TV1 - Close Up @ 7.00pm - Returning riders causing accidents (20 March)

[doc]

I can talk shit for hours to anyone (and often do)...but add a camera to the mix and I hate it!

You could have been wearing a kb T.

Watched it and thought they missed the point about the road surfaces in the lead story, then let it turn into a Harley bashing time. Even missed the comment by Goff about not being seen.

Think it's all a lead up to raising our levies so they can educate us.

Still disappointed about not wearing the t tho.

[Beemer]

The guy's comments about Harleys were spot on the money, but the guy who died wasn't on a Harley. Neither was Gareth Morgan - wasn't the BMW badge a giveaway to them?

One thing they neglected to mention was the fact there are a lot of women motorcyclists too. And how many of them crash and kill themselves? I can't think of any myself, only pillions, so what is the reason for this? You can't just say more men ride than women because that's probably true with cars too, and yet women still manage to kill themselves driving cars.

Maybe - and this is just a maybe as there are probably female fuckwits who ride bikes too - women do think more about what they are doing and are prepared to take on board constructive criticism. I know I'm not a great rider but I have done two advanced rider training courses so at least I was willing to try and reduce my risks on the road. I didn't start riding until I was in my late thirties as opposed to those who are returning to motorcycling after 20 years away, so maybe because I had to start from scratch I didn't assume I was going to be a natural and I didn't ride beyond my limits.

I agreed with some of what was said - but that you take more risks as you age. I think it's more that many people in their 40s and older don't like being told what to do or what they are doing wrong. So maybe if someone criticises their riding, they think "fuck them" and ride even faster to try and prove something.

That psychologist was a joke. Surely they could have got someone unbiased to give their opinion rather than someone who obviously wasn't interested in bikes in the slightest. I swear if she'd said "absolutely" one more time I would have thrown something at the tv!

[Lucy]

Gareth's bike for riding in NZ is a Harley. It was a decision of practicality and sponsorship that saw him run with BMW for the expeditions. It's all in his book Silk Riders.

That may be so, but he was on a BMW in the story.

[Lucy]

Awww shucks. Thanks Love! The thing is...I answered their question about why are so many middle aged guys buying bikes with "It's not just guys...more women are buying bikes now than I've ever seen"

They asked.."Why are so many dying?" I said "More riders = more accidents"

They asked "What can we do about motorcycle safety?"

I said..."Educate the FUCKING DRIVERS OF CARS". I then said that Kiwis think it's their RIGHT to get a drivers licence at the age of 15...when in actual fact...that 'right' should be earnt. That it's far too easy for pimply faced young kids to drive fast cars that kill...yet you're going on about 'guys' that hurt themselves riding motorcycles.

Next time I get asked to say anything if front of a camera...I'll refuse unless they agree that they'll show everything I say!

Rant over.

I read of someone who has learnt to speak in 'soundbites', so they find it really difficult to edit them. They will never agree to play all you say, but if you only say a few choice words (not saying you were verbose, but it's tv, the reporters like the sound of their own voices not yours), then they have to use them.

[MarkH]

So, what was this piece on TV about? I watched it and still don't know! I feel that I have not been educated by the TV at all, what was their point?

Born again bikers!
Here is a guy that died, he wasn't a Born again rider, he had been riding most of his life, he didn't die due to recklessness, there may have been oil or diesel on the road. This has nothing to do with the topic, but we are showing it anyway.
Here is a guy that says trying to ride a Harley fast is dangerous, no shit - they are cruisers, not sports bikes.
Here is a politician that has ridden bikes on and off for a bunch of years that is thinking about buying a bike again.
Here is a psychiatrist, lets hear about a minute worth of her opinion.

There was no depth at all to this piece - pure fluff. No one looked at the number of deaths/registered bike - I still don't know if the death rate has gone up. I thought they may cover that when the guy said that in 5 years the new registrations had gone from 5 thousand a year to 20 thousand a year, but they didn't expand on that at all.

The idea that riding a Harley fast is dangerous - was there any support for that at all? I mean - any evidence that lots of Harley riders dying because they mistakenly think their bikes are GSXRs and can be thrown through the corners at high speed? Is this really a big problem? How many deaths per year are inexperienced born again riders on Harleys pushing them too hard?

