Dixie ABATE state meeting 2 PM Saturday, August 4, 2018: Barber Museum

[KrisCook]

Dixie ABATE is having a state-level meeting and membership drive at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum on Saturday, August 4.  Our meeting will be held in the Barber Room, which is on the Restoration Level of the museum, an area usually off-limits to the public.  We have paid for the first 32 people - if you are attendee #33 or above, you have to pay admission.  But it's still worth it, if you've never seen the place before. 

If you come in on our dime, you are obligated to attend the meeting.  I will be at the door from the time the museum opens at 10:00, because I have to clear you to get past the ticket counter. I will put together a list of attendees, with name, address, and email address for each.   The elevator to the restoration level has to be operated by a security person, so we can't just go up and down as many times as we want.  We'll go down in a group when it's close to meeting time, and we will not be able to go back up until we are finished down there.  Once we go up, we can't go back down.  Saturdays can be hectic at Barber, and we don't want to be a problem for the personnel.

We're going to bring snacks and soft drinks.  You can go to the concession stand to get other food before we go down for the meeting, if you want - It's been a while since I was there, but I think they have hot dogs.   

Dixie ABATE (American Bikers Aimed Toward Education) is Alabama's only State Motorcycle Rights Organization.  We take a three pronged approach to our stated goal which is  to eliminate rider fatalities in Alabama: 
1.  Driver education: we speak to groups and go into drivers ed classes to make an impression on students before they even get their license.
2.  Rider skill training: We don't do it, but we advocate for it and offer a MSF class scholarship program.
3.  Responsible legislation as it pertains to motorcycling - we represent you when we visit Montgomery.  This might not eliminate fatalities, but might prevent stupid legislation.

We would love to have you at the meeting.  Hit me up with any questions you may have. 

Kris
kcook@dixieabate.org

[renchinrider]

Kris, thanks for sharing this!  I'll forward your announcement to my NAVMC email distro list as well.

I'll let you know if I'm able to slip away from work and ride down to participate.  These meetings are so valuable!

[springer]

 Bumping this up, come out if you can. ;)

[kylepeterson]

how'd it go?

any chance that lane splitting it a teired licensing was debated?

I have no idea what is on the agenda.

[LawnmowerRG]

Well it went great.
We had a little over 20 people show up.
Thanks Harvey and Graham for attending.

Interestingly not a single person brought up lane sprinting, or filtering, or a tiered license.

If you want things like this you should join, show up for meeting, and direct the conversations.
I will say that you have little chance of those things if you don't.
Remember that only a couple years ago you didn't even have a motorcycle license requirement in Alabama,
And you still don't even have to prove you can sit on one to get that license now.

Also consider that we haven't gotten enough people to call thier state representative to get a dead red law (Allowing you to run a malfunctioning light, red light that don't change).

So what is needed to get what you want is more money and more warm bodies. Actually not just warm bodies. People that care and participate. Beacuse the only thing that matters to most politicians is number of people (re-election).

What was discussed was new rider education by targeting drivers education classes. Dixie Abate has an approved and actually award wining one day classroom module already done and ready for people to teach. They just need people to go out and teach it. People complain about bad drivers. So imagine having the ability to reaching 100, 200, maybe even more of the most impressionable divers out there in one day,  And they are required to listen.

We also talked about reintroducing the dead read bill. We need people to call, email, generally bug your representative about getting this through. If people don't care enough to call then it will never pass. Because numbers. A call is a number to a politician. Until that number is significant nothing will happen.

We also (on a lesser level) talked about Motorcycle awareness bill boards that run in the state. How to promote Dixie Abate on social media/forums. To promote on social media Abate needs you to join the Facebook page. Then when you see something from Abate like, comment, and share it. As for Foums you just have to cross post things over there. The more riders that see it. the more that are aware and will potentially call that representative. It's really as simple as numbers. The more People that Abate represents the more clout they have. The more clout the more that they can get done.

I'm not trying to call people out. Just point out that if you don't  join, and show up. Your concerns will not get discussed. If people (you) don't make a call or 2 then it is likely that nothing will get done in Montgomery and certainly not Washington. 

As for me. I am almost into Leeds City Schools to teach the Drivers Ed class. Fortunately I have a job that allows me to do this.

[springer]

 Went to this meeting and got some good information on motorcycling in Alabama. Like the licensing arrangement the state of Alabama has.
I do know at 1 time, they did make you go, be tested, written and skills, to have your license.
I got mine when I turned 14 in 1975. My dad took me, I took a written test and passed it. Then I basically showed a state trooper that I could crank the bike and ride it around the parking lot. Yea, not much of a test but then Helmet laws were new to back then too. I got a ticket for not wearing mine in the early-mid 80's. Got off work, hopped on my motorcycle and got about a 1/2 bloke from work and realized I had forgotten my helmet.  On the way back a Fairfield police officer saw me, flashed his blues, then gave me the ticket in the parking lot at work. Cost me $5.00 dollars it did...and a bunch of ribbing by my "fellow coworkers" the next day.  ;)

Of course if you didn't get your license at 14 or 15 to ride a motorcycle, when you turned 16 your drivers license was all that you needed. Got my driver's license at 16 and turned in my motorcycle license.
Then, sometime in the 80's, early 90's when you went to renew your driver's license they would ask if you wanted a motorcycle "endorsement".  All you had to do was pay a bit more $ and it was yours. Of course at that time, if you wanted to drive an 18 wheeler (a semi truck) all you had to do was pay for that "endorsement" and BAM! You were a long haul driver.  :D

Different times back then I guess.

Anywho, here is a video of the place the meeting was held. Barber's Motorcycle Museum. If you have never been to the museum, you need to go. It is a jewel of a place and the track is, well, amazing to see (and ride on a track day  ;) )

[sctparker]

"Also consider that we haven't gotten enough people to call thier state representative to get a dead red law (Allowing you to run a malfunctioning light, red light that don't change)"

The only way this will ever get any legs in Alabama is if law enforcement were to enforce the stop light law for bicycles ( bicyclist want the rights of the road without stoping at the red lights) If they were forced to stop (or get ticketed) and couldn't get the electtromagnetic demand actuated  light to trigger ,it would be legal to run in a short amount of time for bicycles and then motorcyclist could maybe jump on the coat tails

As transportation vehicles become more carbon fiber and aluminium they will have to change the electromagnetic inductive detector loop to a over the roadway motion sensing or weight-sensing pressurized air systems  both which will detect a motorcycle and bicycle

[springer]

 Posting this here, cause it is a video of my ride to the meeting. Mods if you want to move it to the Ride Video's section, that is cool.
Working on a ride from the meeting. so I will post that where ever this get's moved to.  ;)

Anywho, video \/

[springer]

 Okay, the ride home.  ;)

[island_boy]

I'll show up and join - need to join ABATE anyway.  Red lights down here in Auburn drive me crazy, half the time I can't trip them with my Jeep let alone my BMW.

Do you always meet at Barber?

Let me know, I'll make the next one.  Or if you point me at the website, I'll join up after the festival this weekend.

Thanks

Chip

[2372ighost]

Join here:
http://www.dixieabate.org/memOnline.html

[springer]

I'll show up and join - need to join ABATE anyway.  Red lights down here in Auburn drive me crazy, half the time I can't trip them with my Jeep let alone my BMW.

Do you always meet at Barber?

Let me know, I'll make the next one.  Or if you point me at the website, I'll join up after the festival this weekend.

Thanks

Chip

Meetings are held all over  the state.