
If you have been in a Motorcycle Accident ANYWHERE in The State of California, call me now 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, for a free consultation at 800-816-1Law (800-816-1529), Extension 1
Welcome, my name is Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. I am a real biker, and a real California Biker and Motorcycle Lawyer.
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I created this site to provide information to the motorcycle and biker community, as well as general California Personal Injury, and Family Law Information to all.
On BikerLawBlog.com you will find Biker and Motorcycle Legal Articles, News, Links, Safety Tips, Personal Injury, Family Law, and more.
If you wish to contact me or submit articles, you may do so by sending me an email to law@norman-law.com.
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The Biker and Motorcycle Lawyer Blog / Blawg, the Biker and Motorcycle Related Legal Articles Blog, the Motorcycle Safety Tips Blog, the Link Blog, the Motorcyle and Biker Ride Reports Blog, the California Personal Injury Lawyer, Attorney, Blog, and the Southern California Family Law Blog / Blawg is published by Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., and The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates, as an educational resource only. None of the material on this site is expressly or impliedly meant to provide legal advice to you in any way shape or form. Since the material on this site is provided for educational use only, and laws continuously change from time to time, the author of this website neither expressly nor impliedly warrants that any of the material provided on this website is accurate. If you have a legal issue we strongly suggest that you contact a lawyer in your State for a legal consultation. If you are in the State of California, you may contact The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates for a consultation on your matter. No attorney / client relationship shall be expressly or impliedly created between Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., or The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez and you, by the publishing of articles on this site, nor should you interpret that any such relationship has been created by the publishing of any content on this site.
All articles related to Biker Safety are provided for educational use only, and constitute expressions of opinions and advice of the author only. Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez and The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez shall assume no liability whatsoever for your reliance on any of articles contained herein, nor should you rely on said articles as statements of fact.
Well this is my last article for the year 2007. It has been one heck of a year. I was thinking about this past year and thinking to myself wow, what a year. I have written many articles in the past year, and I have done many motorcycle accident and personal injury cases over the past year.
As I was thinking about the motorcycle accident, and other personal injury cases, and my clients, I was thinking about all of the cities and counties in the State of California where my clients come from, where they had their accidents, where they live, and where my law firm handles motorcycle accident cases, and other personal injury cases. Some of my clients have even moved out of California since their accidents.
Just for the heck of it, I thought I would try to come up with a list of cities and counties where my clients either come from, had their accidents, or where we handle motorcycle accident and other personal injury cases in California.
Here is the list; I hope I included everyone;
Southern California, Central California, Northern California, 29 Palms, Adelanto, Agoura Hills. Alameda, Albany, Alhambra, Aliso Viejo, Alturas, Amador City, American Canyon, Anaheim, Anderson, Angels Camp, Antioch, Apple Valley, Arcadia, Arcata, Arroyo Grande, Artesia, Arvin, Atascadero, Atherton, Atwater, Auburn, Avalon, Avenal, Azusa, Bakersfield, Baldwin Park, Banning, Barstow, Beaumont, Bell, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Belmont, Belvedere, Benicia, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Big Bear Lake, Biggs, Bishop, Blue Lake, Blythe, Bradbury, Brawley, Brea, Brentwood, Brisbane, Buellton, Buena Park, Burbank, Burlingame, Calabasas, Calexico, California City, Calimesa, Calipatria, Calistoga, Camarillo, Canoga Park, Canyon Lake, Capitola, Carlsbad, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carpinteria, Carson, Cathedral City, Century City, Ceres, Cerritos, Chatsworth, Chico, Chino, Chino Hills, Chowchilla, Chula Vista, Citrus Heights, Claremont, Clayton, Clearlake, Cloverdale, Clovis, Coachella, Coalinga, Colfax, Colma, Colton, Colusa, City of Commerce, Commerce, City of Industry, Compton, Concord, Corcoran, Corning, Corona, Corona Del Mar, Coronado, Corte Madera, Costa Mesa, Cotati, Covina, Crescent City, Cudahy, Culver City, Cupertino, Cypress, Daly City, Dana Point, Danville, Davis, Del Mar, Del Rey Oaks, Delano, Desert Hot Springs, Diamond Bar, Dinuba, Dixon, Dorris, Dos Palos, Downey, Duarte, Dublin, Dunsmuir, East Los Angeles, East Palo Alto, El Cajon, El Centro, El Cerrito, El Monte, El