Say Anything Blog

Here comes big brother Baltimore!  It’s a good thing that the Baltimore city council knows whats best for it’s dirt bike owners.

A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.

It seems they have some sort of problem with the dirt bikes (maybe drug sellers use them). Aren’t they illegal in city streets?

Well thanks again to the war on drugs which has downgraded the fourth amendment to a mere advisory.  What Baltimore wants to do is not much different than police and sheriff departments seizing and selling property that was supposedly used for or bought with the profits of drug transactions before anyone is convicted.

The article says that the police claim that drug dealers are using them for whatever they need.  I’m not quite sure, however, what outright banning them will do to solve the problem.  Shouldn’t “riding an off road bike on city streets” be something that satisfies the requirements of the 4th Amendment for search?

What a load of carp™.

How about a law that restricts ownership of dirtbikes to individuals who own a “Get R Done” t-shirt and a Leonard Skynard CD?

That will certainly rule out most crack dealers.

Shouldn’t “riding an off road bike on city streets” be something that satisfies the requirements of the 4th Amendment for search?

Sure.  They’re not talking about seizing the property of people who are convicted of illegally riding these bikes, they’re talking about seizing the bikes because they are not locked up and not even convicting the owner of a crime.  How can that be due process or a reasonable seizure?

This is absolutely un-American. Individual liberty is basically a three legged stool. The three legs of the stool are

1. Freedom to express ideas
2. Right to keep and bear arms
3. Property rights

Sure there are some limits to those rights. I can’t walk into a kindergarten classroom and read of Carlin’s list of the 7 words you can’t say on TV. I can’t buy a machine gun. I can’t own the air. But I can own a dirtbike. And if it’s mine, and I haven’t used it to break the law, there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue to be mine. When a government agency dicides that it can confiscate property, (without even the accusation of wrong-doing against the property owner)it’s like chopping one leg off a stool.

I think the Baltimore city fathers have stools between their ears, and not the three legged kind.

This is a very bad news to all bikers especially me. :-(

If you don’t like the act or law then write to your congressman or local lawmaker and share your opinion with them.  A law is going to be subverted by postings in the middle of webspace.

I’m not sure why you’d think the two are mutually exclusive, Hoopla.  Seems like one can voice their opinion on the internet while simultaneously pressuring politicians to do the right thing.

And, often, sounding off on the internet accomplishes the former anyway.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Right, Rob.  Perhaps the greatest benefit of bloggers like you is to call attention of a travesty such as this to the public so that the informed readers will write or call their political representative.  That’s pretty much what happen to kill the purposed immigration amnesty legislation.

The Supreme Court is a bunch of black robed tyrants

Thanks Doc, and nice to have you back by the way.

I think sometimes people like Hoopla forget that before you can contact your political representation you have to be informed first.

Bob Dylan said that you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows....but sometimes you do.  If you don’t know what’s going on, you can’t do anything about it.

And the politicians have a lot invested in the public not knowing what’s going on.  That’s why our laws - from campaign regulations to the tax code - is so bloody complex.

All the better to discourage scrutiny and questions.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Frankly, I think it is a great suggestion. I don’t know how many of you live in the city or live near park where idiots on these bikes race around families and kids or have seen large groups of half a dozen or more racing through the city streets with no regard to traffic laws.
If you are a responsible dirt biker, then you understand that these vehicles can be dangerous and should be secured especially since they aren’t allowed to be used in the city. To me the argument against it is similar to the argument against locking up your guns - it shows a disregard for public safety. Freedom also includes freedom from injury from reckless use of public space.

I agree completely with the above poster.  I’m tired of being harassed on the roads and sidewalks by irresponsible dirtbikers.  I’m sick of not being able to get a good night’s sleep or study/work at home because the pack of local juvenile delinquents is riding their dirtbikes up and down Washington Blvd at all hours of the day and night.  I have called the police many times about these bikers - weaving in and out of traffic, performing dangerous stunts in the middle of the road, riding on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET into oncoming traffic - not only are these morons putting themselves at risk, but they are endangering the lives and property of other motorists and pedestrians.  The police have told me that there is nothing they can do, as to chase them would be “too dangerous” for the idiot on the bike in the first place.

