redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted February 24, 2002 10:23 PM
If they could only see what we see
Cops... that is.
My friend and I did a little 200 miler through the backroads of Arkansas today and I'm sure it's about the same everywhere...
The number of insane, incompetent and just down right dangerous drivers out there never ceases to both amaze and scare the shit out of me. Here's a couple examples (which I'm sure most of you can relate to)...
"ADULTS" (over 40) IN SUVs/TRUCKS WHO WANT TO RACE SPORTBIKES
We're just cruising along at about 70 (15 over posted) when we come up on a Grand Cherokee. The Cherokee is about 5 car lengths behind a pick-up and a car. We were not crowding" him (about 3 car lengths behind), since we knew that there wasn't going to be any safe places to pass for a few miles.
As soon as he spots us, he starts getting all over the rear bumper of the pick up. After a couple of miles of playing "peek a boo" around the pick up (and almost getting hit by oncoming traffic), the guy in the Cherokee romps on it (with HUGE puffs of black smoke coming out) and pass both
pick up and the car... right as we were all approching a uphill blind corner. What an idiot!
The guy in the pick up starts crowding the poor little old lady in the car (which was doing about 60) and wanted to play "chase the squid". We let him pass the car first, because we really didn't want him trying to "chase" us. When me and my buddy SAFELY passed the car we thought we'd join in the "squid games" and reeled the pick up in.
We were not in that big of a hurry, so we stayed behind the pick up, just to see how bad of a driver he really was. Plus, we knew the highway was going to "T" into another highway in about 2 miles. It didn't take a quarter mile before he was already going over the center line or off the shoulder. This was at 70!
Needless to say, when ever you have "yahoos" like this in front of you and they do not want to be passed, their brains and what little driving skills they have just go out the window. The funny part about it was that it was less then two miles before we caught up with the Cherokee again. He got stuck behind a 4~5 vehicles and there was no way he'd be able to pass a single one of them for the next SEVEN MILES! All that "drama"... for nothing.
EVEN OLDER "ADULTS" THAT DO NOT WANT TO BE PASSED BY SPORTBIKES
Later in the afternoon, we came up on another pick up. As soon as this guy saw us, he started driving in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I could understand if he had dropped something of was briefly distracted, but he did this for OVER 5 MILES! AROUND BLIND CORNERS AND EVERYTHING!
Thank God there wasn't any oncoming traffic during that part of the trip. I could just see some car with a family coming home from church, minding their own business and driving in their lane... come around a corner and have to deal with this old man (had to be gettin' close to 70 years old). He was just being an asshole and appearantly had little concern of us or anyone else for that matter.
WHY THEY LIMIT SUNDAY BEER SALES IN ARKANSAS
Twards the end of the day's ride, we're about 10 miles from home and started to get in to "park traffic". These are the folks that go out and spend Sunday afternoons at nearby state parks. Starting at about 4 pm, the start heading home and they usually move along at a pretty good clip (about 10 over posted).
As we approach an exit of one of these parks, we see a row of about 6 cars getting ready to get onto the highway. We speed up a little so we won't get caught behind them. There would be little oppertunity to pass and the area often has sheriffs everywhere.
We pass the park exit and crest over a hill and into some twisties. We don't make the second curve before we come up on a old beat up van with a flat bottom boat thied to it's roof. He's doing 25~30 mph! It didn't matter if it was in a curve or on a short straight away.
Both of us were looking in our mirrors, know that the "park traffic" would be catching up with us REAL SOON . We'd didn't want to get run over as they would come around a curve doing 60. Sure enough, within 3 more curves, here they came and just as we suspected, the lead car damn near hit us. Well... it wasn't THAT CLOSE, but if they weren't paying attention, it could have been really messy. By the time me and my buddy got around the van, the line behind this van grew to over 15 vehicles.
HERE'S WHAT PISSES ME OFF...
