Motorcycle Action Group

[Steffan]

well for what it's worth, I'm a member!!

Steff

[el vencejo]

As an "ex-Brit" (never been a nationalist or patriot of any type) living in Spain, there seems to be some paranoia in the UK about bikes (and everything else)  and Brussels. From here, no-one in government or EU parliament are anti-bikes, they are pro-safety, extreme E4 rules apply to cars too!
Sorry, bikes are regarded as essential transport in most of the EU.

There is no way that any legislative assembly with borders on the med could get away with anti-bike laws, so many people use bikes and scooters a primary transport.
Spain is very bike friendly, Italy, Greeece and even S. France have no problems whatsoever with motorcycles, they are essential to ordinary working folks, like UK in the 50's.
Also: what government these days goes against the needs of Big Business?

Do even the most paranoid MAG members think that the EU will legislate against Honda, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, BMW, the big Italian conglomerates that control Ducati, Cagiva, MV .......(and China, Tata Industries of India)

Higher than that level, the world is owned by a couple of dozen billionaires who have major oil/transportation/manufacturing investments. They will not accept little governments restricting their profit potential.

The problem is the UK mindset, the Brits love rules and police them to the limit. Everywhere else in Europe, the rules are just guidelines.

The bikes I ride here are far more illegal than I rode in the UK  (try parking at Devil's Bridge, Matlock, Bala , Cat&Fiddle with a dodgy bike, try to avoid the average-speed cameras, the helicopter patrols...! How many tickets can you collect in a day?), the difference is that the cops here don't give a f**k unless you are doing something stupid.

Do lobbying and pressure groups do any good or is it just a waste of money pretending that democracy really works ?

Please comment.  


ps, In 2001 I witnessed a sad cop measuring numbers on a bike reg plate with a vernier caliper on a car park at Matlock, he was upset about the abuse that our little club directed at him.

[002]

well for what it's worth, I'm a member!!

You ARE a Large Member !   

Jethro

[Andy M]

I do not believe either MAG nor BMF has a policy on the UK's EU membership? The fact that the Mediterean countries agree on EU wide laws but don't enforce them and Germany and Denmark have always had very controlling rules is a huge issue, but there are political parties that have this angle covered both from the idea that we should leave and from the idea that we should become more like Germany. I can have a reasonably effective vote on the EU every four years for free. It would be nice if the Red, Blue or Yellow lot would differentiate themselves on the issue, but that's current politics for you.

Andy

[squirrelciv]

Here here el vencejo! Funny how those spreading the paranoia profit from it. 

[Steffan]

Like a frog in a pan of cold water..............

[Andy M]

Like a frog in a pan of cold water..............

I believe the EU directives on catering hygiene require us to refer to them as EU citizens of Gallic descent 

Andy

[guest7]

I get the MAG magazine and I have to say that it always strikes me as a fairly professional effort from some slightly annoying people. I don't really do the long-hair biking rally with rock bands stuff, but that does seem to take a up a lot of space in the mag. It's almost like the editorial content is striving to be representative of all biking (articles on sportsbikes, smart bikers talking to politicians, academia-generated statistics, etc.), but when the content features what real MAG members are getting up to it always seems to be pony-tailed/mulleted bikers at obscure summer bike rallies watching rock bands.
 
This isn't a problem, but it does show that MAG's roots are always there to see, in the same way that its origins as an anti-helmet law action group will always undercut its current (intended) position as a representative of all British biking. I'm sorry if this offends any of you 'wind-in-the-hair' boys, but in the 70s, an age of massive race and gender discrimination, Fred Hill banging on about his right to not wear a hat just sounded like trite bollocks. Especially as most bikers already chose to emulate their racing heroes and wore lids anyway.

I'm grateful that MAG is there doing good work in lobbying and whatnot, but I fear their (perceived) loony origins will always hamper their efforts to be taken seriously.

Just my opinions and all that and no offence intended to any of you who regard helmets as the devil's scrotum.

