WEB BROWSER ESPOUSES FREEDOM OF CHOICE In a venue that measures Hits instead of Nielson Ratings, Netscape's Home Page (www.netscape.com) ranks among the most popular sites for web surfers, with lots of news, links, shopping and cool stuff like their Autos Page where Internet users can buy and sell new or used vehicles, and even secure financing and insurance.

A recent "Feature Article" on Netscape's Autos Page gave visitors a refreshing look at personal freedoms in America, with particular attention to seatbelt laws and helmet laws.

Written by Eric Peters, "Seatbelt & Helmet Laws: It's Your Life" reached out to millions of people with the very same message that bikers rights groups have been trying to purvey to the public, but with the lightning speed of the Internet.

The article begins; "Whether it's prudent to wear a seatbelt or put on a helmet (if you ride motorcycles) is entirely beside the point--at least as regards laws that make the use of these things compulsory. Of course wearing a seatbelt or a helmet is 'safer.' But so is maintaining ideal body weight or exercising regularly. Yet there are no laws (as yet) requiring you to eat your broccoli or do sit-ups every other day. The police do not carry pincers to measure your body fat ratio and have no authority (yet) to give you tickets for exceeding the 'healthful' poundage. Why is that? After all, if the justification for seatbelt and helmet laws is that they're for your own good, the same argument can be made about such things as dietary habits and exercise. Ditto other personal choices, such as the type of recreational sports or other activities you may be involved in. Where do we draw the line--and on what basis?"

Peters continues, "things like seatbelt laws and helmet laws are, in the first place, entirely arbitrary interferences with personal choices, as distinct from behaviors, actions, or conduct that might affect others, which is another matter. Ergo, the state has no justification to intervene. If we're going to accept as the basis for public policy the idea that it is the duty of government to involve itself in our private choices on the basis of compelling us all to do what's 'good' for us (however that's defined), then it's pretty hard to see how to draw any line at all beyond which the self-appointed busybodies and do-gooders who use the force of government as their cudgel may not transgress."

"I oppose seatbelt laws and helmet laws not because I won't admit it's safer to wear a seat belt or a helmet when riding a bike," says the author, "Rather, I oppose such laws because a very important principle is at stake: That entirely personal choice is none of the government's business -- just as my diet, exercise habits, and other personal choices that may somewhat increase (or decrease) my exposure to risk/danger are likewise none of the government's business, either. Or yours, for that matter."

He concludes, "This is why the founders of the American state set forth strict limits on government -- precisely enumerating what it could and could not do, and why. What made the United States so unique in world history was that it enshrined in its governing principles the idea that individuals should be left free to live their own lives as they saw fit, free of interference from those who thought they 'knew better.' Taking risks (or not) was part of that philosophy. We were a live and let live people -- for a while. Only when an individual's conduct or actions clearly threatened the safety or well-being of others -- and thus became a public matter -- did the state have cause to interfere. That distinction is what we're losing -- and it may cost us dearly. Do we want government officials inspecting our cupboards and refrigerators for 'dangerous' foods? Or checking our cholesterol and waistlines? No? Then seat belt laws, mandatory helmet regulations, and the like must be rescinded -- no matter how much we may instinctively wish to promote our neighbor's well-being. That's his business -- not yours. Not the government's. Leave him alone. And hopefully, he'll return the favor

Wouldn't that be nice?"

 

DAYTONA BIKE WEEK IN REVIEW Although national headlines from this year's Bike Week highlighted the fact that nine people died during the 10-day motorcycle festival, insinuating that the repeal of Florida's helmet law may have played a part in those deaths, they failed to mention that a record 15 people died during Bike Week 2000, which was the last year under a mandatory helmet law.

Last year, only six people lost their lives in the first Daytona Bike Week without a helmet requirement.

Now in its 61st year, Bike Week draws an estimated 500,000 bikers to Florida for an annual celebration of motorcycles, and along with Biketoberfest, it provides a $744 million boost to the local economy -- almost half the $1.6 billion impact to the area from all special events.

In other Daytona Beach news, Karl "Big Daddy Rat" Smith died of a heart attack on Monday of Bike Week while making final preparations for that weekend's Rat's Hole Custom Chopper Show, in which he was to receive an award for his contributions to the motorcycle world.

At 74 and despite recent ill health, Smith still was involved in producing the custom-bike shows that brought him international attention. Big Daddy Rat first visited Bike Week in 1963, and started in business on Main Street in a 12-by-16-foot shop aptly named The Rat's Hole. His business grew to include seven shops in Daytona Beach and a gift shop in Las Vegas.

 

NORTH FLORIDA COC PROTESTS DAYTONA'S "COLORLESS" BARS Although most of the bars and saloons in Daytona Beach bar bikers from wearing club patches, hundreds of bikers from various motorcycle clubs wore their "colors" for a Saturday afternoon get together during Bike Week at Daytona Nites in Ormond-By-The-Sea to share some conversation, laughter and a few beers.

