Wake
Up and Smell the Discrimination
The above picture was taken at the entrance
to a parking garage in South Carolina on Sunday, October 30, 2005. I was in
the beautiful city of Charleston to attend the historic first annual Southern
Cross Conference (SCC) The SCC is a networking and educational summit for
southern motorcyclists'.
While enjoying the living history of Charleston's historic district, I decided
to stop and park so I could walk around and enjoy the local sites. The first
parking garage I found had the above sign hanging in the entrance. The rudeness
of this discriminatory sign reminded me of why I was in Charleston in the
first place. I traveled there to attend the SCC, learn more about lobbying
techniques, and to meet like-minded riders who work to shape the future of
motorcycling in the southern United States.
Just over one percent of the riders in the Carolinas' belong to motorcyclists'
rights organizations (MROs). Those members do all the work for the other 99%
of riders. Joining a MRO is how it all starts. Once you join and attend a
meeting or two, you start to learn about the issues facing bikers. It's not
just the discrimination. It's not just about being refused a parking space.
It's about the overall tendency of our legislatures to make our riding more
restrictive and to strip our freedoms away from us one-by-one. Little by little,
they chip away at our liberties. They usually don't make very big changes,
just small little chips. They do it little-by-little so the average rider
doesn't even notice it. Every year, we have less freedoms as bikers. Every
year, there are more regulatory agencies forcing their "rules" down
our throats. A "rule" is a law make by unelected agency employees
who can't be voted out of office. (Example: EPA, NHTSA, etc).
I know what you are thinking ..... "This political stuff doesn't concern
me. I just wanna ride around and look cool doing it." Well, that reminds
me of a quote I heard recently....... "Just because
you do not take an interest in politics, doesn't mean politics won't take
an interest in you." That statement couldn't be more true where
bikers are concerned. If you are not involved with MROs and the political
process, then you don't know what you don't know. You don't know what laws
threaten your enjoyment of motorcycling because they are being introduced
in your state house, they are being voted on by your legislators, and they
are being passed without your knowledge, input, or consent.
Don't be a Monday morning quarterback. Don't be a complainer after the laws
are passed. Get involved now and help to preserve the riding freedoms we still
have left. Help to take back the freedoms we have lost. And help to give our
children the ability to park where they like, ride what they like, and have
the ability to customize their own motorcycles. These basic freedoms of riding
are being stripped from us all NOW.
I did call the proprietor of that parking garage and they told me a story
about the exit gate hitting a biker on the head while he was leaving and that
is why they outlawed motorcycles. I explained that I understood and appreciated
their concerns for our safety. Then I asked them: "Where will bikers
park if all parking garages outlawed motorcycles?" I respectfully asked
them to look into a motion detector that will detect motorcycles as well as
cars when a vehicle drives past the gate. That would enable them to reap additional
revenue from bikers and still keep bikers safe while riding past the exit
gate. I was told they will look into that. Not sure if they will act on it,
but I will be calling them again to monitor their progress.
The point here is that it is easier to outlaw motorcycles than it is to work
with them. If only one percent of bikers are willing to join MROs and stand
up for themselves, motorcycles will continue to be banned and motorcyclists'
will continue to lose our freedoms; ..... one at a time, ..... year after
year.
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