Letters
Your thoughts, opinions & adventures
Smell the coffee
Alistair Darling was interviewed on Radio 4's 'You and Yours' programme this lunchtime regarding road charging. He harped continually about managing use of the road system, but no mention was made of actually reducing traffic. He accepts that car usage will continue to increase (his department is after all the political wing of the evil corporate empire behind the car, and will always enact policies designed to encourage car usage) and conveniently forgets that the atmosphere we all breathe is NOT a limitless resource.
Increasing traffic means increasing pollution, adding to the deaths caused by dirty air (22,000 per annum and rising) and an increasing contribution to global warming. At no point did Darling mention motorcycles (or indeed bicycles) as a cleaner option to the car. Perhaps we should slap an "air tax" on cars to make them pay for the air they consume. That would nail them!
Don't Darling and his cronies look at the weather reports from around the world, or take note of Mediterranean droughts, severe central European flooding, and even what looks like the early onset of Autumn in this country? In the UK alone weather patterns have been highly anomalous for most of 2005 with, for instance, regular Spring frosts well into June, and signs of the first Autumn frosts already here before August is even finished. It is time motorcycling severed all ties with motoring and motoring organisations. We aren't motorists, and we definitely need to throw in our lot with the environmental movement.
As for business it's very easy to reduce the burden of fuel duty on business: simply increase the VAT rate. Business can claim back the VAT, leaving the private motorist to pick up the tab. Unfair? Look at any traffic jam and note how many cars are single-occupant. Car sharing isn't the answer, encouraging motorists into public transport is the only way to free our streets and clean our air. I'd go as far to suggest all fuel supplied to bus and other public transport operators be freed of taxes and duty, on condition that the resulting savings are passed on to the public in their entirety, in the form of increased services and reduced fares.
The shortfall could be made up from higher duty on petrol as well as increasing the vehicle excise duty on private cars - it's about time motorists were made to pay the true cost to society of their addiction.
Pete Roberts
Runcorn
Ed: This should get a few people going. Let's not forget the contribution that motorcycles can make to urban congestion.
Car clubs
In the course of promoting the Yorkshire Pudding Rally on behalf of Yorkshire MAG, my wife Janet and I have experienced a few not unreasonable comments by able bodied bikers wishing to attend the rally by any other transport other than a motorcycle. This raises the question: how far do we water down our traditional approach that bike rallies are just that, for bikers, and open ourselves out to more non bike riding customers in common with the BMF as a way of attracting more funds for MAG? Also, what is the main difference between BMF events and MAG events?
The answer is of course lay membership control and democracy. It is obvious that the BMF in reshaping their events over the past five years or so (without any discussion with the membership) have now widened their customer base to exploit a relatively untapped market and as a consequence made a lot of money.
Is this the way MAG should go? Janet and I are both MAG and BMF (affiliated) members and have attended the BMF organised Kelso Bikefest since its inception, from a traditional highland rally attended by only around 100 bikers, to the present annual event attracting twelve thousand people. On the surface, Bikefest appears to have everything going for it but in reality the success has got little to do with the biking aspect of the event and more to do with the fact that its a good excuse for some cheap camping and community boozing in a superb wee town.
I suspect that if the Bikefest was renamed the Kelso Country Show the event would continue to grow. More to the point, we have seen for ourselves how the policy of opening up the Kelso event to all and sundry is a threat to motorcycling and the BMF itself in the longer term. Non bikers in their cars, vans, caravans and converted buses and camper vans have come to dominate this event. Most do not go near the social events or the bar and food facilities provided by the BMF. Instead we have witnessed crates of booze, gas barbecues, multi-watt sound systems and 4 feet high beach screens unloaded from the multitude of 4 wheeled vehicles which are formed into circles. A rally within a rally from people who don't give a damn about the BMF or MAG and what they stand for. Apparently this is a growing trend being followed at smaller club rallies. Are we missing out?
