Motorcycle Noise Restrictions?
Here's one proposed law I could almost support. Heck, maybe I do support. Well, I'm not sure.
Showing that at least the Democrats in Sacramento have way too much time on their hands despite the budget crisis, one of them has sponsored a bill to limit the amount of noise and exhaust coming from motorcycles. I don't really care that much about the exhaust aspect of it, but I do believe a thing exists such as noise pollution.
Not all motorcycles are noisy to the point they could be considered pollution, but I'm sure we can all cite examples of noisy motorcycles on the road that are annoying to the extreme.
I know last Sunday I was over by the corner of Harris and I Streets in Eureka when some guy in a hog cut loose on his throttle- the noise actually causing me to jump it startled me so much- and that happens fairly regularly. Maybe it's the same guy some of the time?
Just this morning I heard somebody in one of those smaller "crotch rocket" sport bikes racing up the street in front of my house rather loudly. Those little sport bikes always seem to sound loud when they throttle up and makes it seem like they're speeding even if they're going the speed limit.
I find the noise from those things annoying, at best, and there should be some limit to how much noise we have to suffer. I guess I'm unsure of my position because I don't know how far we should go with this.
I can just imagine, if this bill passes, that we'll be using it as an example for reasons to clamp down on so many of the other noises we all make each day. Then we'll start making the new restrictions tighter and tighter- witness the War on Tobacco Smokers for how that works.
So, I'm not sure what I think but, in the meantime, please quiet down or put a muffler on your motorcycles.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human liberty. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.- William Pitt
posted by Fred Mangels @ 9:14 AM
19 comments
19 Comments:
State Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) needs to be recalled since she won't do her job. That job is to get the budget done first. She is too busy avoiding that job with this bill.
Any bill that helps protect the weak from the strong, the non-rich from the rich, the law-abiding from the criminal, the hearing people of our nation from the operators of obnoxiously LOUD motorcycles, diesel vehicles, and vehicles with disabled or absent mufflers is a bill I support.
Tell me where I can send money to the politician who will help save my ears from premature obsolescence (induced by the ROAR of the people with the biggest egos and the smallest brains of any in our fair land!)
These sources of NOISE in Eureka have increased over the years. It has come to the point where even the installation of double-paned windows in every room in a person's house (OK - MY house) still doesn't offer the same degree of peace and quiet that used to be normal in one's neighborhood only about twenty years ago. (OK - MY neighborhood.)
People wonder why Eurekan's are so testy. Some people think everybody must be using methamphetamines. I don't think that is it at all.
No one in Eureka can enjoy a quiet moment anymore. Not in their own back yard. Not in their own living room.
And when someone is trying to get a solid night's sleep in Eureka, no one can count on peace and quiet then, either. One fool on a motorcycle can wake up dozens of people in each block as he goes roaring through neighborhood after neighborhood. We sheepishly give that one fool the power to ruin the sleep of hundreds of his fellow-citizens each time he travels at night.
And we call HIM the fool.
Pass the legislation! Please!
New laws are wonderful things.
BUT... We already have laws against noisy exhausts.
AND... They don't work!
The police and CHP ignore noise complaints. They don't usually enforce them and the dispatchers are often rude in the bargain as they tell us or imply that noise complaints are an annoynance - to the dispatchers!
Maybe we could figure out a way to enforce the laws we already have on the books???
Harleys! Usually for a bunch of fat middle aged guys pretending to be something they'll never be. What ever happened to just having an affair to get through your mid life crisis?
My point was not that the law was bad or good. It was that the first and only job our state leg has is to get our financial affairs in order - pass a balanced budget. They are all too busy with feel good crap instead of doing their job. If they passed a budget FIRST, then I wouldn't be pissed about this so much.
Even if the legislature does balance the budget, those noisy motorcycles will keep me from getting a good night's sleep. For peace of mind and a good night's sleep, I need fiscal responsibility in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. -- and I also need our motor vehicle muffler laws to be enforced. Really enforced.
I'd like it a whole lot if the cops would just enforce the noise ordinances we've already got. The thing that makes me crazy is: the $500 cars with the $2,000 stereos playing "music" with so loud it makes the art on my walls vibrate in their frames.