TWO sheriff cars go by in the opposite direction. Neither one of them turned around and dealt with these openly drinking beer, rednecks that were both holding up traffic by driving HALF the posted limit AND were swerving all over the place.
Now if my buddy and I went past them by ourselves (with not a single other car in sight) doing 70, I can promise you that both of them would have turned around and started chasing "those damn threats to the motoring public" sportbike riders.
Like I said, I'm sure it the same, just about everywhere. I know that everytime I go on a ride on the backroads, I "violate" the posted speed limits. I even will OCASSIONALLY pass on a double yellow (but not that often... SERIOUSLY!). In most cases, if an "officer" observes me doing one of the two, it's almost a given that he (or she) will pull me over.
Guess what? I wouldn't be surprised. After all, I WAS "guilty" violating the traffic laws. That's the risk I'm willing to take. The thing is, 95% of the time, that "risk" is taken when there isn't a SINGLE other vehicle (except for the one I was passing on a double yellow) within a mile.
Of course, the majority of the times that cagers act this stupid, there's not a cop around. Still, when they are and the see these "scoccer moms and dads in SUVs", "old men with attitudes in pick ups" and "drunk rednecks with boats tied to the roof of their vans" and they ar OBVIOUSLY are "threats to the motoring public", the often look the other way.
Now I do have to say that I have MANY friends and customers that are in law enforcement. I have appied decals onto hundreds of police vehicles, as well screen printed political signs and decals for a lot of sheriffs. I really have not hear a valid reason for this... in over 25 years! It just renforces that feeling that everytime I got out on a ride, everyone is REALLY out to get me.
It doesn't matter if it's a group of RUBs on Harleys, scoccer moms, drunk rednecks or our friends in blue (HEY, when you really "need" a cop, you can bet you'll want him to be your "friend")... it boils down to just being "US" verses "THEM". You know what? I can deal with those "odds". Just makes it all the more "exciting". Of course, it also requires one to pay more attention then one would racing in the Daytona 200 too!
Ah, hell... it's just another tricky day, I guess. Can't wait to do it all over again next weekend!
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
   
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 25, 2002 01:16 AM
 Edited By: 22348bCVC on 25 Feb 2002 03:28
cat and mouse
...RED...the problem with us cops 'seeing' things is that most other motorists, jack-offs, idiots, drug-crazed lunatics, etc., see us in our conspicuous black and whites before we get to see them...how can you not spot a cop car a half a mile away?...gives these idiots a chance to temporarily stop what they're doing and 'behave'...oh, sometimes we see them before they see us, but most of the time its the opposite...very frustrating...stands to reason why you, off-duty me, and the rest of the motoring public 'see' stuff when the cops aren't around...but we try, no?
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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Ozzy
Needs a job
need guberment cheese
Posts: 3172
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posted February 25, 2002 05:42 AM
quote:
see us in our conspicuous black and whites before we get to see them
Here in Washington State, we don't get to see cops before they see us near as much as we used to. The WSP in Eastern Washington now drive along with their all white LTD cruisers, tan, red, dark blue, green LTD cruisers, red Explorer, silver Volvo wagon, and who knows what else. These vehicles mentioned are ones I have personally seen the plates on and uniforms in enforcing traffic.
THEY still let the "friggin" semis travel through town on I-90 at 70-75 mph. Limit is posted at 60 for trucks. No way in hell they will let me ride my bike or drive my car anywhere on the hiway at 85 and not stop me. 15 over is 15 over, BUT it appears to be ok for meth'd up truck drivers running 80,000 pound trucks throught traffic, but not ok for the general motorist to do the same.
On a good note, go sport bike riding on the back roads around here and 95% of the time when we come up behind a car or pickup, they pull over to the edge of the road and let us pass asap. Usually they give a friendly wave. We allways wave a thanks on the way by.