MAG should continue to stick to the principles of the traditional rally thus making a clear statement to those people who would be better off in the town centre pubs, at a car rally or at the local caravan and camping site. MAG is a forward looking modern organisation which has at its heart the membership and the furtherance of biking. We ensure that anyone who is genuinely unable to attend by bike can use alternative transport and the Puddy rally has special facilities for people with disabilities. That is one of the reasons we joined MAG a few years ago. We could also see the trend being followed by the BMF which in our opinion has now gone too far.
We are convinced that our traditional rallies here in Yorkshire such as the Puddy Rally, Into the Valley, and the Farmyard and others will continue to be supported by genuine bikers and be as popular as ever. We will continue to do what we are best at - campaigning for bikers in partnership with our membership and offering the real thing to real bikers and their families.
Janet and Richard Vivian
Barnsley MAG
Clarkson
I just heard that great lover of motorcycles (sic) Jeremy Clarkson jeering enthusiastically on "Top Gear" about a proposed 75 db noise limit for motorcycles x is this true?
It seemed Clarkson's jeering was all the more enthusiastic as according him the police will be empowered to confiscate motorcycles found to be non-compliant with this new legislation. If this isn't just a ridiculous wind-up, but actually a serious (and hence even more ridiculous) proposal, what can we do about it other than the usual, and what ammunition can MAG provide us with other than obvious comparisons like "That's stupid, it's quieter than a hair-dryer!".
I remember some previous noise proposals, a whole lot less draconian than these, that would have rendered illegal the then-current BMW boxers used by the traffic police - I wonder if the same would be true once more? Perhaps a principle that should be used more often is to seek parity for PTWs with cars, with variations only where it makes sense as a result of the fundamental differences between the two vehicle types. There is no reason why car drivers with illegal exhausts should not suffer the same fate as motorcyclists, so if the police could confiscate our bikes then they should be able to confiscate cars too ... oh, but the vast majority of (car driving) electorate wouldn't like that idea would they?
What is the noise limit for cars, by the way and shouldn't ours be a little higher for having less space for silencer systems. I suspect we have the power rangers on their pretend-racers with shitting-frog riding positions and "race cans" to thank for riding about in the manner which such a machine is bound to encourage.
Monty
Smells bad drive bad
The RAC Foundation have conducted research into how smells in your car affect driving. Now apparently wet dogs, stale smoke, smelly gym kit, vomit, urine, food waste and old wrappers are unpleasant. And guess what, here's the really stunning stuff, peppermint, cinnamon, lemon, coffee, sea ozone and that new car smell are quite beneficial. Remarkable isn't it! Fresh cut grass and roadside flowers may affect hay fever sufferers. Wow, what a revelation. And did you know that certain perfumes and aftershaves can have a strong sexual association - amazing!
Please never let the MAG Foundation waste money on anything quite so ridiculous. If I was a member of the RAC I would be be very annoyed that money is being wasted on such research when there are far more important issues to look at. It stinks!
Andy Carrot
Mid Lincs MAG
Ed It's a promise Andy
Life
My friends if you will permit me to spend a few more thoughts with you. This year has been one which I shall not forget in a hurry mainly due to the passing of my partner Carole Bailey, a good soul who spoke her mind and had a heart of gold. Cancer is a Bastard, but like so many other terminal illnesses it gives you time to give it your best shot unlike the poor sod that gets wiped out and never gets the chance to say goodbye. I must thank all who came to show their respect for Carole and for the words of kindness I shall not forget.
So, the week after came the Farmyard and when I read the news of the flood I knew I had to be there for what would I be if I ignored this call? On site the workers kept their spirits up but it would not have been hard to imagine refugees of the Asian tsunami, it brings it all home. So, moving on to the Yorkshire Pudding Rally. I found myself chatting to Fergus and was thinking how his photos do not do him justice. I shall finish this letter in the style of the Vice Chair, oorah for the yorkshire pudding rally.
Kev
Dearne Valley/Barnsley mag
State of the roads
So we have been picked to spearhead road congestion charging at notorious congestion black spots across the Sandwell borders. What creates congestion? Too many cars, bad road planning and junction lay out, road works, and the lack of insight about the roads network which has been at crisis point for far too long now.
