THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at http://www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
From TheGUNNY’S SACK
2003 has seen several large and small successes and a few failures in the motorcycle world. The thing that worries me more than anything is our safety on the roadways.
We are the little guys out there with the light machines compared to the cages. We are the ones who suffer when some fool in a car runs over us, yet so many of us, and the safetycrats too, consistently refuse to admit that if we spend a little money for some training, it might make us better riders.
We spend thousands of dollars on our machines and thousands more for paint and chrome but refuse to insure those expenditures with formal rider training. Why? Are we really dumb, or is it the macho thing to do? I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say things like “I’ve been ridin’ 20 years, and I don’t need no one to tell me how to ride.”
Nobody who has taken a rider ed course will say those words. I hear “Wow, have I been doin’ it all wrong!” Or, “I didn’t realize how much I really didn’t know!” Do yourself a favor and take a rider ed course this winter, if for no other reason, than to try to prove the Gunny wrong. You might be surprised, and it could save your life. It’s nice to know the best ways (legal ones), to avoid a cage. I’ll stop my preaching now. Learnin’ don’t make you a wuss.
Let’s start the new year trying to stay alive and not bury so many of our brothers and sisters in 2004.
Gunny. Let’s preach about Motorcycle Right-Of-Way efforts. We can learn and cagers can be told not to hit bikers.–Bandit
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PANAMA CITY, Fla: Timothy Pilgreen of Texarkana, Ark., was charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer he allegedly scuffled with as he tried to flee, on top of the two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder for driving the stolen pick-up into a group of “outlaw bikers” from Bay City Michigan. He killed two after having argued with them earlier. It looks like he will at least get a life sentence out of it. He may really get some “justice” after he is found out behind bars. I don’t need to elaborate on that.
Pilgreen apologized, and said he would ask for the death penalty because of that: He said he didn’t want to face retribution in prison, when interviewed by The News Herald of Panama City.
FLANDREAU, S.D.: I gotta tell ya this guy Rep. Bill Janklow needs to feel the teeth of the law, which as you probably now know, he will. Janklow was convicted of Manslaughter for killing a biker while speeding. He tried to claim he was passing just to avoid a speeding ticket, and speeding is part of the case against him. Wow! It came out that Janklow told investigators he was accelerating to pass another vehicle at an intersection before that deadly collision with the biker.
I can’t say I’m sorry he was convicted. The trauma to his family must be unreal, to know that one of their own is on his way to prison for being selfish and a liar. Justice is done folks. I would bet he’d slide because of who he was and his money. A terrible waste. Some of this information comes to us from The Sons of Liberty Riders. Thanx, guys!
MYRTLE BEACH, Fla: Jay Jarman of Bikers Blvd. in Raleigh, NC was killed by a hit and run driver during the May Myrtle Beach Bike Week 2003. The driver fled the scene and later turned himself in. He has not been prosecuted yet.
Take a look at Jay Jarman’s memorial website, at www.justiceforjay.com and sign his guest book. I have heard that it gives his family some comfort. Along with raising awareness of this situation. This is one way fellow bikers can support a fallen brother. Here again is senseless loss of life. We need stronger laws on the books for this sort of thing. The people need to face serious consequences and pay for negligent homicide. Make no mistake, this is MURDER on our roadways. It’s time we put a stop to it with severe penalties.
SAFETY ALERT! I mentioned this last month. METZELER HAS RECALLED MOTORCYCLE TIRES. The tire is: METZELER Model : SPORTEC M-1 P Build Dates : JAN 26, 2003 – FEB 08, 2003. If you wear Metzler tires on your scoot and have any doubt about this get to your tire dealer NOW.
DON’T ride on dangerous rubber. Metzeler will replace their tires with no charge to you.
This is the first time NHTSA has done anything worthwhile, in my mind, about motorcycle safety.
RUSSIA: NO YA’ CAN’T KISS YUR SWEETIE IN PUBLIC. It’s a proposed new Moscow ordinance. Now I can understand passing a law against whizzing in the street but outlaw a liplock on yer squeeze? Come on.
HANOI, VIET NAM: From the Jakarta (Indonesia) Post comes this tidbit. Like a lot of places in the Far east the Motorcycle Taxi is a very popular beast, as well as inexpensive. Besides, they scoot through traffic with aplomb. In Indonesia they call them “Ojek.” Hanoi residents call them “Semoy.” No matter what the name they are a valuable way to get around town. Time to recognize what the rest of the world already knows: Motorcycles, and their “Semoy” stepchildren are the cheapest, quickest ways through the big cities.
MEXICO: So Fernando pulled to the side of the road, while on his way from the US to Mexico City, because he smelled something burning. He discovered his Camaro was on fire, so he promptly disconnected the trailer he was pulling that contained his motorcycle. Isn’t that typical of us all? The guy saves his scoot and lets a rig burn that probably cost more than the scooter. Hell I’da done the same thing.
GUNNY AGAIN: If you’re a new SACK reader, you oughta know that the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorneys all across the country ride and take very good care of us in the scooter community. God forbid you get in an accident, but if you do, or have other legal needs, call your nearest AIM attorney at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, or look him up at www.ON-A-BIKE.com, and he will advise you of the best course to take.
We have AIM criminal attorneys now too, if you need it. Oh, and on that website you can look up all my old Gunny’s Sack columns, going back a few years, too! Lots of other info, too, for you web-heads.
Happy holidays and we’ll see ya on the road somewhere next year.
REGIONAL CONVENTION: One small reminder, especially for you e-mailers who will get this SACK in time: Don’t forget the West Coast Regional NCOM convention, to be held January 10th-12th at the Holiday Inn in Sacramento, CA. Call the AIM office at: 1-800-531-2424 for the best information. Rooms are real cheap at $79.00 per night double or single. Call for reservations and ask for the NCOM rate. There will be seminars on the Patriot Act and many other timely subjects that affect us all. E-mail me if you wanna catch up with the Gunny there. I’m always at AIMGunny@aol.com.
Keep the round side on the bottom
–Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff
