DARRELL BELLAART
http://www.timescolonist.com/
Nanaimo RCMP pulled over motorcycle rider Dick Bell twice within a 15-minute period, something that suggests to him police are discriminating against bikers.
Bell, a retired B.C. Ferries deckhand, was on his way to get his exhaust pipes checked after getting a warning about noise from one officer when he got pulled over a second time.
He got away without a fine, but he'll have to spend $500 to replace the exhaust pipes. Bell, a novice rider, found the experience embarrassing and thinks motorcycle riders are being singled out.
Some motorcycle enthusiasts say a crackdown by Nanaimo RCMP is an example of police "profiling" motorcyclists.
Cpl. Norm Smith, head of the traffic section at Nanaimo RCMP detachment makes not bones about the year-long motorcycle safety blitz his department launched last month.
It is in response to a rise in highway deaths involving motorcycles.
Smith rides a Harley himself, and insists the campaign is not discriminatory.
The campaign sparked a boycott of Nanaimo by motorcycle riders. To date only three motorcyclists have been cited for noisy mufflers. Another three have had their motorcycles impounded since mid-April. Two were impounded for excessive speed, one was an unlicensed rider.
Police could not provide data for speeding or other infractions.
Bell was riding his Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 slowly on Wallace Street on May 6 when a cruiser pulled him over. The officer didn't have a sound testing device, but told him his motorbike sounded noisy, and gave him a warning.
Bell said he would deal with the problem and headed toward a motorcycle shop on Nicol Street. On his way he changed his mind and circled back toward a cycle shop on Richards Street instead.
While cruising down Fitzwilliam Street, he was pulled over a second time, by two police cars.
"It was embarrassing," Bell said. They directed him to a roadside inspection point set up on Franklyn Street, where his exhaust was tested.
Under provincial noise regulations cars with exhaust sound levels higher than 80 decibels and motorcycles above 91db can be ordered off the road. His bike failed the test.
Bell got his Class 6 licence on April 12. As a new rider he avoided a $109 ticket but was ordered to fix it. The speed shop quoted him $385 for the new pipes and another $100 labour to have them installed. He questions why police are focusing so much energy at motorcycle riders.
"They said it's for safety but they didn't even check my headlight," Bell said. "I would like to see bikers treated equally. If they're going to do inspections, do everybody the same way, don't be singling out anyone."
Some Boycott Nanaimo Facebook page members accuse RCMP of "profiling" motorcycle riders by specifically targeting them.
Last year 25% of all Nanaimo-area traffic fatalities involved motorcycles, "so we sat down and came up with a plan to lessen that number," Smith said. "Certain organizations are quite upset about it, unfortunately they're not looking at the big picture."
Bell, a retired B.C. Ferries deckhand, was on his way to get his exhaust pipes checked after getting a warning about noise from one officer when he got pulled over a second time.
He got away without a fine, but he'll have to spend $500 to replace the exhaust pipes. Bell, a novice rider, found the experience embarrassing and thinks motorcycle riders are being singled out.
Some motorcycle enthusiasts say a crackdown by Nanaimo RCMP is an example of police "profiling" motorcyclists.
Cpl. Norm Smith, head of the traffic section at Nanaimo RCMP detachment makes not bones about the year-long motorcycle safety blitz his department launched last month.
It is in response to a rise in highway deaths involving motorcycles.
Smith rides a Harley himself, and insists the campaign is not discriminatory.
The campaign sparked a boycott of Nanaimo by motorcycle riders. To date only three motorcyclists have been cited for noisy mufflers. Another three have had their motorcycles impounded since mid-April. Two were impounded for excessive speed, one was an unlicensed rider.
Police could not provide data for speeding or other infractions.
Bell was riding his Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 slowly on Wallace Street on May 6 when a cruiser pulled him over. The officer didn't have a sound testing device, but told him his motorbike sounded noisy, and gave him a warning.
Bell said he would deal with the problem and headed toward a motorcycle shop on Nicol Street. On his way he changed his mind and circled back toward a cycle shop on Richards Street instead.
While cruising down Fitzwilliam Street, he was pulled over a second time, by two police cars.
"It was embarrassing," Bell said. They directed him to a roadside inspection point set up on Franklyn Street, where his exhaust was tested.
Under provincial noise regulations cars with exhaust sound levels higher than 80 decibels and motorcycles above 91db can be ordered off the road. His bike failed the test.
Bell got his Class 6 licence on April 12. As a new rider he avoided a $109 ticket but was ordered to fix it. The speed shop quoted him $385 for the new pipes and another $100 labour to have them installed. He questions why police are focusing so much energy at motorcycle riders.
"They said it's for safety but they didn't even check my headlight," Bell said. "I would like to see bikers treated equally. If they're going to do inspections, do everybody the same way, don't be singling out anyone."
Some Boycott Nanaimo Facebook page members accuse RCMP of "profiling" motorcycle riders by specifically targeting them.
Last year 25% of all Nanaimo-area traffic fatalities involved motorcycles, "so we sat down and came up with a plan to lessen that number," Smith said. "Certain organizations are quite upset about it, unfortunately they're not looking at the big picture."
The plan has two components, to target aggressive drivers and to get unsafe modified motorcycles off the road.
That includes bikes with oversize handle bars and taillights and signal lights missing. Loud pipes are also being targeted because police get complaints about noise all the time, and the law gives them authority to clamp down.
"You will be targeted if you aren't doing the right stuff: If there are obvious, blatant violations or if I hear your bike and it sounds way in excess of the allowable limit."
Smith called the profiling charge "completely wrong," comparing the campaign to one targeting commercial vehicles or impaired drivers.
"We will continue the program no matter what," he said.
WHAT'S MAKING ALL THE NOISE? (IN DECIBELS)
Aircraft at takeoff 180
Fireworks 140
Snowmobile 120
Chainsaw 110
Amplified music 110
Lawn mower 90
Noisy office 90
Vacuum cleaner 80
City traffic 80
Normal conversation 60
Refrigerator humming 40
Whisper 20
Leaves rustling 10
Calm breathing 10
* Noise levels of 130 decibels or more will be painful and is likely to cause hearing damage.
DBellaart@nanaimodailynews.com
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Nanaimo+bikers+claim+police+discriminate+checking+noisy+motorcycles/4779321/story.html#ixzz1MHt8yS8F
That includes bikes with oversize handle bars and taillights and signal lights missing. Loud pipes are also being targeted because police get complaints about noise all the time, and the law gives them authority to clamp down.
"You will be targeted if you aren't doing the right stuff: If there are obvious, blatant violations or if I hear your bike and it sounds way in excess of the allowable limit."
Smith called the profiling charge "completely wrong," comparing the campaign to one targeting commercial vehicles or impaired drivers.
"We will continue the program no matter what," he said.
WHAT'S MAKING ALL THE NOISE? (IN DECIBELS)
Aircraft at takeoff 180
Fireworks 140
Snowmobile 120
Chainsaw 110
Amplified music 110
Lawn mower 90
Noisy office 90
Vacuum cleaner 80
City traffic 80
Normal conversation 60
Refrigerator humming 40
Whisper 20
Leaves rustling 10
Calm breathing 10
* Noise levels of 130 decibels or more will be painful and is likely to cause hearing damage.
DBellaart@nanaimodailynews.com
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Nanaimo+bikers+claim+police+discriminate+checking+noisy+motorcycles/4779321/story.html#ixzz1MHt8yS8F
