Safety Good – Big Brother Bad
We are about to embark on a brand new riding season. Top Cats has already started the year with a focus on safety for our members, guests and those around us. Last meeting we spent substantial time listening to our Safety Committee members provide us tips, wisdom and caveats, all designed to promote awareness and safety consciousness for 2010. Already we have had our GRASS class, that was well attended, and another class is planned for early May. If you did not make it to the March class, do attend the May session.
The Safety Committee and instructors continue to improve the class content, delivery and message. They do not “stand on their laurels” but devote many hours to update the curriculum and introduce the latest technology to make the classes stimulating.
You may not know that there is no charge to anybody to attend GRASS, other than throwing in a few bucks to cover cost of coffee and donuts. Indeed this is a bargain. Invite non- Top Cats to attend as well. We want to make the roads a safer place for all.
Speaking of highways ………
We have been advised that the interstate, especially the Tri-State Tollway, is being closely monitored, and not just from the peace officer in the squad car. The State of Illinois has now installed static radar detector units on the Tollway and monitors cell phone signals as well as I-PASS transponders to check for speeders, among other things. So far, the Illinois State Police is not allowed to issue tickets from these but has been given jurisdiction over all these modes and dispatches troopers to areas of speeding abuse. The next step, of course, is automatic ticketing. Our local communities will get on the band wagon once they realize they can supplement revenue. As you know, local government has installed countless red light cameras that generate big bucks. The companies that sell this equipment do not charge for it but take a piece of the action every time the hapless motorist pays a fine. The Chicago Tribune has already made expose of politicians’ relatives and friends that are owners of these “traffic monitoring” equipment suppliers who are feathering their nests with our hard earned income.
Do not just sit back and accept this. Contact your State Representative and local governmental officials and complain. Email, snail mail … anything to get their attention that they have stepped over the line. Protect your rights, liberty and independence.
Ride on,
Carl
