The GUNNY'S SACK

July 2006 Last month, you opened up your Sack to read a little Gunny-grumble about the heat. Truth is, in the big picture, who cares if we have a few days of hot weather? I’m just glad I’m still a resident of this planet. Over the years, too many of our brothers and sisters aren’t here, and too many were taken from us because of bike wrecks and drinking.

FREEDOM and ALCOHOL: I’m talking about staying ALIVE on the road, so if you believe in FREEDOM, you also have to believe in personal responsibility. In my book, THAT means not to needlessly hurt others.

The Freedom to be left alone carries the responsibility to leave OTHERS alone, too. But if you ride drunk or high on drugs, brother, sooner or later, you’re gonna bequeath a lifetime of grief to your closest buddies, your kids, your parents; the people who care about you; THEY will live with the pain of losing you, and they won’t have a choice about it. As Oregon AIM Chief of Staff, your ol’ Gunny has consoled too many families and friends. I just have to think that somehow, the people you leave behind have to count, too.

INSURANCE GRIEF: I have the same sort of concern for our brothers and sisters who ride without enough insurance on their machines, and just settle for the state minimums. Self preservation alone ought to be reason enough to insure for high dollars. Under-insured and Uninsured Motorist (UM and UIM) coverage is what you need on all your machines, with the HIGHEST policy limits you can get your hands on. That’s what our Oregon AIM Attorney Sam Hochberg always says. THIS is “Jerk Insurance,” as Sam calls it, when we’re hurt in a wreck and the jerk who caused it either had NO insurance, or else didn’t carry enough liability to pay for of all your damages. Then, of course, you get to chase your own insurance company, and it’s usually a pretty upsetting experience. Carry HIGH UM/UIM LIMITS, then you just have to hire a lawyer to choke the money out of ‘em; but at least it’s THERE! Like Sam says, GET a LAWYER who really KNOWS personal injury law, to protect yourself and your family. Am I gettin’ a little rough on ya? Well, I’m tellin’ ya, it hurts me when I see a brother or sister in a hospital, covered in plaster, from their appetite to their toenails, and without any way to pay the bills or the rent for their families. That’s what insurance is for, even if you hate the stuff. Ask your local AIM Attorney, as they’ll be glad to give you a free insurance review – NO they don’t sell it – but they can at least explain what kind of coverage you actually have, and what it does and doesn’t cover.

REGIONAL NCOM CONFERENCE: It’s the 2006 WEST COAST REGION I Conference of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM). It’s comin’ right up, so make your plans now, and join us in Los Angeles this year. Region I includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Expect biker reps from the various organizations and the AIM Attorneys (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) from those states, plus Joey Lester, and NCOM and AIM founder, Richard M. Lester. Oregon’s own LONG-TIME biker activist, Butch Harbaugh will be there, too. Learn the latest of what’s going on in the Biker’s Rights movement, how the PATRIOT Act affects bikers, and much, much more! C’mon down!
Conference Info:
OCTOBER 14, 2006
Registration: NONE – it’s FREE
Embassy Suites Hotel, near LAX (Los Angeles International Airport, at 1440 East Imperial, El Segundo, CA 90245
CALL NOW for Reservations: 310-640-3600 Special Room Rate $119, single or double. Cheap, for Los Angeles!
Free Shuttle available from the Airport

NEWSBITS ‘N PIECES:

NAPLES, ITALY: Thanks on this story to our roving Sack reporter, AIM Attorney for Oregon, Sam Hochberg. Actually, he doesn't "rove" as much as he'd like to, and he did NOT go to Naples, but he DOES like to listen to the radio, and he does track MEDIA. Sam heard a story this summer on a radio travel show about NAPLES, ITALY, or “NAPOLI.” Sam says Naples sounds like it's set in a gorgeous area, and it’s a busy, vibrant, sorta dangerous and crowded city. People hang out in the streets and in front of their houses, and it’s bustling. It's near Pompeii, it's got famous museums and wonderful restaurants. On the other hand, you can get your pack or purse clipped offa ya' VERY easily; sometimes by TEAMS of pro's, right out in the open! So what's this got to do with MOTORCYCLES, you ask Gunny?

Turns out, Sam says, Italy has itself a new nationwide HELMET law. It’s enforced all over the country... except in NAPLES, that is. In spite of the law, FEW WEAR HELMETS! The scooter riders there "like the wind in their hair," the radio host said. Can you IMAGINE how crazed a government like OURS would get, if that were to happen HERE, in the USA? Imagine, if a WHOLE CITY just decided to say "the hell with it," permanently, and IGNORE a helmet law, what would happen? THESE days, somebody might actually call out the National Guard to enforce it! But in NAPLES, they don’t wear helmets and life goes on! Gunny's been around a few parts of the big mud-ball planet, and I think maybe people in NAPLES are more interested in living life right -- the "sweet life, "La Dolce Vita," and when the law conflicts with how they like to live, it's the LAW that loses! The police don't seem to bother with citing the riders there, either. I guess they'd rather go and fight some actual CRIME, instead. Now THERE'S a novel concept!

Coochie-GUCCI: As fall rolls around, tall boots come into fashion for women, and this year the tall boots are in style for men, too. Gucci's black leather motorcycle boots are taller than most, rising up to your calf. They’re black leather, a leather sole, and a boot pull stitched onto the inside, to help you yank ’em on. They also have this silver, “rider-inspired” chain, draped around the boot’s ankle. They ARE neat booties, not just a gimmick, but $995!? A bit much for the likes of this Gunny.

SWEET DEAL in ARIZONA: The city of Scottsdale had themselves some sweet scheme going with their local Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety – that’s their state police – to IGNORE all the speeding cops that the foto-radar snagged of police cars! Seemed like a cozy little arrangement, but when they started clocking the cops at over 100, something had to give. Turns out, the cop speeds were NOT even authorized. Guess they were called on the carpet on it, and public demand made them take a step back and cut it out!

GUNNY AGAIN: I always want to remind folks that if it weren’t for our AIM ATTORNEYS there would be no NCOM or those great NCOM Conferences, no AIM, and no Confederations of Clubs. Our AIM Attorneys are there for us and we have advice available when we’re in a jam or an accident. No matter what you think about who may be at fault, call your AIM attorney FIRST, before you talk to any insurance people at all, even your own. They will give you FREE advice that will help you. Call 1-800-534-2424, or 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, wherever you are, and they will get you connected to the right people and info. You can also find us on the web at www.ON-A-BIKE.com.