Hell Month

by Gary Klinker

Here we are in February, what has been known around our house as hell month. It is typically the busiest month of the year for Safe Rider and for me and Shawn. Please note, I’m not whining. It always charges me up, pulls me out of the winter blahs, and gets the new season really rolling. Starting on the 7th with Officer Training, the 11th with DOT’s Spring Kick-off in Madison, the 13th is Lobby Day, back to Madison, Valentine’s Day on the 14th, and ending with the Safe Rider annual Training and Board meeting on the 15th. Maybe it’s just hell week, not month. Unrelated, but for us it is also Daytona 500 weekend and the start of the NASCAR season.

Either way it gives us a chance to see a lot of ABATE members at OT or Lobby Day. You are planning to go to Lobby Day, right?? I’ll be bus captain for the La Crosse bus. I would really like to see a lot more people on our route. We have always had plenty of room to spare. Mark your calendar and call in sick for the biggest day in the ABATE calendar. There are a lot of new representatives and senators who need to hear from us and meet us. Aside from the organized meeting, the best thing you can do with your time in Madison is to knock on your rep’s and senator’s office door and meet their staff. These are the people we need to know and be familiar with. Get to know them.

We are looking forward to the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program Spring Kick-off this year. There is going to be a new system connecting the training sites to the state for reports and record keeping. In addition, sites have the option to use the new system for many other functions, including class scheduling and registration. Safe Rider has stepped up to be one of the first in Wisconsin to utilize all the features of the new system. It won’t be easy to switch over, but it is also exciting to see how things work.

Every two years our Rider Coaches must re-certify for CPR and First Aid. Thanks to Vicki Sanfelipo, we do this as a group at our meeting. It is also the election year for two Rider Coaches who will sit on the Safe Rider Board for the next two years. Thanks to Laurie Thompson, we can have the other board members join by Zoom and save them time and miles. Very convenient for Cheryl Sheridan, our new Business Agent, who sits on the board and spends the winter in Arizona.

Now for the important stuff-riding a motorcycle. By the end of February, we may be getting some riding in. Get those bikes ready to go. You don’t want to miss a good 50-degree day. STEAM is in Iowa the first weekend in April. That may be a ride. When you do get out remember to practice those rusty skills-braking, cornering, looking ahead, and watching for cars. Ride your own ride. You’ve had all winter to lay in the bar. Enjoy the bike and the road.

Ride Safe,

Gary