It is nice to know that Georgia in trying to do something about this issue, but I am not sure that this is the way to go. States like North Carolina, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Idaho, Oklahoma, Arkansas , Tennessee, Minnesota and others have enacted these laws.
I too, have sat at traffic signals and waited…and waited…and waited…and waited…and waited…. Then either ran the light or a car would pull up behind me and trip the light. (The light when you exit I10E to HWY57N is one that has caught me numerous times. As well as several others) I think a better way to deal with this is to adjust the censors or get better once. I have seen all the ads for magnets that you can put on your bike that “will make the censor think it is a car” but I wonder if they really work like they say they do. Course, the bigger question is this, Why should I have to buy something to put on my motorcycle to make a state, county, or city funded traffic lights see me? Now I don’t agree with California very often because of how they treat truck drivers, but on this one, I think they have it right.
California has chosen a technological solution. A law adopted last year requires that when new traffic-activated signals are installed, they be capable of detecting motorcycles and bicycles.
So what do you think? Should motorcyclist have to buy these magnets to put on their bikes so they might be “seen” by the traffic censors? Or is it the responsibility of the city, county or state to do what ever it take to correct this flaw in their traffic light censors?
As some of you know there has been a great debate of the motorcycle ONLY checkpoints. As truck drivers we are use to being singled out because we drive something more than 4-wheels. Now they are going after the motorcycles! I was contacted today by Rogue, a great friend to the Road Dogs on Hogs, asked if we could help. Before I get into that, here is what I pulled from BIG BEND BIKERS FOR FREEDOM
ABATE of Georgia has put out a strategic plan that they plan to implement during bike week in regards to the, in our minds illegal, motorcycle checkpoints that riders through Georgia may run into. It reads as follows:
Background:
The NHTSA recently announced a grant program to supposedly address Motorcycle Safety issues. The recipient of the money for the demo project was the Georgia h of Public Safety. The Georgia State Patrol is conducting a series of roadside motorcycle safety checks in accordance with what was outlined in the Request for Applications. The amount of NHTSA funding is $70,000.00. The motorcycle check points do not address nor decrease motorcycle accidents and instead “profile” motorcyclists and discriminates against citizens based on their mode on transportation and clothing.
Action:
Letter Campaign
Letters have been drafted to Governor Perdue asking him to discontinue the program and to concentrate on a research based motorcycle safety campaign.
Letters have been drafted by the MRF to Transportation Secretary LaHood asking him to suspend the program.
Letters to the Editor have been drafted
Letters should be downloaded a, printed and passed out to membership and motorcycle community for signatures. The letters will be delivered to the State Capitol; and forwarded to Washington.
Action:
Phone bank campaign
Each district will hold a one night phone banking campaign where members will call and/or email there US Representative and Georgia Rep asking for support in discontinuing the motorcycle stops
Each district will encourage members and non-members to call officials
Districts will contact the Legislative Director with an accounting of the actions and tally of call and emails.
Action:
Tracking the Stops
An accounting form sheet will be made available on line for victims of the motorcycle stops to relate their story
A Whistle Blower form will be posted to post any notifications of stops
Action:
Civil Disobedience
A group email will be sent out to inform districts of motorcycle stops in their area. A team of members who volunteer to participate in blocking the stops will be sent in motion.
A press conference will be called to give information to the press and to present our case.
We also hope to have riders cruising the southern areas of Ga. and are formulating plans that we hope to have ready by Thursday. Should you identify or be stopped in Georgia you e-mail us at rgnostic@gmail.com. We will gladly get the word to ABATE of Georgia and to other contacts.
When Rogue asks me if I can help or if RDOH or the truck drivers can help, I try to get the information out to you. Here is an excerpt from his email to me this morning.
What I would like you to do is let big rig drivers running those routes know what is going on and ask them to help if they can.
At this time we are not sure exactly where these checkpoints are going to be. If someone was to see one and call it in we can the dispatch people to the site. Most of us believe they will be trying this at rest areas as it is even more impractical to force them off the interstate But any thing is possible.
I sent out a few emails to ABATE of Georgia asking what the truck drivers could do to help and how they should do that. Ned Williams, Secretary of State, A.B.A.T.E. of Georgia sent me the following information. Please look it over and save the contact information some place that you can find it if you see one of these motorcycle only checkpoints.