A report in 2004 identified a requirement of £5-6 million of extra funding to cope with the backlog of repairs. It also identified a requirement that roads are resurfaced every 15 yrs but will only be done every 53 years. Vital resources are wasted making temporary repairs which are short lived and represent bad long term economy.
Motorists contribute £43 Billion in motoring taxes but only £6 billion is spent on roads annually. The official response to this disparity is that ' The road taxes are not ring fenced to be spent on roads alone.'
Governments have one suggestion regarding motorists & congestion ' Tax It.' If petrol & road taxes disappear with the introduction of road charging l will be amazed.
Pat Riley
MAG Political Officer for Black County & West Mids. Branch
Utterly outrageous !
I'm outraged by these attempt to avoid parking tickets by covering number plates. I have even heard of people actually removing their number plates to avoid penalty on the grounds that the easily detached plate might be stolen in some sort of identity fraud crime. Some bikes have actually had their plates stolen and owners have had to fit a spare that they often have readily to hand in order to continue their journeys. Other odious tactics by, Harley Davidson riders for example, include the use of large overhanging top box luggage or racks over plate mounts in the original American position to hide their plates from speed cameras though they are perfectly visible to motorists and pedestrians at ground level. All perfectly legal, I gather.
When I discovered this I dutifully traded in my Harley Road King with it's detachable rack for a Softail. If anybody knows of an equally sneaky trick that conceals the plate on a Softail in the same manner, please let me know so I am suitably informed.
I hope MAG joins me in the complete condemnation of these tactics.
Alan Langmaid
Ed, Too right Alan, prison is too good for your sort
Mike's letter bemoaned
Performance Bike showed a man riding in trousers and trainers, illegally riding a race bike for a feature in the mag. A brief count shows the number of people in StreetBiker (MAG's previous organ Ed) shown riding bikes in jeans on public roads to be much higher, and that's entirely up to them, I'm not their dad. Similarly, SB has an article on ways to park illegally in London; and asks readers to send in others. Mike also complains about PB being derogatory about older bikes. That very issue has articles on getting a 7 year old bike to beat it's current incarnation, a 15 year old two stroke and 20+ year old Harris Magnums. Whether it is irresponsible or not is a matter of debate; personally I think it hits the right tone of 'We've done these things you may have wondered about so you don't have to.' In any case, I like a little irreverence in a bike mag as, I suspect, do most readers.
People basing their uncompromising views on perception or prejudice without checking their facts is one of the main reasons we as riders suffer such discrimination in many areas, so let's not indulge in it ourselves. Perhaps Mike needs to chill out a little and actually read the mag before writing it off out of hand. Alternatively he could shove a lump of coal up his ass: in a week he'll have a diamond.
Paul Mitchell
Nottingham
And no, I don't work for EMAP or PB!
Farmyard
A line to say well done and thanks for the memories from Farm Yard 2005, some very good pics. Wishing all well and a very good job done by all who helped. I was feeling a bit blue not being able to help as I'm disabled. I would not have been able to do much, hope to see you and all again next year, ride free.
Keith Drury
Ed more pics from The Farmyard are available for viewing at www.bikerlifestylepics.co.uk Anyone wanting a high resolution picture from this site can have it on CD for a £10 donation to the marshal's fund. All pictures will print up to A3.
Car incentives
Having recently changed employment I find myself able to claim mileage to and from work. My car driving colleagues informed me that although the company reimburses them for mileage, the real benefit was that they can claim back from the inland revenue the difference between what the company pays them, and 40 pence per mile. Therefore if the company pays 25p per mile they can claim 15p per mile back from the government against income tax. Brilliant I thought! I will be able to ride my bike to work AND get money back from the government as well! Then I looked at the Inland Revenue booklet IR124, and I find the allowance for motorcycles is considerably less than for cars. In view of the fact that motorcycles are a more effective, efficient and greener mode of transport, I feel that this is wrong. As an example, someone using a 1200cc car could be paid 25p per mile and claim 15p from the government, and yet if I was paid 25p per mile, driving my 1200 Bandit, I would actually owe the inland revenue money. I feel the government are missing the point here, and need to be persuaded of this fact by a known bikers lobbying organisation.