Segundo, Elk Grove, Emeryville, Encinitas, Escalon, Escondido, Etna, Eureka, Exeter, Fairfax, Fairfield, Farmersville, Ferndale, Fillmore, Firebaugh, Folsom, Fontana, Fort Bragg, Fort Jones, Fortuna, Foster City, Fountain Valley, Fowler, Fremont, Fresno, Fullerton, Galt, Garden Grove, Gardena, Gilroy, Glendale, Glendora, Goleta, Gonzales, Grand Terrace, Grass Valley, Greenfield, Gridley, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Gustine, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hayward, Healdsburg, Hemet, Hercules, Hermosa Beach, Hesperia, Hidden Hills, Highland, Hillsborough, Hollister, Hollywood, Holtville, Hughson, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park, Huron, Imperial, Imperial Beach, Indian Wells, Indio, Industry, Inglewood, Ione, Irvine, Irwindale, Isleton, Jackson, Kerman, King City, Kingsburg, La Canada Flintridge, La Habra, La Habra Heights, La Mesa, La Mirada, La Palma, La Puente, La Quinta, La Verne, Lafayette, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Elsinore, Lake Forest, Lakeport, Lakewood, Lancaster, Larkspur, Lathrop, Lawndale, Lemon Grove, Lemoore, Lincoln, Lindsay, Live Oak, Livermore, Livingston, Lodi, Loma Linda, Lomita, Lompoc, Long Beach, Loomis, Los Alamitos, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Angeles, Los Banos, Los Gatos, Loyalton, Lynwood, Madera, Malibu, Mammoth Lakes, Manhattan Beach, Manteca, Maricopa, Marina, Martinez, Marysville, Maywood, McFarland, Mendota, Menlo Park, Menifee, Merced, Mill Valley, Millbrae, Milpitas, Mission Viejo, Modesto, Monrovia, Montague, Montclair, Monte Sereno, Montebello, Monterey, Monterey Park, Moorpark, Moraga, Moreno Valley, Morgan Hill, Morro Bay, Mount Shasta, Mountain View, Murrieta, Napa, National City, Needles, Nevada City, Newark, Newman, Newport Beach, North Hills, North Hollywood, Norco, Northridge, Norwalk, Novato, Oakdale, Oakland, Oakley, Oceanside, Ojai, Ontario, Orange, Orange Cove, Orinda, Orland, Oroville, Oxnard, Pacific Grove, Pacifica, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Palmdale, Palo Alto, Palos Verdes Estates, Paradise, Paramount, Parlier, Pasadena, Paso Robles, Patterson, Perris, Petaluma, Pico Rivera, Piedmont, Pinole, Pismo Beach, Pittsburg, Placentia, Placerville, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, Plymouth, Point Arena, Pomona, Port Hueneme, Porterville, Portola, Portola Valley, Poway, Rancho Cordova, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Mirage, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rancho Santa Margarita, Red Bluff, Redding, Redlands, Redondo Beach, Redwood City, Reedley, Reseda, Rialto, Richmond, Ridgecrest, Rio Dell, Rio Vista, Ripon, Riverbank, Riverside, Rocklin, Rohnert Park, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, Roseville, Ross, Sacramento, Salinas, San Anselmo, San Bernardino, San Bruno, San Buenaventura, San Carlos, San Clemente, San Diego, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Gabriel Valley, San Jacinto, San Joaquin, San Jose, San Juan Bautista, San Juan Capistrano, San Leandro, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, San Marino, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Sand City, Sanger, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Clarita, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, Santa Rosa, Santee, Saratoga, Sausalito, Scotts Valley, Seal Beach, Seaside, Sebastopol, Selma, Shafter, Shasta Lake, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, Simi Valley, Solana Beach, Soledad, Solvang, Sonoma, Sonora, South El Monte, South Gate, South Lake Tahoe, South Los Angeles, South Pasadena, South San Francisco, St. Helena, Stanton, Stockton, Studio City, Suisun City, Sunnyvale, Susanville, Sutter Creek, Taft, Tarzana, Tehachapi, Tehama, Temecula, Temple City, Thousand Oaks, Tiburon, Torrance, Tracy, Trinidad, Truckee, Tulare, Tulelake, Toluca Lake, Turlock, Tustin, Twentynine Palms, Ukiah, Union City, Upland, Vallejo, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Ventura, Vernon, Victorville, Villa Park, Visalia, Vista, Walnut, Walnut Creek, Wasco, Waterford, Watsonville, Weed, West Covina, West Hills, West Hollywood, West Sacramento, West Carson, West Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Westminster, Westmorland, Wheatland, Whittier, Williams, Willits, Willows, Windsor, Winnetka, Winters, Woodlake, Woodland, Woodland Hills, Woodside, Yorba Linda, Yountville, Yreka, Yuba City, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley, Alameda County, Alpine County, Amador County, Butte County, Calaveras County, Colusa County, Contra Costa County, Del Norte County, El Dorado County, Fresno County, Glenn County, Humboldt County, Imperial County, Inyo County, Kern County, Kings County, Lake County, Lassen County, Los Angeles County, Madera County, Marin County, Mariposa County, Mendocino County, Merced County, Modoc County, Mono County, Monterey County, Napa County, Nevada County, Orange County, Placer County, Plumas County, Riverside County, Sacramento County, San Benito County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, San Francisco County, San Joaquin County, San Luis Obispo County, San Mateo County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, Shasta County, and Sierra County.