As we get ready for Bike week and the impending check points A.B.A.T.E. wants to provide every resource to riders who live in or cross our great state. So here they are!
TEXT us at (404) 981-5612 with the letters “CP” at the beginning of your text message followed by your location and name(so we can match it to your phone number to verify who you are). We will in turn log your message then post TO OUR FACEBOOK the location of your check point.
CAMERA PHONE and CAMERA users:
Capture any footage you can and (PICTURES AND VIDEO!) email us, we will provide you an upload location if your file is too large to email otherwise please send it to secretary@abatega.org
As we enable additional resources everyone we will post them to our facebook page.
If you are in Georgia, PLEASE help these guys out. I know many truck drivers also ride. We are singled out enough as it is. We should help ouot our fellow brothers and sisters that love the feeling of the road beneath them.
Please feel free to pass this information along to anyone that you think can help. Lets get the word out that we are not going to stand for this!
I received the email below today. I have no idea how long it has been floating around the internet, but it expresses my feelings on the issue of gun control totally!
From a guy in Texas :
My neighbor is a “lefty” of sorts (Obama bumper stickers, gung-ho socialized medicine, “guns should be banned”, etc.). So this past spring I put this sign up in my yard after one of his anti-gun rants at a neighborhood cocktail party.
The sign wasn’t up more than an hour before he called the police and wanted them to make me take down the sign. Fortunately, the officer politely informed him that it was not their job to take such action without a court order and that he had to file a complaint “downtown” first, which would be reviewed by the city attorney to see if it violated any city, county, or state ordinances, which if there was a violation a court order would be sent to the offending party (me) to “remove the sign in seven days.”
After several weeks he was informed that the sign was legal (by a quarter of an inch) and there was nothing the city could do, which obviously made him madder.
I tried to smooth things over by inviting him to go shooting with me and my friends at the hunt club but that seemed to make him even more angry. I am at a loss how to reconcile our long relationship (notice I did not say friendship), any suggestions would be welcome.
Since the 1970s, WUSM-FM (88.5 fm), Southern Miss’ own radio station, has brought music and campus news to the Hattiesburg area.
According to WUSM’s website, the station “celebrates American roots music with a strong Mississippi influence,” meaning the station mainly plays music by Mississippi musicians. However, according to interdisciplinary studies major and Southern Miss Today host Cindy Morgan, the station is shaking things up this year.
“The format of the music we play on the station has changed in the last year with Justin Martin taking it over,” Morgan said. “We have gotten away from playing the ‘grandma and grandpa’ music and now play music that will interest the 20, 30, and 40 somethings.”
These new formats include shows such as Synchronicity (alternative), Electronic Phonics (dance), Nine O’Clock News (new music), and much more.
With a library of 60,000 songs, the station has a plethora of genres to offer.
“I immediately gravitated to WUSM since their music taste mirrored my own in so many ways,” said junior biochemistry major Michael Samel. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard one of my favorite songs – the type of song that compels you to roll down all the windows and sing as loudly as you can.”
In addition to the music shows is Southern Miss Today, a live news segment produced by junior broadcast journalism major Houston Hunt and hosted by Morgan and Printz staff member Courtney Carter. The half-hour show is broadcast at noon Monday through Thursday and features campus and community news and interviews with faculty, students, people in the community and local bands.
The personality differences among the approximately 20 staffers at WUSM is what Morgan believes brings diversity to both Southern Miss Today and the music shows.
“I am older and have different interests and more ‘life’ experience than Courtney does,” Morgan said. “But it is that difference that makes the shows we host unique, informative and entertaining. The listening audience, no matter how old they are, can find something that will interest them.”
The station is supported solely on listener donations, which Morgan said has been a huge hurdle to clear.
“There are many things that we all envision for the station, but need the money to buy the equipment,” Morgan said. “Being a public radio station means that we are listener-supported and need donations and sponsorships from them and area businesses. With the change in format, we are getting more listeners and the word is spreading about the station.”
“We want people to let us know what they think because we want to be the voice of the community,” Hunt said.
“I find that no other FM radio stations cover the range and depth of music that WUSM offers,” Samel said. “The station will remain number one on my radio presets as long as I’m in Hattiesburg.”