Steve Treeby
Senior Accreditation Analyst
Ed: we're on the case Steve
Pothole filler
About a year or two ago the council bought out a machine to fill in pot holes in the road, it was on HTV News. What it did was to minimise road work and cut costs. It worked by blowing out the hole to be filled before filling with a mixture of tar and concrete. It was quick and safe and only took two people to do. Does anyone know about this ?
Tim West
Somerset
Get out of Europe
I know that MAG is doing a good job in fighting bureaucracy but I feel that it is a bit like taking Aspirin to cure toothache while extracting the offending tooth is the real course - the offending tooth being of course the totally corrupt European Union. The only way to do this is to get out of Europe.
A Begs
Wirral
George Orwell was right
I am writing to express my agreement with the Director's Cut article about the proliferation of CCTVs. At last someone who agrees with me about the danger of where all this is heading. George Orwell is right but the trouble is, when I express my views to most people they say they think that it's in our own best interests with regard to crime and safety. It seems that most people are either too stupid to be concerned or too busy with their own little lives. I agree that enough is enough and something needs to be done about the ever encroaching Big Brother nanny state that our own apathy is allowing to grow. One day we will all wake up and wonder how we allowed this to happen. On the same theme my girlfriend has got two speeding tickets via cameras within two minutes of each other. I thought you could ask to see photographic evidence but we've been told that you have to go to court to see it and then you might get double points.
Mark Downing
London
Ed. As someone who has suffered a similar fate I sympathise with your girlfriend Mark. I asked to see photographic evidence of my last ticket and received a picture in the post of some low life riding my bike who from behind looks just like me, bugger ! I've heard nothing since mind you. I've never heard about increased points when taking cases to to court though I'm pretty sure you would end up with a heavier fine as the courts would consider you are wasting their time. My feeling is that the more of their time that gets wasted over this issue the better as it might make the authorities less enthusiastic about peppering the land with cameras. Please keep us informed of how you get on.
Vision Zero Man
There's a bloke in Brussels called Claes Tingwall who wants to ban bikes and it'll put a lot of people out of work if he does, it could be you.
T. West
Somerset
Ed. This is the Vision Zero Man whose views epitomise the 'cotton wool' society viewpoint. It's because of men like Tingwall that groups like MAG have to exist.
Marshal's fund
As a keen MAG supporter and rally enthusiast for over 20 years I thought it only right to donate to the Farmyard Marshal's Fund. I love the Farmyard Bash and have been doing it for many years now. It just seems to get bigger and better every year and is my favourite rally.
MAG put on a fantastic weekend's entertainment but without all the hard work that the marshals put in before and after as well as during the event, it would not be possible. To all those who enjoy MAG events but might not have got round to joining MAG yet, now is as good a time as ever to become a full member. Send off your membership fee now and enjoy the benefits and discounts you will get. United we stand divided we fall. All those who have not donated to the Marshal's Fund yet, send off a cheque today and help keep MAG the fighting force it is today.
Barry Leonard Maltas
Sunderland
Lee Bay Beasts
On Sunday those of us staying for the extra night at MAG's Lee Bay weekend, went out to take in the local sights. Most of us ended up in Ilfracombe it seemed, going by the amount of the Lee Bay gang we kept bumping into while we were there ourselves. Sunday night went well, the silly hat competition was very well supported by bikers, regular hotel punters (some old guy with his hanky on his head joined in the spirit of the thing) and the staff of the hotel too. The winner was a chap who had incorporated a lamp shade into his creation. During the weekend's drinking, a local brew called Exmoor Beast had rocketed in popularity, so when Julian ( the manager) admitted he had stashed the last bottle of Exmoor Beast we decided to raffle it off for MAG. It went for the princely sum of £20.10. Not bad for one bottle of beer!!