California is a very big State with many different cities and counties as you can see. If you have been in a motorcycle accident or other motor vehicle accident in any of the above cities or counties, give me a call at 800-816-1529 for a free consultation!
Happy New Year,
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
On behalf of myself, my family, and the Biker Law Blog, I would like to thank you all for a great year. Furthermore, I am wishing you all a Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
This is the time of year that we all get together with friends and family to Celebrate the Holiday season.
Please do yourself and everyone else on the road a favor, do not drink and drive. If you must drink, simply do not drive. If you have to get somewhere after drinking, use a designated driver. Not the one who is least shit faced, but someone who has not used drugs or alcohol. If this is not possible, call a cab, or simply stay where you are until you sober up. I want you all around to read the Biker Law Blog for the year 2008.
As you drive your cars, motorcycles, trucks, SUV’s, or whatever, remember the less fortunate of those amongst us, especially the homeless and poor, and your middle class friends who may be losing their homes due to the foreclosure nightmare. Say a prayer for the less fortunate, and even better, say a prayer and maybe help someone out!
Happy Holidays,
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
My friend Ed from Blawg Review sent me a link to a story which was written by Steve from Bikernewsonline.com. Steve has posted comments here on the Biker Law Blog in the past. He broke what I consider to be a major story.
Apparently, Mexican Businessman Alberto Lenz has prevailed in a lawsuit against Harley Davidson for the “Sportster” Trademark in Mexico after a four year battle. What is even more interesting is that Mr. Lenz was willing to sell the Trademark to Harley Davidson for the sum of $100,000 U.S. dollars. Harley Davidson refused Mr. Lenz’s offer and will now have to pay Mr. Lenz approximately 40% of the sales price of every Harley Davidson Sportster that was sold in Mexico since 1989.
The Harley Davidson “Sportster” brand motorcycle is Harley Davidson's low end production motorcycle that comes in either 883 or 1200 cc configurations, and is their lowest priced street motorcycle.
The judgment means that Harley Davidson will have to pay Lenz millions of dollars. You can read a link to the story on bikernewsonline.com that was written by Steve by clicking here now. You can read the story in Spanish from La Journada by clicking here now. Here is a link to the translated article.
What I cannot ascertain is if the Court decision actually prohibits Harley Davidson from selling motorcycles under the Sportster brand name in Mexico now. I would assume that it does.
I guess that a simple solution for Harley Davidson would be to either try to work out a deal with Mr. Lenz to purchase or license the Mexican Trademark, or to re-brand the Sportster motorcycle for the Mexican market. Either way they made a huge blunder by losing this lawsuit, when they could have owned the Trademark for $100,000. Now they will have to pay millions!
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
** 3/30/08 Update: Day 109 (3 plus months) No Smokie! If I can do it- anyone can do it!
On a cool evening in March, 1981, I arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas for Air Force Basic Training. At 17 years old, I was still basically a kid. I will never forget the nightmare that this night was.
I remember standing in formation with the other recruits after being screamed at by god knows how many an Air Force T.I.’s after getting off of the bus. The full realization and nightmare of what was to come had not yet hit me.
It was at this time that one of the Air Force T.I.’s stated, “Men you have 5 minutes to smoke your last cigarette for the next 3 days.” He then stated for those of you who want to smoke, fall out. The rest of you, stay in formation.”
Everyone and I mean everyone fell out of that formation to have a cigarette. Before this night, I had experimented with cigarettes before, but I was not a smoker. After this night, I became a full time smoker for the next 27 years.
