Riding Your Bike in Detroit? Have Your License?

Riding Your Bike in Detroit? Have Your License?

thedspotredeux.blogspot.com

The ordinance has been in place since 1964; but the Detroit Police are going to start to actually enforce the ordinance again. They say it is to help locate/recover stolen bicycles, but if you\'re caught without a license starting on August 7 2008, you\'ll get hit with a $55.00

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.clickondetroit.com

More on this can be found on local news stations.
like Detroit fox news channel 2, channel 7 , and channel 4 local news stations, and even on the detroit free press.
I basicly says that in order to take a bike outside for a ride you need a license which is not that expensive but still you have to pay. What\'s next?? should we pay tax on our oxygen level we get??? This shows more on ways cities make money off the little guy the ones that can\'t afford this. If you look on the overall cost of living now and also gas prices and now this.

thedspotredeux.blogspot.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

So now riding a bike is a privilege and not a right. Just like everyone likes to argue about driving, or even using public transport. Next you will have to pay a toll to walk on the sidewalks. Goal post moved, frog continues to boil.

Such an Ordinance to require licensing for bicycles is against the Constitutional Right to Travel Freely...Not even the State Department of Motor Vehicles can try because bicycles are not motorized vehicles & they are only a State level authority with the capability of regulating commercially-owned vehicles (which also includes your POV (Privately Owned Vehicle), once you've turned your Title of Ownership into the State in order to get license plates).

What the People of Detroit need to do is confront City Hall with the facts of the Constitution & get that Ordinance repealed.

How much is the license?

Southern California communities licensed bicycles as long as 50 years ago.


I don't see a problem with it.

There should be an age delineation bit with adults paying more than say, 12 & under.


Why should bike readers get a free ride on roads and highways paid for by the motoring public?





(Edited for typo)

[edit on 6-7-2008 by Desert Dawg]

Originally posted by Desert Dawg
I don't see a problem with it.

You can't be for real. I have to read that as though you are joking.

Riding a bike is about freedom. It's a simple, healthy pleasure.

I agree with jackinthebox, the pot boils because people accept crap like this.

must read entire article provided

The city of Detroit is encouraging all Detroit residents to register their bicycles at one of the six police districts.

The city states the increased enforcement of the ordinance, which has been in place since 1964, will help them recover stolen bikes.

The municipal code states, "It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or use a bicycle propelled wholly or in part by muscular power upon any of the streets or sidewalks of the city without first obtaining a license therefore from the city."

and the best part

Bicycle owners will pay a $1 fee per bike, to receive a registration number, which can be placed on the bike.

The license will be valid for five years.

Officials said enforcement will remain relaxed until Aug. 4, to allow bicycle owners the opportunity to register their bikes without penalty.

Blogs aren't the best place to get your news stories...

[edit on 6-7-2008 by elevatedone]

Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
Such an Ordinance to require licensing for bicycles is against the Constitutional Right to Travel Freely...

Huh? That is a mighty big stretch of logic there, couldn't you still run or walk to "travel freely".

It's not a big deal, the dang thing costs a buck and is good for five years. Plus if it gets stolen and then recovered by the Police, they know who to contact about it. Next thing you know, they'll want to issue licenses for your pet dog..................

It is a matter of Jurisdiction...reflected in the wording..or double talk used by lawyers and Judges. The like the term operating a vehicle or operating a motor vehicle. This puts you under thier jurisdiction.

The other term used in many states and under a different set of jurisdiction or laws is..."Traveling by the ordinary everyday conveyance."

You hardly ever hear this term used and it is desired that you not know of its existance.

If you dont know of its existance ..it is very easy to have Judges and Lawyers get you to cede the "Jurisdiction " unto them ..almost a default.

New moped and scooter laws went into effect here on July 1 2008 in Virginia. IF a scooter or moped goes over such and such a speed....you must license, inspect, and insure it as a motorcycle. None of this was of any concern until gasoline started going up and up and up. Suddenly the states and citys saw a loss of revenue when familys started switching to alternate forms of transportation where they would not be spending as much on gasoline. Many familys are already seeking to sell or get rid of their larger engined vehicles...once again ..a loss of revenue. Lost revenue is an absolute horror to state and local governments. They seek to make it up anyway they can.

They are simply positioning themselves before the real crunch comes at $6 to $8 per gallon.

Thanks,
Orangetom

When I was a kid, in a suburb of Detroit, I had my bike stolen. I reported it to the police. When they found out I didn't have a bike license, and if I remember correctly, I was fined for it. This was back in the mid-1970's.

I do remember bikes being licensed back then and earlier. It was a silver and black sticker and they went on the fender.

Of course this was eons ago, and my memory is a bit foggy.

reply to post by virraszto


I am from Detroit originally, they were stickers that you put on the pole that supported your seat. There were also metal rivited tags that the police must have put on for you.

Now that you mention that, I do remember little metal 'tags' bent to fit under the seat on the pole. I seem to recall those were metal, but it may have been a different city that there were hard thick stickers. They were silver and black, weren't they?

What utter crap.
Tax tax and tax some more.
It smells more like a future money maker.
Lay the ground work to get you used to it, then slowly raise the cost.
Feh....Why not just have the police charge you a recovery fee IF they recover it. Jesus, where will the line be drawn? I guess as long as these things are accepted, they are acceptable. I predict an email tax in the near future.
Be prepared to see that defended by the masses too.

Originally posted by tezzajw

Originally posted by Desert Dawg
I don't see a problem with it.

You can't be for real. I have to read that as though you are joking.

Riding a bike is about freedom. It's a simple, healthy pleasure.

