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Abate of NY Cortland /Chenango Chapter |
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September 2007
“Dedicated to the Freedom of the Road” ABATE OF CORTLAND / CHENANGO COUNTY Vice President Report Nothing from The VP this Month (Busy Girl) Tiffany
If Any One has some Information they would like to share with the Membership Please feel free to submit it to the Newsletter and we will share it with everyone. James
What I am working on is a meeting with Congressman Arcuri, whose office has been giving me a sort of run around. The subject we need to work on, on the federal level is HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) legislation, (HR-1076) which prevents insurance carriers from yanking your coverage for participating or injured during legal activities such as horseback riding, motorcycle riding, skiing etc. At the next meeting we will write letters to his office asking him to cosponsor this bill.
Other things that have recently happened is the funding for motorcycle safety programs has been maintained in the last highway bill, and there is funding for a new accident study that is matched by the MC industry, the last comprehensive motorcycle accident study was done in the 80's and a new one is long over-due. These things I just mentioned came about as a result of lobbying by the AMA, MRF and ABATE people like us. Brent This Months postage for the newsletter was donated by Mike Latta. Mike has been a member for Going on 6 years. If you see Mike Riding Around, Thank him for helping us out.
NOTICE: This may be your last Newsletter. The Newsletter is getting to be an Expensive deal with printing costs and Postage increases. So Starting with the OCTOBER Newsletter we will only sending it out to those who request it. It will still be available on our website @ http://www.cortland-chenangoabate.com\archives.htm for those of us who have a High Speed connection. Unfortunately the current versions are running about 2-5 Meg per issue. But I will be creating a more Dial up Friendly version as time allows. If you do choose to get your NL online feel free to send me your email address and we will let you know when the new letter is Published. Send NL notifications to James@cortland-chenangoabate.com Please call Dave @ 607-423-6780 to request a Hard Copy Newsletter NOTICE: This may be your last Newsletter.
ABATE of Cortland-Chenango Advertising Form Business Name_______________________________ Contact Person____________________ Address_______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Phone number_________________________ Best time to call__________________________ What size ad would you like?
What months would like to advertise?
Total Cost___________________ Make checks payable to ABATE of Cortland-Chenango
See Us On the Web @ www.cortland-chenangoabate.com Coming soon will be a “FOR SALE” Section for Members, so Submit your entries to me (Picture price and a detailed description of the bike or parts you are selling or LOOKING for. I can Scan Hardcopy pictures if needed. Email me or leave pictures in envelope with exactly what you would like for a description, price, and # where I can reach you at Easy Street with my name on it. Or see me at the MEETINGS James ABATE OF CORTLAND / CHENANGO COUNTY
Presidents Page
OK, here we go. Independence Run, I mentioned in the last NL that there may have been some changes, and there was. Everyone should know by now through our website that the date is 9/8 for the run. We are meeting at the P&C parking lot on Homer Ave across from Easystreet. This run is, as always, a protest, A demonstration. I've had people ask me if it's possible to get a ticket for no helmet. Sure, I guess it is. We have no permission from any law enforcement agency. However, as long as we ride in parade as we always have and stick together, there will be no problems, just as we've pulled it off in years past. We will be leaving at 1pm sharp. Helmets are optional. No one will tell you to NOT wear a helmet. It's YOUR CHOICE. That’s what this run is about, Lobbying for our freedom of choice. We will have food and games at Denny's Mountainveiw at the end of the run. One of our ABATE chapter members has allowed us (ABATE Members and invited only) to use his property for an overnighter /campout after the Mountainveiw deal. For more info on that, give me a call on my cell. Like I've mentioned before, this run is to show that we are responsible motorcyclists capable of making our own decisions on our safety, among other things. Let’s try and keep the ride accident free. And for those of you wondering, yes, I'll keep the speed down. Randy will see to that. This run is important not only for the helmet issue, but more importantly to show our solidarity as a Motorcycle Rights Organization. I hope to see everyone there. It'll be a blast. The website is up and running, and looking awesome. James has really done a bang-up job. If ya see him, give him a thank you. The Website will be our primary source of info for the chapter. Event info, links, Products availability and the Newsletter are just some things that will be on the site. Most important is the Newsletter. We will be sending mailed NL's only to members who request one. Let me be clear on this. If you don't get a hold of James or myself to notify us that you want an NL mailed to you, this will be the last NL you will receive. The expense and basic pain in the ass that it creates is no longer worth it now that we have the website. For those who do not have internet access, and want a copy mailed to them, however, no problem. Let us know. Keep in mind, also, that elections are coming up in November. If you want to run for a position, or nominate someone, this is the time. Start thinking about who you want to be next year’s officers. And, as always, call me with your thought and suggestions. Better yet, come to the meetings and put it right on the table. Hope to see you at Seebers at 1pm for the September meeting. See ya on the 8th
HD Next Meeting 9/2/07 At Seebers See ya there.
