Disarm is Alive and Well in Montana

[XLFD]

Our friend, Disarm, has recently popped up again.  I had put in my two cents worth at a blog post extolling the virtues of  adopting a "stop as yield" policy for the state of Montana in January of 2009.  Disarm apparently 'Googled' my actual name and figured he had to say something clever and charming to put me in my place, just like someone named Hexen had earlier this year.  When this happens at the blog, I get an E-Mail, and I checked it out to find some grief from Disarm delivered 8-20-10 (below), with my prior posts already there. 

 

There seemed to be a little bitterness in his post, after all, he dropped out of The Torch and from Talks because everyone else was being idiots and not agreeing with him.  I clarified some of his hasty assertions and got a plug in for our site that same day, but found out he was not done with his 'higher ground'.  Nine days later, he resumed his pleasantries, and I dutifully agreed with him.  That's probably the easiest way to defuse the situation when your dealing with someone who is a couple of Pokemon cards short of a deck. 

 

He does seem to proclaim himself as speaking for the community, yet he definitely has a problem with 'my forum buddies'.  Feel free to say "Hi" to Disarm over at his new forum.  Here's the link:  http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/bill_would_allow_bicyclists_to_legally_roll_through_stop_signs/C146/L41/#comments

By Tom Rotta, 1-26-09

I have recently become interested in the topic of bicycles having to stop at stop signs (other than yielding which most bicyclists do) after being ticketed for rolling through an empty intersection. As the cop ticketed me dozens of vehicles behind us rolled through the busy crosswalk at the same sign in clear violation of state laws. My state, like over 30 others, does not have a definition for 'stop', but like all states has a definition for 'parking', which is what every bicycle that ceases movement does at a stop sign. As it is illegal to park in the street at, or close to, an intersection, a bicycle that stops is in clear violation of the law. When motorists have to, by law, shut off their engine and come to a dead stop at a stop sign, I will gladly follow suit. Until then, I will continue to roll through them, for it is much safer, improves traffic flow, and totally within the law of my state

 

By Tom Rotta, 1-27-09

Vikkenpox, looked up the law and you are absolutely right about the pedestrian stuff. The local cops would still ticket me even if I dragged my feet, because they would invoke the 'pedestrian in the wrong part of the roadway' law.
How about this for another law you may break by 'parking' at a stop sign: since you need to reclip into pedals, sometimes slip between, or off, gears, and slowly accelerate from your dead stop, you can easily be claimed to be impeding traffic from all sides of the intersection.
When the "vehicular cyclist's" chain falls off at the stop sign when they put the stress of a start-up on it, and they become a sitting duck for fast and massive traffic in the middle of the intersection, maybe the last thought of their life might be that they should have rolled through that empty intersection when they safely could have.

 

By Hexen, 1-21-10

Well Mr Rotta - just what leg do you have to stand on - I recall reading about you on some site where you complained about getting a ticket - but keep in mind YOU DID BREAK THE LAW - he kept telling everyone he was a ex firefighter - wouldn't you think someone of the public office would know the laws and instead he keeps breaking them.

 

By Disarm, 8-20-10

I believe that everyone who is found guilty of breaking the law should quit complaining about the law and go out and do something about it. We had one idiot here in Michigan who received a citation for blowing a stop sign on his bicycle directly in front of a police cruiser. To complicate matters, the idiot was a member of the local Fire Department and started acting like he was immune to the law in this regard. Ultimately he quit serving on the fire department because he took offense when others tried to help him accept his legal obligation. THAT was 2 years ago, and he is still plastering local forums with his situation as if he were a poor victim of the worst abuse this side of the ground.

People here are sick and tired of his pitiful crying and wish he'd get a real life. He makes all bicyclists here in our area look bad but he seems not to care about anybody except his poor pitiful self.
Look folks, if you have a legitimate complaint .. then let the people know and then move on and do something constructive about it. If you keep crying and carrying on about bad bicycle laws and fail to follow through and make things better, then it makes all bicyclists look like whining idiots.

 

By Tom Rotta, 8-20-10

And that idiot is me! Thanks for the introduction Hexen and Disarm. They won't tell you the stop sign I was cited for was twenty-five feet beyond where it was supposed to legally be (before the crosswalk) by Michigan Law and so legally unenforceable or that the local politicos decided to violate a wide range of laws to cover themselves when I decided to deny responsibility for the ticket as someone served with a citation is legally allowed to do. The City of Ludington, Michigan has since moved a dozen stop and yield signs to their proper places after the state DOT forced them to. If you wish to read more of the graft and corruption that is part of Disarm's Ludington and Mason Co. Government and how it negatively affects the citizens of that fair city visit: https://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/
There you can view the facts and the laws, and make your own informed decision, instead of listening to petty name calling by a public official or two here.

 

By Disarm, 8-29-10

Tom Rotta,

Sir .. with all due respect .. it was a highly visible Stop sign and bicyclist's in the State of Michigan have a legal duty to stop. Our community has spoken loud and clear that bicyclists who complain about the laws .. but then disregard the laws themselves .. are not very well appreciated here. Moreover, the individual of whom I speak has reduntantly harped (ad-nauseum) over the course of 2 years about the actual 'placement' of the highly visible Stop sign, and fully deserves the "idiot" nametag for not discerning how selfish, narcissistic, and hypocritical he appears.

I wonder what the other readers of this forum think about a bicyclist totally disregarding a Stop sign and blowing through it directly in front of a Police cruiser?

Moreover, ..What would be your opinion, sir .. if somebody had been driving a car and had blown that same stop sign and killed a bicyclist?

That's the point here .. the actual intent of the Stop sign. It was clearly visible and bicyclists in Michigan have a duty to stop.

