The Bureaucracy and Fighting Back

[BamaBiker]

Jack, I would like to know about the Skyline Drive deal. Having been a victim of it (thats my story and I'm sticking to it!) I would REALLY like to know. I can only assume the real reason was to slow the bikes down. Ruined a great road in my opinion. Always thought that was illegal to create a dangerous road for motorcycles on purpose. Hmmm and I really thought that ridiculous tag fee I pay actually had some small part of maintaining the roads. If they are going to create a dangerous road on purpose the least they could do is give the m/cycles a tax break...yeah I know I ain't holdin' my breath either!

Vance, Bob says the road is great these days (Skyline/AL281). I'll check it out for myself one of these days real soon and see. Too bad the Pigtrail (Cheaha road) is still crap. That's one of my favorite push-bike roads up the mountain!

When it (Skyline) was in terrible shape, I called the NE office of AL-DOT, wrote letters to the HMIC, even got quoted in the newspaper. I was told, essentially, that, even tho' AL281 was a state highway, it really wasn't. That AL-DOT considered it part of the park roads, and as such, they weren't responsible for maintenance. That it passed through 3 different counties, and no county was ponying up the funds to repave it properly. That we should be glad that it was even a hard surface these days, rather than a mud track up the mountain. That we shouldn't complain about it, just enjoy what we had. It wasn't going to change. So I wrote off what was one of the best roads/destinations in AL.

Shortly after you went over the side on 281, another friend of mine almost went off the side coming down the PigTrail. He hit his brakes to slow down on the first really sharp corner (after turning off 281 onto Cheaha Rd), hit some loose gravel in the turn, and slid off the road. He didn't lose it, but he had some serious creases in his saddle when he regained control and thought about what might have happened. And he claimed he was doing less than 20mph on the way down, too.

[R90srider]

Larry Camp, John Harper and I made the ride a few weeks ago and it was wonderful. At places, there is some gravel on the roadside, but no more than usual. I think you will be pleasantly surprised when you take your ride. Just in case you didn't know, Blue Ridge Road is open (may have to ride around barrier) from CR12 to the Skyway. Here is a route from Waldo (Old Mill Restaurant) to get to the lower base of the Skyway. Take care though, the 2 1/2 miles of Blue Ridge is rough but worth it. CR 12 is a fun road too.

WADO (Old Mill Restaurant) 0 your odometer Total Miles
Get on Hwy 77 and drive southeast
CR-209 6.0 mi
Turn left onto Cr-209
CR-12 (Clairmont Springs Rd) 9.4 mi
Turn left onto Clairmont Springs Rd
Turn left onto Blue Ridge Rd 16.4 mi

Ride around barricade if there 17.1 mi
Skyway@Blue Ridge Turn right to US 78 19.2 mi
Good place to take a break.

Bob

[dixieoutlaw]

Renewing Corporate Business License

Each year we have to renew our State Corporate License for the concrete business. We receive the letter of renewal from the state licensing board asking for their money but with instructions to contact the Sec. of State's office to get a certified letter stating we are still a corporation. If we weren't I wouldn't want to send the state money for a license. Anyway after about 3 days of trying to get through tothe Sec. State's office, you finally get through to be on hold for about an hour. Once you get one of our good civil servants they take your info and credit card number to charge the $5.00 for the certified letter, then they tell you there will be an additional $2.50 convenience charge -if they think this is convenient they can kiss my country a**. Once you receive their letter you can mail it all back to Montgomery with your cashiers check (they don't trust business checks) for the business license.
No wonder to me it is difficult to get businesses to locate in Alabama without giving them half the state treasury.

Gary

[Vance]

Each year we have to renew our State Corporate License for the concrete business. We receive the letter of renewal from the state licensing board asking for their money but with instructions to contact the Sec. of State's office to get a certified letter stating we are still a corporation. If we weren't I wouldn't want to send the state money for a license. Anyway after about 3 days of trying to get through tothe Sec. State's office, you finally get through to be on hold for about an hour. Once you get one of our good civil servants they take your info and credit card number to charge the $5.00 for the certified letter, then they tell you there will be an additional $2.50 convenience charge -if they think this is convenient they can kiss my country a**. Once you receive their letter you can mail it all back to Montgomery with your cashiers check (they don't trust business checks) for the business license.
No wonder to me it is difficult to get businesses to locate in Alabama without giving them half the state treasury.

Gary

Amen brother! I too forgot about this one. I have to renew the contractors license each year as well. Sure is a lot of hassle as you say. Seems to me the rules and dates are a little different every year just to make it confusing. A real hassle but a necessary one. I have had to "show" that license a time or two. You may do the financial data but I have to pay the accountant to do that part for too! Yikes......

[TomGilbert]

Proof of insurance

I got a letter in the mail from the state department of revenue? somebody, don't recall.

