Euro transport authority questions need for “Motorcycle toys”

[Sanx]

Dipshit. 'Nuff said.

Moving on...

Various groups within the EU have been trying to restrict or ban motorcycles for years. One particular French MEP kept on introducing legislation to the European Parliament limiting bikes to 100hp - which kept on being defeated. Other legislative manouvers have included making engine modifications illegal (defeated), having engines sealed so that only registered dealerships could work on them (defeated), make catalytic converters compulsory (passed), make changing exhausts illegal (defeated) and a few others.

For the most part, such utter silliness has been ignored. There will always be pressure groups within individual countries and acros the EU as a whole who have an axe to grind. The UK-based speed-is-the-cause-of-all-evil group BRAKE in partcular have called for power and speed limits on motorcycles, the most recent of which actually called for them to be limited to 65mph, 5mph under the national motorway speed limit. This was done in conjunction with a few other such nutty groups, including some cyclists' lobby in London. For the most part, they're just ignored. Just because some random Norwiegan has had comments published in a European Transport Safety document does not mean it's being put forward; in fact, precisely the opposite. Such documents are used to canvas a range the views and they're designed to put a balanced viewpoint across. And that includes viewpoints that we, as motorcyclists, find ridiculous.

[dipshit]

If you think it's just a few bunch of nuts, then think again...

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

[dipshit]

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=3.1.1

[MSTRS:Me]

"It's a small percentage of miscreants causing all the problems..."
So what's new?

[swbarnett]

"It's a small percentage of miscreants causing all the problems..."
So what's new?

And of course the majority of the rest of the population (or at least those in power) don't know the difference between the minority and the majority aka "Squeaky wheel syndrome".

[davereid]

Its much simpler I think. All that happens is "people who know better than me" use the "public benefit" justification to ban something "really dangerous".

Next year, the really dangerous thing has been banned - guess what. Something else is now the next most dangerous thing. So we ban that too..

The clever thing is, those who lived before the ban think they all suck.

But, it easy to convince those that came since it that it was a good idea.

So
-First we just rode motorcycles.
- Then we needed registration
- Then we needed a licence
- Then we banned riding without a helmet.
-Then we introduce different licence classes and restrict CC ratings for learners
- Then we make headlights compulsory
- Then we make flouro jackets compulsory
- Then we restrict power for all bikes
- Then we restrict it again
- and again
- then we just ban them

Job done.

Those that 'know best' keep right on with their bullshit in an attempt to control their subjects/human behaviour through force of some sort, until the only path open to the affected is...adamant resistance.

Yes.. poisoning the well..

A true human tradition since the world became so small that you could no longer just find a place that had no one to torment you.

Its just natures way of exploring the best and worst that our genes can provide.

Adults will always want to control, regardless of logic or justification.
The next generation will choose to push the boundaries.
In the animal world, the young just leave, to start their own world.

But humans are too clever. We will follow those who rebel and punish them, regardless of the cost required to do it.

So we are the only species where the young will deliberately rebel, and use force to destroy the tribe. The ancients called it "poisoning the well".

They couldn't understand why some of their young people would choose to destroy their own society. The more force they used, the worse the problem became.

We see it today. We control more and more and more. But we can't understand drug use, boy racers, or school yard shootings.

Luckily, we understand history, so we make more rules, and give the cops more power. That will sort it!

[James Deuce]

Luckily, we understand history, so we make more rules, and give the cops more power. That will sort it!

I was with you until you said that.

We document it. A few read it, fewer understand, fewer still possess the willpower to avoid past mistakes, and a powerful, rich minority use its lessons to impose ignorance and repeat patterns of exploitation ad infinitum.

Me, I'm still pissed that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist.

[Ocean1]

I was with you until you said that.

Ditto. Sarcasm, I suspect. State authoritarianism has never reigned in adolescent excess before, and it won't now, it's too blunt a tool.

I'd be interested to hear some input from a social historian. Seems to me that the gradual creeping accumulation of regulatory legislation is never overcome short of complete civil collapse. If that's the price of freedom then better it were early than late, while there's some alive who still know how to survive.

We document it. A few read it, fewer understand, fewer still possess the willpower to avoid past mistakes, and a powerful, rich minority use its lessons to impose ignorance and repeat patterns of exploitation ad infinitum.

Me, I'm still pissed that Santa and the Easter Bunny don't exist.

