[schnogg]

The City Council of Philidelphia met and decided to outlaw the sale of pocket bikes. While I can respect their quailty of life argument and the fact that the wrong people can make them a nuisance, I think that is a bit extreme.
Here is a link to the story
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/9914019.htm

[TGZ13]

its asking for a username

[schnogg]

Sorry about that.
Ok, apparently Philly.com doesn't like people to link to their stories.
Well, the story can be access by going to http://www.philly.com and then clicking the story about the Council Banning the sale of pocket bikes.
http://www.philly.com

[TGZ13]

Thanks.. to make life easier

Council panel OKs ban on sale of pocket bikes

And Pep Boys, a big seller, supports it

By DON RUSSELL

russeld@phillynews.com


Say goodbye to those pesky pocket bikes.

After hearing horror stories about deadly crashes and noise pollution, a City Council committee yesterday voted to ban the sale of the minicycles in Philadelphia. The full Council is expected to finalize the ban when it meets next week.

"This is one of those quality-of-life issues," declared Councilman Rick Mariano, who spearheaded City Hall's fight against the bikes.

"They're sort of a status symbol, but they're dangerous as all heck...," Mariano said. "There are so many scoundrels out there that are selling these things."

The crackdown on sales followed a summer in which police found themselves trying to snare hundreds of noisy cycles racing through neighborhood streets. A department official testified that police had confiscated more than 400 of the motorized bikes, which are illegal to ride on city streets and sidewalks.

Licensing officials, meanwhile, had tried to clamp down on their sale through zoning regulations but found that many storefront pocket-bike operations that cropped this summer had been properly granted sales permits.

"In our view, if it's not legal to ride on the street, it shouldn't be legal to sell," the acting commissioner of Licenses and Inspections, Robert D. Solvibile Sr., told the Council committee.

The bill bans the sale of any motorcycle under 125 pounds that cannot be registered or pass a safety inspection under the state vehicle code.

Among those testifying in support of the bill was Carmen Sousa, a North Philadelphia woman who said her nephew died in a pocket-bike wreck two years ago when he slammed an ice cream truck.

"It's especially important to the Latino community," Sousa said. "Please take these things off the street so our children don't die on them."

No one at yesterday's hearing spoke in defense of the popular cycles.

In a surprise move, Pep Boys - the city's biggest pocket-bike seller - announced it would support the ban.

The Philadelphia-based auto-parts chain had vigorously defended the bikes throughout the summer. Then last month, under pressure from zoning authorities, it agreed to temporarily remove the bikes from the shelves of Pep Boys stores inside the city.

A company spokesman said yesterday the Council ban "appropriately balances the public's safety concerns with the rights of consumers and retailers alike."

Meanwhile, three blocks from City Hall, the proprietor of Motor Land Sport on 11th Street complained the bill would "cripple an evolving business."

The store manager, who refused to give his name, said the bill unfairly targets small businesses while ignoring the large importers who bring the bikes into the country from China.

"Mom-and-pop stores are getting screwed," he told the Daily News yesterday in an interview after the hearing.

Then he shrugged and, noting that pocket bikes are probably a short-lived fad, added, "These things are done, anyway."

[stopsign]

Good ol' Pennsylvania does it again !

[TGZ13]

I can see their point about them being illegal or whatever.. but the noise thing today irritates me. My monster nitro powered truck used to make more noise then those things do. Why not take them away while your at it.

[sheepofblue]

Go nanny state!

Also at 125lbs I wonder if they snag any trials bikes and they certainly ban little kids bikes.

Scum!

[ConqSoft]

Yeah, sounds like that would cover the CRF50, and maybe the 70, and 80's too.

[TGZ13]

Whats interesting is this is the same state you could buy fireworks/guns and knives just about anywhere.

We were in a fleamarket thing once and you had to see what you could buy at that place. SO to ban these little bikes to me... is just wacked

[schnogg]

Yea. I think they just want the easy way out on this one. I mean, it's pretty hard to make a law against being stupid. Instead, they just made a law against something tangible.

[silkywilson]

Their guidlines say if it cant be registerd for the street they cant be sold?? thats the lamest idea I have ever heard anyone heard of dirt bikes? track bikes? what they need to do is designate riding areas it would be cheeper than all the crap they are doing to outlaw them.. what kind of fuggin comunist state they running up there??

[ConqSoft]

Originally Posted by silkywilson

Their guidlines say if it cant be registerd for the street they cant be sold?? thats the lamest idea I have ever heard anyone heard of dirt bikes? track bikes? what they need to do is designate riding areas it would be cheeper than all the crap they are doing to outlaw them.. what kind of fuggin comunist state they running up there??

It says under 125lbs. Most track bikes are over that. This will only affect the small bikes.

[IL0veFish]

Hmmm I wonder what they will decide to ban next...Might as well just band everything that is dangerous that'll save lives.

[DUX]

The biggest problem I've started to see is that some kids and adults are actually driving them out into multi-lane traffic on 40-50mph roads here. That's just stupid. I'd like to let the Darwin theory take it's course, but it creates a danger for others too

[EDDIE110171]

Originally Posted by ConqSoft

It says under 125lbs. Most track bikes are over that. This will only affect the small bikes.

That covers alot of small atvs not to mention go peds too.

[Johnny Diablo]

So many of those things running around my neighborhood about 2 months ago. I heard that my city police started to crack down in my hood. I thought it was a good idea for the crackdown. I was seeing kids shoot out driveways from between parked cars.

I went to El Monte to pick up some welding tanks. I saw an older asian lady pull through the left turn lane on a chopper minibike. I pointed it out to the shop guy. " She thinks she is in thailand or what?"

[nedro]

So now they come with 100lb weights that you can mod by removing them. Problem solved!

[ND4SPD]

"It's especially important to the Latino community," Sousa said. "Please take these things off the street so our children don't die on them."

Are you kidding me? How about monitoring what your kid does, or how about properly educating them? Oh, I forgot....that would involve trying to be a role model and a good parent to your kid. How silly of me

EDIT: This is a shoutout to all parents that shouldn't be, not just Latino's

[freq]

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

Are you kidding me? How about monitoring what your kid does, or how about properly educating them? Oh, I forgot....that would involve trying to be a role model and a good parent to your kid. How silly of me

EDIT: This is a shoutout to all parents that shouldn't be, not just Latino's

ND4SPD,

There are A LOT of adults riding these thing too. Not enough money or an MC license to buy a proper motorcycle I guess.

[ND4SPD]

Originally Posted by freq

ND4SPD,

There are A LOT of adults riding these thing too. Not enough money or an MC license to buy a proper motorcycle I guess.

I'm sure there are.....I would ride one too if I had the money to spend on one. But use some common sense people Think about what you're doing for a second...

[Holeshot]

She.. don't tell those people in Philly about eBay. They might pass an law banning access to that too! Dumbazzes... typical short-d*ck political crap..

[AE Turbo]

Originally Posted by Holeshot

She.. don't tell those people in Philly about eBay. They might pass an law banning access to that too! Dumbazzes... typical short-d*ck political crap..

That's what happens when Democrats are in charge! Cradle to Grave, Womb to Tomb legislation.....

[Holeshot]

Originally Posted by AE Turbo

That's what happens when Democrats are in charge! Cradle to Grave, Womb to Tomb legislation.....

Just wait for them to get thier hands on the White House.... we might as well buy storate for our bikes in Canada or Mexico. Afterall banning bike will serve the greater social good...

[KC124]

Originally Posted by AE Turbo

That's what happens when Democrats are in charge! Cradle to Grave, Womb to Tomb legislation.....

Democrats? There almost as bad as Republicans. Almost.