!!!!!!!!!! WE HAVE LAWN SIGNS AT EZSTREET !!!!!!!!!!
(July, 2005 ABATE of New York Newsletter Article) My view on safety is that it involves the rider, other motorists' behavior, and the road itself. We've made some progress on that last item recently, with some revised policy that is being placed into effect for New York State Department of Transportation road projects. This new policy is being implemented by something called Engineering Instructions, which are taking effect now. One is called "Motorcycle Safety Measures on Milled Pavements - Revised Specifications," and the other "Motorcycle Safety Measures on Milled Pavements - Design Guidance." You can view these documents here: http:// www.dot.state.ny.us/cmb/consult/eib/files/ei05013.pdf and here: http://www.dot.state.ny.us/cmb/consult/eib/files/ ei05014.pdf I am a Construction Engineer with the NYS Department of Transportation. Our local DOT safety officer asked me to comment on a proposed policy change that dealt with milled pavement. I told her that milled pavement is a hazard to motorcyclists, but that there was more to it than that. I pointed out that while milled pavement can be tricky for a biker, especially when the milling is coarse and the grooves wander side to side, there is an even more hazardous condition, when for example one lane is milled but the lane next to it is not. This leaves a vertical face which we bikers call an "edge trap." I told her that for a motorcycle to remain stable while moving, the front wheel must always be free to move to either side. These side motions are very small, but if a front tire gets trapped in one of these "edge trap" situations, the bike almost always goes down. The new policy being put into place calls for the increased usage of warning signs to help warn motorcyclists of road construction hazards. More good news is that finally the State of New York has come to the realization that routinely creating edge trap situations on our highways in work zones is hazardous to motorcyclists, and needs to be minimized. I've been asked to help explain what the new EI's mean. In the EI's, "MUTCD" means "Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices." The signs to be used will refer to milled pavement as "GROOVED PAVEMENT." Most milling machines produce a coarsely milled surface that have longitudinal grooves, and these grooves are what will give you the most trouble while riding. What these EI's do is point out to road project designers the need to provide for appropriate construction signs and to advise construction engineers and contractors to look out for the needs of motorcyclists, and provides advice on how to do that. The people up in Albany who write the specifications and make the rules tend to be unaware of motorcyclists' concerns for the simple reason that most of them are not motorcyclists. But this time I was asked for input, and as an experienced motorcyclist I was able to provide relevant advice. Others helped, too. A DOT guy in Region 8 worked on this and I believe he was also an ABATE member. You can help by reporting hazards on road construction projects. Report any shortcomings you see to the Regional Director of the Region you find the problem in: http://www.dot.state.ny.us/reg/regmenu.html DOT wants to help out, so keep it cool, and help them help us. Any discussion of motorcycle safety in construction work zones must also include how we ride. You should already know about "edge traps," be on the lookout for them, and if you must for example move from one lane to another where a vertical face exists due to paving or milling, slow down and try to traverse the edge trap at as high an angle as possible. Regarding milled pavement, the grooves can be a hassle to deal with. Try to stay cool, don't grab the handlebars too tightly, and just ride it out. Watch for edge traps, and also be aware that most freshly milled pavement also has loose sand on it. Also watch out for manholes and utility boxes, which will be sticking up above the milled pavement. Whether you are on your bike, or driving your car or truck, please be alert in work zones. Read the signs. If a lane is being closed ahead, aggressively read the signs to figure out which lane, well enough in advance that you can move over early