]

All good thoughts theseekerfinds, I'm just quoting onofsix cos he summarized it well.

How do we get the message to the right people to get some action?

I think before that, we need to figure out what the right message is, and who the right people are.

Our principal/plan etc is to provide/collaborate members with the resources to get action done. This is also a point of difference from the other organizations. In my mind, there's no reason why a thinker can't suggest a good idea, have a planner implement the plan, some managers sort routes/venues, some doers to ride lead and TEC etc, and a bunch of supporters to join in. In practice, I'm not sure there are enough of those types of people around to pull it off.

[StoneY]

In practice, I'm not sure there are enough of those types of people around to pull it off.

And there lies the kicker Bogan.

Its more than just the 'enough type of people around' factor, because, simply put....the type of people who have these skills also have a job, career, mortgage, bikes to maintain and ride, kids in school, mum in hospital.............. they have a life in other words and want to keep it at the quality they enjoy, and many just cant make those sacrifices in reality. Especially not mid week.

Not many people know this but the amount of work I put into BIKEOI cost me big time at many personal levels, despite how many people also helped with the load.
It was largely the catalyst to ending my marriage (was already in trouble with that but it definitely lead to the final straw landing on a shaky camel)
While my employer supported what we were doing, the amount of time I spent on that event strained the workplace relationship beyond repair.

A few of my fellow coordinators also felt these strains in their personal worlds as well. I tip my hat to all of them for again picking up and sharing the load for the Feb 2010 event, knowing what we had already paid in October/November 09.

honestly... had I known what that event would cost me I may never have followed through on it as passionately as I did.

It's never as simple as saying 'lets go protest' and to get the sort of traction we look for on these issue's.
It takes a massive amount of coordination, time, publicity, and people that have the ability to work together and make it happen.
You also need ONE issue, (yep just ONE) and it needs to be one that gets everyone REAL pissed off, like a potential 500$ raise in the cost of riding your bike.......

Never an easy task my friend.

I still say, kudos to you guys for making the attempt but you should have stuck to only one point and the ACC issue is long dead now as far as our energy goes.......

[Eyegasm]

as a society (of riders) I believe some of us have the right to sit back while others do "all the work"

Snip

I've raved on enough and need a break

Dude... Are you sure you are from the nui?
Obviously schooled outside of the valley!

[DEVVIL]

http://www.coldduckrally.com/Zumwohl.aspx

[flyingcrocodile46]

http://www.coldduckrally.com/Zumwohl.aspx

Wow! I'm glad I read through to the end of the new posts. I was going to respond to theseekerfinds excellent post to tell him that along with all the dreamer, schemer, planner, spanner and talk up a storm type people that he described... there is another kind of people (much, much rarer than the other types), and that is........... 'The quiet achiever type person'. The type of person that would rather just get on with the job than debate it to death while working up the courage & support believed to be needed.


I love it. This will be the best $5 I have invested in a loooong time.

Hats off to you

[bogan]

Wow! I'm glad I read through to the end of the new posts. I was going to respond to theseekerfinds excellent post to tell him that along with all the dreamer, schemer, planner, spanner and talk up a storm type people that he described... there is another kind of people (much, much rarer than the other types), and that is........... 'The quiet achiever type person'. The type of person that would rather just get on with the job than debate it to death while working up the courage & support believed to be needed.

Which is fine if you don't need support, otherwise...

also, maybe they only appear rare as they don't make a lot of noise

[flyingcrocodile46]

maybe they only appear rare as they don't make a lot of noise

and get drowned out by the talkers who are eagerly seeking an audience for their load/message

[reofix]

Bloody conspiracy theory nonsense... stop crashing your fuckin bikes in "rider lost control "incidents... stop lying in hospital beds for months at thousands an hour.. stop all the bills landing at the feet of other taxpayers and you wont get smacked with user pays type levies... sometimes bikers sound like bleeting bloody teachers

[theseekerfinds]

Bloody conspiracy theory nonsense... stop crashing your fuckin bikes in "rider lost control "incidents... stop lying in hospital beds for months at thousands an hour.. stop all the bills landing at the feet of other taxpayers and you wont get smacked with user pays type levies... sometimes bikers sound like bleeting bloody teachers

whoa there.. let's leave teachers out of this please..

[Smifffy]

Bloody conspiracy theory nonsense... stop crashing your fuckin bikes in "rider lost control "incidents... stop lying in hospital beds for months at thousands an hour.. stop all the bills landing at the feet of other taxpayers and you wont get smacked with user pays type levies... sometimes bikers sound like bleeting bloody teachers

The thing is I haven't done any of those things. There are plenty of other groups that also do those things and pay no extra levies or charges at all.

[StoneY]

The thing is I haven't done any of those things. There are plenty of other groups that also do those things and pay no extra levies or charges at all.

For once I totally agree with the entire content of your post

[oneofsix]

The thing is I haven't done any of those things. There are plenty of other groups that also do those things and pay no extra levies or charges at all.

+1 Some of those in other activities costing ACC more money than motorcyclists aren't paying any levies.

[StoneY]

+1 Some of those in other activities costing ACC more money than motorcyclists aren't paying any levies.

Yep. I get quietly ignored as if I never spoke when I raise this issue at certain meetings.

[oneofsix]

Yep. I get quietly ignored as if I never spoke when I raise this issue at certain meetings.

I am so not surprised. But this is why the bikers need to clean up their act type statements get jumped on on KB. We know cleaning up our act is part of the solution but if we are going to pay the levies then we also want all that can be done to make the environment we are operating in saver, well at least those of us operating reasonably sanely on public roads (no one is always totally sane).
You just keep on raising the point :Wink: