Dixie ABATE member Rick Randolph, director of the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Center at the University of Montevallo, has been working with the Alabama Unified Motorcycle Safety Coalition to put together a licensure bill that will make sense for the state. Due to an oversight several years ago, Ala- bama is the only state that does not have any requirements for someone to be legal to ride a motorcycle. That sounds like freedom, and we love freedom, but there are conse- quences which include possible problems with us riding legally in other states, and too many crashes caused by incompetent riders who are unable to control their ma- chines. An abbreviated synopsis: (a) Under existing law, a person 14 years of age or older can operate a motor driven cycle upon a public highway after passing a written test and proving his or her age, citizen- ship, and other criteria as required to issue a regular vehicle operator’s license. (b) This bill will require that any person under the age of 18 who applies for any motorcycle operator endorsement to legally operate a motorcycle after successfully com- pleting an Alabama Traffic Safety Center/Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program (ATSC/AMSP) sponsored or approved Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) basic motorcy- cle rider education and training course. (c) In addition to completion of an Alabama Traffic Safety Center/ Alabama Motorcycle Safety Pro- gram sponsored or approved Motor- cycle Safety Foundation (MSF) basic motorcycle rider and educa- tion course, this bill will require that any person under the age of 18 show proof of successful completion of a motorcycle operator skills examination. (d) This bill will require that any person over the age of 18 who applies for an operator license will show proof of successful completion of an Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program and Department of Public Safety approved motorcycle opera- tor skills examination - or – show completion of an Alabama Traffic Safety Center/Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program sponsored or ap- proved Motorcycle Safety Founda- tion (MSF) basic motorcycle rider education and training course, AND successfully complete a DPS- issued written exam, in addition to age, citizenship, and other criteria as required for issuance of vehicle operator’s license. This draft bill proposal will doubt- less undergo changes as it moves through the system. We should have a report by Larry Lindsey soon on legislators he has talked to, and who might sponsor this legislation for the coalition. Pros and cons of the legislation as drafted, per Rick, included the following: On the pro side, the bill creates a true test of skill for riders, which would bring us up to par with other states, thus insuring reciproc- ity; it would create a means of cita- tion and thus revenue for the city/ county/state; it creates a mandate for teenage riders to both receive training and be skill-tested before they ride on the road, which would give them a better chance of surviv- T IME TO GET TOUGH ABOUT A LABAMA’ S LICENSING LAWS R EPEAT : F UNDRAISING R AFFLE If this looks just like the article from last month, it’s because you guys haven’t bought all these tickets yet. Come on—drop a ten spot and get lucky. For a paltry $10.00, you get a chance to win a set of Gerbing heated liners and controller, worth $600.00, $300.00 toward a new set of tires (Dixie ABATE check made payable to you), or $100.00 cash money. The person who sells the most tickets will also win $100.00 cash. For tickets, contact the Noccalula Falls Chapter or use the “Donate Now” form on our website and I will mail your tickets to you. Call Jim Johnson at 256-490-8848, Garland Medlock at 256-572-1279, Kris Cook at 205-617-9944, or Matthew Schroeder at 256-390-7392, for tickets to sell. When selling, initial both ticket and stub, to make ticket valid. ALABAMA ’ S S EPTEMBER 1, 2013 VOLUME 3, I SSUE 1 D IXIE ABATE S EPTEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER O UR PRIORITIES NOW: Agenda for state meeting October 19 Web page for Montgomery area chapter Fill board positions that will become vacant 12/31/13 Drivers Ed module presenta- tion training Sell raffle tickets! Drawing November 2. Tickets must be in by October 19. MRF conference weekend of September 28, 2013 Publicity for November 9 Gymkhana at ATSC. Come prove you can ride that thing. I NSIDE THIS ISSUE : L ICENSE TO RIDE 1 RAFFLE TIME! YOU WANT THESE TICKETS 1 CHAPTERS 2 F REE! RIDE AROUND SOME CONES NOVEMBER 9! MEMBER S POTLIGHT: P AULA HALL 2 WELCOME NEW, RENEWING, AND LIFE MEMBERS ! 2 Gymkhana at the Alabama Traffic Safety Center in Montevallo November 9. IMPROVE YOUR LOW SPEED SKILLS Tickets and money have to be turned in at the October 19th state meeting in Rainbow City. The drawing will be November 2. You will be notified by a phone call, and the winner will be posted on the website. Buy some tickets before it’s too late. October 19th is less than a month away! Below: Rick Randolph, Director of the Ala- bama Traffic Safety program, speaking at our Ride to the Capitol this year ing their first years on the road on two wheels. Cons include the expense of setting the system up, the fact that the rider will have to pay a fee to take the class and the test, and the fact that no one likes more red tape and requirements. No matter what form it takes, this has to happen. We are the laughing stock of the nation for having no requirement for a rider to prove he can even get on a motorcycle and ride in a circle before he gets out on the street. Plenty of details have to be worked out. We will keep you informed.
