Euro transport authority questions need for “Motorcycle toys”

[MSTRS:Me]

So what are you suggesting????? That we just ignore the fuckwits out there and let the government come down hard on us because they're going to regardless????? What sort of fucked up logic is that?

FFS!!! He is saying that do-gooders in positions of influence will focus their agenda(s) on whatever takes their eye as to how 'dangerous' it is and enact 'solutions' to minimise the so-called problem.
Have you ridden Dome Valley? Recently changed to an 80kph limit and cheesecutter installed on the outside of righthand carves. The equivalent would be the Napier-Taupo being reduced to 70kph from the cafe at the end of the plains to the beginning of the Esk Valley below Glengarry, and then 80kph from there to the SH2 junction.

[dipshit]

Utter bollox. There are existing regulations to control riding behaviour, reasonably stringent ones at that. The fact that some regurlarly and routinely ignore them speaks volumes as to how effective they are. More and tighter regulation won't make a bit of difference to that behaviour, and the authorities know that as well as we do. So what's the justification?

Right, as many motorcyclists like to see themselves as nonconforming modern-day cowboys, what you say is quite true.

Yet everyone here is acting surprised and shocked when the authorities say things like...

"the IIHS had a far simpler solution to the “problem” of motorcycle safety. Its senior vice president, Ben Kelley, suggested that one answer would be to just ban motorcycles outright. There—problem solved."


http://tribes.tribe.net/452dda20-f1e...7-6ed9fca746b3

[dipshit]

Have you ridden Dome Valley? Recently changed to an 80kph limit and cheesecutter installed on the outside of righthand carves.

And what was the *reason* they did that? *What* cause these measures to be put in place..???

[yungatart]

And what was the *reason* they did that? *What* cause these measures to be put in place..???

Because it is easier to impose a silly speed limit than educate people to drive properly!

[rwh]

Yet everyone here is acting surprised and shocked when the authorities say things like...

"the IIHS had a far simpler solution to the “problem” of motorcycle safety. Its senior vice president, Ben Kelley, suggested that one answer would be to just ban motorcycles outright. There—problem solved."


http://tribes.tribe.net/452dda20-f1e...7-6ed9fca746b3

Um - I read that earlier. If I remember correctly, neither the author of the article nor the IIHS is an 'authority' - one is an online newspaper thingy, and the other is a bunch of insurance companies (which the right-wing majority of KBers will no doubt insist be allowed to do whatever they like, in the interests of the market).

I'm not sure why the insurance companies care whether bikes are legal or not, to be honest - surely they can just refuse to insure them regardless, if that's in their best interest.

Richard

[dipshit]

Um - I read that earlier. If I remember correctly, neither the author of the article nor the IIHS is an 'authority' - one is an online newspaper thingy, and the other is a bunch of insurance companies

http://www.iihs.org/about.html

Believe it or not, it is organisations like this that have more influence on the motor industry and road safety than the usually clueless politicians that come and go every few years.

[swbarnett]

So what are you suggesting????? That we just ignore the fuckwits out there

To some degree yes.

and let the government come down hard on us because they're going to regardless?????

No. We have to fight for our rights regardless of the extremes.

While I agree with you that some riders are in extreme cases, as you say "fuckwits", they are not the root problem. No matter how safe society is there will always be some that say the "most dangerous" activities currently undertaken should be banned. If we get to the point where the only possible injury in our daily lives is a paper cut there will be those that will try to ban paper.

The root cause is the interaction (or lack of it) between those that try to make us completely safe (government) and those on the other side (us) who should be yelling at the top of their lungs "don't make us any safer, we're happy with the way things are!". In essence, if we get restrictions we're not happy with we've only got ourselves to blame for not standing up for ourselves.

There will always be "fuckwits". Not because what they do is that dangerous in an absolute sense but because what they do is "more" dangerous than what the rest of us get up to. Remove the current "fuckwits" and we're next on the list.

[swbarnett]

And what was the *reason* they did that? *What* cause these measures to be put in place..???

Idiots in power that don't have a clue what they're talking about and a docile public that just sits back and takes it.

Where's the protest blocking the road until the limit is raised again?

[Katman]

Where's the protest blocking the road until the limit is raised again?

Mate, you belong back in the 60's with flowers in your hair.

[MSTRS:Me]

In essence, if we get restrictions we're not happy with we've only got ourselves to blame for not standing up for ourselves.

Did we not remember the 'anti-smacking bill'?? Sometimes, no matter how loud the protest, or how big a section of society is protesting, shit like this still gets the nod.

[dipshit]

No. We have to fight for our rights regardless of the extremes.

What? Like some KB "protest ride" with some dickheads pulling wheelies and stoppies in front of the cameras..?? Yaeh that will show them!

[swbarnett]

Did we not remember the 'anti-smacking bill'?? Sometimes, no matter how loud the protest, or how big a section of society is protesting, shit like this still gets the nod.

Unfortunately this is true.

However, if any given group feels strongly enough about an issue things change. I'm not saying we're there yet (a long way off I hope) but there will come a time when a revolution of some kind will be necessary.

Crap gets through because we don't have a constitution and referenda are not legally binding on the government. There will come a time when a group of people feels strongly enough to, by force of arms, sit our leaders down around a table and force them to change this untenable situation. If I remember rightly the Magna carta was signed under duress.

The problem we have in NZ is that we're divided. Noone will stand up and take the first step because we know all too well that the rest of the population won't follow.

[swbarnett]

What? Like some KB "protest ride" with some dickheads pulling wheelies and stoppies in front of the cameras..?? Yaeh that will show them!

I agree that a protest ride only serves to get the point across that we're not happy (and maybe not even that). Alone it will do nothing to change the situation. Why are we not staging a sit in next time they try to install the cheese cutters and get the publicity of a few hundred arrests? The answer is simple - we're all soft (myself included). We don't have the balls to stand up for what we believe in.

[MSTRS:Me]

What? Like some KB "protest ride" with some dickheads pulling wheelies and stoppies in front of the cameras..?? Yaeh that will show them!

I haven't seen you even try to do something helpful and honourable for all. Just where do you think you get off, pointing and laughing at those that have tried to make a point?

[Katman]

I haven't seen you even try to do something helpful and honourable for all. Just where do you think you get off, pointing and laughing at those that have tried to make a point?

I was there MSTRS. I'll point and laugh.