Where is the biker lobby?

[Lou Girardin]

It's election year and there is nothing in the public forum about biker issues.
Even Campbell Live did a piece on commuting in Auckland. They showed some tosser who kayaks to work, but there wasn't a word about the most widely used commuter vehicle in Europe - two wheels.
Why isn't Bronz or the bike importers or anyone issuing press releases?

[placidfemme]

Yeah I noticed that too last night on Campbell Live... Althought they did mention a vespa twice...

Are there any miniters or such that ride bikes?

[Ixion]

It's election year and there is nothing in the public forum about biker issues.
Even Campbell Live did a piece on commuting in Auckland. They showed some tosser who kayaks to work, but there wasn't a word about the most widely used commuter vehicle in Europe - two wheels.
Why isn't Bronz or the bike importers or anyone issuing press releases?

Because BRONZ are a bunch of latte drinking wallies. BRONZ has become a mutual admirationm society, all that they do (and all they are interested in) is the RideSafe thing.Which, granted, is a very useful and important thing.

But they're not functioning as a lobby at all.

AGM in Auckland is coming up in a few weeks. Any other members interested in a coup de main ?

[justsomeguy]

.......Cos there are so few of us speeding, reckless riding, nuisances who insist on ramming innocent cages.... why bother......

[rc_36_rider]

i think some of the lack of two wheeled comuters is because of the fair of getting killed on your way to work a month ago my brother had a jeep cheroke
pull a u-turn in front of him . my brother suffered from a colapsed lung and a shattered left themer an now has a rod from left hip to knee
all just because someone didn,t bother to check there mirrors and i also have three titanium plates holding my left arm togeather because of a simila incedent just not bothered to check what the road users are doing around them and causing sever injury to the bikey and pannel damage to the cage

[rc_36_rider]

alot of people now days only ride off road now because of the same reason
cage drivers are soo bad at what they do atleast twice a day its dangerious to use the road with them even if caged yourself the ammount of people that come threw my work with that frame of mind is quite amazing and upsetting we need more two wheelers on the road so these fools get used to looking out for us

[ManDownUnder]

I thought of that, but then they'd have to do a piece on bikes being quicker to work because they split lanes etc... closely followed by dobbing in bikes left and right, Police being forced to clamp down on splitting etc.

The in town set would have been good though - toodling along the bus lanes (which would have given plenty of opportunity to highlight the STUPIDITY of the bus lane rules (for those that don't know them, search for them on the site here... there are plenty. Please don;t start another one or 5)

MDU

[ManDownUnder]

alot of people now days only ride off road now because of the same reason
cage drivers are soo bad at what they do atleast twice a day its dangerious to use the road with them even if caged yourself the ammount of people that come threw my work with that frame of mind is quite amazing and upsetting we need more two wheelers on the road so these fools get used to looking out for us

I have to admit I'm not too worried about binning on the road. I've slowed down a little, give those around me a little more space and like to think I've developed my ability to read the road a little too...

Only things made me drop my bike in the last 10 years was a small piece of firewood I backed onto causing my bike to (slowly) topple.

BUGGER!

[thehollowmen]

Question...
If enough of us got organised in this politics forum here, could we start lobbying?

(lobbying, no hand grenades yet please)

[Lou Girardin]

[QUOTE=Ixion

AGM in Auckland is coming up in a few weeks. Any other members interested in a coup de main ?[/QUOTE]

Possibly. Is that anything like a Coupe de Ville? But what Cadillacs have to do with this beats me.

[unhingedlizard]

Maybe someone needs to point out that in many citys in Europe no legislation was needed to force people out of cars. Edinburgh, for instance, set about a campaign of pionting out the benifits of scooters to buisnessmen and woman, lower fuel costs (half a cup of fuel a week at $3.00 a litre), quicker commuting times (actually tested a bus, car, cyclist and motorbike, guess who won) and free parking all day everyday. The result was traffic congestion dissappeared practicaly overnight. They even (horror apon horror) advertised 80cc plus scooter for those who had open road limits to cope with. Imagine a local government body advertising faster transport!

[Wolf]

Maybe someone needs to point out that in many citys in Europe no legislation was needed to force people out of cars. Edinburgh, for instance, set about a campaign of pionting out the benifits of scooters to buisnessmen and woman, lower fuel costs (half a cup of fuel a week at $3.00 a litre), quicker commuting times (actually tested a bus, car, cyclist and motorbike, guess who won) and free parking all day everyday. The result was traffic congestion dissappeared practicaly overnight. They even (horror apon horror) advertised 80cc plus scooter for those who had open road limits to cope with. Imagine a local government body advertising faster transport!

Find your local MPs, grab said wastes of oxygen by their grubby necks and slam their faces repeatedly into whatever documentary evidence for the above you can find - perhaps if we all did that in our respective towns we might make one or two take notice - and those will be the ones to vote for...

