Mayor takes aim at revving engines

LIVE FROM COCHITI LAKE, GS, EWN4. Revving nats :03 WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MAYOR'S PRO...  More »

LIVE FROM COCHITI LAKE, GS, EWN4. Revving nats :03 WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL TO BAN DRIVERS FROM REVVING THEIR ENGINES WHEN THEY'RE STOPPED ON ALBUQUERQUE STREETS. THE BAN IS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT BIKERS -- AND MAYOR MARTIN CHAVEZ WANTS TO HAND OUT STEEP FINES -- TO QUIET THINGS DOWN. JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR GIBSON AND LOUISIANA WITH OUR TOP STORY. JEFF. THE REVVING BAN WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED FOR CENTRAL AVENUE - - BUT THE MAYOR WANTS TO SEE IT ENFORCED ALL ACROSS THE CITY. IT'S SOMETHING MANY STORE OWNERS HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME FOR. THIS SOUND - IS ABOUT TO DRIVE JAY STEINBERG CRAZY. HE OWNS BIRDLAND, A HIPPIE STORE - ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN NOB HILL. 'please folks! Stop revving your motorcycle engines and we'll stop trying to pass laws to make you have to stop'THE FINES ARE STEEP. IF THE MAYOR'S PROPOSAL IS APPROVED - DRIVERS AND BIKERS WILL HAVE TO PAY 100 DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION - 250 FOR THE SECOND, AND 500 FOR THE THIRD. 'people are tired of it, they're sick of it, and we get those complaints all the time, where they're disrupting an entire neighborhood or they're disrupting an entire section of central' MAYOR CHAVEZ WAS REAL IRRITATED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO - - WHEN THE CITY WAS DEDICATING THE STATUE AT CIVIC PLAZA OF FORMER ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR HARRY KINNEY. A BIKER RODE BY - - AND REVVED HIS MOTORCYCLE - RIGHT AS DIGNITARIES WERE TRYING TO SPEAK. CHIEF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER PETE DINELLI SAYS THE REVVING BAN WOULD BE ENFORCED SIMILAR TO SPEED TRAPS - POLICE WOULD POSITION THEMSELVES IN AREAS THAT GET COMPLAINTS - LIKE CENTRAL AVENUE IN NOB HILL, AND WAIT FOR BIKERS TO SHOW OFF. STEINBERG HOPES THAT WOULD WORK - - BUT IS DOUBTFUL, SINCE MOST BIKERS WON'T REV THEIR ENGINES WHEN THEY SEE THE COPS. 'it would be a waste of time to try and enforce it, but it would be really nice if they would stop - it is very irritating, I don't quite understand why they do it, a show of testosterone maybe' THE MAYOR HOPES THE CITY COUNCIL WILL MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON THE REVVING BAN AT ITS NEXT MEETING. LIVE NEAR GIBSON AND LOUISIANA. JEFF  « Less