Sphinx
Ouch!
After riding 28 years and not having had an accident for the past 26, I unfortunately became a London Statistic in July.
On leaving work I went around a corner on my motorcycle in Victori and a cyclist cut across my path, forcing me to stop and put my feet down. At that second, a coach that had been stationary on my right then decided to move / cut across the corner I had been forced to stop on and the side/bottom edge of the coach crushed my right leg against the side of my engine. Ouch!
This also pushed me over to the left and onto the railings next to the kerb (!), pushing my left knee up against them, but worst of all, I could feel the weight of the rear wheel of the coach starting to bear down on my right foot that was trapped under the coach. Something fortunately stopped the coach in time and I waved to the driver in his mirror to reverse off my leg but it had already got a lovely compound fracture (bones sticking out!) and been well and truly crushed (breaks up and down it to both bones like a jigsaw)!
Even the Air Ambulance arrived but I didn't get a ride in the helicopter, damn it ! After a 4 hour operation I now have what can only be described as 4 chromed chopsticks screwed into my bones (2 into the ankle and 2 into the shin) sticking out the front of my right leg, linked together on the outside by more rods / nuts'n bolts, to hold my foot onto my leg, whilst the bits in-between mend ! Sleeping's a motionless affair, with one leg in the air - great !
The metal bars are gonna be there for 2 to 6 months apparently (Hospital appointment on 14th Sept, to see how it's doing) and then the doc say 6 to 12 months to fully walk on it again (fingers crossed!)...........but I still love Motorcycles and may have to Trike one for a while.
Ian (Commuter MAG)
London
Ed All of us here at 'The Road' ie me and the cat, wish you well Ian, hope it mends good.
The following is an exchange of letters between a chap called Oliver Pritchard and the infamous Claus Tingvall, father of Vision Zero, full marks to the mad Swede for replying.
Hello,
My name is Oliver Pritchard. to be completely honest I'm a little lost as to the implications of vision zero in the U.K for motorcyclists. MCN (motor cycle news) printed an article that more or less states that biking will be banned from around the year 2020. is this actually the case? I don't actually understand a lot of the technical jargon as I am a simple person by choice. All that bothers me (as a keen motorcyclist) is will this be taking place as MCN report it or is this report angled that way? As your name appears all over vision zero documents I was wondering if you could maybe give me a rough idiot's guide to the changes represented and their implications or at least direct me somewhere I can find this out please. Thanking you in advance.
Oliver Pritchard
Dear Oliver,
The answer is very simple. There is no one here that has ever meant to ban motorcycles. We have only said that motorcycles are the most complicated vehicles to deal with in terms of safety, and that the driver in the future is the most important component.
Best regards
Claes Tingvall
Director of Traffic Safety
Ed hmmm
Helmet con
As the Freedom of Information act 2000 has allowed, albeit at some cost at times, information to be available that previously has been carefully cloaked, would there be some mileage in seeking the statistics for deaths to
motorcyclists PRIOR to the helmet law being enforced in comparison to deaths after for a similar period of time? It just seems that as the case against the propaganda for speed/safety cameras is wilting under popular opinion based upon facts, there might be information available to oppose the retention of compulsion.
Derek
Ed: There was no fall in fatalties after compulsion but the government argued that other factors cloaked any gain. It's always worth challenging their refusal to restore free choice because it's right and because in a general sense it reminds politicians that they will be held accountable for failed policies. It's interesting to note that some high profile politicians are dead against compulsory helmets for cyclists as it sends the message that cycling is dangerous and discourages large scale take up of an environmentally helpful mode. We were short of champions arguing this point back in '73 and MAG wasn't quite formed at that time, more's the pity.
Man under canvas
At the Coventry MAG rally recently I was fortunate to sit in a Bovax Transalp 410S for a while. (I think it's a tent - Ed) Absolutely bloody heaven !
Gary (The Tentspotter) Edwards
Now in an avalanche outward 60 (4-man)
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