Yes, cigarettes have been a very important part of every aspect of my life for the past 27 years. Well, no more god willing.
I officially quit smoking on December 11, 2007 at approximately 9:00pm. For the first time since that night in 1981, I have actually made a volitional decision to quit smoking. Right now I am on my 7th day without a cigarette, and have quit Cold Turkey!
This will mark the 2nd longest time I have ever gone without a cigarette since I started smoking back in 1981. The only other time since 1981 where I have quit smoking longer, was during a horrible respiratory illness that occurred about 3 or 4 years ago when I was so sick, I could not smoke. As soon as I got better after about 3 weeks, I started smoking again. It should be noted that during this time, I used nicotine gum to get through the period of non smoking. Now I am using nothing but will power.
This time I quit smoking because I finally told myself it is time to quit, and that I am not going to pick up another cigarette again in my life.
I will be brutally frank, if cigarettes were not so dammed bad for me, I would continue smoking. However, after being told countless times by doctors that I needed to stop smoking, and after coming to that realization in my head that it was finally time to stop, I stopped.
Now I am under no illusions that quitting smoking is going to be easy. The odds are against me. Most people that try to quit smoking fail. The reason that they fail is that nicotine is one of the most addicting substances known to mankind. Secondly, you flat out get used to lighting a cigarette up and inhaling it. That part of smoking is also an addiction.
The last 7 days have in two words been utter hell. I am not going to mince words. It seems like every time I turn around, I think, OK, I need a smoke! Smokers call this jonsing for a cigarette. Hell simple things like coming to the computer monitor or starting up my motorcycle make me want to light up a cigarette.
In order to quit smoking, I thought about using the patch, and actually had it prescribed to me by my doctor. I also thought about using nicotine gum. I actually filled the prescription for the patch, and spent another 40 bucks on nicotine gum. Both have been sitting on my living room table for well over two months without being used.
After already deciding to quit cold turkey and after not having a cigarette for 2 days, I found a site called on the Internet called WhyQuit.Com which espouses the cold turkey method of quitting, and provides many great links to resources, and a library of support video tapes for the quest. I did learn that most of the nicotine and byproduct toxins of smoking leave your body within 36 hours of quitting smoking. This was good news for me. I also learned that smoking was not only a mental, but it is a physical addiction!
I will admit I have heretofore used none of what I read on WhyQuit.Com to help me in my quest to quit smoking. I have just been struggling through it thinking in my head that it will eventually get easier. I am quite sure that I will eventually start looking at some of the videos!
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not sitting here blaming the United States Air Force, the cigarette companies, or other smokers for my becoming addicted to cigarettes. I am blaming myself. I knew full well that night in 1981 when I started smoking, that cigarettes were bad for me. I made the choice to smoke, and now I will suffer the rest of my life with that decision. I have been told by many smokers who have successfully quit that the incessant urge and/or cravings to smoke do dissipate in time, but they still come back years later, albeit not as strong. I am under no illusions that this is going to be easy by any means.
I have been told that my sense of taste, and smell will be much better, and that in time my body will start to repair itself. Hell, with some of the bikers and motorcyclist I hang out with maybe I don’t want my sense of smell to get better; just kidding.
You will notice in many of my pictures here on the Biker Law Blog that I appear in the pictures smoking cigarettes. Heck, all of my friends know that the first thing I like to do when I get off of my motorcycle is to have a cigarette. Well no more.
I would appreciate your prayers in my endeavor to quit smoking for good. For all of you smokers out there, who are thinking about quitting but are afraid to try, just do it. Hell, if I can do it, you can too. You just need to tell yourself, I am not ever smoking again, and don’t. I know it is easier said than done. I have found that if I take a few deep breaths when I have a craving to smoke, the craving seems to go away after a short while.
I will give you all a report on my quitting smoking in the future, whether it is good or bad.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
I have read reports all over the internet about a book written by Dale Chipkar whose picture you can see on the left. As a matter of fact there are so many reports circulating around the Internet that I could not ignore it anymore and thought I would do a write up on the subject.
Mr. Chipkar claims in his book titled “Motorcycle Cancer, Are Motorcycles Killing Us With Cancers of the Prostate, Colon, Kidney, Bone, etc.,” that he has measured a surprisingly high amount of extremely low frequency radiation shooting up from our motorcycle seats. The radiation would in turn go directly into our bodies.
You can find Mr. Chipkar’s original press release and a link to purchase his book by clicking here.
