Coming To Your Town Soon...Do Something About It

By Tim Anderson

There have always been people around the world who have taken it upon themselves to regulate the lifestyles and behavior of others. We in the motorcycle community see more of this than do some other segments of society. And while there are certainly other groups more targeted and oppressed, bikers have recently come under more and more scrutiny and regulation at the hands of our own elected officials.

In this issue of Scooter News there are a few stories that seemingly have little to do with riding out here in the West—at first glance. We’ve included the stories because they serve as a preview of what we can expect here if anti-motorcycle lawmakers are left unchecked.

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the city council has not even tried to hide its distain for the more than 500,000 riders that visit that city every year, pouring millions into the local economy. City leaders there have passed a series of Jim Crow Laws aimed at killing bike rallies, and keeping motorcyclists out of the city. The reason is “years of complaints” according to the city; yet there are surprisingly few official complaints registered. We’ve listed the 15 new laws passed there on page six so you can read them for yourself, and then decide what the motivation is.

To us, it’s clear: get ride of bikes altogether.

What’s that mean here? Maybe nothing. But, there are cities watching this closely…to see if they can get away with the same thing in their communities. It’s a pretty safe bet there are anti-rally powers in Durango, Colorado, checking this out. There are some there who make no secret of their dislike for motorcycles and the annual Labor Day Rally in the Four Corners Region. If we look around, there are other communities that show that same tendency.

Another story is the new law passed by Florida that imposes massive fines and penalties for reckless speed and stunt riding. That might be OK, but that same law imposes the same penalties for mounting a license plate vertically. Up to $5000 loss of driving privileges for 10 years for not mounting the plate horizontally. That’s not about anything but hassling bikers, taking their money and trying to chase them away. It has nothing to do with safety, so why is it part of that law? Imagine if you went to Daytona Bike week this year on your custom bike with the vertical plate…you could potentially come home with tickets for $8500 or more and Florida trying to take your drivers license for ten years.

Be careful, the bullshit’s gettin’ deep.

We already have experience with ridiculously big fines out here. Remember the $500 exhaust pipe fine in Denver? That hasn’t gone anywhere. In fact, other cities coast to coast have implemented similar, if not identical laws, including…Durango, Colorado.
Not to pick on Durango, but do you still think these kinds of things don’t matter so much when they happen so far away?

There are any number of examples to cite, and warnings to issue. The point is, that these things are happening everywhere, and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to your town.

So, during this time of frightening and staggering corporate bailouts, complicated and seemingly unsolvable, unending difficulties abroad, and a presidential and national election with poor candidates to choose from, take a minute to try to take little control of the stuff closer to home—the stuff affecting our lifestyle. We’re all paying attention to the big stuff, but have remarkably little control over it, at least for now.

By staying involved and vigilant on a local level, maybe we can stop the forces that would chase us off, crush our lifestyle, and infringe our rights in a way we’ve not yet seen.

So this November 4 when you go to vote, don’t just note nationally. Make your voice heard at the state, county and city level—vote against those who would tie us up, tie us down, wrap us in plastic and shove us into a corner and make us pay for the privilege.

Now is the time to take a stand.