For the entire schedule of the shows and more information on how to support WUSM, visit southernmissradio.com. The station also broadcasts online, so listeners can tune in wherever they may be.
At the request of several fans, I have created a Facebook Fan page. So now, not only can you listen to the podcast on this website but you access the podcast of the interviews that air on the show from there. I will also keep ya updated with what’s happening with the show and the fans can make song requests. I have really enjoyed creating, producing and hosting the show and talking with the listeners. The music library is expanding and connections are being made with the people that create and preform the truckin’ music that ya’ll love so much. So go to the page and hit the “Like” button. Here is a link to the page:
The contest ends February 9th. I was up around 50th for a bit but have dropped back down to 112. Please help me get back up in the ranking before the contest ends. You can vote at least once every 12 hours. This money will help me pay the bills while I am going to the University of Southern Mississippi to try to start my life over after the devastating injury to my both of my wrists two years ago. Thanks to everyone that has been voting all along and to everyone that continues to vote.
“Operation Band of Brothers” is the MS PGR’s 1st annual MS GOTG, April 29th through May 1st in Natchez, MS. We invite all PGR nation wide to join us for a great weekend of music, rides on the Trace, and camaraderie.
The 1-155th Combined Arms Combat Team will assist us in a special ceremony to honor the current and former military as well as our fallen. The main event will be catered by the “Pig Out Inn.”
This event will coincide with the Natchez Blues Festival at Rosalie Mansion.
We have lots of great things in the works for the weekend. ie. bike parade, raffles, rides, and much more. We are working on getting a block of rooms at a reduced rate.
As soon as we have a schedule of events as well as other details, we will post them here, on the MS PGR state web site and on the Patriot guard Rider of Mississippi Facebook page. Please check back in one of those places for more information closer to the event.
Word Press has a great plugin that filters spam called Akismet. It is so good that I heck my spam fold to make sure that legitimate comments don’t get caught up in it. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen once in a while. Most of the time what is in a spam post is link after link for senseless crap. Some times they try to complement the post to try to get it through. It doesn’t work, but they still try. I see spam from the same email address promoting the same websites all the time. Invalid email address don’t get through, comments with more than a few links wont get through and if they put a link in the box that is suppoesed to be for their personal web site and it is really to some ad, it wont get through. But I scan through them to make sure it isn’t something that should not be in the spam folder and them I dump them.
The last couple of days there has been a couple of comments in the spam fold that made me stop and really read them. Why? Because at first, I thought they were real comments. The English of the writer is better than most of the spam that I get on this site, but it is still not right. Because the English is not quite right I look at the link that the author has down as their website. I can tell right then that it is spam. The reason that I bring this up is that the content of the comment is a big different than most. As I said, the comment in most of this spam is just promoting something or give me great complements to try to get the website link they have put down as theirs on my site. But this spam comment is negative. Here is the comment:
The next time I read a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I imply, I know it was my choice to learn, but I really thought youd have one thing attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could possibly repair if you happen to werent too busy searching for attention.
The first time I saw this a few days ago, I laughed. I looked at the blog post that these negative comments are made on and I laugh even more. They have all been made on posts from my big motorcycle trip this past summer. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem allowing a negative comment to be posted, but this was clearly spam. I just wonder why someone would think that if I am not allowing spam that has good things to say about me or my blog through, why would I allow negative sounding spam through?
I am glad that I am not as dumb as some people hope that I am. I have been looking for a deal on a vehicle on Craigslist and eBay for several months now. The other day I ran across a listing that was “to good to be true.” But I am sure you are like me, you have friends that have gotten unbelievable deals on something because of someone else’s divorce or death in the family. Course, many times if the price doesn’t look right in one of these adds, it is because it was a typo. So when I saw and add on Craigslist for a 2004 Ford 1500 Super Crew 4×4 for $2990, I had to check it out. The listing didn’t have much information in it. Just an email address, Mellisa King <king.mellisa@gmail.com>, and the following picture.
Figuring that the $2990 was a typo I sent an email to the “lady.” Several hours later I received the following email in responce.