and merge smoothly and safely with other traffic. There was a terrible wreck on I-81 in the Binghamton area just a week ago. Three construction workers were killed. The incident started with a bus traveling way too fast. He struck a motorcyclist, then a truck, then intruded into a work zone and crashed into the back of a cement mixer where 3 road workers were killed. The bus driver was in critical condition after the wreck. The motorcyclist got rear-ended by the bus, launched off his bike at over 50 mph, and wound up waking up next to a traffic cone. His only injuries were a mild concussion and some bruises, thanks to good riding gear and some good luck. How good is your riding gear and how would you fare in a wreck like that? That's your decision to make. This accident, while tragic and extreme, illustrates what happens all too often in work zones. It only takes one driver not paying attention to set up a nasty chain reaction wreck where other innocent people suffer tragic consequences. You really need to read the signs, and get your act together early in a work zone. Your task in a work zone is to be actively preventing the accidents that others' poor driving are setting up. Also, as that motorcyclist's experience helps illustrate, the typical accident in a work zone is a rear-end type collision. Don't tailgate, and don't allow others to tailgate you. Things are getting bad in work zones with speeding drivers, tailgaters, people who don't read signs, drivers on cell phones paying no attention that the death rate continues to climb. Being a road worker has become a hazardous occupation. Keep in mind that more motorists die in work zone accidents than road workers. Despite all the hard work done by engineers and contractors, road construction work zones are high accident locations, and you need to be aware of that while driving or riding through one. The State of New York has responded by doubling fines for speeding in work zones, and routinely having State Troopers present on the bigger road jobs. You should slow down to look out for the safety of others and yourself. If you don't, then expect to fork over big bucks for a traffic ticket and higher insurance premiums. The State of New York is doing something to make road construction safer for motorcyclists in the way of new policy. You also need to do everything you can to make yourself a safer, more observant rider, especially in highway work zones. Ride safe. ~ Harry Clark, ABATE of New York Safety Officer TOP TEN THINGS THAT SOUND DIRTY IN GOLF BUT AREN'T 10. Nuts...my shaft is bent. 9. After 18 holes I can barely walk. 8. You really whacked the hell out of that sucker. 7. Look at the size of his putter. 6. Keep your head down and spread your legs a bit more. 5. Mind if I join your threesome? 4. Stand with your back turned and drop it. 3. My hands are so sweaty I can't get a good grip. 2. Nice stroke, but your follow through has a lot to be desired. 1. Hold up...I need to wash my balls first TOP 10 SIGNS YOUR FAMILY IS STRESSED... 10. Conversations often begin with "Put the gun down, and then we can talk". 9. The school principal has your number on speed-dial. 8. The cat is on Valium. 7. People have trouble understanding your kids, because they learned to speak through clenched teeth. 6. You are trying to get your four-year-old to switch to decaffeinated. 5. The number of jobs held down by family members exceeds the number of people in the family. 4. No one has time to wait for microwave TV dinners 3. "Family meetings" are often mediated by law enforcement officials. 2. You have to check your kid's day-timer to see if he can take out the trash. 1. Maxwell House gives you industrial rates.
I’ve always loved this one from Cliffy
One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin explained the "Buffalo Theory" to his buddy, Norm. "Well ya see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine! That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers." OLD AGE An 80 year old couple were having problems
remembering things, so they decided to go to their doctor to get checked out to
make sure nothing was wrong with them. Support your Local Chapter Meetings first Sunday alternating Counties
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