Riding partner did have one North Idaho Redneck try to run up his butt on State Hiway 95 south of Couer d Alene, twisty 50-55 zone road. Old Chevy p-cup didn't quite have it in it to keep with him for more than a nano second. Still- the butt could have pushed him into a bad situation he wasn't ready for.
As Red said, Its Us and Them, ride with that in mind at all times. Ozzy.
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EastBayDave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted February 25, 2002 06:49 AM
22348bCVC: I know you guys can't be everywhere, & yep- your easy to spot. BUT...before I go into every close call I had riding yesterday w/idiot drivers...
How many "obstructing traffic" tickets have you written recently?
____________
Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted February 25, 2002 09:53 AM
22348bCVC, I was hoping you'd post
I didn't want to sound like I was slammin' cops. It was more of a "whine", then anything else. That's why I titled it the way I did. Cops can't be EVERYWHERE at ALL times. 99.9% of those in law enforcement are both good and "even handed" in how they enforce traffic laws. That is all one could ask for.
Because law enforcement is a LOT MORE then just writing traffic tickets, it is unrealistic to expect an officer to pull over EVER motorist that commits a traffic violation.
There are some sportbike riders that have NO PROBLEM in doing the things that has given us the bad reputation we have. I could just as EQUALLY whine about that, as well.
As a matter of fact, in reality, we need to look at how we conduct ourselves while riding in the presence of the "motoring public". That could just as explain why the cops look at us with a raised eyebrow, eh?
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 25, 2002 10:47 AM
Edited By: 22348bCVC on 25 Feb 2002 17:43
quote:
22348bCVC: I know you guys can't be everywhere, & yep- your easy to spot. BUT...before I go into every close call I had riding yesterday w/idiot drivers...
How many "obstructing traffic" tickets have you written recently?
>>>I recall the last two coupons within the last four weeks...(I rarely scratch coupons anymore since I've been working the K9)...the coupons I wrote were the result of the other motorists nearly colliding with me! while I was patroling in my black and white!...one was a woman in her ninja-outfit (no kidding!...she either was going to or coming from kung-pow chicken training) who just barreled on to a thoroughfare from a public parking lot without yielding to me and other motorists, thus creating a negative impact (hey, a pun!) to oncoming motorists and causing us to brake to avoid collision....the other was a woman (no slam on women drivers [hey, another pun!]...guys do the same shit) who abruptly left her position at a left turn channel in an intersection and drove into my path from a dead stop (another morbid pun!) as I'm driving 55MPH towards her from the rear...she said, "Yeah but I signaled" (yeah, she signaled AS she turned illegally on to my occupied lane...not enough time/distance to signal one's intentions even if it was legal!)...this is what I saw/felt/did the 'moment' it occured...1)possible major pain to me, my dog, and her if we collided, 2)clear lane to my right, 3)brake, evade collision, and just barely miss striking her car on the right rear bumper as she continued her path, 4)stayed behind her, 5) and lit her up....okay was I pissed?...I was SCARED AND PISSED!...and now my faithful companion wants a piece of her and he's bouncing all over the cage behind me...and then I approach her and get the usual 'oh, I'm not from here and I was lost, etc. crap' and I remind them that if memory served me right, road markings, signals, and signs were the exact same things and meant the exact things ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY, JUST IN DIFFERENT PLACES, YES?...sign here please, this is not an admission of guilt, its your promise to appear, be careful out there...other than that, I rarely scratch coupons anymore since my mission is with the dog, but I do stop motorist with 'probably cause' all the time to chat and give warnings...just like you'd want me to if I stopped you, yes?...heh heh heh 
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 25, 2002 11:35 AM
Edited By: 22348bCVC on 25 Feb 2002 13:38
quote:
I didn't want to sound like I was slammin' cops. It was more of a "whine", then anything else. That's why I titled it the way I did. Cops can't be EVERYWHERE at ALL times. 99.9% of those in law enforcement are both good and "even handed" in how they enforce traffic laws. That is all one could ask for.