Transcript
Dixie ABATE member Rick Randolph, director of the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Center at the University of Montevallo, has been working with the Alabama Unified Motorcycle Safety Coalition to put together a licensure bill that will make sense for the state. Due to an oversight several years ago, Ala-bama is the only state that does not have any requirements for someone to be legal to ride a motorcycle. That sounds like freedom, and we love freedom, but there are conse-quences which include possible problems with us riding legally in other states, and too many crashes caused by incompetent riders who are unable to control their ma-chines. An abbreviated synopsis: (a) Under existing law, a person 14
years of age or older can operate a motor driven cycle upon a public highway after passing a written test and proving his or her age, citizen-ship, and other criteria as required to issue a regular vehicle operator’s license. (b) This bill will require that any person under the age of 18 who applies for any motorcycle operator endorsement to legally operate a motorcycle after successfully com-pleting an Alabama Traffic Safety
Center/Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program (ATSC/AMSP) sponsored or approved Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) basic motorcy-cle rider education and training course. (c) In addition to completion of an Alabama Traffic Safety Center/Alabama Motorcycle Safety Pro-gram sponsored or approved Motor-cycle Safety Foundation (MSF)
basic motorcycle rider and educa-tion course, this bill will require that any person under the age of 18 show proof of successful completion of a motorcycle operator skills examination. (d) This bill will require that any person over the age of 18 who applies for an operator license will show proof of successful completion
of an Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program and Department of Public Safety approved motorcycle opera-tor skills examination - or – show completion of an Alabama Traffic Safety Center/Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program sponsored or ap-proved Motorcycle Safety Founda-tion (MSF) basic motorcycle rider education and training course, AND successfully complete a DPS-issued written exam, in addition to age, citizenship, and other criteria
as required for issuance of vehicle operator’s license. This draft bill proposal will doubt-less undergo changes as it moves through the system. We should have a report by Larry Lindsey soon on legislators he has talked to, and who might sponsor this legislation for the coalition. Pros and cons of the legislation as drafted, per Rick, included the following: On the pro side, the bill creates a true test of skill for riders, which would bring us up to par with other states, thus insuring reciproc-ity; it would create a means of cita-tion and thus revenue for the city/county/state; it creates a mandate for teenage riders to both receive training and be skill-tested before they ride on the road, which would give them a better chance of surviv-
TIME TO GET TOUGH ABOUT ALABAMA’S LICENSING LAWS
REPEAT : FUNDRAISING RAFFLE
If this looks just like the article from last month, it’s because you guys haven’t bought all these tickets yet. Come on—drop a ten spot and get lucky.
