The Importance of Pen Pals

 

The Importance of Pen Pals

 

“If you were to have the Governor's undivided attention for 45 seconds tomorrow, what would you say to him??”

 

That was the rhetorical question sent to me in an email by one of the most “with it” motorcycle shops in California, Valley V Twin, an ABATE Business Member you can visit online at www.valleyvtwin.com. Owners, George and Halle Fetty joined the rider’s rights movement a few years back while I was President of Local 36, and knowing Halle as well as I’ve come to know her, I knew the question wasn’t just conjecture. I knew that if Halle was asking for my input, there was a 98% likelihood that she really would be spending time with the Governator the next day.

 

So, being the internet junkie that I am, I got online and let my little fingers of fury bang out an hour long contest to ABATE’s online community. What? You’re not a part of the online community? That’s where all the action is!  I put forth the question about the Governor and within minutes quite a few of you responded.  

 

A few emails talked about Ah-nulds half-hearted attempt to encompass our demographic through the complete mis-handling of Motorcycle Awareness Month, a huge faux paux mistakenly prodded by the CHP brass where they blame US for getting run over. (Visit www.bikernation.net to see what I’m talking about) Then there were the comments associated with the Quigley case asking the Governor to get his Attorney General to stop backing the CHP’s brass in the fight over the un-constitutionality of the lid law. The AG does, afterall, work for us, and the CHP is merely an extension of the executive branch who unbeknownst to the world, it seems, takes it’s orders from the Governor.  Read that last line again and realize the importance of having a meaningful (and so far, non existent) dialogue with a “riding” Governor.

 

Cynthia Witthans wrote, "We need to prevent accidents before they happen, drivers need to have us on their minds. We need Road Signs asking motorists to look for us.  We need public service announcements asking drivers to be aware of us. We need to make serious jail time and penalties on ROW violators so they are to be sure to take a second look for us.  Mr. Governor, with the increase in gas cost there is a rise in motorcycle sales along with a rise in motorcycle fatalities, we need to act now."

 

It was obvious, the overwhelming favorite idea amongst ABATE members was to ask the Gov. to sign the new Right of Way bill, SB 1021, with the intention of increasing penalties for motorists who violate the right of way of vulnerable road users; pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycle riders, etc. I passed the idea along to Halle and there it percolated for only a short while before she took the idea to the next level.  

 

Halle is a smart girl. She figured that to make an impression, she needed to give the Governator a gift, and the perfect gift would be a fancy new Waterman pen. The Harley Davidson model, of course. The next day, Halle WAS introduced to the Governor, and as she and George shook hands with Ah-nuld, she handed him the pen and slipped in, “Please use this pen when you sign SB 1021, the Right of Way bill.”  Hopefully, if he decides to sign the bill, that pen will one day end up in a display case at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum .  Or better yet, back in Halle's motorcycle shop, in a fancy framed display on the wall with all her motorcycle awareness month proclamations. Ah, the importance of pen pals. 

 

 

Copyright © 2006 Splatt. Reproduction permitted with attribution

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