tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post789616228237395916..comments2024-03-27T13:31:19.753+11:00Comments on The Road to Nowhere: Why are motorcyclists treated like second class citizensStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10160712689280276620noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-18296000443798867972017-10-22T14:27:50.276+11:002017-10-22T14:27:50.276+11:00Australia is anti motorcycle. Politicians have sta...Australia is anti motorcycle. Politicians have stated they should be taxed off the roads. Police openly target motorcyclists and treat riders as criminals. The public have been brain washed and Australian is a land of political apathy where we say she'll be right and watch the footy rather than march in the streets and burn cars like the French do any time their privacy or freedom are threatened. <br /><br />Some other countries have it worse. South Korea bans bikes from highways. China is worse, banned from all highways and banned from gas stations - by law bikers have to park out on road and ferry fuel from bowser to tank by jerry cans as bikers cannot enter the gas stations. Yet this country has worst traffic congestion on earth from cars and cannot figure what to do about it.<br /><br />I have a theory that some of this comes from jealousy. People see riders as being rebels with freedom and these are things other individuals wish they had but lack the strength of mind to pursue. Some of these people then work in government and have miserable lives and legislate purely out of spite against freedoms people have. <br /><br />On a positive note there are still places where this is not the case and I would encourage any person, particularly in Australia, to explore other parts of the world, the feeling of liberation in these countries is intoxicating.Motorcycle Paradise https://www.blogger.com/profile/13402800735593646123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-24578070418052558672017-10-15T07:13:28.915+11:002017-10-15T07:13:28.915+11:00Europe is so far ahead of Australia in everyway. W...Europe is so far ahead of Australia in everyway. We persecute people for doing 3kmh over the speed limit for god sakes, thats how backward our country actually is.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160712689280276620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-66992238208581992072017-10-15T07:10:56.182+11:002017-10-15T07:10:56.182+11:00HI Geoff
It's not all the time, more occasiona...HI Geoff<br />It's not all the time, more occasionally than anything else. The media here love to flog the dead horse biker image.<br />I just wish there was more services dedicated to bike riders. There's a severe lack of anything for bike riders in this country.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160712689280276620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-65438569995599321732017-10-15T02:28:05.023+11:002017-10-15T02:28:05.023+11:00Hi Steve, I guess times have changed a bit. Yes, t...Hi Steve, I guess times have changed a bit. Yes, the media still likes the "bad biker" but in general you'll find "Bikers welcome" signs everywhere (exactly for the reason you mention: a paying customer!), here in the Black Forest we even have special motorcycle accommodation often with a bike shelter and a repair shop, where guided tours or special biker menus are offered. In fact I just returned from Austria and was surprised that it was pretty much the same. So it's not all bad, eh. Alas, there are the occasional loud pipes or the idiot knee dragger riding 100 kph in a 30 zone. With their action the few are able to destroy the good reputation of the many.SonjaMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12389245948579828531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-34726754427109263692017-10-13T08:44:20.227+11:002017-10-13T08:44:20.227+11:00I think Geoff's pretty right about most kiwi&#...I think Geoff's pretty right about most kiwi's and their attitude to riders. But we definitely have our 1 percenter riders here who do us no good at all - more than happy for them to be removed from our ranks...<br /><br />About 100 or so of us swamped Turangi last weekend. Pretty sure the pub, cafe and accommodation suppliers noticed us. The Turangi servo was a checkpoint 3 times so they might have sold some fuel too...<br /><br />BTW: the cops are wanting to lower our speed limits after an appalling weekend of accidents (cars)...Andrew Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00716829007873864871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-32632660673206060792017-10-13T08:19:21.852+11:002017-10-13T08:19:21.852+11:00Hi Steve,
If you get that all the while in Aussie,...Hi Steve,<br />If you get that all the while in Aussie, I feel really bad for you. Whilst we occasionally get the odd anti-biker piece in the media, the public in NZ seem pretty well-disposed to riders. It normally doesn't take long when I'm parked up for members of the public to stop for a chat. I'm sure you experienced that on the occasions you've been in NZ. Maybe it's because I'm an old fart that the public feel safe with me ;-) . Seriously, I don't feel particularly disadvantaged as a rider in NZ apart from the odd road safety official wishing we were gone. There may also be an advantage in that a lot of the country's movers and shakers also ride!Geoff Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05041523109817248619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5119951275142904676.post-91291722418160084422017-10-13T06:41:51.177+11:002017-10-13T06:41:51.177+11:00Well said. I don't think some folks realize t...Well said. I don't think some folks realize that to ride a motorcycle you need a certain amount of disposable income and we are, just as you said, ready and willing to fork it over in small business as we tootle around.<br /><br />We also cause less damage to road surfaces than heavier vehicles and take up less parking.Trobairitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03453398807198746434noreply@blogger.com