They stated that I had to go to their website and enter our insurance number for each of the vehicles that we own or they were going to suspend the vehicle tags. The web site was real sucky and I wasn't sure that it went through. Haven't heard back yet.

Yall ever heard of this?

[Bikebum]

Not exactly, but I did get a notice from DOT that they had revoked the tag for one of my vehicles because I had cancelled the insurance on it. It seems thay my good ol' independent insurance agent had reported it to DOT. According to them they are required by law to do so. The car was up for sale and had not been driven for a while so I saw no need for insurance. DOT would not accept that and said I would have to furnish proof that the car was not being driven. I finally amended the form to state that the car was being restored ('81 Model Accord). They said I would have to prove that the restoration was done to get the tag reissued. I told them I would send pictures. Hahahahahah.....

Of course I sold the car with out a tag.

[TomGilbert]

Not exactly, but I did get a notice from DOT that they had revoked the tag for one of my vehicles because I had cancelled the insurance on it. It seems thay my good ol' independent insurance agent had reported it to DOT. According to them they are required by law to do so. The car was up for sale and had not been driven for a while so I saw no need for insurance. DOT would not accept that and said I would have to furnish proof that the car was not being driven. I finally amended the form to state that the car was being restored ('81 Model Accord). They said I would have to prove that the restoration was done to get the tag reissued. I told them I would send pictures. Hahahahahah.....

Of course I sold the car with out a tag.

I don't see how they can do that.
The tag is about operating the motor vehicle on the roadway isn't it? You are innocent until proven guilty.
DOT has to prove you were driving on the road. What a waste of time and efffort!
I bet 15-20% of drivers don't even have a license. That is where they should concentrate their efforts.

[Vance]

I got a letter in the mail from the state department of revenue? somebody, don't recall.

They stated that I had to go to their website and enter our insurance number for each of the vehicles that we own or they were going to suspend the vehicle tags. The web site was real sucky and I wasn't sure that it went through. Haven't heard back yet.

Yall ever heard of this?

Tom, I think this is a new thing for the state in an attempt to make sure all of our state's safe and courteous drivers are also duly insured. I have had this request also on of my bikes. I went to the site and had no problems entering the required information that was available from the insurance card. If you did not get an error message it should be fine.

[TomGilbert]

Tom, I think this is a new thing for the state in an attempt to make sure all of our state's safe and courteous drivers are also duly insured. I have had this request also on of my bikes. I went to the site and had no problems entering the required information that was available from the insurance card. If you did not get an error message it should be fine.

OK that's great. Thanks.

But I remember before the required insurance laws. You didn't have to have proof of insurance. There wasn't a problem. Did you know the fine for no insurance is $500? That is a lot of money to some people.

Insurance is a civil matter. It is a contract between an individual and the insurance co. to protect that individual against losses. Have a wreck? No insurance? As they say in Russia...Tuuf Shiishkii
I think that the law is being used to lean on individuals in order to line the pockets of insurance companies as well as govt coffers.
What say you?

[Wrong Way]

You may be right Vance. I was ready to pull my hair out before I got all my vehicles tagged & titled. I felt there was a bunch of middle aged woman at the tag office that were on a power trip or something. Most of them had a different interpertation of what the rules where and how they should be applied. And boy if you challeged any of them on anything things got worse in a hurry. I have never had an experience like it before or since.

[R90srider]

I felt there was a bunch of middle aged woman at the tag office that were on a power trip or something. Most of them had a different interpertation of what the rules where and how they should be applied. And boy if you challeged any of them on anything things got worse in a hurry. I have never had an experience like it before or since.

Hey Tim. You are asking for it now. Can't wait to hear the responses.

[Gail]

Hey Tim. You are asking for it now. Can't wait to hear the responses.

Tim is just saying what everybody else is afraid to say! Believe it or not, I agree with him! Sad but true, a lot of middle age women (not all), feel like they have something to prove. I have always prefered working with men rather than a bunch of bike biting, hateful women. I LIKE MEN! There is absolutely nothing worse. He is right about them acting like they have something to prove . There is nothing more hateful than a woman when she is like this, and it is to her own demise. I don't like them either! Gail

[Bikebum]

The reason they have the glass partitions with the little holes that you talk through is to prevent you from pulling the nice ladies by their throats to your side of the counter where you can stomp the everliving **** out of them.

[Gail]

bunch of bike biting, hateful women. Gail

Ha, ha I said bike biting!

[Hotel179]

Ha, ha I said bike biting!

You got to it before I could post...how funny. I nearly spilled my milk.

I recently bought a motorcycle that had never been tagged or titled...don't sign the form on the wrong line! Can you say (you'll have to say it because I may not be able to spell it) "affadavit?"