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City wants dirt bikes ‘immobilized’
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Baltimore dirt bike owners may be forced to lock up their vehicles, or face seizures by police.
A bill to be introduced at tonight’s City Council meeting would require residents who own dirt bikes and unregistered motorcycles — illegal to operate but not own in the city— to “immobilize” them.
The bill, sponsored by the Dixon administration, would make it illegal not to have either an ignition lock or wheel clamp on dirt bikes to prevent the vehicle from being ridden.
The measure would allow police to seize any of the vehicles not properly secured, Dixon spokesman Sterling Clifford said.
“The bill will require them to be immobile while they are in the city. It gives us another tool for addressing dirt bikes,” he said.
The bill also would prevent owners from repurchasing seized dirt bikes, a restriction sponsors said was necessary to keep drug dealers from buying the bikes back.
“What typically happens when the police seize these bikes [particularly from drug runners] is that the people who forfeited the bikes show up at auction and just buy it right back. This law outlaws that practice,” said Shaun Adamec, spokesman for City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who also supports the bill.
Dirt bikes have been a source of controversy in Baltimore, with police and city leaders labeling them as hazards operated by reckless teens.
Last year, 7-year-old Gerard Mungo Jr. was arrested for allegedly sitting on a dirt bike. The arrest embroiled the police department in controversy and raised questions about the legality of sitting on a dirt bike with the ignition off. Gerard was released without being charged.
In the wake of the controversy, City Councilman Jack Young, D-District 12, proposed building a city-owned dirt bike park, a proposal the administration rebuffed.
“I think in order for us to control all this illegal riding, we need to be stricter,” Young said. “I support the idea.”
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
3:33 PM MST on Sun., Apr. 6, 2008 re: "City wants dirt bikes ‘immobilized’"
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1:06 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 25, 2008
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Examiner Reader said:
After readin this I realise that these can't be real Dirt bikes. These must be those chinese knock off bikes that everyone is buying for there kids. I can't see a guy buying a new 450 and riding it down the street. So I am assuming that these bikes are under powered garbage that have no real purpose other than to annoy others and help in the demise and fall of the U.S. economy. Instead of banning them why don't rip the kid off the bike call the cops and arrest the parents of the minors. Make the people responsible be responsible. What has happened to the once great united states?
1 agree | 0 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Well, it's about time. These punks wanna ride these things like own the streets. My only wish is that we start to see some of these thugs underneath MTA busses before the law takes effect.
31 agree | 7 disagree
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BA said:
Everyone seems to be missing the point. Dirt bikes aren't just a nuisance, but they aren't street legal to begin with unless you make modifications. Did you ever notice there aren't turn signals or break lights on one? They're made for the DIRT, not road.
30 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Something has to be done. I was driving in the city w/2 left turn lanes to my left and 2 through lanes to my right. The light turned green, the cars to my left started their turns and I proceeded forward. Suddenly there were about 20 kids on dirt bikes...all painted the same color/way but it didn't look like you could buy them from the store that way (not shiny paint). They were just blocking the intersection and made all of us stop for them. I was shaking because I never would have wanted to hit anybody. They just sat there grinning and gunning their engines. It was probably really funny to see my look of horror that I almost hit a bunch of kids! When I saw all the similar bikes, I figured they are probably gang bangers so I proceeded straight and let them wait in the middle of the intersection. They are a hazard. Don't their mothers/grandmothers care about their safety? Why do their mothers always rant & rave about the police who are trying to keep the public and their kids safe?
25 agree | 10 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I am willing to bet this will also make scooters illegal, bad move.
29 agree | 8 disagree
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City Resident said:
yeah, i can just see when Dixon uses tax money for a dirtbike track...you guys will have a field day with that.
26 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hey just b/c you have a problem with drug dealers doesn't mean the idea doesn't have merrit. There's a big difference between drug dealers on dirtbikes and responsible citizens who own dirtbikes and who have no place to ride them. Dirtbikes are not the issue; stopping lawbreakers should be the issue. Do you propose to stop cars from driving in Balt city because drug dealers with no legal license run a red light? Of course not. But you know that law breakers use the same public streets that law-abiding citizens use. Why not consider the idea of a public park. It has nothing at all to do with crime. And if criminals use it, that has nothing to do with whether or not it provides a public good. Just like the public streets...
27 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Something needs done--but a "city owned track"?? What the hell?? How many taxpayers are going to foot the bill 4 insurance, then how many lawsuits, if you can't control them now, you really think that would do a thing?? Maybe if the track runs parallel to the new 95-the drug running gets easier and faster, and it is a 'city owned track'!--and the cops can just turn their heads from that side too, just like everywhere else the dealers rule! Really, you want to own one, well what do you need to own one for if you have no where to ride (mommie teach u to think b4 u buy)?? Why do you think Quad ave went away? Dead bodies and burnt cars.
25 agree | 10 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Not all dirtbike owners are irresponsible and it is inaccurate to imply it. There needs to be a place for dirtbikers to ride in city limits. A designated riding park for example. How can it be legal to own with no place to legally ride it. What outcome do you expect under those circumstances?
34 agree | 9 disagree
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A giraffe dies said:
This may be the first piece of legislation that makes sense from Mayor Dixon. It does not go far enough, but it is a start. After watching teens ride wheelies down the street without regard to traffic signals, cars, pedestrians or cops eating donuts in their cars, I always wonder when is someone going to get killed? It's only a matter of time. BPD Officer Salvatore Rivieri should be transferred to the Northeast and given the assignment to crack down on this problem. Maybe he can beat the crap out of some of these dudes.
26 agree | 8 disagree
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City Resident said:
i love this bill. its not even the obnoxious 300db noise that comes from these things, but that these kids ride them in groups of 30-40 popping wheelies all the way down the street and never obey other traffic laws. you wanna ride a dirt bike? go to Carroll County!
14 agree | 8 disagree
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Conscious Reader said:
Why don't they make them get licenses and make money off of them? It will help with the money the city is illegally collecting from bogus parking tickets, withering real estate taxes and fees, and people leaving the city because the taxes and auto insurance is so high...eating up all the costs of "cheap" housing in Baltimore City!
23 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
They should let the police be issued dirt bikes and use them instead of cars. They will get more done this way.
10 agree | 10 disagree
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