I think that the issue is this: It endangers others. It delays others. The riders have no right to stunt on the highways, especailly the Bay Bridge.
The more people that see stunting on the highways, puts more pressure on law makers and cops to crack down on these actions.
The more the government has to get involved, the more grants are written, the more money is dedicated to cops to get these guys.
The problem there is that we don't know who they are, so a shotgun approach is taken. Every sport bike with a bent plate or no lights, or whatever the reason is going to get stopped. Highway 1, 9, 35, 17, 101, 280, 680, 580, and so on becomes a motorcycle dead zone.
The more these guys stunt, the more it hurts everyone.
Whether you agree with it or not, does not matter. Perception is reality, and the perception is that all sport bike riders are law breakers. Now we know this is not the case, however the people who bitch the loudest will cause the most headache for the riders.
Stunting does not belong on the public highways.
Rel, first of all, let me thank you for an intelligent response, so few of those in here these days.
I see where you have a point on the shotgun approach but when does a bent plate have anything to do with stunting ..... i guess thats just up to the officers discretion but it seems to me like its fairly easy to pick out a stunt bike and someone thats gunna do something over the normal rider.
The problem with the shotgun approach is that it profiles people, it makes riders a target, albeit a target of our own making, but I have much experience with being profiled. As being a member of SBFMC we are profiled far too much and Id have to say, with the exception of one CHP officer, Ive been harassed up and down every time im pulled over, everything from telling me im a gang banger to trying to find something that isnt legit about my bike.
I also dont believe that stunting should be performed on the streets if you plan on staying outta trouble(I travel with the largest sanctioned Stunt Competition in the nation
www.xdlshow.com), but I do believe stunting started on the streets and there will always be a place for it there.
I agree somewhat that it endangers others but in my experience in 10 years of stunting I havent really seen more than 2-3 occasions where anyone that didnt know they were being put in harms way was involved (IE: stunters and filmers), and in those situations no one got hurt. What I find is that more peopel out there are neighborhood rangers and wannabe cops that tend to think its their job to call on the guy thats holding a 65 mph wheelie for 4 miles like he isnt in control, when really all they have to do is be aware of their surrounding, just as if it were another car. I could see that turning into a situation where they feel bad if the person crashes and they run them over, but no more so if a car goes sideways and gets tboned by them.
As far as grants and more money for more officers etc, you just cant sell me on the fact that theres enough officers right now in general. Maybe you need to borrow a few from danville where I live, i swear I dont go more than a mile without seeing one everywhere I look. I live 2.3 miles from the freeway on a main street and I generally see 2-3 cops on the way home. Over the last few years we must have trippled the on duty cops if not more from previous years, cause we all have to admit, they are the money generating force of the streets for the government. Dont take that as scornful, I mean they are just doing a job, but I tend to like more cops that wear the badge and dont let the badge wear them.
(no offense to my friends and real officers)
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