First of all I want to thank you for your interest for my truck. It’s a 2004 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4X4 in excellent working conditions, no scratches, flaws or any kind of damage, slightly used in 100% working and looking conditions and comes with a clear title.
Mileage:67,935 miles, Transmission: Automatic, Title: Clear, Condition: Used, Body type: Pickup truck, Engine: 8 Cylinder, Exterior color: White, Drivetrain:4 Wheel Drive ,Eclipse AVN-5500 DVD/Navigation Head Unit w/ iPod adapter, JL Audio 10″ Sub-Woofer .Here is the pictures: http://s1122.photobucket.com/albums/l529/kingmellisa12/
I sell at this price($2,990.00) because I just finished the divorce with my husband. When the divorce has finished I own this truck. From the beginning you have to know that for the payment I request only secure pay, I prefer the payment to be done using eBay services.
We will use a safe payment method because I am affiliated at eBay and I have a purchase protection account for $50.000.00 The final price that I want for this truck is $2,990.00 including shipping and handling.
If you’re interested to purchase just email me with your full name, full address and phone number so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my buyer and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.
Thank you
Here are few of the pictures that are in the PhotoBucket album. (Just incase this person pulls the pictures)
Looks nice doesn’t it?
Being on guard because of all the scams out there, (and maybe hoping that this was not one of them), I asked “her” to set things up. In the mean time, I talked to my mechanic friend, Ken, and my dad about it. Of course they were concerned about it being a scam and suggested that I insist on paying cash. I just waited for the email that “she” said I would get from eBay. I had told her that I had an account on eBay and had given her the same email address that I use there. My thought was that if it email really came through eBay, it would be in my messages on there.
Late last night I received the following 2 emails.
Please forgive the slight bad formatting. The email does not transfer from email to here very well.
eBay sent this message to Cynthia Morgan.
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from eBay.
eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection (VPP Case ID: 71S4P7463V52W)
Item - 2004 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4X4
eBay Motors member Mellisa King, as the Seller, initiated a new transaction through eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection program and registered you, Cynthia Morgan, as the Buyer.
We verified all the details of this transaction and we concluded that they are accurate and the transaction is approved. Please follow our instructions to complete the transaction safely. Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $ 50,000.00 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.
Vehicle Purchase Protection | Overview
Vehicle Purchase Protection Ensures that you receive the vehicle you paid for, with coverage up to $ 50,000.00 against fraud or material misrepresentation.
Condition Guarantee by Seller Provides added confidence that the vehicle’s condition is accurately described and protects you if it is significantly different.
Extended Warranty Protects you from unexpected repair bills after the vehicle purchase.
New eBay Motors VPP Transaction
Case ID:
71S4P7463V52W
Item:
2004 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4X4
Price:
$2,990.00
Seller Verified Profile
eBay Motors Member in good standing from 7 years 6 months.
Buyer and Seller agree on the transaction terms and a selling price. Seller contacts eBay Financing Center with the transaction details;
eBay Financing Center accepts the transaction and offers purchase protection to the Buyer (if the transaction is declined, no further action is required from neither Buyer or Seller);
The Buyer receives an invoice and sends the payment to eBay Financing Center. After the payment is verified by eBay Financing Center, the Seller will initiate the shipping. The seller has three (3) business days to provide a tracking number to both the Buyer and eBay Financing Center. If no tracking number is provided, a full refund is immediately sent to the Buyer;
The Buyer receives the vehicle and has five (5) business days to inspect it. If it is as described and as agreed, the Buyer should accept the vehicle. If he refuses it, the Buyer must ship the vehicle back to the Seller;
After the inspection period is over (5 business days), the Buyer must contact eBay Financing Center with the result of the inspection. If the Buyer refuses the vehicle, he will receive the refund only after the tracking number for the returned shipment is verified. If the Buyer accepts the vehicle, the payment will be sent to the Seller within three (3) business days.
Vehicle Purchase Protection Overview
Buy with confidence on eBay Motors! The Vehicle Purchase Protection program protects your vehicle purchase against fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is provided by eBay Motors for FREE on all eligible vehicle transactions completed on eBay Motors. There’s no sign-up, opt-in, or registration necessary.
