OFF THE WIRE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFF THE WIRE
DATE: March 24, 2011
CONTACT: Paul Cote
(978) 504-9715
Massachusetts Motorcyclists’ Collaborate with New York
Motorcycling Activists to Halt Arbitrary Motorcycle Roadblocks
(Boston, MA) The Massachusetts Chapter of Biker of Lesser Tolerance (B.O.L.T.) has begun collaborating with the New York Freedom Riders, and their counsel, representing several riders in a lawsuit filed in the US Federal Court, in efforts to extinguish state and municipal "roadblocks" or so-called "safety checkpoints" requiring only motorcyclists to submit to an arbitrary inspection of their bikes.
While there has been rare experience with such activity in Massachusetts, this practice has been quite active in New York State since 2008, at locations where organized Motorcycling Rallies are held. Said roadblocks occur on New York Highway Exits that riders use to get to the scheduled Rallies.
In their insidious nature, the "roadblocks" for motorcycles-only are falsely entitled "Motorcycle Safety Checkpoints" by Government sponsored agencies. However, most motorcyclists’ see this as nothing more that opportunities for harassment of fellow motorcycle riders.
Furthermore, motorcyclists see these tactics as a revenue enhancement procedure during difficult economic times with the citations they can write motorcyclists based upon police officers’ arbitrary assumptions and not in the name of "safety."
Following this action that New York has been performing, the Federal Government under the auspices of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (N.H.T.S.A.), offered financial incentives to individual states to perform Motorcycle-Only "Checkpoints."
Last season, the State of Georgia received a $70,000 grant to pay for motorcycle-only "checkpoints" to be operated during the recent annual Daytona Florida Bike Week, giving Georgia multiple opportunities to stop multitudes of motorcycle riders on their way to this mammoth 70 year-old Rally.
"This is pure Fascism, plain and simple," stated Massachusetts B.O.L.T. Director Bill Gannon. "Police Departments are stopping and harassing motorcyclists without probable cause, proper authority, statute or ordinance that specifically authorizes such fascist tactics once again by a tyrannical action targeting a single subculture of our society.”
"Police officers are not trained mechanics and most do not have the competency to check a motorcycle’s engineering for safety purposes. That is why we go to actual mechanic’s annually to have our motorcycles inspected and the inspection sticker displayed on our vehicles should be enough evidence to allow us to travel unimpeded," Gannon continued.
Massachusetts B.O.L.T. Legislative Director Paul Cote` said, “It reminds me of the "Checkpoint Charlie" stops separating East and West Germany before the Berlin Wall was torn down.”
Massachusetts B.O.L.T. is also planning a lobbying effort on behalf of US House Resolution 904 authored by Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, which would prohibit NHTSA from providing grants for Motorcycle-Only "roadblocks."
"In these difficult economic times with the myriad of difficulties facing citizens of this country, such as 25% of all Massachusetts drivers being on the road after revocation of insurance, I would think that the Government would have much higher priorities to use this revenue on rather than wasted spending just to harass motorcycle riders," stated B.O.L.T. Secretary Betsy Lister. "
Massachusetts B.O.L.T. is an elite collective of motorcycling activists opposing discrimination against motorcyclists. Known, primarily, for opposition to government-mandated motorcycle helmet laws, B.O.L.T. will lawfully fight discrimination on all fronts, including legislative buildings, courtrooms, and the streets. Membership is limited to proven motorcycling activists chosen as a result of their exemplary actions. More information on Massachusetts B.O.L.T. activities can be viewed on http://www.justicerider.com/
web site.
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