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Front Page
Editors Ramblings
Focus On
Green laning and what it's got to do with you
Behind the Lines
Foreword
VAT On Helmets
SORN (Satutory Off Road Notification) Don’t Get
Caught Out
Automatic Headlights (AHO) AGAIN
MOT Sticker
Motorcycle Luggage - Do You Know The Dangers?
MAG Condemns "Free" Insurance Schemes
I’m No Lady Coming Out Of The Closet
Hazards for
Motorcyclists - Your Help Required
Insensitivity to Disabled Bikers
MAG Youth?
MAG Youth – (temporary name)
Odds and Sods
Stolen Bikes
Raffle Prizes for 2004
Pennsylvania
Helmet Freedom!
Funnies!
Are You In Here????
Stolen Bike
MAG Events
Previous Issues
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I’m No Lady Coming Out Of The Closet
Over the last twelve months – starting in August last year, I have worked closely with MAG to investigate how insurance and theft affects riders. The purpose of all my
research is to produce an 80,000 word doctoral thesis (PhD) in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick. (Yes folks – it’s the same department where Maz Harris did his
doctoral thesis). My specialisation is in Criminology and upon completion I expect to receive the title of Doctor of Philosophy (guaranteeing that I’ll never be asked out by a bloke – on
the basis that nobody likes a smart arse). All that sounds heavy and believe me it is. I had to spend eight months reading books about Situational Criminology, Government Policy on Crime and
Deviance, Managerialism and Neo Liberalism. Late Modernity - zzzzzzzzzzz. Then I had to set up two surveys – and distribute them, write papers about theft, do a Masters in
Quantitative Research Methods and Political and Social Theory – basically work my arse off just to get my PhD proposal accepted. (Oh! And be a single mother to a stroppy 17 year old, feed the
dogs and earn a bit of money to keep me going).
Most of you will not have heard of me. Henry and Trevor have always referred to me up until now as ‘The Lady from Warwick
University’. But a year on (I am now a member and the proud owner of a very girlie Turquoise Yamaha Virago 535) having spent time with MAG members (and non), I think it would be true to say
that I am no lady – and that’s fine by me. I know that I’ve been called quite a few names – most not very flattering. In fact during this last year, there were those who
would have preferred me to keep my mouth shut and have done their best to discredit me. I’ve had to argue, cajole, plead, beg, analyse and write to convince myself and everybody else that in
spite of all the media hype, and blurb on theft coming from the police, insurance and security industry, I believe that it isn’t that bad – statistically speaking. What is bad is that
the insurance and security industries have used everybody’s ignorance about the problem of motorcycle theft to make a lot of money. This is the basis of my thesis, which is called ‘The
Fear Industry’ : An Examination of the Relationship between Fear of Crime and Vested Interests.
I’ve just spent two days trawling through MAG’s archives, starting way back in
1983 with the first MAGNEWS. What I found was that there is not one mention of bike theft before the October/November issue of 1991 in which there is a small insert called ‘Stolen Bike
Corner’ about the theft of two bikes – a Honda CBX 550 and a Suzuki GS 1000. What I found curious is that in the previous issue (August/September 1991) there was an article entitled
‘Bike Insurance to Soar’ which gave details of a consultation document by the Lord Chancellor’s department looking at a proposal of ‘no fault’ compensation. About the
same time, an insurance company allegedly, (which will be known hereon as ‘Onion Sandwich’ (OS), for the sake of pointing the finger without ending up in litigation) decided to refuse
insurance to younger riders and dramatically increase premiums for motorcyclists. The reason this insurer gave was that there were exceedingly high levels of motorcycle theft.
Unfortunately
there was no way to disprove this claim because the government had never bothered to count stolen motorcycles separately, in fact, before 1997 the government had lumped stolen cars, trucks, plant
machinery and motorcycles together under the same generic heading ‘Stolen Vehicles’. In the February/March 1992 issue of MAGNEWS, it all went crazy and from that issue onwards, bike
theft was the number one topic. Everybody got involved and so within six months, it was a major problem. By the end of September this year (2003), we will have completed the second
survey, looking at insurance and security and we hope to be able to produce some good data.
This is where I need your help. We are carrying out a combined survey with the Netherlands
MAG to understand a number of issues related to insurance and security as well as to identify whether theft is really a problem in this country (see the article in the April/May edition of Streetbiker
‘The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but Statistics’) We need to have as many people completing the second survey – which is on line at www.mag-uk.org or can be obtained from Trevor
Baird (Public Affairs) at MAG Central Office phone 0870 444 8 448. We would like to have younger riders and owners of small engine sizes (50 – 125 cc) completing the survey as well.
By
the way, if any MAG member wants to talk to me, please let Trevor know- I’m looking for people who were active at the beginning of the ‘90s (including RY) to help me fill in the
gaps. When I’ve gathered all this information and carried out interviews, then I can start on my thesis.
In the next issue of Streetbiker, Trevor and I will start producing articles
which we hope will get you talking – maybe cheese a few people off – hopefully cheese you off so that you get angry. We think that we can build a case and take Onion Sandwich and a few
other insurers to the Office of Fair Trading and the European Competition Commission. Ride Free.
Elaine
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