The following types of fraud and material misrepresentation are covered:
Paying for a vehicle and never receiving it;
Sending a deposit for a vehicle and never receiving the vehicle;
Paying for and receiving a vehicle:
That was a stolen vehicle at the time of the transaction;
With an undisclosed or unknown lien against its title;
Of a make and/or model that is different than what was described in the seller’s listing;
Without receiving the title for that vehicle from the seller, if it is impossible for you to obtain a title from the appropriate Department of Motor Vehicles;
Whose title is subject to an undisclosed salvage, rebuilt, reconstructed, scrapped/destroyed, manufacturer buyback, or water damage title brand at the time of the sale;
With a model year that is different than the model year described in the seller’s listing;
With an odometer reading that is different than the odometer reading described in the seller’s listing.
Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $ 50,000.00 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower. The program covers Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, ATVs, Go-Karts, Scooters, Mopeds, Personal Watercraft, Snowmobiles, Boats, Buses, Commercial Trucks, Race Cars, RVs and Campers, Trailers.
Please tell us if you have received the invoice for payment. Once we receive the fax from you that will include the payment details as explained above, we will instruct the seller to start the shipping process. We will hold the payment until you send us your confirmation that you are satisfied with the product you received. As soon as we receive your confirmation we will release the payment to the seller. You will receive further details regarding the shipping process (courier information, tracking method, expected delivery date) after the payment confirmation.
*NOTE:It may occur that your e-mail doesn’t support HTML language and that is why you haven’t received the invoice from us. Please check your bulk/junk/spam/ messages, the invoice may have ended there because of the ever increasing filters of the e-mails nowdays.
Thank you,
eBay Financing Center Customer Support
Vehicle Purchase Protection Program
First I went to my eBay account to see if the email was in my messages there. It was not. so then I started looking for customer support phone numbers. I found it, but of course the email came in after the eBay phone lines were closed. They are open 6:00 am to 5:00 pm PST, Monday-Friday. BUT eBay does have a live chat service that is from 5:00am to 10:00pm PT, 7 days a week. So started the chat with the eBay agent. I gave her the information the “eBay” email and asked her to please confirm that this was a legit email from them. She was having a few technical issues and the chat ended unexpectedly. so I started another chat and got the same person. While waiting for her to respond, I did some checking on the eBay site.
In the “Contact Us” section there are 3 drop down buttons. I moused over the “Buying” button and clicking on the “Buying a vehicle” link under the “Getting Started” section. That brings up the following.
I clicked on the Learn how these scams work link and got this.
If you’re buying a vehicle on another site and someone offers eBay Purchase Protection or claims to be affiliated with eBay, it’s probably ascam.
Be cautious about vehicles offered on Craigslist, AutoTrader, or other online sites that claim to be eBay transactions. They’re not.
Have you already paid for the vehicle?
Yes
No
I clicked on “No” and got this.
Before you pay for the vehicle, please read this important information.
If you shop on websites other than eBay, always be aware of phone calls or emails from people claiming to be eBay representatives. There’s been an increase in reports of fake eBay Motors transactions that come from sites other than eBay, such as Craigslist and AutoTrader.
Remember, a vehicle purchased on eBay will always appear in the Won/Purchased section of My eBay and you’ll be shown as the buyer in the listing. Don’t pay for the vehicle unless you see these verifications on the eBay website.
Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from fraud.
If you receive an email or phone call that sounds suspicious:
Don’t give out any personal or financial information.
Don’t complete the transaction unless it’s on eBay.
Verify that the email is really from eBay by checking your messages in My eBay.
Don’t wire money using Western Union or MoneyGram.
Report the scam to us by forwarding the email to car@ebay.com.
The eBay agent replied to me after a few minuets and told me the same thing I had just read. If it doesn’t start and finish on eBay, then it can’t be paid for through the eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection. She asked me to please forward the email to them and to not respond to the email. I did that.
I have not bought anything off of Craigslist but I have off of eBay. I have never had a problem with my purchases on there. I know people that have made great deals on Craigslist, but as you see, be cautious. There are those great “to good to be true” deals out there, but they are far and few between. Be sure to check,recheck and check again ANY time you make a deal with someone on any of these online auctions or person to person want add sites. On eBay, payments should always be made through them. On Craigslist, if they are not willing to take cash, BEWARE! It will save you a lot of heartache.
