tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post8940018966807353213..comments2024-03-22T18:01:20.065-05:00Comments on Geezer with a Grudge: Vanishing PointT.W. Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04078254371483458356noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-91246271303933416632012-08-07T13:42:45.161-05:002012-08-07T13:42:45.161-05:00I'm no expert on RtW's activities, but And...I'm no expert on RtW's activities, but Andy Goldfine did respond to an inquiry about RtW's political intentions. They have wanted to have a full-time lobbyist for years, but there is, currently, no money for that position.T.W. Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04078254371483458356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-87333917810184750442012-08-07T13:23:08.328-05:002012-08-07T13:23:08.328-05:00Probably not the forum to ask, but what exactly do...Probably not the forum to ask, but what exactly does Ride to Work do other than promote riding to work one day a year and then selling t-shirts, mugs, and decals the rest of the year?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-41693796262563890652012-08-07T07:48:51.526-05:002012-08-07T07:48:51.526-05:00It is different here and a few other places. Howev...It is different here and a few other places. However, I don't think the approach should be to "change biker culture." The real problem is that the "biker culture" is more about appearances, not transportation. So, the idea would be that we need an organization that supports transportation by motorcycle issues and ignores or repels the gangster and squid characters and their problems. They have more than enough representation.T.W. Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04078254371483458356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-15942887569181371942012-08-06T21:15:22.688-05:002012-08-06T21:15:22.688-05:00Maybe it's different where you are, but around...Maybe it's different where you are, but around here I just don't see many riders other than cruisers in pirate garb with a few squids sprinkled in the mix, so it seems like a rather hopeless quest to change biker culture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-51223806892556986162012-08-06T16:09:07.224-05:002012-08-06T16:09:07.224-05:00Keeping in mind that 1% of the 1776 population was...Keeping in mind that 1% of the 1776 population was solely responsible for the American Revolution, I think our odds against the garage candy crowd are pretty good. They're loud, slow, and not very smart. Since motorcyclists make up less than 1% of the highway traffic, our total "clout" is pretty insignificant. There are a fair number of old fat guys in Congress who pretend to represent motorcycle interests, but they're wimps, too.T.W. Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04078254371483458356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-43017923128237329802012-08-06T11:22:37.794-05:002012-08-06T11:22:37.794-05:00The problem is that HD is some 60% of the entire m...The problem is that HD is some 60% of the entire market in the USA, and throw in the other cruiser clones and they must be at least 75% of all the bikes and riders. Plus, a significant portion of the sportbike crowd is just as bad or worse. That's a lot of people, industry money, and clout you will be up against.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-65861553239646626642012-08-02T19:42:22.071-05:002012-08-02T19:42:22.071-05:00Andy,
I've been thinking the same thing. The ...Andy,<br /><br />I've been thinking the same thing. The AMA more represents industry interests and does that poorly. ABATE is an organization for beer drinkin' and hell raisin'. The closest thing to this kind of organization motorcyclists have is the Ride to Work folks (http://www.ridetowork.org/). The more I think about it, the closer they are to exactly what we're talking about. I'm going on-line there to contribute some cash right now.T.W. Dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04078254371483458356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5950664143576637249.post-26116133971075596072012-08-02T15:37:25.813-05:002012-08-02T15:37:25.813-05:00I've been thinking a lot about this. I think ...I've been thinking a lot about this. I think those of us who are in favor of responsible riding -- wearing helmets, good quiet exhaust systems, training, things like that -- need to organize. The fact is, we're invisible. We're NOT out there attracting attention, so people don't notice us.<br /><br />When my town switched from those obnoxious "display the ticket on your dashboard" systems to one where you type in your space number and deposit some money in a vending machine, I called up to thank them. I don't think they quite knew what to do with that.<br /><br />But I think it points up a need; we need to be visible. We need to get people -- riders! -- to sign petitions asking for noise enforcement. If towns or cities try to enforce ordinances like that, we need to support them. We need to be out there campaigning for mandatory training. I think if people start seeing us pushing back, and realizing that the obnoxious idiots annoy us just as much as anyone else, we might get a little more respect. When some moron splatters his brain across the pavement doing 150 in a 55 zone, we need to have representatives talking to reporters, saying "Well, unfortunately, every group has a few outliers who just can't follow the rules. If we had mandatory training, and training that actually forced you to learn something if you want to pass, he might be alive now." (The MSF course is an excellent start. I learned a lot in my MSF course. But there was at least one idiot in my class who I expect has crashed at least once by now, and probably more than that if he survived the first one.)<br /><br />Sadly, I don't have the time or, in all honesty, the skills to put such an organization together. But it's certainly one I'd pay dues to, if they weren't too unreasonable.Andy Mckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11381746284574559808noreply@blogger.com