Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Two Men On A Motorcycle: Bad

Has the Honduran Congress just accidentally created a market for female assassins?

Recently, they approved a new law that would restrict ridership of motorcycles to a man and a woman, or a woman and child, or a man and a child, but not two men.

Oh, and the man must be the driver. No male passengers over the age of 12. The new law went into effect December 14 and is in effect for 6 months, until 13 June, 2012.

Why did they write such an arcane rule?

Assassinations frequently involve gunmen on motorcycles, with one driving, and one shooting. The Honduran Congress, being sexist, knows that only men are assassins, and so promoted this rule as a way of cutting back on assassinations.

Then there are the fashion notes in the law: those protective face masks the helmet has to keep the bugs out of your eyes when driving a motorcycle? the law prefers you not use them. They want to see your face.

Within three months, the Security Ministry is supposed to supply numbered vests to all 231,965 registered motorcycle owners, who are then required to wear them while riding the motorcycle. (No word in the bill about penalties for wearing someone else's numbered vest.)

No one on the motorcycle can be armed, even with a permit for the weapon.

The law can be extended indefinitely without further action of Congress by a declaration from the Minister of Security.

There's one exception to the two men on a motorcycle rule: police officers can ride with a male passenger.

Ironic since the police are corrupt, and thought to have been behind the assassination of Alfredo Landaverde.

The law went into effect on the 14th, with little effect. El Heraldo reported that many men still rode double on motorcycles in their roadway survey.

Anyone think this is going to work?

1 comment:

Mike said...

In aggregate terms, murders have decreased in Guatemala since a similar motorcycle law was passed in April 2009. However, I haven't seen any evidence that murders carried out on motorcycle have decreased as a result. Sicarios can adopt. Cabral's murder and a former UNE's deputies assassinations were carried out with SUVs.