Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Mini Motor Bikes
Mini Motor Bikes have been in the news recently, with a "crackdown" proposed by the Home Secretary. They are becoming more of a problem around here, and this evening one has been roaring up and down the street past my house on Clifton Road for the last half hour.
From this position it is a fairly amusing site. The machines are only a couple of feet high, so from this angle it looks as though a floating person is gliding past the window. If it wasn't for the appalling racket, it would almost be amusing. But the noise isn't the only problem. These machines are being used in an incredibly reckless way. They are being ridden down the middle of what is a fairly busy road, with no lights, no reflective paint on either machine or rider, no helmet, no registration plate, no protective gear at all, and probably no insurance. I have seen the various riders veer out of the way of the traffic more than once. It may be a cliche to say it, but it seems only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured or worse.
Somebody riding a dark motorbike, three feet off the ground, at dusk, in the middle of a busy road, wearing no helmet and black clothes, with no lights, isn't the brightest thing going. And I mean that both literally and figuratively!
I have rung Sgt Campbell at Prestwich Police Station (0161 856 4537) to inform him of the situation, and will be speaking to local Councillors about it. Not only is it a nuisance, attracting crowds of young people to the noise, but it is also highly dangerous and should be stopped. I have no objection at all to these machines, provided they are used sensibly and legally. This is neither.
Rick
From this position it is a fairly amusing site. The machines are only a couple of feet high, so from this angle it looks as though a floating person is gliding past the window. If it wasn't for the appalling racket, it would almost be amusing. But the noise isn't the only problem. These machines are being used in an incredibly reckless way. They are being ridden down the middle of what is a fairly busy road, with no lights, no reflective paint on either machine or rider, no helmet, no registration plate, no protective gear at all, and probably no insurance. I have seen the various riders veer out of the way of the traffic more than once. It may be a cliche to say it, but it seems only a matter of time before somebody is seriously injured or worse.
Somebody riding a dark motorbike, three feet off the ground, at dusk, in the middle of a busy road, wearing no helmet and black clothes, with no lights, isn't the brightest thing going. And I mean that both literally and figuratively!
I have rung Sgt Campbell at Prestwich Police Station (0161 856 4537) to inform him of the situation, and will be speaking to local Councillors about it. Not only is it a nuisance, attracting crowds of young people to the noise, but it is also highly dangerous and should be stopped. I have no objection at all to these machines, provided they are used sensibly and legally. This is neither.
Rick
# posted by Richard Baum @ 20:22 