Because law enforcement is a LOT MORE then just writing traffic tickets, it is unrealistic to expect an officer to pull over EVER motorist that commits a traffic violation.
There are some sportbike riders that have NO PROBLEM in doing the things that has given us the bad reputation we have. I could just as EQUALLY whine about that, as well.
As a matter of fact, in reality, we need to look at how we conduct ourselves while riding in the presence of the "motoring public". That could just as explain why the cops look at us with a raised eyebrow, eh?
...no worries, RED...I personally didn't take your post as a slam against my chosen profession, and you're dead-on right about what you posted...we can't be everywhere, we can't see everything, we can't do everything that TV and the movies say we can...a few 'realities'...take drunk drivers for instance...statistically we stop and apprehend one out of every one thousand! intoxicated motorist out there and the reason being is that we're outnumbered...that means there are 999 (an ominous number given the evil we're talking about) other intoxicated motorists driving out there who could potentially punch your number or the number of your loved one....your innocent child for instance...another phenomena we often experience in law enforcement is being dispatched to a priority call and seeing something of lower priority (such as a traffic matter) on the way to the call and not being able to do something about what you just saw (except call it in and hope there's an available unit to respond to it)...it seems as though this ALWAYS happens especially when joe-motorists sees the same thing, sees you, and wonder why you didn't do anything...well, sometimes we just can't...we have to get to the spouse beater first, the crazed drugged maniac with a knife first, the burglary in progress first, the violent person committing a violent act upon another person first, the sometimes ominous 'unknown trouble' call first...not like TV at all...and I kinda' doubt most citizens want more cops out there to keep the peace and catch everything everytime (its too expensive, too 'invasive' of their privacy...at least for the parolee/probationer/or unlawful citizen out there, but hey...they have 'rights', too boo hoo hoo!)...good thing MOST PEOPLE ARE LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, YES?...and without the good and great cooperation between concerned citizens and law enforcement, we'd have a continuous high-level of anarchy, chaos, and general dangerous and outrageous behavior ALL THE TIME....not my kind of place to live and enjoy my family, friends, dog, cars, and of course, my 12R....
...oh yeah...about sportbike riders...I know what you mean...I think irresponsible sportbike riders (more than not, young inexperienced new idiots with their new-found 'power') have done great damage to the image that most of us responsible riders try to convey...we've probably become more 'dangerous' in the eyes of the motoring public in such a short time than your stereotypical Harley badboy wannabe with his 'tough-look' and 'cool' style...mainly because the young rider (on a new, easily obtainable 600, for instance) wants to be the fastest and the most furious on the street...just yesterday, one of our units was stuck in 60mph freeway traffic going 60mph on an otherwise 75mph (65mph posted) freeway, all lanes heavy...and these ASSHOLE IDIOT PUNKASS BITCHES on sportbikes were splitting lanes, making abrupt and dangerous lane changes, and basically having their type of 'fun' at the expense of scaring the crap out of other motorists' safety while doing 90+mph (the reporting unit's estimate)...IN FRIGGIN HEAVY TRAFFIC!!!....ASSHOLES!!!...all he could do was advise and watch 'cause there was no way he was going to able to 'catch' these punks without endangering other motorists, himself, or even the punkass idiots...traffic was THICK and the punkasses knew they had a done deal getting away with their fucked-up behavior...you're right and realistic about one thing though, and I 'unofficially agree you in principle' (heh heh heh...in case some barney nazi-enforcer jack-off happens to read this and snitches me off to the powers that be)...if its a deserted road, no traffic to impact, good line-of-sights...have fun but be careful and safe out there...I'd say that's fair enough, yes?...
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted February 25, 2002 07:18 PM
Edited By: redelk on 25 Feb 2002 19:20
Let's give the cager another reason to KILL ME!
Today, this article appears on the front page of our state section...
