Protest ride (Sydney) re: tolls

[samhasa636]

This is on a Sunday. Might be my first KSRC ride



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From: Guy Stanford MCCofNSW Prez.
Sent: Tuesday, 7 June 2005 2:38 PM
To: MCC-Delegates (All the Clubs)
Subject: [Mcc-delegates] Mourning the Toll


PROTEST RIDE

MCC of NSW member clubs agreement last night.

"MOURNING THE TOLL"

June 26, 10 am, Hickson Road, The Rocks.
Bring toll money - a note.

This is a slow ride, a funeral procession, Mourning our Toll.
Wear an armband. Low level public inconvenience. Very High profile.

The purpose is to provide images for TV and ramp up the importance.
Toll issues will be won or lost in the press.
Make pollies worry about "what if we changed the time or the target?"

A show of strength. Be there. More detail as the Planners release it.
Club Reps, please advise John on committment numbers from your club.
mailto:strikeservices@bigpond.com


+---------------------------------------------+
| A FAIR GO FOR MOTORCYCLES |
| A TAG THAT WORKS & A TOLL THAT'S FAIR |
+---------------------------------------------+



Riders are happy to pay a toll
As long as the rate is fair
As long as we are not disadvantaged with fees or inappropriate technology or
forced to compromise safety.


CB equipped bikes needed.
Pillions with video cameras.
Pillions for sticker and pamphlet handouts
All over by 12:30
Media support from MCC of NSW


I'm really slow at paying a toll. Just can't get the hang of it. I get
clumsy and drop my gloves and sometimes can't find the money in my pocket
and have to get off to get into the bottom of the pocket in my Draggins' or
else I flick all the coins out of my pocket accidentally and then my bike
doesn't re-start sometimes. I take around 1 minute and ten seconds and I
wonder how anyone else could do it faster than that. And then, if anyone is
shouting at me or a uniformed authority figure is standing near me, I get
really nervous and forgetful and it all takes longer, 'cos I forget that my
wallet is under the seat and look in the wrong place or take my helmet off
to hear what they have to say and sometimes I have put my gloves on and
forgotten to do up my helmet and then find my wallet is still in my hand and
it should be in the top box.............

[kypez]

I'm in... Who else?

[Colette]

I'm a tentative Kypez, will know for sure closer to the date.

[ty]

same

[gray_rm]

...in Melbourne that weekend (40th b'day !) - but will *definitely* be there for the next one

[dave#3]

another tentative

[kypez]

sounds like the usual sydney response...

[mike-s]

im a maybe. cant promise though, dont know my schedule.

[samhasa636]

sounds like the usual sydney response...

Well said kypez.

C'mon guys, adjust your schedules, potpone social commitments. This protest will only work if we have a big turnout. And it wont be on again the following weekend. We have one shot at this.

I rarely even use a toll road and yet, I will be there. Because I know that paying as much as a car is ridiculous.

[Colette]

sounds like the usual sydney response...

Well said kypez.

*Cough cough*, I don't recall seeing either of you on last Sunday's Putty run...

[kypez]

*Cough cough*, I don't recall seeing either of you on last Sunday's Putty run...

hehehe... Touche'... but I've done the putty and the old road to death... Bored out of my mind and with the number of cops on the road, I've lost all interest in pushing my bike on public roads... I try save up and go to the track...

Also, I had my semister finals... Poor me hasnt done any quality riding in a while...

But you know what we mean... Sydney never seems to come together, and this is a bit more important than the usual weekend ride.

[MadKaw]

sounds like the usual sydney response...

Well said kypez.

*Cough cough*, I don't recall seeing either of you on last Sunday's Putty run...

Or the previous weeks Pontikat runs and or bbq...
and what about the Tape and T ride or bbq tomorrow..??

Its me isn't it...?? Lucky I can't make the protest ride or no one would show...

[Glen]

I'm sure this'll draw some comments but what the hell. I'm just about to bail from contact with computers until Tuesday so fell free to rip into me at will, just don't make it personal, I'll get all upset.

I lost interest in taking part the precise moment that it was decided to put 50 bikes through the toll booths fiddling for change and causing some chaos. In my opinion this will just reinforce the negative perceptions that we live with every day.

It also does nothing for the supposed issue that everyone claims to have the shits with ie reduced tolls. Even if they are reduced you still have to stop and pay. If the protest is highlighting the issue of a more efficient tolling system then that's a totally different matter, by all means stuff everyone up then but include cages as they have issues with toll booths also.

While I'm at it the supposed issue with armbands is dubious also I reckon. If you bin your bike you've got a shitload more to worry about then bits of plastic possibly cutting your arm ie whatever the hell it is you've hit and the bits of your bike that you're going to come into contact with. Does anyone ride with absolutely nothing in their pockets eg mobile phones etc.

If it were simply a ride en masse and possibly a gathering somewhere to highlight the issue then I think this would probably generate some positive
coverage, but I reckon we're on a hiding to nothing with the proposed approach.

Anyway, now that I've thrown the hand grenade I'll go and do the cowardly thing and piss off.

Have a great weekend and stay safe.

[jewjew]

Glen,
You are 100% correct, i believe we should organise a large group with coverage on an untolled road, all types of bikes and ages...Ulysses club and sports riders, etc, the issue should be about the toll payment rather than the amount payed.

To throw in another spanner, i believe that since we are entitled to one full lane width, we should pay the same toll. I do not however believe that we should be forced to pay $1.60 more for the toll when we are not given the opportunity to use an e-toll or tag system.

I will also cop a bagging for this one. We, on this site are sportbike riders and have windshields on our bikes, i believe that if we use a mounting bracket (available with RTA's version), that we could use an e-tag. When you park, you just unclip it and put it in your pocket. The only problem with this system is that the RTA don't condone or support it, but i have seen it work.

Julian

[mike-s]

If you have a GPX like mine, there is actually a place you can mount a tag reasonably safely, although i think you'd
still have to fob up some sort of a mounting for the tag.

If you take the windshield off there is a semi-protected region behind the front screen and underneath the dash.
There is a slight chance of water seeping through the gap at the bottom of the windshield, but not as bad as having
it fully exposed. (of you wanted to be keen you could hook a little LED up to it and have it blink on your dash when the
tag makes a beep .

I'll happily stick with the old fashioned lane-split-the-cbd-and-go-over-the-bridge option myself.