How not to gain public support

**GerryAttrick** · 23rd November 2009, 11:40

On Saturday John Key was invited to open the Whangamata Marina and a huge crowd turned out to the opening which many saw as beneficial to the town.

Unfortunately 3 idiots on motorcycles ( one appeared to be a female on a Buell judging by size and another rode a BMW) turned up and just as John Key started his speech they decided to rev their bikes to drown him out. The comments from the townspeople and visitors were scathing - nobody seemed to know what it was about. I don't know if this was intended to be a protest against ACC levies but if it was then it was a total failure.They may well have been protesting at the fact that the marina was finally approved an opened...who knows.

I have sent a submission on the proposal myself so I am strongly opposed to the levy proposal as they stand. Frankly I had no idea what these clowns were protesting at - assuming they were, so their actions were a failure that just served to reinforce the general perception that bikers were a bunch of anti social noisy louts.

We need all the support we can get if we are to get any changes to proposals - we are a minority road user group.

If whoever they were is on this list you might want to think a bit more about your actions - as a senior biker myself I though you were just an embarrassment to the majority.

**White trash** · 23rd November 2009, 11:47

What are you talking about? Over in the "Mayhem" thread they're heroes doing an amazing amount of good for the cause. Possibly looking to reinstate the 1%er badges and have motorcyclists all considered degenerative fuckwits with little regard for society.

Hmmmmm, I'm loving this whole campaign quite frankly, it's giving me endless laughs.

**mattian** · 23rd November 2009, 11:51

We're are never going to gain the support of the general public. Most people that drive "cars only", don't give a shit about us and they lump us all in the same group as scooters and cyclists. To them we are just a hazard to avoid. They don't care if our ACC levies go up. Hell they probably even think its a good idea !!!!!!! They only care if their levies start going up as well.

**FastBikeGear** · 23rd November 2009, 12:08

Originally Posted by mattian

Where are never going to gain the support of the general public. Most people that drive cars only, don't give a shit about us and they lump us all in the same group as scooters and cyclists. To them we are just a hazard to avoid. They don't care if our ACC levies go up. Hell they probably even think its a good idea !!!!!!! They only care if their levies start going up as well.

I think we have great support from the public. I had one of the guys in the west auckland avantiplus cycle group tell me on our saturday ride that if he owned a moped he would have ridden it to Wellington to stand on the lawns of parliament with us.

**Reckless** · 23rd November 2009, 12:13

Originally Posted by mattian

Where are never going to gain the support of the general public. Most people that drive cars only, don't give a shit about us.

And that won't change unless we can get the message across that we are no longer fighting against a rise in our ACC levy.
The fights changed I reckon, we are fighting to "SAVE ACC" as we know it!

**ready4whatever** · 23rd November 2009, 12:20

Originally Posted by Reckless

we are fighting to "SAVE ACC" as we know it!

destroy it

**Ixion** · 23rd November 2009, 12:22

I agree.

Especially once the Nickster comes back with some token "reduced" levy rates. That'll make it harder to push the issue as a pure levy one , the public (and the media) will say "But you got the increases reduced, sure they're probably still more than you'd like, but that's life, shouldn't you bank your winnings and shut up".

Whereas if we can tie our issue (and, just to remind folk what that is : Abolition of the separate motorcycle classification, same levy as cars), to a broader "ACC is being gutted, you're next" message, we can still , I think, maintain traction.

**CookMySock** · 23rd November 2009, 12:28

I would hazard a guess it was abundantly fucking clear to Mr Keys what the "problem" was. If it wasn't, he should go ask his "advisors" what the angry bikers could POSSIBLY be on about today.. If they didn't know, perhaps he could get a rocket scientist to explain it to him, but if that drew a blank, perhaps he could just GET A FUCKING CLUE???

Steve

**Ixion** · 23rd November 2009, 12:40

I suspect Mr Key could take an educated guess. But the general public probably wouldn't make the connection.

**mattian** · 23rd November 2009, 12:58

Originally Posted by Wobblyas

I think we have great support from the public. I had one of the guys in the west auckland avantiplus cycle group tell me on our saturday ride that if he owned a moped he would have ridden it to Wellington to stand on the lawns of parliament with us.

I suspect that your friend is a cyclist?? for sure they might have some empathy with us being a minority like motorcyclists. I'm talking about car driving only, general public. I honestly think they have more things to be concerned about than motorcycles acc levies.

**Katman** · 23rd November 2009, 13:07

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

I would hazard a guess it was abundantly fucking clear to Mr Keys what the "problem" was. If it wasn't, he should go ask his "advisors" what the angry bikers could POSSIBLY be on about today.. If they didn't know, perhaps he could get a rocket scientist to explain it to him, but if that drew a blank, perhaps he could just GET A FUCKING CLUE???

Steve

Once again, DB makes it painfully obvious his brain is a vacant wasteland.

**Reckless** · 23rd November 2009, 13:14

Originally Posted by Katman

Once again, DB makes it painfully obvious his brain is a vacant wasteland.

Oh that was bloody constructive! Straight at the man not the Issue! LOL!!! Don't you get sick of this game you play, I know we do!
Havin i good day again I see!!

**R6_kid:Me** · 23rd November 2009, 13:24

Originally Posted by Reckless

Oh that was bloody constructive! Straight at the man not the Issue! LOL!!! Don't you get sick of this game you play, I know we do!
Havin i good day again I see!!

It's not his fault DB completely misread the first post. It says that the general public had no idea what the bikers were up to - I think John Key would be well aware of what they were attempting to do.

**mashman** · 23rd November 2009, 13:26

Originally Posted by Katman

Once again, DB makes it painfully obvious his brain is a vacant wasteland.

And according to the ACC method of levy calculation, you are just as likely to have a crash as us! So the Government is essentially telling you, to stop complaining about everyone else's riding and concentrate on your own!