No-helmet law costs state big, study reports
Repeal of Arkansas' mandatory motorcycle helmet law has cost the state's leading trauma center and taxpayers more than $1 million, according to a recent study by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The 6-year study period covered the 38 months before and after the August 1997 change in the helmet law.
Patients riding without helmets had significantly higher unreimbursed charges than those who wore helmets, averaging $1,039,505 more in lost revenue through the course of the study. Total unreimbursed charges for all motorcyclists was $4.6 million.
The study showed that 45.4 percent of patients who discarded their helmets had no insurance, compared to 37.9 percent of those who wore helmets. One-third of nonhelmeted patients had commercial insurance, while nearly half of helmeted patients had private insurance.
State Rep. Jay Bradford, D-White Hall, an opponent of the helmet law repeal and chairman of First Arkansas Insurance, said the medical center's findings just scratch the surface.
"It's really a double hit on the taxpayer," he said, explaining that many uninsured motorcyclists rely on Medicaid. "The hospital will charge off costs to other patients, who are taxpayers," he said.
Uninsured motorcyclists also are likely to incur long-term costs, Bradford said. "They'll lose their homes over the years. They'll lose their jobs. And creditors will go unpaid. Rehab costs could go on for 25 to 30 years. It's just a tremendous multiplier of bad news."
Rodney Roberts, owner of Rodney's Cycle House of Little Rock and a proponent of the helmet law repeal, said UAMS' findings do not support claims that nonhelmeted motorcyclists are more likely to drive without medical insurance coverage.
As a state facility, University Hospital also attracts more people who lack the ability to pay, he said. "I'd like to ask them what percentage of automobile drivers come into their facility without insurance," Roberts said. "When you get to the crux of this study, what they're saying is, when you enact a helmet law, people will have more insurance. I don't think so."
The study found that the number of Arkansas motorcycle crashes remained relatively constant between 1993 and 1999, the most recent data available for the study. Those figures ranged between 571 and 720 crashes yearly. The number of deaths resulting from motorcycle crashes also remained about the same during their period, ranging from 24 in 1993 to 23 in 1999.
However, the percentage of head injuries increased every year from 1996 (14.4 percent) to 1999 (24.4 percent). Statistics were unavailable for 1993, 1994 and 1995. When the helmet law was in effect, about 23 percent of motorcyclists hospitalized were not wearing helmets when they crashed. That percentage increased to 55 percent after the law was repealed, according to the study.
Changes in helmet laws prompted several studies, including the UAMS report that found the number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities didn't change much between 1995 and 1999. But the study concluded that nonhelmeted motorcyclists were more than twice as likely to die at a crash site than a helmeted rider.
My, my! That's terrible! These damn motorcycles are costing the taxpayers MILLIONS! Oops! Okay, not quite MILLIONS. Try $767,000 a year and the one without helmets are $173,250 of that annual amount. Boy, I just love having fun with numbers, don't you?
Sadly, there are just a few "facts" their little study forgot. The article continues...
Motorcycle registrations nearly doubled from 13,791 in 1993 to 26,121 in 2000, according to Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration records. The biggest increase was in 1998, the first full year after the law was changed, which saw a jump of more than 5,000 registrations.
Hmmmm... now that's interesting. BUT WAIT! There's more!
The Arkansas Department of Highway and Transportation has updated its figures since the Democrat-Gazette study, indicating increases in motorcycle deaths, fatal crashes and fatalities without helmets. The percentage of head injuries decreased.
Department records show there were 871 crashes in 2000, up from 647 in 1999. Six of the people killed in crashes in 2000 wore helmets while 31 did not. Four people killed in 1999 accidents wore helmets while 20 did not.
That is a scary increase from 1999 to 2000, even when one considers the increase in motorcycle registrations. AH! There's always a "rub" to it, isn't there? Get this...