[unhingedlizard]

Possibly would help. Being in Waipa we dont really have any congestion problems so our MP probably wouldnt give a crap. However, a brief search on the web revels a report on bikers not paying a fiver in the uk (London)
http://www.streetbiker-mag.com/sb0128/1.html
And several reports from OZ and others for the place that motorcycles must play in any traffic congestion solution.
http://www.atrf.info/papers/2002/50Coxon.pdf
http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/RTRA.pdf
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/vrpdf...000vol1_1f.pdf

Thje problem is ,taking Auckland as an example, people love cars. Its that simple. Your not going to get someone who loves the freedom and pride that comes with owning thier own form of transport to take public transport especally when it is in the state that Aucklands is in. What you need to do is give them attractive alternatives to the car. Reports have shown that the majority of cars commuting into Auckland have 4 or more seats but only 1 occupant.
How hard is it to see that the scooter, or a small motorbike is the ideal option? Door to door, making your own way in the world, 5 scooters to one car park.
What is being done is offering the commuter a basic, crap service that is far from attractive, and then blaming them for not caring when they dont take it.
When I lived in Wellington, I used to take the train to work because it was efficent, clean, saved time and money and, most importantly was right across the road. people are lazy. I know people who hit 3.33 on a microwave because it is faster than 3.30. On Google now, there is a hint that hitting return in instead of clicking go will save you time.
Im not saying everyone should give up thier car for a scooter. Obviously couriers, workvans etc all need the added space of a car. But imagine the northern motorway on a wednesday night if only 1/4 of people were on scooters or bikes.

[myvice]

You will still have to break the mentality that bikes are dangerous.
Every one hear has been told how someone’s uncle/friend/neighbour/Slavonic dictator, was hurt or killed on a bike, convently forgetting that it was a car that hit him.
Auckland will be charging road tolls soon so what happens then?
We will ether have to pay as well, or if we are let off (fat chance) there will be a group of fat lazy car driving sad sacks who will cry that "its not fare!" caus we use the road too.
Do we really want to draw attention to ourselves?
I'm a notorious lane splitter and the less people we have doing this anti-social type thing the less notice I'm going to attract!
Just kidding.
So lets say we get the politicians to listen to us, what then?
We have a group of 30-50 year olds (I'm in this age group so don’t cry) who have never been on a bike, or haven’t been on one for 20+ years wobbling down the road, getting hit, falling off, catching colds etc.
And when they do fall off and/or get hit its back to "Bikes are dangerous"
So how do we do it?
Its election year, no one will want to make any waves as it could cost them there cushy jobs, and how many votes will they get from us any way?
If we get one of them on side the ACC will throw a big sulk and get a group of Mothers Against Fun to get their placards on TV!
We are still perceived as a bunch of "Dirty smelly bikers" and this wont change with the people in power any time soon.
If you think I'm being a pessimist then look at it this way.
95% of politicians have led a very shelted life, ergo: no motor bikes, run ins with the cops, stumbling home at 2am pissed out of your skull, and other things 95% of the rest of the country grew up with.
This being the case I doubt you will find any sympathy for us in the Halls of Power, as they wouldn’t be able to relate.
They would have us all taken off the road just as fast as they can if they could do it! And they do try or don’t you pay your rego?
Complain about the rego/ ACC levy’s or that the "snail trail" road repairs give us no traction when its wet, same as the paint, or how about some REAL driver training because we keep getting killed?
You will find out just how much they care about us.
I know, and you know, that bikes, pushbikes, scooters and even K class cars (like the Smart car) are easy and cheap ways of solving the daily grid-lock in our city’s, not to mention the parking, but people don’t want to know this because then they might have to look at themselves as the problem.
The nasty fact remains it’s a selfish society we live in, The "I'm all right, screw you" mentality is flourishing
Seen any 4x4's lately?
People buy them as they are seen as a safe vehicle, the overwhelming evidence against this is ignored because they don’t want to know.
People don’t want to be on a bike for similar reasons, bikes are dangerous!
BIKES aren’t PEOPLE are, still hurts when they hit us though!

I cant believe BRONZ do one thing to help us and then rest on there laurels for so many years, would love to go to the next AGM, when and where?

[unhingedlizard]

I agree that the mentality towards bikes and bikers is one of dangerous idiots all of them.
The point I was making was that the traffic congestion problems will only be solved by banning all forms of private transport, or by factoring all forms into the equation. One of the problems is indeed peoples right to choose thier own form of transport. The same right that keeps you and I on Motorcycles also allows people to go to work in 7 seater hemi V8 Dodge RAMS and big folden falcodores on thier own. You cant legislate against this right without affecting all motorvehicle users.
On the 4x4 thing. I used to own one. I am a divote follower of the right to choose your own vehicle and also believe that you cant judge someone on a brief encounter. How do you know the fourby that you saw today with one person in isn't usaully half way up the pomeragi saddle loaded with kids, wife, fishing gear and towing the boat. Sure, there are a lot of people who drive said fourby fours like sports cars (hence why they roll) but I see just as many people in peoplemovers (just scream out "I dont have sex anymore dont they?) driving like they stole it. If its a size thing, you dont like them pulling up next to you at intersections for example, why dont trucks get as much shit throwen at them as 4x4's? This country had a good rail network. Why isnt the reimplementation of this also a priority for easing gridlock? I agree the precieved safety of 4x4's is a problem. Side impactes are better that cars but, espacially in early model 4x4's they are shit in headons. One other point is, I'd like you to show me a car that can pull a 2ton boat up a wet, greasy boat ramp without ending up in the drink for less than $50k and you can insure.

At the end of the day, the main point is that Auckland, or any cities congestion problems cannot be solved meerly by looking at one facet of the transport network. Build more roads, more people drive. Only by looking at the transport system as a whole can pressure on these systems be relieved.