MRAA (ie MRAV) bashing

Umm because we CARE about motorcycle politics and don't care about cars
and football !

<Thinks> Errm as you were, back to the letter writing campaign

JL

 

Why? Do tell.....

Hammo

 

Why? Many people speak like this, Smee. Smugness is something *you* have
brought into this exchange, perhaps you should deal with it?

We've? Your goons, Smee, or, just you?

Out of curiosity, when did you become/revoke membership to the MRA(n)?

 

Well yes...

Ta mate



G-S

 

Well I could tell lots of stories... but the one that sticks in my mind
was from the early to mid 1980's.

MRA Vic had (variously quoted) between 16000 and 19000 paid members and
there were multiple registers that provided gathering points for rides,
socialising and acted as local support groups for riders.

As a direct result of DC's actions all those registers were shut down.
Within a few years MRA Vic (no I'm not going to say MRAA... that's
another story) had membership of only a few thousand.

That membership drop is a direct result of people leaving (in droves)
because DC thought he could 'run' MRA Vic from Elizabeth street.

At one stage there were representatives from Eastern Suburbs, Geelong,
Bendigo (me), Ballarat, Gippsland (and occasionally further away)
attending committee meetings in Melbourne (which gave a direct voice to
the ground roots register groups).

Bendigo as an example leased (and paid for) a closed railway station as
a meeting rooms. We spent weekends cleaning and painting and creating a
social gathering point for motorcyclists in Central Victoria.

You can imagine the reaction of the hundreds of register members (let
alone the 50 or so very active workers) when suddenly the rug was pulled
out from underneath them. Pissed off doesn't go close. Some people
cancelled thier memberships in protest (and/or swore never to be a
member again or at least while DC was involved). Others just let them
lapse.

There were similar situations all across the state. Membership
_crashed_ and has never recoverd.

This is probably the largest stuff up he's been involved in, but there
are others I could talk about.

Sam (she of the virtual dojo) had some 'interesting' (as in chinese
curse) stories she used to tell about DC as well. [1]


G-S

[1] Feel free to contribute your own DC stories if you want people ;-)

 

Errmm because the situation around how that name came to be was yet
another DC stuff up?


G-S

 

That membership should never have been given in the first place, it was
given by DC's cronies against the wishes of (anecdotely) a majority of
grass roots members.

And yes... it _should_ be revoked.


G-S

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sat, 29 Oct 2005 09:34:34 +1000

And because the rest of the country were very pissed off that the bod
who caused the stuffup then pretended to represent all the other state
MRAs.

I was an active member of MRA-SA at the time, and the reaction to it
ranged from "typical fuggen Vics" to "Pollies aren't bright, this is
going to cause all sorts of shit". But mainly "fuggen Vics, can't get
it together and forget the rest of the world exists"

I vaguely recall that the stated reason for the name was that MRA-Vic
*was* the MRA for all intents and purposes, none of the others being as
big or successful.

Was that before or after hte "yellow brick road" fiasco? can't recall.

Zebee

 

Are you a mamber?
Have you been a member?
Are you aware of the history here in Vic?
Have you lived in Victoria long enough to make conclusions that I and
others have or are you just trying to stir things up like always?
But then agaion you like Kennet so that speaks wonders
Good day.

 

For what it's worth many Vics were going "Bloody Elizabeth St. idiots
(DC and cronies) forgetting the rest of the state even exists (like
normal)! And this is going to piss off the other State MRA's something
awful.

Yah... it was all along the same lines. DC wanted to concentrate
control and 'power' in his hands (and carefully doled out where he had
no alternative to his cronies). Said cronies tended to have a short
lifetime if they started to show any following of thier own or any
independence.

Ummm I can't remember either.


G-S

 

That was an SA specific issue if I remember correctly.

Blue Mountains council are using "bricks" on some roads now, the ones I see
regularly shouldn't be an issue for bikes as you shouldnt be crossing the
road in a hairpin anyway.

Al

 

Lake Mountain Ski Club had a similar problem with the *ahem* alleged
serial stalker (http://tinyurl.com/am8mj). The ski club resigned en
masse from the club and formed a similarly named association, and
refused membership to said *ahem* alleged serial stalker. I believe said
*ahem* alleged serial stalker retained what was left of the funds held
by the original club, but it was a small price to pay.

It's pretty drastic action to have to take, but that said, I've been
watching MRAA from the outside, and no way is it getting any of my
filthy lucre while the internal bickering continues to take its toll.