I agree with jackinthebox, the pot boils because people accept crap like this.

I assure you, I am quite real.

Not joking either.

What I would like to see is the annual bicycle license fee raised to perhaps $10. per year per bike and 90% of the monies spent on either bike trails or paving a section just off the highway and placing armco barriers between highway and bike trail.

That would add a great amount of safety for the bike rider who's making long treks whether as exercise, long trips or short runs.
Kinda spooky to be on the edge of a highway and have autos etc. passing so close to the bike rider.

Think about how great it would be to have several 'bike' highways crossing the US.


Why should the motoring public pay the way for bike riders?
Because they're pure of heart?
Because it's good for you to ride?

I applaud the City for it's effort and diligence!

However rather than fining bicycle owners, they should freely tag all bicycles. And if you are caught without a tag in public, you should be summarily tagged on the spot. Or arrested for posession of a stolen bicycle if the bike is indeed stolen; and fined enough to make up the revenue for the free taggings.

All bike thiefs should be fined heavily enough that they carry the financial burdon.

The financial rewards in the system are designed to be needlessly fascist, and reward the system not for effectiveness of maintaining a safe, civil, and open society; but for maximizing authoritarian agression against the innocent, and law abiding.

If you are a police officer, do you want to be an adversary to everyone you meet?

If not then the police and the law makers need to get together and comprehend that the public do not appreciate thuggery, force, threat, coersion, and shakedowns not from criminals, not from officials. They do love and admire heros. It is a lifestyle choice, which is too often defaulted to an adversarial state. You do not need to dominate every person you meet every moment. It is an unhealthy life choice.

Heros are not bullies. Rule one of the Hero Handbook!

ya It is old but they haven't enforced it for a while. Now this Aug they will enforce it.

This is also not just Detroit I am hearing rumors suburbs by detroit are thinking to do the same to bring some more income for the city.

The only thing I am upset is that we have high gas prices and people decided to bike to work or school instead to beat the gas prices and yet they get slammed again.

Now just that Detorit mayor is also a crook. He and also our State Gov she took a vacation to japan and used tax payers money to pay for it giving an excuse that she was their to brink honda to Michigan. Which never happened honda ended up going to Ohio to build a new factory.

Originally posted by pavil

Originally posted by MidnightDStroyer
Such an Ordinance to require licensing for bicycles is against the Constitutional Right to Travel Freely...

Huh? That is a mighty big stretch of logic there, couldn't you still run or walk to "travel freely".

It's not a big deal, the dang thing costs a buck and is good for five years. Plus if it gets stolen and then recovered by the Police, they know who to contact about it. Next thing you know, they'll want to issue licenses for your pet dog..................

All the thief gotta do is remove whatever has to be placed on the bike. And aint no police gon make it a point to look for a stolen bike when they got bigger crimes to solve.

What if someone happened to have got the same bike? Or what if someone steals your bike and gets it registered as if it is their's?

It's bullcrap! I live here in Detroit.

Besides, ppl here in Detroit supposed to wear helmets and you dont see anyone wearing them exept a few on tenspeeds riding in the street sides.

I aint wearing any helmet cuase when you fall off a bike you are more likely to get your arm scrapped on the ground. Plus, I like to listen to music on headphones when ridin on a mountain bike and need to be able to take them off. With a helmet it would be hard to take off if I need to. Or maybe the helmet and headphones wont fit on together cause I never tried it.

I wish a cop would pull me over on my bike and try to give me a $55 ticket. If I slash his face up I will ask them was it worth it. Of course I'd go for his eyes so he cant see which way I make a get away to so that back up called aint going to get me more than likely. I'd just lock my bike in hiding and then walk, then wait a day or two to get my bike in the cover of the night. lol.

How weird, I was just thinking about this the other day. I thought to myself, with the way things are going, nobody except the rich will be able to afford drive a car soon...So that means most people will be riding around on bicycles...I wonder if TPTB will figure out a way to regulate and profit off of that next?"

Not there yet...But I won't be suprised with the way things have been going...

Originally posted by computerwiz32
ya It is old but they haven't enforced it for a while. Now this Aug they will enforce it.

This is also not just Detroit I am hearing rumors suburbs by detroit are thinking to do the same to bring some more income for the city.

The only thing I am upset is that we have high gas prices and people decided to bike to work or school instead to beat the gas prices and yet they get slammed again.

Now just that Detorit mayor is also a crook. He and also our State Gov she took a vacation to japan and used tax payers money to pay for it giving an excuse that she was their to brink honda to Michigan. Which never happened honda ended up going to Ohio to build a new factory.

I made another topic on another site about what Detroit need to do if it wants to bring in money. It should copy Orlando, Hollywood, and New York in the movie and entertainment industry from prop and set building studios to costume makers places to the whole 9. It would be better than the casinos which they lay off ppl at. No one want to come in from out of state just to go to our casinos when they learn Detroit is crime capitol. Besides that casino attract crime anyway. So we need to get a whole movie entertainment world going on. Then maybe they wont waist time making or enforcing stupid laws to try to go for some bucks.

I mean, why cant we have a nationally televised late night talk show better than David Letterman?

We need to make stars instead of have ppl think they have to go to Cali or New York to get into showbiz and movies.

Midwest needs to open the entertainment world potention. The East got it, the South got it, the West got it. Why not the Midwest?

[edit on 6-7-2008 by Mabus]

I think Detroit's got much more to worry about than than ticketing unlicensed bikes . I don't think a dollar license is going to do anything for the budget deficit in Detroit....

What's going to happen is the poor are going to suffer on this deal.