September Ponderings for the ABATE LLC newsletter

It’s getting to the middle of September and the 2011 Late Riding Season is being brought to you in Techni-Color! Even if you think spring is the best time of year to ride, I think that opinion might be tainted from sitting on your butt all winter cursing Snow Miser. Autumn is the best time of year to get out and take in the views of the Land of Lincoln. The undergrowth will take on its palette of rich earth tones and the trees will be showing off their best leaves wherever you look. The fall festivals and harvest events will be starting soon and the weather seems prime for a road trip. Warm enough during the day to get to the fun and cool enough at night to make for a great ride home.

Another good thing about this time of year is that we (and hopefully the cagers) get our visibility back when riding through the countryside. The harvest has brought down the soybeans that hide creatures playing Frogger at sundown, and the missing cornfields mean no more blind intersections. I ride a majority of my miles on country roads all season, but with that, I ride on a ton of faith and a little knowledge of central Illinois habitat. In the fall, I always keep an eye out for deer paths, turkey crossings, coyote lairs and such. It helps to be on the lookout for stray dogs and high school kids en route to football games on Friday nights too.

With the approach of fall comes the fall legislative season. Just the night before this submission, we learned from George Tinkham that the “Red Light” bill (House Bill 2860) that allows us to make good on a stop at a traffic device and when the device doesn’t pick up the motorcycle and then proceed, was vetoed. The information is that there might be enough votes to override it. I sure hope so, but one never knows just what will happen at the capitol. Thanks to Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, and Rep. Daniel Beiser, D-Alton for sponsoring this bill and seeing it through, I only hope that ABATE members can get their representatives to correct this bad decision!

And speaking of laws, I’ve heard a lot of the “you folks are just anti-helmet laws” talk again. Remind these people what A.B.A.T.E. actually stands for. Let them know that we are actually “anti-stupid motorcycle laws” and have a terrific success rate of keeping and promoting motorcycle rights and freedoms. A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois, Inc. has a pretty impressive list of bills and proposed legislation that has been prevented from becoming law that would frustrate, hinder or negate certain riding activities and ownership. Check over the list of accomplishments through the years and educate yourself as well as other riders. We really need help out there to do away with that old “anti-helmet” thought process…

“They stamp that ‘M’ on your drivers license, right next to your height and weight, as if it was just another one of your physical characteristics . . .   or perhaps a mental condition.”

-- Dave Karlotski