Spills, Thrills and Wim

That was a laugh and a half!

The day started like shit, thick wet drizzle, people late, Harleys breaking down and Belle overtook me on her arse when she lost the front end of the Red One on wet chevrons
Trooper that she is, she got back on after some running repairs and the day improved dramatically.
We were the last of about 50 to leave Bridgwater, picked up 600 more at Taunton Deane, down to J28 and back North bound with over 400 more from Exeter, and stopped for a break at J27.
Junction 27 services computer crashed and there was one 16 year on a till, lots of free cofee

The weather got better and better so we and a few others found a nice little country pub, then came back up to Bridgwater, considerably quicker than when we went down
A big steak and a chilled out ride home.
We even found the 600's sidepanel that fell off yesterday!

Great Day

QUESTION? WHAT DID IT ACHIEVE?

This event, flash mob, ride out, what was it and what did it do?

The EU produces a massive amount of proposed legislation every year, countless booted and suited staff justifying their existence by refining Civilisation.
Apart from the obvious hubris envolved, this process involves categorising human endeavour and eradicating what are perceived to be the undesirable elements.
And how would a career politician or civil servant define "undesirable"?
That which cannot be predicted and effectively controlled.
The media don't like that idea either. Deeply conservative if only due to its funding, the MainStream Media would see society ossified in a simple world, where any change is viewed with suspicion and any 'deviants' hunted down with lies.

So, in that frame of mind, our touchpad priests refine with endless sub sections and paras legislation going back years. This is all then vetted by some sort of Head Priest, in this case Wim van de Camp, for approval by the elected Parliament, who rarely know exactly what they are voting for. The adoption of legislation is not in doubt, but lobbying from National political parties, to assuage local sensibilities, can be successful.
That's where we're at, another step down the lobbying line. The more clout MAG has, the more likely Mr. Tyson & co are to be a go-to for politicians private secretaries, faced with motorcycle legislation.

Usually these bureaucratic touches are inspired by a "Study", a new Impact Assessment or some such. That sounds reasonable. Usually these Studies are plucked from the peer press and will go on in life to be part of the reasoning behind a change in the Regulations.

A Study like the one that inspired the Irish to include in their Action Plan for 2010-2014 the commitment to bike riders wearing a full sleeved dayglo jacket at all times, the only further discussion with be intense lobbying from manufacturers who see a potential nationwide re-kitting.

(This absurd afterthought is a proposed national law, not E.U. legislation, the same as the French 100 bhp limit. It was latched onto to stir up the masses and quickly and convincingly dismissed as such by UK pols. A straight cucumber windup.)

This Study was done in the mid 90's in Auckland New Zealand, sunny conditions. It considered 'conspicuity', the visability of motorcyclists. I will bore you later with why it is a crock of shit, unrelated beyond statistic comparison with here and now.

So, did today...?
What Wim van de Camp decides that goes into these proposed new bills, is influenced, in my opinion, by the fact that he rides motorbikes fast and will probably think He Knows Best. The fact that he is a gay Catholic will also influence his decisions, I'm sure.
Because of today, despite our MSM, it will become clear that there is a pressure group of significant voting importance who are instinctively anti-Federalist anyway, and who see this as a place to draw a line in the sand.
The fact that we had a good time was more important in the long run. Anything that brings us into contact with other bikers is good, and when so many actively seek it out under one loose banner, is great.

PS

I hope that those who are stressing themselves and their neighbours out, and us too, would just stop and think.
Does anybody really need this shit?