I don't necessarily think that the rich and powerful become that way by suppressing history or knowledge in general, in my experience they're simply more aggressive and acquisitive. That sometimes means they're exploitative, but it’s not an exclusive trait, losers are just as likely to exploit others.

Re Easter Bunny: Alive and well and living at Hugh's place.

[WelshWizard]

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/pa...Y&pageId=3.1.1

20 years ago it was a small band of people calling for a ban on smoking, probably 90% of people smoked, now look at that small band
less than 50% smoking , smoking bannned in workplace,bars , cafes, Clubs, and now they want it banned in your own home, minority today, majority tommorrow

[dipshit]

"It's a small percentage of miscreants causing all the problems..."
So what's new?

Nothing new. That's what I have been saying all along. It's always a case of a few idiots and wankers that ruin things for everybody else.

And it is those people (your fellow motorcyclists who think they can ride however the fuck they like and others can just go fuck themselves as it is my life blah blah blah..) that you should blame if we get tighter restrictions placed on us. You see, their big tough he-man wanker attitude fails to realise that their actions do have consequences for others as well.

[davereid]

Nothing new. That's what I have been saying all along. It's always a case of a few idiots and wankers that ruin things for everybody else.

And it is those people (your fellow motorcyclists who think they can ride however the fuck they like and others can just go fuck themselves as it is my life blah blah blah..) that you should blame if we get tighter restrictions placed on us. You see, their big tough he-man wanker attitude fails to realise that their actions do have consequences for others as well.

No, it would be nice if it were that simple.

Then we could have just stopped worrying about losing our motocycles when we got helmets forced on us.

The reality is that once a rule becomes accepted, then the next tightening of the noose can be proposed.

Same with the smoking thing.
1907.
Tobacco, Pot and Opium were legal anywere, any time.
Opium restricted.
Pot restricted.
Tobacco age restricted.
Tobacco banned in Governmemt Buildings.
Tobacco banned in the workplace.
Tobacco Banned in Privately owned buildings is alcohol or food served.
2007
Tobacco banned in cars next.
Tobacco banned in any public place next.
Tobacco banned in private homes if children live in the same house.
Tobacco banned.

Didn't happen because people smoked carelessly, smoked too fast or didn't use filters.

Happened because smoking, (Like Motor-Cycling) has inherent dangers.
Its the old story repeating itself.

The reality is, that even using all the safety gear, and following the manufacturers instructions to the letter, the enjoyment gained by smoking comes with a good degree of risk to the user, and others.

Same with motorcycles.

[Katman]

Nothing new. That's what I have been saying all along. It's always a case of a few idiots and wankers that ruin things for everybody else.

And it is those people (your fellow motorcyclists who think they can ride however the fuck they like and others can just go fuck themselves as it is my life blah blah blah..) that you should blame if we get tighter restrictions placed on us. You see, their big tough he-man wanker attitude fails to realise that their actions do have consequences for others as well.

I'm 100% with dipshit on this (not that that would come as any surprise to most).

My only confusion lies with the fact that, if it's such a small minority spoiling it for the rest of us how come my forehead is bleeding so profusely?

[Ocean1]

And it is those people (your fellow motorcyclists who think they can ride however the fuck they like and others can just go fuck themselves as it is my life blah blah blah..) that you should blame if we get tighter restrictions placed on us.

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?

Ready... fire... AIM. It's the same fuckin' story with every social issue. When legislation gets too restrictive an increasing majority simply ignores it, you just end up making everyone criminals in the name of a pedantic ideal. Far better to have a set of rules that the majority agree with and ping the fuck out of transgressors.

[swbarnett]

And it is those people (your fellow motorcyclists who think they can ride however the fuck they like and others can just go fuck themselves as it is my life blah blah blah..) that you should blame if we get tighter restrictions placed on us.

Sorry, I blame two groups - the idiots imposing restrictions to suit their own agenda regardless of the flawed logic they use and the silent majority that just bends over.

If the idiots riding like Rossi on public roads with scant regard for their fellow road users did pull their heads in the beaurocrats would just focus on the next less dangerous activity. Pretty soon crossing the street would be banned and foot bridges would become mandatory.

[Katman]

If the idiots riding like Rossi on public roads with scant regard for their fellow road users did pull their heads in the beaurocrats would just focus on the next less dangerous activity. Pretty soon crossing the street would be banned and foot bridges would become mandatory.

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?