"It looked like a high school reunion in black leather," noted the local newspaper, The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

For years, even the most biker-friendly bars in town, such as the Boot Hill Saloon on Main Street, have not allowed riders to wear anything that represents their membership in a motorcycle club. Even the owners of the Iron Horse Saloon and the Broken Spoke Saloon, two of the most popular biker bars along U.S. 1, choose to remain colorless.

But this does not suit the North Florida Confederation of Clubs, the organization that sponsored the motorcycle club meeting in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
The group originated in 1999 to serve as a "national voice to protect bikers' lifestyles and their right to ride."

In protest against the bars and restaurants that prohibit club colors and insignia, Robert "Smitty" Smith, a longtime member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, president of the club's Daytona Beach chapter and the liaison for the North Florida Confederation of Clubs, began circulating a petition that decries what the organization calls "blatant discrimination" against bikers who choose to display their club memberships.

"The rights of cyclists have been violated for years," said Smith. "We just want a little freedom."

 

BANNED BIKES MAY BE BANISHED ABROAD "Talk about getting rid of a problem. The Baltimore City Council wants to send one of its scourges to another hemisphere," reported The Baltimore Sun newspaper regarding the city council's impending vote on a plan to donate seized dirt bikes to needy groups in Africa or elsewhere out of the country.

"Get them out of Baltimore and send the message that we are not going to tolerate them anymore," said Councilman Melvin L. Stukes, who supports the proposal to ship the bikes abroad, so long as there is no cost to taxpayers. "We want them out of the city, period."

Baltimore outlawed the use of dirt bikes two years ago after two young men died when their bikes slammed into the back of a 10,000-pound delivery truck. Police have estimated that 1,000 such bikes are in the city and have resulted in several deaths. In the past two years, they have seized 119 dirt bikes and 18 unregistered motorcycles.

Two groups based in Africa are interested in taking the dirt bikes off Baltimore's hands. The bikes would help people in African countries where roads are not in good condition.

City Council President Sheila Dixon said the council did not want them auctioned off by the Police Department because the bikes could return to city streets.

But Stukes and Dixon were concerned about ensuring the bikes didn't end up in the wrong hands.

"The last headline we want to see is that all ... 75 bikes shipped from Baltimore have ended up in drug lords' hands," Stukes said.

 

SPEED KILLS: POLICE RELEASE DEAD MOTORCYCLIST'S SPEEDING VIDEO A self-made video of a British motorcyclist "treating roads as a race track" two weeks before his death has been released by police in England in a bid to cut accidents.

After the 28-year-old motorcyclist died in a collision, police released his video showing him speeding and performing stunts. He would strap a video camera to the front of his machine and tape himself traveling in excess of 100mph, pulling wheelies and overtaking other vehicles on blind bends.

Cornwall Police said: "The whole manner of his riding is dangerous. It is treating roads as a race circuit but unfortunately on the roads you have vehicles coming in the opposite direction. The whole reason for releasing the video is to get the message across that this kind of driving is not clever. It is dangerous and fatal consequences can result."

The dead rider's girlfriend handed the tape over to the police, and made an appeal urging others to slow down in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities involving motorcycles. "I know that superbikes aren't made to go slowly but when they see what happened here I hope that they will think about their speed and slow down. It may save a life."

 

JAIL FOR BIKE RIDER CAUGHT SPEEDING BY HIS OWN VIDEO A motorcyclist who made a video recording of himself traveling at more than 160mph has been jailed for 12 months, prosecuted on the strength of his own video after he attached the camera to his 900cc Kawasaki
in order to record his exploits.

The 32-year-old U.K. rider was pulled over by officers from the Dyfed Powys Police force, who spotted the video camera and confiscated it.

A Dyfed Powys Police spokeswoman said: "He drove from Church Village near Pontypridd, on to the A470 and down towards Llandovey in mid Wales on the A40. He was stopped by officers, who took the camera away. The video showed the camera pointing out over the handlebars and you can see the speedometer. His speeds regularly topped 150mph." The spokeswoman said the motorcyclist had attached a hydraulic device to his number plate to flick the plate away to stop police recording his registration.

In addition to a year in jail, the speeding film star is banned from driving for three years and was ordered to take an extended driving test.

 

WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: BIKER ATTACKED FOR "RIDING TOO SLOWLY" On the other end of the speed spectrum comes this news story of a Malaysian man who was reportedly beaten up because he was riding his motorbike too slowly.

The 52-year-old was assaulted in Penang by 20 men. He was on his way home to take his family out when he was attacked. According to The Straits Times, the Sun newspaper said he was riding his motorcycle when a car blocked his path. Three men got out of the car and told him off. They then grabbed the keys to his bike. One of them called his friends using a mobile phone and 15 men armed with sticks and knives turned up and attacked the motorcyclist. They fled when other motorists intervened.

 

QUOTABLE QUOTE: "The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end; there it is."
WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874 - 1965)
British Prime Minister