Ten bikers show up for legal initiative
Motorbike gathering in Industrial Park – bikers and police officers
(CNS): Following the joint effort of local opposition politicians, dirt bike fans and the RCIPS, a legal off-road motorbike gathering was organised in George Town on Sunday but it failed to attract significant numbers. Police managed the event in the Industrial Park area, where officers set up a road block along Sparky Drive to keep the bikes away from normal traffic and supervised the arrival and departure of the off-road bikes on trailers and pick-ups. But just ten bikers and a few onlookers turned up, even though many more were expected, as some riders have no means of getting their bikes anywhere off-road.
Given that more than 200 bikes, many legal, took part in the controversial round island event last month, the numbers on Sunday suggest that organising a set place for dirt bike riding will not necessarily keep the unlicensed bikes off the road.
Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said Sunday’s event was “a small step in the right direction”. He explained, “It is part of a multi-pronged approach that will take some time to bring about a change in behaviour and resolve the overall problem. It is clear to me that there are riders who will take the opportunity to ride safely and legally, while others will not. We will continue our dialogue with the biking community, but also enforce the law for those who insist on riding illegally and endangering themselves and others on the road.”
Enforcement is still part of the police initiative, and they still want information from the public to help officers to identify rogue riders and locate illegal bikes.
On Sunday, officers from several departments, including the neighbourhood police, traffic departments, and the police chopper were involved in managing the off-road gathering, where the bikers rode for around five hours on and off-road in the area. Police said the event grew out of conversations that began last week between police and members of the motorbike community and meetings facilitated by opposition MLAs Alva Suckoo (NEW) and Kenneth Bryan (GTC).
Category: Local News
How did these bikers get their motorbikes to the event? My guess is that they rode them using the public roads. Many don’t have licence plates and are not street legal. Did the RCIP even think about the logistics of holding such an event. Essentially they are encouraging these guys to break the law getting to and from the venue.
Did you even read the first paragraph. Smh.
Something is not adding up here. We can be sure if it was 2 or 3 teens smoking, topless on a beach (females) or something else where no harm to anyone else, the Police would have been all over it.
But here we have some 200 lawless persons behaving in a gang mentality manner and endangering self and others and the Police response is babysitting? While yapping about “enforcing the laws”? Yeah right….that’s the message here for sure! (sarcasm)
And who pays for the accidents when these culprits crash with no insurance?….that’s right….we do!
If the Police were serious about enforcing traffic laws consistently?….where are they on any given day? I cross Spotts Straight into GT almost daily and it’s a rare sight to cross a Police vehicle…and even when I do it’s again rare they do any traffic law enforcement! It seems they go out of their way to NOT see and to NOT enforce the traffic laws!
Except for the rare announced holiday traffic roadblocks designed to inconvenience everyone!.
This Police and lawmaker response would be funny…if we weren’t all paying so much for it…in many different ways!
The Police have established a task force – this effort is separate from the law enforcement response to Sunday, pay attention or stop deliberately trying to make it look like nothing is being done
I suggest you re-read the posters comments again…and this time try to be objective. There is a stark absence of consistent traffic law enforcement here!
I and several others would like to rollerblade round the island every first Sunday of each month, wearing our mankinis. Where do I apply for a police escort? Might need two as Jimmy Five Bellies isn’t as fit these days and could lag behind. Chopper would also be handy, incase he needs a medevac.
Get the other trash off the road, and I know 30 other people who are about to leave the islands near rum point and they aint going to sell their house or property, they will just wait out the trash and wont visit Cayman or spend anymore of their money there for decades if that is what it takes, You are going to let a bunch of losers let this island go to the dogs because you dont want to alienate a bunch of idiots.
Your post would be more useful if it were better written.
That comes with a premium, you only are going to get the sketchy-bar-napkin versions on CNS.
Yep, they bang there drums as loud as they wat, they jam their music a loud as they want, they can invade as much of the road as they want, but sooner or later the trash gets taken out, even if it happens only one by one it will happen.
Good job guys. Lead by example youth!
Trust has to be built, if others see that the 10 were not arrested and bikes not confiscated, then they may start to turn up. Rome wasn’t built in a day, I applaud the initiative…well done.
Yes, the police should be trusted to deal with these criminal biker groups, charge the miscreants and take their silly toys off the road. Trust has broken down on that front. Every seized and crushed bike is a step closer to a more civilzed place.
With a few alterations we can also combat the ‘gang’ of illegal boaters at rumpoint on any given Sunday.
…“we will continue our dialogue with the (boating) community, but also enforce the law for those who insist on (boating) illegally and endangering themselves and others on the (water)”.
You cannot hide behind anonymous on here…you are the Grinch!!
Illegal boaters? What constitutes an illegal boater? As I don’t recall seeing any legislation to that effect.
Which part is illegal?
Crass deflection from a sympathiser with those that committed crimes en masse the other weekend.
Get this right. First we need an up to date and meaningful set of marine and boating laws to have any control whatsoever over “illegal boaters”. Put the horse before the cart!
Good initiative! Don’t give up after one try – keep it up! Don’t let the ‘nay-sayers’ discourage you.
We are waiting for your overblown story of success. You can pat each other on the back about your umeasured success.