I agree with 4:43, we have current laws in effect regarding excessive noise, but the problem is with shrinking budgets and hiring freezes, there is not enough law enforcement to handle all the calls they have on a daily basis. I work in the motorcycle industry and knew years ago there would eventually be a point when the general public would finally say ENOUGH! and complain to the law makers so there is now a bill regarding this problem. WHO will enforce the new law, when the existing one is ignored,(or the police just don't have enough time in a day to enforce) ?? ridetwoeat
There is a good reason for having a loud motorcycle. Have you ever been on a bicycle riding downhill and nearly get creamed by some bozo you are passing because they didn't see nor hear you changing lanes? Imagine this same situation at 75MPH. When you are on a motorcycle, this happens all the time except everybody hears you coming right down to the bass booming 18 year old wannabe rappers. The loud engines making people jump out their pants when a motorcycle is passing them is better than them crashing into the motorcycle because they didn't notice it coming.
Besides, if traffic accidents increase because of noise reduction laws for motorcycles, all the cool people will be in the hospital and society will be left with nothing but squares.
I enjoy the Redwood Run each year. It lasts a week and we see many bikers out cruising the countryside. We counted a group of 14 last week leaving Ferndale. It is noisy, but festive. Meanwhile, I do hear vehicles with glass-packs or no-mufflers cruising around. Yes, at night, they can be annoying, but so can a skunk walking by your window! Try wearing earplugs when you sleep or listen to some soothing music.
Carol, your ear plug and soothing music idea is reminiscent of that other piece of well-meaning advice: "If the People have no bread, why then, Let them eat cake."
Or in this case, ear plugs.
loud pipes save lives. all you idiots driving around talking on your damn phones and listening to your stereos too loud popping your anti depressant pills , smoking your weed or just simply not paying attention when you drive your car will kill us, its just a matter of time. so get a life and get a clue. If you dont see us you'll at least hear us. find something better to cry about losers.
Let them smell skunks!
Does that make you feel better?
Apparently, loud pipes save the lives of arrogant motorcycle riders who crave the freedom to weave in and out of crowded traffic lanes without restriction.
Following the rules of the road might just as effectively save lives, but for some reason motorcycle riders must not be required to follow the rules that other vehicle operators do.
So we may be stuck with loud pipes on motorcycles while they are operated on freeways.
Is that any reason motorcycles need to operate with loud pipes in our neighborhoods? The places where we live? Where people sleep at night sometimes?
Why can't motorcycle riders invent a switch to pump their loud exhaust through a muffler while they are in residential neighborhoods? They could still blast all the motorists on the freeways. Wouldn't that solve the problem for everybody?
After all, we all know that motorcycle riders are the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful people in the world. They give toys away to poor kids, so they must be wonderful people. We know motorcycle riders are wonderful people, because they never tire of telling us so.
The perfect example of the respect and care and love they hold in their hearts for the rest of us can be read in the writings of "Anonymous" above who posted his message at 4:44pm. Please read his words again.
Surely we can work in cooperation with the considerate motorcycle riders of America to come to a compromise that will not punish one group for the fun or mere convenience of the other.
Or, if we can't reach such a compromise, let's legislate the hell out of those noisy, uncouth, inconsiderate gas-bags.
Peace!
And Quiet.
"legislate the hell out of those noisy, uncouth, inconsiderate gas-bags."
And when we're done with the politicans, let's take care of the damned bikers.
Not all people who own motorcycles are inconsiderate. It's the same deal as not all people who stuff multiple subwoofers into their Cadillac are inconsiderate. Maybe the average 19 year old male biker doesn't have any respect, but most of us ain't making a bunch of noise in residential neighborhoods.
Anyway, just put a noise limit on pussy Japanese racing bikes, I'm fine with that.
I've ridden bikes for a number of years and have always sought to keep my bikes nice and quite. I actually like to hear what's going on around me. I own an FZR600 "crotchrocket(I hate that term)" a 1978 Goldwing and 2 1974 CB550's.
If this could get the aftermarket manufactuers to make quite pipes them I'm all for it.
I would cheer to see and not hear another fat guy on his fat loud cruiser bike blasting past my house.
For me, I don't like loud muffler... it can disturb my neighbors whenever I go home late at night...
Well said Mr. Nice.
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