xz7bob

Hey, Zach... sorry I don't check this every day... No, Waverly is the most recent example I can remember but not in Franklin County. Saw it on the news yesterday... Are you saying Franklin County is immune from Plant closures and job loss? I can name 15-20 places that employed at least 150 people each that no longer exist in Columbus. What I am suggesting that law makers in Columbus could do more to keep those types of places open in Franklin county instead of worrying about trivial legislation such as this. Just gives them a chance to say "Look what I accomplished!" Booze, cell phones, etc., etc., etc.... stupid people will find a way to kill themselves or others....

Next up... Putting on Make-up Adjusting your dash vents Programming a station preset on your radio Looking for a CD in the glovebox Fact is... stupid people will always figure out a way to have an accident... there are numerous ways to get distracted in a car without singling out the cell phone. The older I get the more I get the feeling legislators like to pass the easy stuff without tackling the important issues like how to keep 1200+ jobs from disappearing from a place like Mills Pride in the Waverly Ohio. Manufacturing jobs in Ohio form the backbone of this states middle class... and these jobs are flying out of Ohio at an alarming rate.... but hey, we have a new texting law!!!! When are we going to expect more from our government??????????????????

Wow, I love Millstone to! Is it mostly Harley's though?

Chillicothe here as well! Moved here just to be closer to hocking hills... usually ride Charleston Pike out to Laurelville and then just start exploring... anyone riding tomorrow (4/10) ?

Here is the response my state rep. evans got from OSHP when he inquired to their office: Please find the response we received from a representative of the Highway Patrol in response to your inquiry. Please let me know if you any additional concerns. “The facts surrounding this case are that the trooper was clocked in an air speed zone traveling with another motorcycle on IS 70 at 147 MPH and the friend he was traveling with, which was an off-duty Gahanna Police officer, was traveling 149 MPH. The trooper who cited both of the officers felt the appropriate charge was speeding. The elements of street racing were not warranted in this situation because they were traveling at a steady speed and not accelerating rapidly at the time of the clock. As for the reckless operation charge it is up to the issuing officer what charge he feels is appropriate and can be proven in court. OSP does not have the legal authority to make any officer issue a charge or a certain degree of a charge. The discretion is upon the issuing officer. There is a current investigation into the fact that the issuing officer turned off his video audio recording off near the end of the contact. Any pending investigation into the Trooper Highsmith will have to come after his due process in court.” Thanks, Carrie Caveda- Legislative Aide to Representative Clyde Evans 87th House District 77 South High Street, 10th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 Office: (614) 466-1366 Fax: (614) 719-6987 Court date has been moved to 8/10 at 2:30pm. I am still going to make it up there... again, like to see how he might try pull this off without a suspended license. Anybody else from the Chillicothe area want to ride up?

I think this is really insightfull... the trooper turning off the mike CONFIRMS that the way troopers treat their own is different that the way they treat you and me! That guy should be in bigger trouble than highsmith... This guy was on tax payer time when he did that Trial is set for 7/24 at 10am and I confirmed that the court room will be open for spectators...