- sanbar (saying his Single $35.00 membership worth. Or his 2 cents
worth, whichever has more value)

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sat, 29 Oct 2005 12:16:49 +1000

Incorrectly.

Vic - complete with DC tearing them off the road and predicting multiple
rider and ped deaths from these things being shot out by car wheels
tearing them loose.

Zebee

 

Fair enough Zebee, all I could remember from the time was the SA mob making
noise about the yellow bricks, I couldn't remember any noise coming out of
Vic as well.

One of those bricks cracked a wheel on a friends R100RT back in '91 up near
Pimba, cracked around the centre of the rim, luckily it was a tubed tyre.

Al

 

G-S said....

The Gippsland register also has a bit of significant history here. I
don't know the details, but I vaguely remember some sort of "coup" where
the running of the MRA found its way down in Morwell. (about 150 km east
of MEL for those not familiar with the joint). I believe that too caused
problems.

I've heard others and have witnessed one or two. However, defamation
laws prevent me telling them.

What was DC's reasoning behind the closing of the Bendigo register? And
under the constitution of the org, how did he do it?

 

Boo hoo, you really are getting too little sleep, eh?
Yes, I have been a member (never a mamber).

I listen to the history, but also listen to more than one opinion.
Where I have lived and what I believe are based on things that go beyond "I
better follow the crowd".
Stir things up as always? <insert emoticon of choice>, tee hee, you poor
thing, having someone disagree with you. I don't get swayed by the mindless
bleating of a "person" that claims to be the "person of value to listen to"
because they have lots of other people they have on their side.

Kennet, yes, I like many things about him. I also dislike many things about
him. It is a case of too bad, so sad for you. However, if that makes you
dislike me because you are unable to see things beyond a single end of the
spectrum, I won't be losing any sleep.

Hammo (proud trades union member and job rep).

 

Who said anything about disliking you?
I have heard many opinions bleated across the spectrum and will not be
joining the mrav, in fact i would like to see it disbanded and have a
similar setup as the nsw model.
Hambone I have every right to query whats been going on and so far have
not been convinced they are doing anything positive for victorian
motorcyclists.
A little pot stirring is what those numbskulls need to get rid of one DC
and some others who are in it for ego stroking and knobgazing rather
than doing whats best for motorcyclists.
It's an infested rabble who's use by date has long gone.
Have a read of what GS had to say.

 

He didn't just close Bendigo, he managed to get the entire concept of
'registers' as (mostly) seperate sub-entities struck from the constitution.

It is my strongly held opinion this was not only unjustified, but unwise
in the extreme (and this viewpoint is supported by the subsequent
membership numbers crash).

As for the reasoning 'behind it', as I have said I believe it was an
attempt to centralise control (around 'his' committee).

If you are asking for the 'claimed' reasons... well you'd have to ask him.


G-S

 

There is so much "unclear stuff" that I stop caring. Actually, I'd like to
have a great deal of it clarified, but suddenly it stops.

I agree, that it is important, but as a group, as a collective, as a...who
really cares? There is lots of bile but not a great deal of anything else.
No strength in numbers, then do something else.....

Pot stirring? I think that is what they like. I think you need to go
beyond that. I don't know MJT's allegiance and I don't really care. I
doubt that he is nob gazing, or a sympathiser, he believes in his patch/area
as one that needs a voice and he is doing that. I could be wrong. Much
like those that comment against things with out looking inter then deeper.
Often that can be infuriating when you discover that while some of the
things that are truly anti-what you believe in get all the attention, there
is a genuine belief in things that to the individual are v. important.

He'll need to say in a better way. All I'm getting is half the story and I
switch off. He can email me if he/you wants. I have chatted to Sam for
quiet a bit over things some years ago. This wank about hiding behind
defamation suggest that it is all ego driven. And then spitting on ppl
makes it all so....

Hammo

 

Sam and I compared stories in person once (during an early ausmoto
dinner... ummm Captain Americas I think) and they were consistent mostly
(where they overlapped).

I cannot speak for Sam, but her opinion of DC disn't seem to be much (if
any) better than mine.

As for hiding behind claims of defamation, nah it's not that.

It's just that is was about 20 years ago and I do not remember dates or
times or names mostly. So I'm sticking to the general stuff I do remember.

My concern with DC is simply that he is _bad_ for motorcycle lobbying,
but I'm not 25 and enthusiastic now... I'm 45 and mildly cynical.

So when Ulysses dealt with their DC problem I was happy... and MRA Vic
can look after their DC problem (or not) as they see fit... because that
is no longer my problem *shrug*.


G-S