UAMS' study doesn't differentiate motorcycles from mopeds, four-wheel vehicles, and on-road and off-road motorcycles, Roberts said. He said the study also fails to consider an increase in motorcycle ownership since 1996.
OH REALLY, NOW? What's interesting is that our "friends" at the NHTSA does take the time to "differentiate" between licensed motorcycles and other vehicles. Of the 37 so called "motorcyclists", the ACTUAL number of those operating a licensed motorcycle was (drum roll, please)... 25!
What were the other 12 fatalities operating? According to the NHTSA, it was what the call "CATAGORY 90". Hmmm. what is this "CATAGORY 90", you may ask? This catagory is defined as, ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle; includes dune/swamp buggy - 3 or 4 wheel)
MY GAWD! Let's ban 4 wheelers and "swamp buggies"! Them damn drunk deer hunters! Naw, that ain't gonna happen. I know what we can do! Let's look into ALL head injuries that are costing taxpayers money! So where do we start? Scoccer or high school football? What about horseback riding? Mountain biking?
Here's the whole point of this, when I'm out riding on some back highway and I come up on Joe Bob redneck in his pick up... thanks to this article, not only will he see me as one of those "damn sportbike riders", I'll now have the honor of also being a burden on the tax paying public. Well, in his eyes, I won't be a burden if I'm DEAD! Thanks to UAMS and Rep. Bradford, this is more of a reality then they think! FUCK 'EM!
SPECIAL NOTE
Don't any of you, for one minute, think I'm just going to whine here on this board! A e-mail will be going out to Rep. Bradford, TONIGHT! Not only is he a customer of mine, be we even went to the same private shcool and served on their board of directors together. I doubt if I'll acomplish much, but I can at least "trick" him it to reading what I have to say.
His political grandstanding (he also runs an insurance company) has actually further endangered my life and I plan on spending TWO DAYS in composing my e-mail of "educating" him. One to write it and one to cool off enough to edit it.
To just sit and "tolorate" such injustice and distortion of the facts is simply playing right into their hands. BULL-FUCKIN'-SHIT! THAT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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slantzilla
Novice Class
Posts: 99
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posted February 25, 2002 07:56 PM
My Daddy always said, "Figures don't lie, but liars figure!".
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"It takes a big dog to weigh a ton"
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 25, 2002 08:03 PM
Seeing Red
'Red' is more than your name...you're seeing RED!!!...go get'em!...teach them well!
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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MadMike
Moderator
FEAR THE BLACK FLAG!!!!!!!!
Posts: 6579
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posted February 25, 2002 08:13 PM
come on redelk tell us how you really feel!! man those state goverments just throw figures up on the wall and actually convince themselves that their right!! Idiots!! I recently got into a discussion about raising the speed limit with a person who works for the state and went into this rant about how much it was going to cost us taxpayers if we raised the speedlimit here are some of her points.
It will cost buses alot of extra$$ to opperate,= My response,When the hell are buses traveling on the interstate highway's??
the price of gas will go up!= Ok then why are we paying 75 cents a gallon less then last year and we havent lowered the speedlimit, Ithen said, so your telling me that every state that has a higher speedlimit has more expensive gas, bullshit!!
commerical and industrial vehicles will cost alot more $$ in fuel to opperate because they are driving faster, = OK so you make the speedlimit for large vehicle the same as it is today!
those were just a few points she was trying to make, I dont think so she did not say a single thing that I did not have a response to. It was kind of funny.. OH OH, and the best thing of all is she told me that almost all tires on personal vehicles are only rated to 60mph.. to that I just laughed and said so your telling me that every vehicle that is on an interstate today is an unsafe vehicle and the tires could blow up at any second! and then i laughed and said lady have another beer!!
Mad Mike
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200-MPH CLUB MEMBER!
