Legalized motorcycle theft in New York

In another case of guilty until proven innocent, New York State is seizing legally owned, titled and registered Harley-Davidson motorcycles simply because they think the VIN numbers might have been altered at some point, after stopping the owners at checkpoints without probable cause.  Having a valid VIN number that doesn't match a printed template is sufficient cause to consider the number "probably altered", and if they can't find a different "original" VIN number on a motorcycle whose number they consider to have been "probably altered", they declare it "unidentifiable".  The owner doesn't get the bike back, even if there's no stolen-vehicle report matching the bike; instead, it is assigned a new VIN number and sold at police auction.

(So let me see, it now has an altered VIN number, exactly what they seized it for in the first place, right?  So presumably they can now seize it again under the same pretext?)

Theobald said there were four investigators with training to specifically inspect Harley-Davidson VIN tags at the checkpoint on June 25.  He said four Harleys were seized that day.

So why is New York specifically targeting Harley-Davidsons?  Could it be because their resale value is four times that of a Japanese motorcycle and the enterprise is thus four times more profitable?

This is legalized grand theft auto under the color of authority, pure and simple.

"I'm heartbroken and sick to my stomach.  They stole our bikes," Bailey said Wednesday.  "I'm leaving New York.  I won't live in a state where the police can stage a strong-arm robbery on the side of the road."

Reading recommendation

Those of you who have not yet stumbled across captoblivion should -- really, really, really should -- read this post recounting the saga of last weekend's trip to Virginia Beach for Digital racks.  Just be careful not to be drinking soda or anything hot when you read it, because spraying soda or hot coffee out of your nose is really not a good feeling.  The man could give Dave Barry a run for his money.

(And he has C.W. McCall's Wolf Creek Pass completely memorized, and can recite it at full speed.  But that's another story.)