For a paltry $10.00, you get a chance to win a set of Gerbing heated liners and controller, worth $600.00, $300.00 toward a new set of tires (Dixie ABATE check made payable to you), or $100.00 cash money. The person who sells the most tickets will also win $100.00
cash. For tickets, contact the Noccalula Falls Chapter or use the “Donate Now” form on our website and I will mail your tickets to you. Call Jim Johnson at 256-490-8848, Garland Medlock at 256-572-1279, Kris Cook at 205-617-9944, or Matthew Schroeder at 256-390-7392, for tickets to sell. When selling, initial both ticket and stub, to make ticket valid.
ALABAMA ’S
SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1
D IXIE ABATE SEPTEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER
OUR PRIORITIES
NOW:
Agenda for state meeting October 19
Web page for Montgomery area chapter
Fill board positions that will become vacant 12/31/13
Drivers Ed module presenta-tion training
Sell raffle tickets! Drawing November 2. Tickets must be in by October 19.
MRF conference weekend of September 28, 2013
Publicity for November 9 Gymkhana at ATSC. Come prove you can ride that thing.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE :
L ICENSE TO RIDE 1
RAFFLE TIME ! YOU
WANT THESE TICKETS
1
CHAPTERS 2
FREE ! RIDE AROUND SOME
CONES NOVEMBER 9!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT :
PAULA HALL
2
WELCOME NEW ,
RENEWING , AND LIFE
MEMBERS !
2
Gymkhana at the Alabama
Traffic Safety Center in
Montevallo November 9.
IMPROVE YOUR LOW
SPEED SKILLS
Tickets and money have to be turned in at the October 19th state meeting in Rainbow City. The drawing will be November 2. You will be notified by a phone call, and the winner will be posted on the website. Buy some tickets before it’s too late. October 19th is less than a month away!
Below: Rick Randolph, Director of the Ala-bama Traffic Safety program, speaking at our
Ride to the Capitol this year
ing their first years on the road on two wheels. Cons include the expense of setting the system up, the fact that the rider will have to pay a fee to take the class and the test, and the fact that no one likes more red tape and requirements. No matter what form it takes, this has to happen. We are the laughing stock of the nation for having no requirement for a rider to prove he can even get on a motorcycle and ride in a circle before he gets out on the street. Plenty of details have to be worked out. We will keep you informed.
Dixie ABATE has two functioning chap-ters, with a third close on the horizon. We had three, but our Mobile area chapter closed down last month due to that pesky tendency of life to get in the way. We feel sure there will be a re-vival in the bay area before too much time passes.
Our Northeast Region, Noccalula Falls chapter is based in the Gadsden area. Their mailing address is P.O. Box 3, Gadsden, AL 35902. Their officers are James “Ghost” Johnson, Director; Tom Wade, Assistant Director; Jim Johnson, Secretary/Treasurer, and Garland Med-lock, membership director.
Our East Central Region Tri-County chapter is based in the Montgomery
area. Their mailing address is 5221 Mona Drive, Millbrook, AL 36054. Their officers are Ira “Cowboy” Jones, Director; Larry Ashley, Assistant Direc-tor; Magan Ashley, Secretary/Treasurer; James “Raz” Rasberry, Sergeant-at-Arms; and John Palumbo, Legislative Trustee. John will work with Larry Lindsey, our state-level legislative director, to help us have a more constant presence in our state’s capitol.
Rick Randolph, on top of all the other bazillion hats he wears, is willing to help start a chapter in the Clanton/Montevallo/Jemison area. If you live around there and are willing to be active in getting a new chapter rolling,
Welcome new members Stephen Sivley, Shannon Burke, Nathan Gilley, Brian Wilson, Michael Warr, Jack Clark, Colin Jenkins, Hank Holdren, James “Snake” White, Charley Cleckler, David Stafford, Sr, and Rex Fronduti! And thank you to renewing and raffle-ticket-buying charter members Ray and Tina Jennings, renewing charter mem-bers Randall and Nancy Green, renewing OUT-OF-STATE LIFE MEMBER Doc D’Errico, renewing
This is what we love to see under the ABATE tent—people signing up! But once you sign up, your responsibility is not over. Be active! We have a blast doing what we do. Join us.
