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It's about time! MOTORCYCLE GROUPS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION OVER N.Y. ROADBLOCKS The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) announced that its New York attorney has sent a letter of intent to file a class-action lawsuit against New York State Police and the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles in response to a series of discriminatory roadblocks targeting motorcycles en route to motorcycle-related events. After a roadblock was established on New York's I-84 in October 2007, which singled out motorcyclists on their way to a Marcus Dairy Cycle Sunday in nearby Danbury, Conn., motorcyclists' rights advocates learned that Federal Grant money was to be used to fund police overtime to conduct these so-called 'safety checks' at motorcycle events statewide. Despite talks between DMV and representatives of NCOM, the American Motorcyclist Association, ABATE of New York and other motorcycle rights organizations during the winter, roadblocks were also set up on I-88 and the NYS Thruway targeting motorcyclists traveling to the American Motorcycle Jamboree, or AM-JAM, a 24-year old event held at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds, and again on I-87 stopping riders traveling to Americade in Lake George, America's largest touring motorcycle rally. According to Robert 'Prospector' Boellmer, the New England and New York representative of NCOM, Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney Mitchell Proner of New York, NY has given notice to the NY State Police and DMV that a class action suit will be filed in protest of the road checks being conducted on state highways during events that draw thousands of motorcyclists. Warren County Tourism Director Kate Johnson said Americade's 2007 economic impact in the region was estimated to have been $46 million. 'The rally brought about 50,000 motorcyclists to the area last year,' she told the newspaper, adding that attendance was down this year. Boellmer told the Daily Gazette that the stops constitute harassment of cyclists and his group will fight them in court to halt the discriminatory roadblocks. He said the national coalition represents more than a thousand motorcycle organizations across the country. 'ABATE of New York, Inc. expresses its opposition to New York State's burgeoning tactic of conducting highway roadblocks which divert only motorcyclists from the state's roadway for the purpose of conducting 'safety checks', and hereby expresses its support of a class-action initiative by the National Coalition of Motorcyclist against the NYS Police and the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles,' said Timothy D. Werder, State President of ABATE of New York in an official press release issued by his organization. With the support of ABATE of New York, the AMA and various other biker rights organizations, NCOM officials plan to pursue legal actions against state agencies involved in what they consider unconstitutional infringements.
