Cheesecutter campaign

[RiderInBlack]

Am wondering why I've not seen any articles on this in the NZ Bike mags yet. I would have thought 2 have at less read something in the BRONZ section of the Kiwi Rider by now.
Has anyone approached the Mags?

[Quasievil]

Am wondering why I've not seen any articles on this in the NZ Bike mags yet. I would have thought 2 have at less read something in the BRONZ section of the Kiwi Rider by now.
Has anyone approached the Mags?

Read the editorial of BRM mag, I got that in, also another article with pics in the next issue

[RiderInBlack]

Read the editorial of BRM mag, I got that in, also another article with pics in the next issue

Sweet (too bad I don't read that one). Good on ya

[Big Dave]

Jaqui Madeline puts the BRONZ page together on instruction from BRONZ.

Individual contributions are welcome as always.
editor@kiwirider.co.nz.

[Ixion]

Thing with mags is the leadtime between when an article has to be written by and when it appears. It can be up to 3 months. So it's hard to be topical, unless the writer has a crystal ball. Look for cheescutter commentary in the KR BRONZ column in upcoming months.

[Gixxer 4 ever]

So a few of us were siting around having a beer and debrief from yesterdays ride to Taupo. So far we have been non confrontational. We have obeyed the letter of the law and been respectful to the LTSA reps that spoke to us yesterday. We have had some media coverage but not a lot. May thanks to the people that have covered our protest rides.

Well the beer and port are well gone from my blood now and I have had plenty of time at work today to think about things. Maybe it is time to stop being so nice. Look at it this way. We are nice and sit around drinking tea while miles of these barriers go up. So it is going to kill. We sit around and people are being lined up to die. So it's time to get a bit more aggressive.

Maybe we need to ride to Parliament and bang on some desks. Bash some heads on the walls and generally make our point that we are not going to let the killing fields continue to be developed. We stand back and they just send out muppets that think they are smart and will talk us away. Time to take some civil disobedient action. Maybe even personal attacks on the people that insist on putting these things up? Maybe some property damage and some assaults are what is needed. Aye if you can have gorilla training camps in NZ and get away with it maybe we need to take action. Time to stir the pot and get some heat in the fire. I am sure if a few politicians went down in a screaming heap the media would start to look. Why should they be able to kill us on the roads and expect us to stand by and do nothing? Maybe some politicians should be delivered to the wire rope barriers at 100 kmh from the back of a ute so they can see what we have to face. How far do we need to go?

Come on what are we doing next? This is not a war with the police or the public but with the greater minds that put money before lives. ACC would rather you die cos it is cheaper for them to have you buried than rebuild you. Wire rope do that well. The Prime minister and the ministers of the state that have the power are the only ones that can change this over night. So maybe they are the ones that need singling out for attention.

Well that's how I feel. Enough of the nandy pandy shit arss kissing awareness rides. time to kick single serious butt.

Well maybe not that much but we need to start looking at WHAT NEXT?

[yungatart]

100% agreed...TBH I was getting pretty shitty with the guy yesterday but didn't want to upset those who had organised the meeting.
However...if things are to take a slightly different tact,I'm there 100%

I highly doubt that we will continue to use tact and diplomacy as our weapons of choice....

[Hitcher]

I highly doubt that we will continue to use tact and diplomacy as our weapons of choice....

There are ways and means. Tact and diplomacy will have their place as long as the key opinion formers are traffic planners and policy officials. Don't forget that the "target audience" is less than 20 people.

[MSTRS:Me]

There are ways and means. Tact and diplomacy will have their place as long as the key opinion formers are traffic planners and policy officials. Don't forget that the "target audience" is less than 20 people.

True. But can they ignore 4,000,000 voices? Coupled with a determination to succeed? Whatever form that may take?

[Grub]

I'm going to step in here and perhaps be a little unpopular with the "The LTSA guy was a prat" faction.