[Ixion]

Would it matter that it'd make not a jot of difference?

D' y' think that it would be a lost cause would be likely to put off a Christian, Monarchist, Jacobite, Communist , KB biker?

[Beemer]

Yes, they should have got Gareth on a Harley if that's what he usually rides!

It would have been interesting for them to say "in 1990 there were x-many bikes registered and x-many motorcyclists killed on the road, and in 2008 there were x-many bikes and x-many accidents" so we could compare the statistics.

And how many of those were scooters that never see the open road? (Although there have been some deaths on scooters.)

Motorcyclists hard to educate and don't listen? Sweeping generalisations, don't you just love them! I have tattoos as well as a motorcycle so I suppose that makes me twice as hard to get through to - someone should have told my university lecturers, I may have got a dispensation!

Pete, you came across well and at least you got in the bit about a refresher course. As a matter of interest, does anyone offer them? A sort of "return to motorcycling" practical course would be great. And I agree that getting a licence shouldn't be a right but something that has to be earned.

[Ocean1]

I read of someone who has learnt to speak in 'soundbites', so they find it really difficult to edit them.

Standard polly / CEO media training. Under no circumstances answer the question as asked. Answer the question you wanted them to ask, using as many pre-selected sequences as possible.

[_Shrek_]

They did say they thought it was diesel spilled on the road that he fell off on.

this must be a standard print in papers, coz I crashed the week before this guy died on a diesel spill & the paper said they thought it was diesel spilled yet in another part of same paper, sand had to be put on diesel that had been spilled in patchers over a 27km strech of road the same strech I was on "Doh" yet nothing is being done to stop this, just blame the biker he's having a mid life thingie

[Ocean1]

D' y' think that it would be a lost cause would be likely to put off a Christian, Monarchist, Jacobite, Communist , KB biker?

You don’t get the same good healthy cathartic rant opportunities with the winnable ones.

Edit: I mean, where's the fun in: "Oh look, here's incontrovertible proof you're wrong. Idiot."

[MarkH]

Yes, they should have got Gareth on a Harley if that's what he usually rides!

That would only make sense if they cared - they showed a guy that had died who wasn't a born again rider (therefore unrelated to the piece) and they listed some Harley riders including Gareth - to show a clip of him actually on a Harley was obviously not something that they thought mattered.

When Phil Goff said it wasn't a mid-life crisis thing (him wanting a Harley), wankstain the reporter said "let us be the judge of that" (or something to that effect) but they never gave a verdict on that.

Overall this piece was to journalism what fizzy drink and chips are to fine dining!

[cs363]

Have just been in here to have a chat with me. I fucking hate having a camera jammed in my face when talking!

I can talk shit for hours to anyone (and often do)...but add a camera to the mix and I hate it!

You looked great Pete, awesome job on the makeup....

Apart from the highlight of seeing our very own KB TV star, the rest of the report was pretty well what I expected - typical media beat up and slanted prime time reporting. While a lot of the report was negative and some of the comments were either misguided or 'creatively' edited, I was surprised by one of, if not the first time I've had cause to think 'good on you Phil Goff' (doubtful it will happen again...).
Certainly doesn't help with positive public perception though, ideally some organisation or media heavy on the motorcycle side should try and present a balanced view point. Be interesting to see if BRONZ or someone seize the opportunity.

I will also add my name to those who disagree with the comment that you take more risks as you get older, I for one certainly ride much more sedately and am very mindful of the dangers of riding on the road compared to when I was in my teens and twenties.

[Katman]

Helmets, jackets, lights on and pink fluoro jackets may help.

But they arent as good as seatbelts, active stability control, 4 wheel ABS, 16 airbags, and 3 feet of crumple zone.

Or a brain between two fucking ears.

[cs363]

Or a brain between two fucking ears.

If an intelligence test was part of the drivers licence test the road would be a lonely place....

[Katman]

It pisses me off that a statement can be made like the one I quoted above that contains every single item that may enhance one's chance of survival except the one that is singularly most important - our own fucking common sense.