He states that the radiation in question can be measured with an ELF/EMF Gauss Meter which he also sells on his website motorcyclecancer.com, but I am sure you can also purchase elsewhere.
Here is a direct quote from page 2 of his book; “Electromagnetic field radiation is an invisible phenomenon produced whenever there is current or electricity flow. A motorcycle engine involves a unique relationship with electrical systems and coils that generate anywhere from 10,000 to 70,000 volts of electricity during operation. Associated electric fields and EM waves are also discussed in my book. Throughout the electrical system, “oscillating currents” produce erratic, pulsing EMF radiation of varying frequencies. Most motorcycles have the battery, electrical components, modules, cables, etc. located directly under the seat of the rider! Extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF's) have ruthless penetrating magnetic field properties. As you read the web links below, keep in mind that ELF EMF sources can vary but the detrimental principles involved could remain the same. ELF EMF radiation at close exposure is unnatural and over time could have devastating biological consequences. Detection and protection is our best defense.”
Mr. Chipkar claims that the radiation could cause cancer of the prostate, testicles, colon, bladder, kidney, liver, pancreas and stomach, as well as infertility, “sexual dysfunction, erectile deficiency and loss of libido.”
Mr. Chipkar also goes onto to state “A motorcycle is the only place on earth where our vital organs are so close to possible electromagnetic radiation.”
My take on this issue is that I do not know enough about the subject to say one way or another whether this is some kind of scam, or if there is real validity to Mr. Chipkar’s claims. I do know this, if there is a measurable amount of radiation shooting up from our motorcycle seats than there is probably some validity to Mr. Chipkar’s claims, and probably a real reason for concern. I doubt that radiation going into our bodies from the seat of a motorcycle can be beneficial. I myself had a friend from High School who rode motorcycles for many years and who died from colon cancer at a very young age.
I am calling on the motorcycle industry and other technical people to immediately research this issue to determine if it is a valid problem and reason for concern. If it is, than I am calling on all motorcycle manufacturers, including motorcycle seat manufacturers to put appropriate electromagnetic radiation shielding in our seats to protects us from the EMF.
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
** 2/12/08 Update - I lost my Garmin C330 when I forgot to take it off of the trunk of my car - long story. I am now using a Garmin Nuvi 350. The Garmin Nuvi 350 uses a different Ram Mount holder but everything else is the same.
Well I have managed to ride my motorcycle and drive my car for many years all over the nation using old fashion maps, printing out directions on Mapquest, and/or otherwise winging it; well no more, I have entered the 21st Century; I now use a GPS unit.
I decided to buy a portable GPS system a few months ago and all I can saw is “why did I wait so long!”
First off this article is not going to discuss all of the options and things that a GPS system on your motorcycle and car will do. If you want to learn about GPS systems, I am sure a quick Google search will bring you up to speed on GPS systems and their features. The purpose of this article is to discuss what I wanted in a GPS, what I looked at, what I purchased, how I mounted it on my motorcycle, and what I think.
When I went about searching for a GPS system, I wanted a unit that I could use on my motorcycle, car, or any other motor vehicle that I wanted to ride in; a unit that was portable and not permanently installed.
I went to a bunch of motorcycle and GPS forums to see what others were saying. I also looked at professional reviews on sites such as ZDNet, and purchaser reviews from sites that allow their customers to review the units they purchased. On top of everything else a bunch of new manufacturers have recently entered the GPS market.
My initial impression at least from what I learned in my search was that the leading GPS brands were Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom. I could not find anything really good about the new manufacturers in the GPS market game. Guys from electronic stores who were in the know such as Fry’s Electronics told me point blank on the phone and in person to stick with Garmin because they were in industry leader, and they have less returns of Garmin units. I was also told that Magellan and TomTom were good, but that Garmin would be my best bet.
On the internet I found a site which discussed the mapping software that Garmin, Magellan, and TomTom GPS units use, and I found that the software used in the Garmin and Magellan units was supposed to be better for North America than the TomTom units. It is said that the TomTom software is supposed to be better for Europe. Since I do 99.99% of my riding in North America I wanted the best mapping software for North America.