BTW: You and your forum buddies, sir, have repeatedly accused of being a public official .. but I most definitely am NOT! Those repeated accusations, along with numerous personal attacks and name-calling against me by your forum buddies .. is why I quit posting there.

Finally, sir .. I see absolutely no good reason for you to be bad-mouthing the community of Ludington or bad-mouthing Ludington's duly elected public officials. It serves no useful purpose in these posts here .. and further reflects upon your poor judgement.

 

By Tom Rotta, 9-02-10

Okay, I stand corrected. I am not only an idiot, but I apparently am also selfish, narcissistic, hypocritical, and someone who complains about and disregards laws, as well as redundantly harps.

 

In Michigan, we have a saying: "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you". If you seek 'repeated accusations, numerous personal attacks and name-calling', Disarm, look around your posts. Self-awareness is a virtue few involved in government possess.

If the casual reader seeks the truth, or at least a debatable point one can discuss civilly, look around the website https://ludingtoncitizen.ning.com/

[Mary A.]

I thought Disarm worked. How on earth does anyone have the time to spend posting on out-of-state forums? I pity him. He pushes people away. He must be terribly lonely.

[XLFD]

Well, Mary, he's got a few more posts today. Even his dog, Huckleberry, added a comment. I am getting 'ganged' up on, as he would put it :-{0

[Sweater Cows!]

okay, it's a little creepy that you found him on that forum. I mean if you were looking for him on the net that's a bit stalkerish. Unless you guys are lovers scorned or some sh1t. (or did he find you there? I re-read the ist paragraph and it appears you were on a bikers forum and he found you?)

I am more curious how you/he tracked him/you to a Montana or Biker forum. seems a bit creepy to me. Who is Disarm anyway.

[XLFD]

That particular forum allows a poster to be notified by E-Mail if someone checks a box. It was a topic I was interested in so I checked it back in January 2009, and checked it out when I got the E-mail recently. He has published an excuse as to how he wound up over there yesterday, which is believable to him.

Disarm was a frequent poster on Ludington Talks (and here for a couple months), who has a disposition to belabor a point when he debates (notice my halo), and has found an ecological niche by continuing to argue the need for a bicycle to stop at a stop sign in Michigan and my criminality because I don't and didn't. He also has been a bit provocative with some others, a few who post here.

Although we sometimes carry on like an arguing husband and wife, there is no make-up sex here at the end. There may be some unrequited love on his part, where I would be playing the part of the husband-- but none from my angle ; )

[Sweater Cows!]

I've forum talked w/ him b4. I meant who is he really. I know some of you guys keep saying he works for the local gubment.

[XLFD]

His identity has never been divulged, but I only speculate that he is a public employee/official from various aspects of what he has said in the past about himself. Early on, he stated he was out in Amber Twp. with some buddies looking for wild dogs to terminate in SSS fashion (shoot, shovel and shut-up). This may lead one to believe he is either a juvenile, or someone involved in local law enforcement/animal control.

For someone who started out with the name Disambiguation, he has been plenty ambiguous about himself. I don't fault him for that, as long as he's civil and cogent he can remain anonymous forever if he so wants.

[AQUAMAN]

I've been driving downtown this summer quite a bit. And, to date, have purposely noticed that one time after the other, most bicyclists that come to a stop sign, on the back streets, not Ludington Ave., usually breeze thru it, as long as there is no traffic around. Funny that theme is still being posted about, and more bicyclists haven't been ticketed. As for diszy, he's still got issues about anything and anyone that doesn't tow the exact same standards for life as he does, to wit, the law and law enforcers are always right, and are exempt themselves from the same laws they enforce with the general public.

[XLFD]

Studies show that when there is no conflicting traffic in or across the intersection over 90% of bicyclists (and over 50% of vehicles) will not "cease movement". As I have said before, if there was any sane purpose for a bicyclist to stop when at an intersection they have already determined by sight and hearing to be clear upon their arrival, then I might just change my tune.

Likewise, if anyone could find one, or mend together a bunch of laws, that unequivocally states that a cyclist must cease movement at a stop sign in Michigan, I will eat my hat. My hat has remained uneaten since 2008.

[XLFD]

The thread regarding the stop sign has pretty much went from the sublime to the ridiculous. Someone has revealed a real name for Disarm, and probably has disingenuously portrayed their own identity. This may be Disarm's true name, it might not, but it is bad form in any forum to reveal the name of a person who has chosen anonymity. I have reported the 'abuse' to their moderator, and hope for a swift removal of those posts not related to the topic du jour. That may also include some of your supportive entries, but thanks for stopping there and leaving your wisdom!

[XLFD]

The Montana thread has been shut down for comments. I have to believe that Disarm and someone else who has been thrown out of here in the past had some sort of battle-on-the-side. I think Disarm has acted inappropriately in the past and is very inconsistent (perhaps schophrenic), but he is nowhere near as bad as the other guy, in my opinion.

[Mary A.]

I finally got around to going over there and reading the comments. Railroading that thread as was done is an embarrassment to the city of Ludington and its residents. What disturbs me most is the fact that these are adults acting like children. Those who participated in this childish nonsense need a time out! Why not use all the pent up energy and overabundance of time to help other human beings in need?

[Sweater Cows!]

I just went over to that forum for MY FIRST TIME. TODAY 9-11-2010. I see that on 9-7-10 someone posted a bunch of comments that appear to be from us hear at the torch. Me, Aq, X(i)FD.

I am clarifying that I have never been on that page before and never posted there under my name. The ONLY place I have ever used my name is on local stuff. So somebody came here and took our identities to make a bunch of fake posts.

Supposedly I said "
By Sheila, 9-07-10
Disarm is so full of it that he could burst at any time.

Get a life Disarm."



FYI that wasn't me. Don't know who it was , don't care but am changing my username bcuz I don't want that to ever happen again.