If responsible people want to own these bikes, I have no problem with that.  But the laws are in place for a reason (even if the police refuse to enforce them).  Don’t ride your bike in the city - it’s rude, noisy, and, most importantly, dangerous.  I have seen these dirtbikers fall off of their bikes, I have watched cars swerve to avoid them and end up hitting other cars in the process.  I’ve watched dirtbikers run down and hit pedestrians.  This kind of behavior is unacceptable.  If the city believes that confiscating bikes will solve the problem, more power to them - even if you think it means they are taking away your “rights.” Don’t be stupid enough to bring a bike into the city and leave it sitting around unsecured.

I agree completely with the above poster.  I’m tired of being harassed on the roads and sidewalks by irresponsible dirtbikers.  I’m sick of not being able to get a good night’s sleep or study/work at home because the pack of local juvenile delinquents is riding their dirtbikes up and down Washington Blvd at all hours of the day and night. . . .

If the city believes that confiscating bikes will solve the problem, more power to them - even if you think it means they are taking away your “rights.” Don’t be stupid enough to bring a bike into the city and leave it sitting around unsecured.

Wait, so you’re saying that we don’t have a right to own property?  I think the 5th amendment might disagree with you:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Get that?  The government cannot deprive you of your property without due process of law.  That means a legal action.  A citation.  Court hearing.  Etc.

The city roaming around and nabbing dirt bikes that aren’t secured is unconstitutional, however annoyed you may be by said dirt bikes.

Certainly you have to see that there are better solutions to this problem.  Letting the city act in this way sets a precedent, and next time the property they decide to start taking might be something you value.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Please.  I don’t need a lesson on Constitutional rights or the setting of precedents.  The “big bad” City Council will be voting on this bill.  If you don’t like it or believe that it is somehow trampling your rights to own property, I suggest contacting your Council members.

The point of this bill, in “Rob“‘s own words:
“...would make it illegal not to have either an ignition lock or wheel clamp on dirt bikes to prevent the vehicle from being ridden.”

To me, this means that the City is trying to enforce the law (i.e. No dirtbike riding in the city), since the police apparently are impotent in this matter.  In the process of circumscription, they are technically depriving the bike owners of their rights - but they are doing the city a great service, in my opinion.  As I said before, if you are a responsible bike owner, you won’t be riding it in the city and leaving it unlocked, anyway.

And, please, spare me the melodrama.  ("Letting the city act in this way sets a precedent, and next time the property they decide to start taking might be something you value.") I firmly believe that this is a unique case.  Seeing that I am a law-abiding, productive, upstanding member of society, my rights are not in jeopardy as I do not engage in illegal activites that set in motion the need for these types of bills in the first place.  Which is more than I can say for the majority of the leeches who live in my neighborhood.  I have every intention of contacting my Council representative and expressing my support for this bill.

Please.  I don’t need a lesson on Constitutional rights or the setting of precedents.

Given your complete naivete toward property rights, you clearly do.

The point of this bill, in “Rob“‘s own words:
“...would make it illegal not to have either an ignition lock or wheel clamp on dirt bikes to prevent the vehicle from being ridden.”

To me, this means that the City is trying to enforce the law (i.e. No dirtbike riding in the city), since the police apparently are impotent in this matter.

I see no need for quotation marks around my name given that it is, in fact, Rob.

As for the law, the city prohibits the riding of dirt bikes on streets, etc.  I fail to see why the city should be able to then seize dirt bikes, not because they are being ridden on the street, but merely for not being secured.

If you want to talk about seizing the bikes of people who were riding them illegally, I’m all for it.  But don’t take someone’s bike simply because it isn’t locked up.  That’s just dumb, and unconstitutional as I already indicated.

And, please, spare me the melodrama.  ("Letting the city act in this way sets a precedent, and next time the property they decide to start taking might be something you value.") I firmly believe that this is a unique case.  Seeing that I am a law-abiding, productive, upstanding member of society, my rights are not in jeopardy as I do not engage in illegal activites that set in motion the need for these types of bills in the first place.

Owning a dirt bike is not, in and of itself, illegal.  Thus seizing a bike that is merely possessed, though not locked down, is wrong.

And unconstitutional.

No doubt, people who own dirt bikes but do not ride them where it is illegal think of themselves as upstanding and law-abiding citizens as well.  Why do they deserve to have their dirt bikes taken from them?

I should note that I am not a citizen of Baltimore, or even a citizen of Maryland.  Rather, I am merely an interested observer willing to call “stupid” that which is, in fact, stupid.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Hey Rob Port, I think I am going to have to call you “Rob” from now on.

The precedent has been set.

Yeah, and tell us your real name while you are at it.