D IXIE ABATE CHAPTERS IN ALABAMA
NEW MEMBERS, DONATING MEMBERS, LIFE MEMBERS
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT : PAULA HALL
sits high upon hits pedestal on display in our shop. My husband surprised me with a Sportster for my birthday as a project bike. It’s currently in a box. My goal is to take some riders courses, and see what we can do about getting that bike out of the box and out on the road where it belongs.
4)Why did you join Dixie ABATE? Although this is an easy
question, it’s very difficult for me to answer. My reasons for joining could fill this entire newsletter. Several of my family members and the majority of my friends ride. I’ve seen the lives of many change due to motorcycle related acci-dents. What better way to serve those I love and honor those that I’ve lost than to do my part to make a change.
5)If I ask you “who are you?”, what do you say? I’m an easy going
individual. I love the simple things in life. I love music of all genres but I’m a Rockabilly girl at heart. Old cars with loud engines get my blood going. I grew
up with a father that has an extreme talent for restoring vintage cars. I’m a sucker for stray animals. If I had a farm and the money to afford their care, I would have a homeless shelter for pets.
6)What is the most important issue to you? Education for riders and
non-riders alike. Motorcycle safety should be just as important for those who don’t ride as it is for those who do.
7)If you ruled the world, what is one change you would make? I would bring God and discipline back to our schools.
8)What advice would you give to riders? Always pay attention to your
surroundings. Never ride impaired. Most importantly, enjoy the ride.
Paula will be nominated for State Secre-tary for 2014/2015 at the October meet-ing. The general membership votes for state board positions.
Paula is my nominee (and the only person who has volunteered) for Secretary next year. I asked her the questions I ask every spotlight member, and here are her re-plies.
1)Where are you from? I was born
and raised in the small town of Sylvan Springs, Alabama, which was just close enough to the Black Warrior River that I was considered a “River Rat” in my child-hood days. I now call Eva, AL. home. It’s just as small but a little further North.
2)How did you meet your hus-band (charter member James Hall)? Now that’s a loaded question!
We met through mutual friends about 11 years ago. We quickly became close friends. After about a year or two we became inseparable. I know without a doubt I married my best friend.
3)What is your riding history? I guess I’m considered a back seat rider, although I own two bikes. I own a Royal Enfield which is probably the only 05 model anything to have only 54 miles. It
PAGE 2 D IXIE ABATE SEPTEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER
Treasurer’s Report at a
glance:
State account: $1,630.20
In Paypal: $414.53
Undeposited funds: $348.00
Total: $2392.73
Lamar has not billed us yet for
the Birmingham billboard, and as
far as I know, it is still up. We
have enough money now to pay
the bill, when we get it. We need
billboards all over this state.
Our next state-level meeting is set for Saturday, October 19, 2 PM, at the Western Sizzlin’, 209 W Grand (Hwy 77), Rainbow City, Alabama. Call Matt at 205-390-7392 for infor-mation. This is the regular meeting spot of the Noccalula Falls Chapter.
Contact Information: Kris Cook, Secretary Dixie ABATE of Alabama P.O. Box 203 Gadsden, AL 35902 205-617-9944 [email protected] Single membership is $20.00 per year; $30.00 for a couple.
Above: Paula Hall, incoming Secre-tary, assuming nomination/election
Ran out of space, so: Coming in the next newsletter: What does the CDC have to do with my life as a motorcycle rider?
let me know and I’ll get you in touch with Rick.
I envision a time when the state has chapters in every region! (See re-gions below)
LIFE MEMBER Kenny Click, and special thanks to renewing and DONATING members Bob and Cindy Kuehner! Packages are going into the mail with apologies for being so late. **Extra special thanks to the Sons of Liberty Riders.** We gain credibility and strength with every new member!