Two things stood out for me and meant that I believe the populist view above may be misguided.
1) Two guys, walked out across the front lawn of the motel, across the road and met us on our turf. They didn't have to do that, that was gutsy. People who have something to hide or are covering stuff up don't front up like that. I have never ever seen anyone front a protest group like that - ever.

2) The guy (I wish someone would please furnish his name and position) listened to us with respect and talked to us with respect. More importantly he talked WITH us, not AT us. I also think he listened to what we had to say and the way we had to say it. I also noted that he didn't try and tell us that these barriers were alright. He said they do save live - and they do.

Consider this. What if these guys really hadn't thought this through when they started putting these things in ... and what if they're now coming to realise what they really mean? The response we saw from him/them is exactly what I would expect if that's the case.

I believe that our campaign is sending them back to the researchers and sending them seeking answers to the questions we have posed. For them to change their barrier policy to a potentially more expensive one, they have to justify it. To justify it they need the background, they tell us they are now doing that research. What I was hearing was that they may be realising they've screwed up and are now doing what they should have done in the first place - do the in-depth research.

I've spent enough time in the media and the beauracracies of Wellington to believe wholeheartedly that a monumental fuckup like this is not only possible but inevitable. I also believe the campaign is working and more of the same will get results.

What I am sure will destroy our cause is if we get bolshie and reactionary. Nothing builds barriers in the halls of power than peoplebeing backing into walls.

There are other people we need to speak to in the same way we have to Transit. ACC is one and that's why I targetted them and not Transit in my DominionPost article that kicked this all off. It's also why I bought up the long-term cost benefits study in the UK of wire vs concrete. That's giving them ways out and strategies with which they can argue against wire to their masters and in alanguage that they understand.

Think strategicly, be focussed and speak with authority, committment and conviction - it does work. Oh ... and get petition signatures!

Peace
Brett

[Holy Roller]

Well said Grub
I have been listening to the video of the meeting with the Chief Traffic and Safety Manager. I found the exchange encouraging with a positive response being given. What I got from the dialogue was that Transit are having to Rethink their position on WRB. Now to continue to lobby gubmint to have it enforced into action.

From what I have read on other countries journey to having these banned is that some years were needed to see this happen, it did not happen overnight.

[yungatart]

I hear what you are saying, Grub and HR!

I felt (and I am only speaking for me) that Stuart (Road safety and Policy Manager (I think- its on the video) was "flannelling" me/us.

He got decidedly uncomfortable and would not look me in the eye several times when I was speaking. I also felt that he would not look me in the eye several times when he was speaking.

I am glad that they sent 2 guys out to meet us, but I am sure they were handpicked for their ability to 'tow the party line' and give us enough information to send us away happy, thinking our job is done, so they can get back to the business of installing these things at a huge rate of knots right throughout the country.

By nature, I am a trusting person, I take people as I find them and believe (in) them until proven otherwise, I take them at face value, often to my detriment. I have not got more cynical as I have aged....but I don't believe what I was told yesterday, and I wouldn't trust those two as far as I could kick them.

[Holy Roller]

That is why government intervention is needed to set the boundries for these guys to adhere to

[Hitcher]

True. But can they ignore 4,000,000 voices? Coupled with a determination to succeed? Whatever form that may take?

The ends justifies the means? I hope not.

While I understand people's frustration at this war being fought out amongst the largely invisible Wellington bureaucracy, that is where it will be won. Protest rides and other conspicuous activities largely only serve to keep our supporters geed up and committed to supporting the campaign. Preaching to the converted, if you will. Our adversaries in officialdom will pay little heed to this, as too will politicians -- unless they think that there are votes in this, which there aren't at the moment.

Some folks may be interested in "winning" battles. I am interested in winning this "war".

[MSTRS:Me]

To justify it they need the background, they tell us they are now doing that research. What I was hearing was that they may be realising they've screwed up and are now doing what they should have done in the first place - do the in-depth research.

I'm sorry to rain on this otherwise sensible parade, but the research is out there all over the world. NZ is not unique and the rest of the world understands what works or has done away with because it doesn't. Transit DO NOT need to go over old ground.