I appreciate that the RCIP is trying, but this is where they have officers available???? We drove past the Christmas Carnival on Saturday and a car in front of us stopped to let a family cross WB Road. One idiot came shooting out from behind us and went into the turning lane, narrowly missing the family. All four could have been wiped out that evening. No police in sight for such a big event, no road blocks set up in the turning lane to avoid exactly this kind of overtaking when others stop to let pedestrians cross. Please RCIP reconsider your priorities!
The carnival is a private event, make them pay for their own traffic management.
Here we go with the usual keyboard cowboys with a handful of words without the facts.
Too many idiots stop in the middle of roads to be ‘courteous’ or just to let their friends cross. The roads are for vehicles people, it is dangerous to just stop when you have the right of way.
Learn the codes and stop being stupid.
Agree with you there. And what are your thoughts on illegal bikes / bikers?
I hope now the RCIP and the few misguided MLA’s understand that these outlaw motorcyclist intend to keep riding on the streets. All you had to do was listen to what they said. Im afraid it looks like they will be allowed to do as the please.
This is a joke. These morons don’t want a track or a specific road blocked off. They want the whole roads around the island to themselves. Sorry to say morons but that will never happen. I mean who do you think you are? What a big joke! Good luck getting that you MORONS!
MORONS??!! They are trying to cooperate and you are calling them morons? Yuh mudda ras bout morons
The definition of moron is somebody who speaks like a 2 year old.
Anyone who thinks they’re important is usually just a pompous moron who can’t deal with his or her own pathetic insignificance and the fact that what they do or say is meaningless and inconsequential, like your comment.
2 year old enough for you?
Struck a nerve lil buddy?
Not at all buddy! Don’t you have a wife or something to take care of than posting meaningless comments on CNS…..surely you do…
The ride was not broadcasted it was a small trial to work out the logistics and manageability. As things become more organized the numbers will increase.
And the annoyance will increase exponentially.
Small trial? “.But just ten bikers and a few onlookers turned up, even though many more were expected”, and “officers from several departments, including the neighbourhood police, traffic departments, and the police chopper were involved” – doesn’t sound that small, nor planned to have just 10 people turn up.
I know law-abiding folk, loyal to police work, may redicule my comments …
But the poor turn out is the result of SOLO an iron-fist, strong-arm police approach of the problem. Instead of a more concerted and collaborated approach from other organizations like insurance companies, and the C.I. Motorcycle Riders Association, etc … we end up causing many youngsters to feel like there is no understanding between them and us adults.
The psychology behind what the young do has to be taken in consideration. It takes more than mere policing from preventing resentments against authority, what they interpret as rediculing and infringing their freedom of expressions.
Next time, we need to learn from this and do better. My 2 cent ?
There could have been 20 bikers but 10 of those bikes were confiscated. LOL
At last someone else who sees the broader picture! This event I see as encouraging in that it indicates that the RCIP are willing to “Think outside the box” for a solution. My only issue is the insurance impediments to many (not all) of these youngsters is too much, and there needs to be a concertive creation of a path to qualification for insurance, including compliance criteria, training, certification, and penalties for defaulters. Without the insurance, too many of these bikers will continue their defiance and illegal activity. The big stick will only lead to unpleasant confrontations that will not go away just like that. There is work to be done by interested politicians, the RCIP, Insurance Companies, and hopefully the Cayman Islands Motorcycle Riders Association, DMVL etc. If they all agree that a solution is needed, then it is possible. Cudos to MLA Alva Suckoo, the Commissioner and whoever else was involved in this initiative.
✅ true
false
You are teaching up and coming criminals that they will always be able to negotiate their illegal acts and they can challenge boundaries of law. You are the problem.
Can we make your house a designated hang out for all bikers. Lets hear your wonderful solution after that occurrs. Come on, lets hear some deciation behind your thoeries.
Hang out at my house. Sure anytime ?
Think out the box
Address?
Thank you Unison for that breath of fresh clean air. The attitudes generally demonstrated in these posts are lacking in thought, and downright primitive.
The other 190 have no interest in riding on a track. They want to show off on public streets. Lock them up!
Fully agree! These bikers don’t care for off-road true dirt bikes use. They just want to ride it on the road illegally and showing off their “skills” in traffic. That’s what get their adrenaline flowing, not riding in a corner of Spark Drive where no one sees what “tricks” they do.
And in other news there were 2 reported rapes, 27 vehicle accidents, numerous B&Es, an armed assault and who knows how many drunk drivers on the road.
So what are the RCIP doing. Babysitting petulant juveniles who’s parent bought them illegal bikes knowing there was no where to ride them. Talk about misallocation of resources.
Thank you!
Congrats and kudos to all involved – especially the 10 bikers.
– Who
A positive comment! It is a tiny beginning to the finding of a solution, which in reality, will never be perfect. Apply the 80/20 rule. If creative solutions developed can lead to 80% of these offending riders becoming legal, it will be a massive victory. And please, can we have positive thinking instead of the stoning to death routine for a change?
Oh no… it isn’t ALLOWED to be positive of ANYTHING the police do, you know, it’s just too easy to be an armchair critic. “An opinion about everything and responsibility for nothing” – a wise man said. That pretty much sums up 80% of the comments on this blog the other 20% of us just try to avoid reading
The total dominance of negativity in CNS posts is utterly incredible, but, sadly a reflection of a very poor education level. Now you can all stone me to death for simply speaking the truth!
There’s a very loooooooong way to go then as 10 of 200 is only 5%
LOL!
LOL. Time to lock up the other 190.
The other 190 were probably too worried about being arrested to turn up?