The GUNNY'S SACK

August 2001

This year while celebrating our nation's birth, I watched ordinary people at an air show here in Oregon totally ignore the playing of our national anthem and the display of the symbol of our country, the sacred flag of our nation. Too many of our fellow countrymen take our freedom so much for granted that they don't have the decency to honor our flag by at least standing in one spot for a few moments. As a veteran and American citizen, the sight makes me physically ill.

To be sure, we pay what we consider high taxes, and gasoline is more expensive than we would like, but we can pretty much do as we please as long as we don't break the laws of our land.

The signers of our Declaration of Independence, and many others through the years, paid dearly for our freedom and it behooves us to remember the price they paid for us to live in this great nation. Here are just a few examples of what freedom meant to some of them:

Francis Lewis of New York lost his wife to capture by the British. She died while imprisoned. He lived the remainder of his life impoverished, having sacrificed his personal wealth to the fight for Independence. Richard Stockton of New Jersey, was dragged from his bed by royalists and imprisoned in New York where he was denied basic necessities. He was finally released but never fully recovered from the abuse. His fortune was nearly wiped out, his lands ruined, his papers and library were burned, and his livestock seized. Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward of South Carolina, were all imprisoned for nearly a year at St Augustine, Fla.

Abraham Clark, New Jersey, had two of his sons as officers in the army. They were captured by the British and confined on the prison ship Jersey, where thousands of American captives died. One was held in solitary confinement and given no food. Clark still refused to support the crown when the British offered to spare his sons' lives.

These were real people, with real lives, just like you and me. I ask you, how many of US would suffer what those heroes did? We bitch when we are asked to take a day off work to support our motorcycle freedom fighters in our state Capitol. We're not exactly asking you to Pledge your Lives, Fortunes and Sacred Honor to the cause, but the least we can all do is pitch in a few hours of our time to help protect what those brave people provided for us.

NEWS BIT'S N PIECES:

LAGOS, NIGERIA: Seems that a lot of paying motorcycle passengers here end up in hospitals with broken bones, because they blindly trusted a motorcycle taxi (an OKADA) driver to hurry them to their destination. Most of these guys are untrained and have no regard for the laws of the road or the safety of their passengers. They think nothing of going against traffic. Most don't even offer their passengers the option to wear a helmet.

This has all given rise to an outcry from the docs there to REQUIRE the use of helmets and mandatory licensing and training for Okada drivers.

On top of all that, there has been a recent string of robberies and killings with the OKADA being used as transport. The persistent crime wave has prompted the Lagos state government to BAN these motorcycle taxis altogether between midnight and 5 a.m.

I think I won't ride a motorcycle in Nigeria between the hours of midnight and five a.m. Maybe not in the daytime, either.

HOLLISTER, CAL: Now this is sort of half-car, half-trike, but guess who's gettin' into the biz of MAKING 'em? CORBIN, the motorcycle seat maker, is making the REST of the machine too now, and it's called a Sparrow, a 3-wheeled electric vehicle. The little Sparrow that could can haul one person and maybe a women's large purse. Look at a Sparrow, and you know it's different. Even the name makes a Detroit auto makers' skin crawl. But this little hybrid car/trike is on a mission to change the way America thinks about transportation.

In this case, that means thinking about a single-seat electric "car" that sells for $14,700. If that doesn't sound like a bargain, consider this: Corbin has a two-year waiting list.

The idea behind the Sparrow is to keep it simple. Its efficiency is based on small size and light weight. It uses basic lead acid batteries and standard brakes. It has a heater, a CD player, and power windows, but no A/C.

Even though they're 3-wheelers, the Corbin cars are registered as motorcycles, though they have to meet many automotive safety standards as well, such as safety glass and a seat belt. And in most states, Corbin drivers don't have to wear helmets!

Sparrows can use motorcycle parking, at rates of around 3 bucks a day, compared to $15 to $40 a day for cars. At that rate, the Sparrow would pay back its purchase price in just over 2 years. Hey! Maybe it really is a bargain. I gotta RIDE one. If they make a convertible, it'd be almost like a trike!

ENGLAND: Here's a guy from England who used his cell phone to good advantage. He called his wife on a cell phone to say he had an accident and was lying in a field, and was afraid he had a serious back injury. His wife alerted police who called the man's cell and launched a helicopter to help those on the ground search for him.

The man told police when he could hear the helicopter to guide them to where he was lying. The man had been on his way home when the wreck went down. I don't like to see people use cell phones when they are driving, because of the distraction. It would be nice if we would just pull over when the phone rings and talk while parked, or at least get a hands-free phone. Yes, I'm guilty too, but I try and keep it to a minimum.

HARRISBURG, PENN: Over in York, Pennsylvania (where H-D has a factory), and also in Akron, Ohio, there is a new twist on stealing motorcycles. It works like this: A guy reads the ad in the paper that you want to sell your scoot. He gives you a shout on the phone and says he's a doctor at such-and-such hospital. He then sets an appointment with you to meet him at the hospital with the scoot so he can look at it. You show up and he, all dressed in scrubs, shows you money but asks for a test ride just as a formality. You being a nice guy, and doctors being so trustworthy, you hand him your keys and he disappears down the street, never to be seen again.

This seems to be a local problem in that area, but seller beware, there are some real smoothies out there. This seems to be aimed mostly at Harleys, but it could happen to other makes and other localities too. Just use some street smarts, and be careful who you let ride your ride, unless you have the bucks in your hand.

GUNNY AGAIN: Another group of dedicated people who continue to fight for us in the courts are the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorneys that are here for us when we fall off our scooters or bend our fenders.

They ride just like we do and know what the world is for us when we are involved in an accident. Our Oregon guy, Sam Hochberg, started riding in 1971. Whatever legal question you have, call the A.I.M. Attorney in your area and he will try and help you out. Your initial legal consultation is free, too. They have some legal eagles now who also handle CRIMINAL defense, too -- it's Aid to INCARCERATED Motorcyclists. Same phone numbers -- 1-800-ON-A-BIKE. Me, I try and stay out of the hoosegow, but you never know when you might need a good lawyer.

FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON: This fall, on Saturday, October 13th, there will be a regional National Coalition Of Motorcyclists (NCOM) conference in the Seattle area, also sponsored by the efforts of this A.I.M. Attorney network. This FREE Freedom Fighters Forum is hosted by ABATE of Washington and the Confederation of Clubs of Washington and will start at 10 a.m. at the Federal Way Holiday Inn. For directions or room reservations, call the Holiday Inn at (800) 583-2272 and tell 'em NCOM sent ya for a discounted room rate of $79 single/double. Expect the Western U.S. states to be well-represented by the Motorcycle Rights Organizations and all the Confederations of Clubs in those states. Hope to see ya there!

If you're in Oregon, look for me at Oregon Runs. We can sign you up for your free A.I.M. card, and I can get you the latest AIM/NCOM newsletter, and all the stickers you can stick. Stop in and say hi.

 

Keep the round side on the bottom.
Gunny, Oregon A.I.M. Chief of Staff