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22348bCVC
Zone Head
Posts: 798
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posted February 25, 2002 08:28 PM
chicken little
...another word...E D U C A T I O N...some people are so full of themselves and their skewed 'stats'...if these idiots just present skewed numbers to the 'uneducated' masses, of course the sky will fall!...and that's what some of these idiots in government want you to think...IDIOTS!!!...'we' on the other hand, must somehow bring balance and reason to these 'studies' and 'stats' and educate them all...
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...just relax...my dog wants to use only one of your legs...
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted February 25, 2002 09:04 PM
It'd be "funny", if it wasn't so sad
Who would have imagined that I could spend a couple of HOURS on various FEDERAL GOVERNMENT websites (NHTSA, CDC and CPSC) and find out more accurate data then a SIX YEAR study that was done by a STATE FUNDED medical university! I almost can't wait to see what the Medicare website has to say about injury causes and their costs to the taxpayers.
I'm so blindly mad, I can bearly type! I'm not kiddin' about the motoring public seeing me as a burden on the taxpayers. What pisses me off even more, the insurance folks tried to pass off the same bullshit 10 years ago, but at a NATIONAL level.
Their "data" was equally flawed as this study was. Accurate data about this can be found at the AMA site. I think it goes like this...
1. Like the UAMS study, the "national study" was done with data from a SINGLE hospital.
2. Like UAMS, this hospital "specialized" in treating those that had not health insurance.
3. The "national study" implied that 60% of the motorcyclists they treated, had no insurance. What they failed to mention was the fact that 64% of those involved in AUTO accidents, didn't have insurance!
4. There are 5 other trama centers in the central Arkansas area. What is THEIR data on this?
5. Of the less then approximatly 4000 motorcycle accidents that occurred in the ENTIRE state over this six year period, how many, NUMERICAL, NOT PERCENTAGES, were actually treated at UAMS?
6. How does this compare with uninsured accidents involving DUIs, no seatbelts, no child safety seat and other common VIOLATIONS of our state's traffic laws. What's the injury and fatality rates on these?
7. How many of the 871 accidents were REALLY licened motorcycles and how many of them did not have insurance?
8. How many of these uninsured motorcyclists were not violating any traffic law, but were hit by a car that either left the scene or had no liability insurance (that would have covered at least part of the rider's injuries)?
9. What are the numbers on high school sports injuries and what are their costs to the taxpayers? With over 250,000 sports related HEAD injuries in the U.S. LAST YEAR... I'm sure a few of them happened in Arkansas and I'm equally sure that not everyone of them had insurance.
Shit like that, that results in MORE deaths, MORE injuries and MORE costs to the taxpayers, are almost never mentioned in the paper and when it is, it's on page 7B!
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! I CAN'T FUCKIN' TAKE IT ANY MORE! THE BULLSHIT IS TOO MUCH!
I DON'T SEE PEOPLE TRYING TO FORCE OBVIOUSLY DRUNK CAGERS OFF THE ROAD!
WHAT ABOUT FORCING OFF THE ROAD THOSE IDIOTS THAT AREN'T WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS OR DON'T HAVE THOSE DAMN ANKLE BITTERS STRAPPED IN A BABY SEAT?
WHERE'S THE FUCKIN' OUTRAGE THERE, HUH? SOMEBODY, PLEASE FUCKIN' TELL ME!
Naw, it's just easier to force some "crotch rocket" rider off in a ditch and keep on drivin'. Less damage to their SUV or pick up... ya know?
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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EastBayDave
Needs a job
Posts: 2245
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posted February 25, 2002 09:27 PM
Edited By: EastBayDave on 25 Feb 2002 21:28
quote:
Who would have imagined that I could spend a couple of HOURS on various FEDERAL GOVERNMENT websites (NHTSA, CDC and CPSC) and find out more accurate data then a SIX YEAR study that was done by a STATE FUNDED medical university!
Now check & see what the STUDY cost taxpayers over the six years. Probably far more than the unpaid medical bills of motorcyclists...
____________
Enjoy the ride!
