Tuesday, 06 September 2005

• Changing Public Perceptions

  Posted as a response to “Noise Ordinance Is Selective”

  posted August 27, 2005 in The Chattanoogan

   

  I have been reading the op-ed comments relating to the noise issues over the last few days in the Chattanoogan, and have debated over whether to weigh in on the issue since I am one of the ones at whom the comments are being directed. I am a Harley passenger and the co-owner of a 2004 Fatboy, which has been modified from stock pipes to the Screamin’ Eagle muffler/exhaust system. This system is rated “street-legal,” both by Harley-Davidson standards and by all standards established by state-to-state laws for noise restriction levels. With that said, the noise emitting from our motorcycle falls within the standard noise level range that is permitted by state regulations. This holds true for most motorcycles that are on the road today.
  
  Granted, there may be a few ‘rebels’ who push-the-limits on their exhausts, but no one is going to take it to the extreme to risk getting ticketed for something like a noise violation. There are only eighteen states within the United States that actually have Legislative Action regarding motorcycle noise. The closest three states to Tennessee are Florida, Virginia and South Carolina. Tennessee does not have either a Legislative or Enforcement Action in place specifically for motorcycle noise. Also, the City of Chattanooga specifically suspended their current ‘noise ordinance’ for the duration of the Rally.
  
  I would respectfully like to remind those who have been complaining about the noise, especially during the Rally held during this last week, that no matter how low the noise rating on a single bike is – once you get 15,000 bikes in a single locale, the noise is going to be loud. This would hold true if you had 15,000 lawnmowers, or 15,000 tractors, or 15,000 automobiles for that matter – the noise level will rise exponentially the more vehicles are added to the mix. Sitting in traffic on the way home from work with just 50-100 cars around you, and listening to the low hum of all of those engines and assorted radios, can get to you after a while.
  
  I can appreciate the other writers’ opinions, and their rights to them. But, I would also appreciate them taking the time to consider that – as a group – we are not bad people, just people who happen to enjoy riding motorcycles. We were invited to attend an event in their City, by their City, and were happy to visit the area, and to pump a lot of money into the Chattanooga economy over the few days that we were there. Between hotels, restaurants, shopping, tourist attractions, and whatever other miscellaneous merchants who benefited from our open wallets, we – as a group – dropped a lot of money over the last week.
  
  We have now all rolled back out of Chattanooga, and bid our farewells to the City that invited us to have our National Rally there this year. Perhaps now, those who were complaining can move on and forget all about the bikers who came to town for a week.
  
  Susan Reno-Gilliland
  Georgia

  
   

  The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_71457.asp

   

  This piece has received two private e-mails from the same

  woman, who does not agree with my opinion and is attempting

  to try to argue her point in favor of mine.I finally responded

  after the second e-mail and asked if she could just accept the fact

  that everyone has an opinion, and the right to express their opinion,

  and would she be willing to let it go and “agree-to-disagree” since I

  have no intention of changing my mind, and it is quite obvious she

  isn’t going to change her mind, either. I’m not sure I’ve heard the

  last from her though, since my op-ed piece was added as a

  response to an op-ed piece she had written.

   

   

  ---

   

   

   

  • 11:39 AM
  • 194 Views
  • 2 eProps
  • 1 Comment