| BIKE LAW TALK | |
| Alex was a
good rider!He was also a good bloke (he was a Ulyssian
after all) and very proud of his rare Gold /Green R1100RS
(keep an eye on those panniers that drop, Alex!)Alex
loved the Snowy area and had toured there many times.On a
perfect day, accompanied by some 12 other riders (some 2
up) he was travelling on the spectacular Kiandra -
Khancoban Road when near Cabramurra up comes a sudden
bend covered with centimetres thick loose gravel from
obviously very recent road works.Alex is able to wrestle
the bike to a near stop before falling over, luckily with
only bruising to him and his passenger. Two other bikes
also fall but the other 10 pull up just in
time.Alex’s enquiry is who is going to pay $2,000
for his damages.The road is under control of National
parks & Wildlife.The contractor for them on roadworks
is the local Council.Council says there is no better way
of doing the work and anyway, there were warning signs.
Sixteen people on the bikes say, ’No signs!’I
believed that the contractor had breached its duty of
care to road users to provide a safe public road without
hidden and unexpected dangers.My letters to the
contractor and insurer met with mirth, and eventually
Statement of Claim was issued, served, and after longer
than usual time (2 months), judgement was signed and
followed by a Writ of Execution on the Council.Alex and I
waited with baited breath for the fireworks! All that
happened was a call from the Sheriff in the Snowy asking
did I really want to execute the Council’s vehicle
fleet or could I wait a week while it was sorted out? I
agreed to wait.Within a few days (Christmas Eve I think),
a cheque for the full amount including damage, interest
and most of the legal expenses arrived without a whimper,
phone call, or any other explanation!There is a Santa
Claus, Virginia (Alex)!Ride smart - see you on the
winding road!Mark Stenbergsolicitor - hornsby Mark Stenberg |
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in a good cause... . |
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| The December
issue of riding On had scarcely gone to bed when more
welcome contributions to the Arthritis Foundation came
rolling in for Christmas! These included $250 from the Gladstone Group raised at two ‘Driver Revivers’, $533 from the Orange Group which included $281 from their October Campout, with the balanceraised at other events, including their Christmas party. $713.15 was the final total from the Goulburn Valley Group, adding another $208 to the funds raised at their October ‘Backward Odyssey’ at Shepparton. $400 came from two Poker Runs conducted by the Capricornia Group at Rockhampton, and finally, as foreshadowed in the last issue of this journal, $845.55 was the grand total raised by the Nepean Branch and presented to Vena Ryan and Joy Deane, representing the Arthritis Foundation, at the Branch meeting in November. A tremendous achievement. As a happy postscript, a Christmas card from one of our newer members contained his personal donation of $25 to a good cause - nice one, Alan. So thank you everyone for making it such a good Christmas for the Arthritis Foundation who I know are deeply appreciative of our efforts and welcome our support. They are keeping the Ulysses contributions in a separate account so that they can give us feedback at the end of the year on how the funds have been distributed. An additional incentive to do even better in 1998 is the establishment of the Jo Dearnley Memorial Trophy to be awarded annually to the Group or Branch that makes the largest contribution to our preferred charity during the year This great gesture by our National Committee was announced at a certain geriatric’s surprise 75th birthday party and, as you may read elsewhere in these pages, was the high point of the evening for him. So please, Branch and group secretaries, set aside at least one event in your 1998 calendar for the benefit of the Arthritis Foundation and let’s show them what the Ulysses Club can do for this very worthy cause.Love life; look, listen, learn and laugh, Keep well, ride safely, enjoy life. Stephen Dearnley member No. 1 |
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