The next issue I considered was whether to buy a waterproof unit to use on the motorcycle and in the car, or should I just buy a regular unit to use for both. By regular, I mean one that is not waterproof. I looked at the Garmin Zumo 550 GPS which is specifically designed for motorcycles, is waterproof, and comes with a motorcycle mount. There is even a Zumo forum for users of the product. The cheapest price I could find on the unit was around 500 bucks plus shipping from online shopping sites. When doing research on this unit on the Zumo forum, I found that many purchasers were having major problems with the unit which were causing them to have to do reboot’s of the unit, or which were causing the units to die on the road. Apparently there is some kind of bug with the unit and many guys on a particular thread were reporting that they got units with the bug. There were many other guys that said their units were ok. In my mind I am not going to pay 500 dollars for a GPS unit that has a known bug, or that would be a hit and miss. I wanted a unit that was free of bugs or problems and would work. I don’t care if the GPS unit is designed for motorcycles or not at that price. Bottom line, I am not going to dish out 500 dollars plus for something that may be buggy.
The State of Florida has proposed a new law HB137 2008, which is geared specifically towards bikers and motorcyclist. I will call it the Florida Reckless Motorcycle Law.
The gist of the new law is that if a law enforcement officer charges a person with reckless driving, or driving 30mph over the speed limit, and who was riding a motorcycle at the time, the officer must arrest the rider, take him or her into custody, and seize the motorcycle, which will be subject to forfeiture under Florida's Contraband Forfeiture Act. You can read the proposed new law by clicking here.
If that person is convicted under the new law, the Court SHALL order the Department of Motor Vehicles to revoke their motorcycle endorsement. This specifically means that the person will no longer legally be able to ride a motorcycle in the State of Florida.
If you have read my Biker Law Blog for some time you will have heard my calls for the guys who are doing stunts on public roads and highways to cease and desist because they would screw it up for the rest of us. I have also called for other bikers and motorcyclist to put peer pressure on the guys that are doing the stunts on public roads. Now it appears that State Legislatures will start trying to do it for us.
I am against the State of Florida’s HB137 2008 because it puts too much discretion into law enforcements hands with respect to being required to arrest bikers and motorcyclist who are allegedly doing 30mph over the speed limit, or riding recklessly. Furthermore the provision that allows law enforcement to seize the motorcycle and sell it smacks of another government scam to obtain revenue by selling seized motorcycles without first having to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person riding the motorcycle committed a crime. Civil seizure statutes require a different burden of proof than convicting persons of a crime.
You mark my words, if this law passes, you will see bikers and motorcyclist of all types be rousted by law enforcement, losing their motorcycles, and their motorcycle endorsements. This law is another way for law enforcement to discriminate against bikers and motorcyclist.
I am calling all Floridians to contact their legislature and put and end to HB137 2008 because it is discriminatory against bikers and motorcyclist.
If Florida wants such a law, it should be applicable to persons driving any motor vehicle, not just motorcycles, and then maybe the law might be fair if you want to live in a State that can just seize your property on an allegation by law enforcement.
What is wrong with Florida? Recently a city in Florida tried to outright ban motorcycles, but it did not pass.
It is time for us bikers and motorcyclist to start really coming down on the idiots that are doing stunts on public roads with their sport motorcycles, because they are now bringing down heat on all of us.
It is also time for us bikers and motorcyclist to stand up for our rights before they are taken away from us forever!
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007
The legendary biker and daredevil Evel Knievel has died at the age of 69. I remember as a kid watching him jump his Harley Davidson motorcycle, and watching him crash as well. I remember his signature Star Spangled leather jump suits, and the impression he made on me.
Yes I will admit, as a young kid, Evel Knievel was one of my hero’s. I remember thinking how crazy it was for him to try jumping the Snake River Canyon and thinking that he was going to die. Although he did not make it across the Snake River Canyon, I was glad that he did not die.
Upon hearing the news of his death I felt a slight sickness in my stomach. For better or worse, Evel Knievel was a unique American Icon. There have been many imitators, riding souped up motocross bikes that were or are set up for jumping. However, no one will come close to the image and notoriety that Evel Knievel created for himself jumping his V-Twin Harley Davidson, and breaking many bones.
This article is not intended as a news report of his death, if you want a news report, you can find all kinds of articles about his death and life on the Internet. Instead this article is my small tribute to the man. Click here to go to the official Evel Knievel website.
Just an FYI some people spell Evel's name as Evil. He did not want people to spell his name as Evil because he did not want people to think of him as Evil. The actually spelling of his name is Evel Knievel and not Evil Knievel. You can read facts about his life by clicking here now.
Below is a decent tribute video to Evel Knievel. The first few seconds of the video start off with a guy singing his song about Evel Knievel, but then many of his great jumps are shown. Check it out!
Rest in Peace Evel Knievel~~~~~~
By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2007