I got an email from the clerk of courts in licking county muni saying the court room will be open, but check the day before to make sure it is still on for 7/24. I may seem overly interested in this guy but have good reason... I got screwed by BMV and department of public safety once to the tune of a 3-month suspension. It was a technicality and they made no effort to cut me a break. I requested a hearing with the BMV and spent 1k on a lawyer to go with me and at the hearing they said they had to follow the letter of the law even though the suspension was extreme for my infraction. Unlike this guy, I can assure everyone that what I did would have in no way potentially killed anyone... This guy gets paid (well) to ensure public safety on the highway (opps, that is meant to say "write tickets"). I saw a newspaper article saying that the top state trooper wrote over 1,500 tickets last year in Ohio...WOW! I wonder how many stranded motorists they helped in comparison. You and I are just dipshits in the eyes of the OSHP...we need to be protected from ourselves. Well, when one one of them acts like a major-league dumbass yes, it is different then when one of us dipshits screw up... his training and experience SHOULD tell him that 150 in a 65 is VERY wrong. He should know how horrific the accident could have been if he had caused one as he has most likely seen this kind of stuff many times in his career! Like someone else mentioned earlier, kind of like the fox guarding the hen house. I know it was on his own time, but seriously...what in the hell was this guy thinking? That he wouldn't get caught? Did he realize how much attention he would attract at 150? Myself, I would claim "temporary insanity"... that's why I want to attend the trial, I am really curious as to what he will say in his defense! Should he be sentenced differently, NO. But would I want a convicted bank robber as a teller if I owned a bank? Well, it can be argued that everyone makes mistakes and we should give the crook a second chance, but I don't think I'd want the bank robber working at my bank... I know I am comparing apples to oranges (felonies to misdemeanors)... but this could have easily become a felony and feel there should be serious consequences when it comes to his continued employment as a trooper. So yes, this guy should get a minimum of a 3 months suspension in my opinion. Glad to hear that the legal bill will come out of his own pocket. Imagine going 150 in traffic that was doing 65-70. I'm running it thru my mind and one scenerio is chilling... old lady in slow lane wants to pull into passing lane...glances in left side mirror and sees bike coming up in passing lane but doesn't realize he is going a buck fifty... she changes lanes thinking she has plenty of room and the guy on the bike either trys to avoid her and wipes out, creating a 500 lb 150mph projectile... I used to race in WERA and can testify to how far something goes after a wipeout at 150. Bike crosses median (although I think there are concrete barriers on that section of 70) and hits someone head on. I realize not everybody agrees with me, but it is great that people can get on these forums to understand differnet points of view and I respect everyones elses...

I'll be there for sure... never thought about PBA/FOP helping cover his legal expenses... it would be a shame if this didn't hit him directly in his pocketbook.

too many bugs...

my wife says I have too much time on my hands...

Good point Cheech! Hey, I would love to see others there. His case # in Licking County Municipal court is 09TRD07096 and the trial is set for 2:00pm on 7/24 to Judge Branstool. It seems Branstool has commented that he would not hesitate to suspend Highsmith's license if he was found guilty... that's hear-say though as I saw it online. I sent an email request to the clerk of courts there to see if the courtroom will be open. If anybody else intends to go, call the clerk the day before to see if it is still set for trial on the 24th. A lawyer can just about fart sideways and get a continuence to delay the trial to a later date. When I went to fight my speeding ticket in Chillicothe Municipal court it was an open courtroom so spectators could observe. I agree with not antagonizing before the verdict is heard... Did a search of the docket and 1 Columbus TV station and the Newark newspaper have filed a motion for Media coverage... It should be entertaining! Highsmith has listed SHAMANSKY as his lawyer in the docket... I don't think this guy is cheap so I know it will cost him 1-2K to have a lawyer in his corner. Again, I hope he gets the book thrown at him but if he does get off, the rest of us might learn how to get out of a speeding ticket by airplane... I went it alone, without an attorney and got $225 fine and 2 points.

For what its worth, I wrote emails to my state senator and 2 state reps as well as the gov. I figure the more people complain about it, the more the judge may feel people are watching this and not let this guy off. I am certain that if you or I did this, there would be a minimum of a 3 month driver's license suspension... I'm going to be there on 7/24 with a '98 green/white/purple ZX-7R... hope a few others can make it!

What is really weird is that this should have been "reckless op" and/or "street racing"... either one of these can give the judge the choice to suspend his license. Hey, I say throw the book at him. I think the trooper who wrote the ticket went alittle light as well 'cause the guy was a trooper. Anyone else going to go to his court date in Licking County Muni? It is 7/24 and I am going to ride up from Chillicothe to see how this guy trys to get out of a 147/ by plane ticket... He pled NG... I got a 76 in a 55 near chillicothe and Trooper Dorcey (I thought my wife hired a stripper when I popped over the hill near Kenworth and she was standing in the middle of 23!) and she couldn't write the ticket fast enough!

Chillicothe guy here also!!! Do you ride much towards old man's cave? my fav route is 56 to athens and then 550 to marietta.. John

ordered a Sargent to match the OEM paint scheme on my zx7-r and they could not get it right... They even had the one I wanted pictured on their website and I told them exactly which web pic of the design I wanted...they screwed it up...TWICE. Sent a completely different style. Customer service is not the greatest...