GC

[el vencejo]

Here here el vencejo! Funny how those spreading the paranoia profit from it.  

Sad innit, it is the way of the world.

The EU attitude will always be different. Just visit any southern european city: Take powered 2-wheelers off the road and neither the public transport systems nor the roadways would cope with the extra traffic, massive infrastructure improvements would be needed, the sheer number of bike commuters would make it impossible.

The UK may have its own attitude to bikes.
Think about Triumph's place in British Industry, do you think UK Gov will shut it down or force it to locate outside UK?
Do you think that UK will take on the giant industrial conglomerates of the world who make big profits on 2-wheelers?
Now that climate change and diminishing resources are on the agenda, no gov is going to ban a potentially more frugal and environmentally friendly form of transport.
Bikes are not going to disappear, but there will be more legislation, there always is. In 1968, I was 16, my first bike, a C15, had no indicators, no mirrors, no stoplight rigged to the front brake, rubbish brakes, hopeless headlight, an open reverse-cone non-silencer... all things that were perfectly legal then. I was 16, legally riding a 250cc bike on L plates. I didn't wear a helmet.
In 1970 my first car didn't even have seatbelts, hazard lights, soft impact bumpers, a reversing light,  a rear fog light, windscreen washers...
Things change over the years.

[Steffan]

Like a frog in a pan of cold water..............

I believe the EU directives on catering hygiene require us to refer to them as EU citizens of Gallic descent 

Andy

Hail Master! A brilliant reposte!!

Steff

[el vencejo]

Like a frog in a pan of cold water..............

I believe the EU directives on catering hygiene require us to refer to them as EU citizens of Gallic descent  

Andy

Again how things change... a song from uke hero George Formby :
"I'm a Froggy, I'm a Froggy, I'm a Frenchie dirty doggie".      

Just can't do it now

[OZ]

Seems like a good note to end an interesting discussion on.

But one quick addition relating to our French friends.

The FFMC (similar to MAG but with extra garlic) decided to demonstrate against their government's traffic policies. In particular, lane filtering which has long been accepted as standard practice for 2 wheelers.The police have recently been targeting this as unacceptable.
So, rather than discuss the issues over a coffee or on the inter webby thing they get over 25000 riders to demonstrate! Thousands of riders brought traffic to a stop in major cities by riding in the centre of the lane and taking the same road space as a car. If you've ever been around the Paris ring road (I can't spell periferique) you can imagine this may have caused a number to take note.
Apparently 30 cities had demonstrations.

There are no current plans to ban filtering.

I am considering applying for dual nationality.
Vive La France

OZ

[Andy M]

When it comes to revolting the French have it covered. I particularly liked the bit where the Mayor of Paris said they should use public transport, so a couple of thousand rode the Metro, overloading the system and causing chaos. The attitude (havn't worked there for almost ten years now) always seemed to be that if you were a little late home it didn't matter, it could be you who needed something next time. I can't see London Underground users being so sympathetic.

Andy

[johnr]

i also remember the paris eurodemo where the organisation was utterly shambolic and the french organisers collected the ticket money from pre books and uptill lunchtime on the friday, and then fcuked off with it, leaving the whole event up in the air, and typically it was the brits who ended up running most of the weekend.

[el vencejo]

After visiting France 6 weeks a year, every year for 18 years, we decided that the French penchant for manifestation was too much for us :
Blockaded in Boulogne Hoverport for 15 hours by French fishermen; 11 hours to cover 175 miles of M-Way thanks to the dock workers from La Ciotat, all road signs painted out in a huge area near Montpellier thanks to the French Farmers, burning tyre demo on the M-way through the Hérault by vineyard co-ops. A boring way to pass your hols.
Decided it was more fun to bypass France and take the ferry to Santander or Bilbao and ride across Spain, or fly then bus and backpack in Turkey... In both places people are welcoming and happy to take your hard earned....

Sorry, drifting into a French thread, this........