The GUNNY'S SACK

April 2002

This month we are finally beginning our riding season here in God's country, Oregon, and the sun is once again gracing us with its presence. This is such beautiful country and there are so many places to ride and enjoy the freedom of the road. I hope you are as happy with your neck of the woods as I am with mine.

Spring is a time of renewal for us and we need to gear up for the continued fight for our freedoms. By that I mean the freedom to make our own adult decisions that govern our safety when riding, and the many other freedoms we cherish such as the freedom to go where we like, and use the kind transportation we like, and to go to the tavern, restaurant, or motel of our choice.
The helmet laws are never far from our minds, but we have more to worry us now than just that. The "end of life" for our vehicles of choice may be coming. You'd have to scrap your scoot after it got too old! New pollution laws may spell the end of air-cooled engines, because of severe restrictions on air quality. And these are just a few examples.

Our fight includes the restoration of freedoms we have lost because we didn't pay attention to what was happening around us. Although in many ways we have been successful, we can't afford to slack off for a minute now. Our opponents know that WE have learned the rules and they will change them if they can. BE AWARE, brothers and sisters, our FREEDOM is at stake. Get yourself some ammo for that fight by getting yourself or somebody from your organization to our next NCOM (National Coalition of Motorcyclists) 2002 Convention, in New Orleans, May 9 - 11th. Expect about 1200 biker freedom-fighters from all over the globe, and about 40 of our AIM Attorneys from all over the good ol' USA. Need more info? Look on the AIM/NCOM website at www.ON-A-BIKE.com, or call the national office at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.

 

NEWS BITS'N PIECES:
KENYA: In a feature story out of Kenya, they're discussing the origins of lightening. A very few folks there still think the land is "cursed" once it's hit by lightening. Fortunately, in Kenya, where a lot MORE people ride, percentage-wise, than here in the U.S., at least their experts are warning riders to STAY OFF their scoots in a thunder storm. REAL GOOD ADVICE.

Now the Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that lightening was a weapon of the gods, and parts of Europe and America believed it could be kept away by ringing church bells. When it occurs in the atmosphere, the electrical energy scatters in the air. It's capable of damaging planes, but does no harm on the ground -- that is, unless it causes a fire or it hits you! Us humans, it turns out, are good electrical conductors because mineral salts in the blood are good conductors and organs with lots of nerves provide good entry and exit points.

Well hallelujah for Kenya! I've been down the road a block or two here in the USA, and I see one goofy biker after another riding headlong into thunderstorms! I guess it works if you wanna become a crispy critter. But, until they make a plastic motorcycle, I think I'll pull over. A bolt of electricity up yer pooper in the rain will give you a real lift.

 

NEW YORK, NY: According to Reuters News Service, Harley-Davidson is not worried about the threat of the European Parliament placing stiff tariffs on their motorcycles sent to Europe. They said this in spite of their shares falling in value on the stock market when the news got out. Guess we'll see.

KAMPALA: I guess Eugene, Oregon isn't the only place in the world where police have the power -- or TAKE the power -- to impound motorcycles. In this country, about 100 cops were deployed to impound ALL the "boda-boda" motorcycles they could find. About 150 bikes were netted in the operation. Most of the cyclists whose bikes were impounded lacked legal documents. They abandoned their scoots and ran off. There were no reports of cyclists arrested.

The Kampala Police Chief said the operation was aimed at reducing some of the city crimes related to these "boda-boda" cyclists. "We are running the operation in the city and this time we shall target stolen motorcycles, those with fake number plates and those whose riders don't have valid operators licenses." Have we heard that same kind of rhetoric here in this country? Well just read the next story:

EUGENE, OR: Here's an update for you on the motorcycle seizure story here in Oregon, as reported in last month's Gunny's Sack. Our AIM Attorney for the state (and my boss), Sam Hochberg, has taken on a pro bono (read that as working for free) case to try to stop what we think is a growing problem. In the last Sack, we reported that a non-patch rider leaving a club's anniversary party was stopped for basically no reason. The cops took his bike back on February 9th, citing POSSIBLE stolen parts they hadda look at. Well sir, it's now April as this Sack goes out, and they STILL have the bike. Aren't their eyeballs SORE from staring at that motorcycle all this time?
Sam's law firm took it to court in late March. The judge AGREED there was no probable cause to stop the biker, and AGREED the biker proved his bike was properly inspected by DMV and had a proper reconstructed title. But she said the cops could still KEEP the motorcycle!! Indefinitely, it seems. Sam and his associate, Leah Johnson, are convinced the judge is dead wrong. The plan now is to file a "Writ of Mandamus" with the Oregon Supreme Court, as well as file an appeal in the Court of Appeals. And Sam got us some backup, too: The state's criminal defense lawyer association, OCDLA, will file an amicus, or "friend of the court" brief for the biker, too. We'll keep you up to date right here in the Sack as this story develops.

 

FUKUOKA, JAPAN: If you ride in Fukuoka (no snide comments, please) Prefecture in Japan and ride to a town called Dazaifu, you'll find a new tax on parking your scoot! But like most places, it STILL PAYS to ride: Bikers there will pay HALF the parking tax that cars will pay to park in public lots. In a story from Kyodo News, they also say Dazaifu is a big tourist spot, so you may even find your own butt there one day! I tell ya, I have been there, and it's a neat place. I also remember when it didn't matter how many people you piled on your bike as long as you could keep it upright. Nowadays, you can't even ride two up on freeways anywhere in Japan. Big Brother is there, too.

DAYTONA, FL: Here's a real pisser from United Press International (UPI) and the Miami Herald: Seems a tourist, Horacio Medina from Mexico was at Bike Week this year, lookin' at the bikes. He had his video camera on to tape some bikes, and caught a Florida Highway Patrol cop, uh, shall we say, WHIZZIN' behind a gas station! Mr. Medina says the cop grabbed the camera and TAPED OVER this little video gem, then arrested Mr. Medina for trespass.
The cop said that's not at all how it went down. He said he arrested Medina because the tourist did not leave the gas station when the cop asked him to.
Medina also said he was not permitted to call Mexican authorities while police held him, which could be an international treaty violation. The Mexican consulate in Orlando is looking into the situation.
Scads of bikers are arrested and fined every year for "indecent exposure" during Bike Week. What a double-standard! Makes ya wonder, HUH?

GUNNY AGAIN: Remember folks, the AIM attorneys we ride with are also the ones we count on for help when the cheese gets binding. Reach them 24/7 at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.

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