Dirt bike riders get a pass to break the law
The two recent articles on dirt-bike riders reflect how unrealistically this (at best) annoying and (at worst) unlawful and dangerous activity is viewed.
Columnist Dan Rodricks’ “Time to push again for a dirt bike park” (July 9) and commentator Maggie Master’s “Don’t stereotype dirt bike riders” (July 8) both recognize the illegality and the public safety threat posed by these activities.
Both advocate use of city funds to resolve the problem by building a dirt-bike park. But both also admit that the essence of biking is tied to riding city streets. That implies building a dedicated dirt-bike facility is unlikely to stop riders from essentially taking over the streets from time to time, ignoring traffic laws and endangering anyone unlucky enough to be in their path.
In Mr. Rodrick’s article Steve Burden, a leader in the dirt-bike activity, clearly states “I don’t sugarcoat, Dirt bike riding is illegal; it’s wrong. But it’s better than what these kids could be doing.” Ms. Master cites how dirt-bike riding fosters an “overwhelming culture of pride in this brotherhood.”
Taken literally, these rationalizations convey the message that dirt-bikers deserve a free pass for unlawful and dangerous behavior because “it’s better than what they could be doing.” The authors admit that the riders are talented and that they obviously have spent considerable time and effort learning their acrobatic stunts. But perhaps all that time, effort and dedication might have been better spent acquiring skills conducive to resolving more fundamental issues, such as unemployment and underemployment.
Have we reached a point where laws now have “exceptions?” It seems far too many crimes, whether committed by blacks, whites or any other color, are somehow mitigated or excused by dysfunctional childhoods, poor parenting, disparate opportunities, etc.
While we should actively be addressing these cultural issues -- and I believe we are making progress in that regard -- the fact remains that the purpose of governments and laws is to protect the welfare of the general population.
We cannot achieve unity and safety in the city through a benign neglect of the unlawful activities that result in unsafe streets and imminent threats of injury.