02' ZRX1200
00' ZX12R sold
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MadMike
Moderator
FEAR THE BLACK FLAG!!!!!!!!
Posts: 6579
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posted February 26, 2002 02:16 AM
ohhhh. yea see how much that damn study cost. LOL.. and have your paper print that !!
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200-MPH CLUB MEMBER!
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Slug
Pro
Out in search of my mind...
Posts: 1433
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posted February 26, 2002 09:25 PM
sounds like all the gun control idiots and their studies
"every 13 minutes a child is killed by a firearm"
what they dont tell you is that they consider a "child" to be anyone under 25.
England fighting same problems with their speed nazis, the dreaded speeder is the most horrific thing
yet they have same thing there...statisitics made up by the idiots in charge of screwing them over to forcefeed their political views onthem and get reelected and stay in power.
allthis is power. whomever holds the emotions of the masses wins. and the easiest way is to appeal to 2 things.
one: the "safety of the children"
two: the "taxpayer burden"
and they are so self-righteous in their "cause" that any opposition is considered sub-human, i mean how could you NOT want to be in favor of safety for children?!??! what kind of animal are you?!?!
how could you be against saving the taxpayers money???
i think we should declare open hunting season on ALL liberal bleeding heart socialists and declare a REWARD for each one that is bent on taking your freedom to choose and live away, to be replaced with their "i dont want to be responsible for me" and "the govt should give me life on a platter" stupidity who is killed or removed from the gene pool.
oops did i say that?!
  
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Dino
Pro
Posts: 1422
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posted February 26, 2002 10:37 PM
shoot 'em?
Where do I get my license and tags for this?? .....oh,... and is there a limit?
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Bagster
Zone Head
Posts: 630
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posted February 26, 2002 11:04 PM
aw, it's just easier to force some "crotch rocket" rider off in a ditch
redelk,
I couldn't agree with your "rantings" more!
Did you ever think that maybe the cagers are just jealous of us because their lame assed pickups or SUV's dont have the "power" that we do on our bikes. No matter how much money they spend on their cages they dont get the FREEDOM or the POWER to come close to what we can do if we choose to.
Plus they dont look half as COOL!
If those aren't two good reasons that they are just jealous (even subconsciously) then call me a moped lover!
Bikers are "symbols" of FREEDOM!
no cagers or politicians can ever take that away from us.
they can just charge us more to be one. ;-)
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted February 26, 2002 11:14 PM
Edited By: redelk on 26 Feb 2002 23:28
If you think my posts are long....
... you ought to see this letter I have for Rep. Bradford! Try NINE PAGES LONG! Though like most politicians, he will likely try to ignore this letter as well. The thing is, I have a "in" that just might be enough to at least rate a typical "thank you for your comments" bullshit letter.
As I mentioned earlier, we both went to the same private Catholic boarding high school. He's currently on the alumni association's board of directors. I also served a five year term on that same board. Anyway, even though we actually have reunions every year, this year is my 25th. I'll probably go and he has to be there.
What makes it funnier is that are reunions last for THREE DAYS and the campus is in a town with a population of less then 700. There's nowhere for him to go and hide. Also, anniversary year classes always draw a large attendence. From what I understand, right now, over 50% of my "high school buddies" have already commited on being there. Our 10th anniversary reunion drew over 95% of the class and the 20th had over 85%.
Geez, we've always been known for being a tad rowdy. At the 10th reunion, we talked the near by National Guard into setting up one of their "HQ" tents for us. It reall upset the school administartion. They thought we were "isolating" ourselves from the rest of the alumni!
As a class, we do WHAT EVER WE WANT (we have a lot of "big contributors" too)! I'd hate to see the class of '77 pissed off! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THREE DAYS REP. BRADFORD! THREE FUCKIN' DAYS! WANNA TALK HELMETS? GOOD! YOU MIGHT NEED ONE... BUDDY!
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There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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