| Author | Message | ||
     Barker |
http://torontosun.com/News/OtherNews/2007/07/29/43 77229-sun.html First a foreign enemy took away his legs and now back home someone is trying to take away his wheels. This is a story about how some people know how to treat our war heroes and how some don't. Master Cpl. Jody Mitic had his legs blown off in Afghanistan fighting people who are unbending in their ridiculous rules. And now Mitic is facing the same kind of austere stupidity here. Flashback to January, just a week before the 30-year-old sniper stepped on a land mine. "I was already thinking about life back home and I saw this great motorcycle on the cover of Motorcycle MoJo Magazine," Mitic said. "I e-mailed them and said, 'How can I get one of those?' " And then came that horrible day when he lost both legs below the knee, and many thought he'd die. When the guys at MoJo heard about this, they decided to build him a custom-made bike -- just like the one on the cover of the magazine. To honour the sniper they called it the Buell's Eye, and it even has a yellow ribbon painted on it in support of the troops over in Afghanistan. "I'm a big fat biker guy with tattoos and I found myself crying," Cory Wickham told the Sun's Tracy McLaughlin in a story in April. Barrie Harley-Davidson's Steve Redford and Lorne Duncan, with the help of donations of parts and time from others, customized a beautiful $50,000 Buell motorcycle for the Brampton native -- complete with hand shifters and other custom alterations. HELPED HIM BACK UP "Here is this guy who lost his legs for his country and over a week later he still has the inspiration to ride," Redford said at the time. "That was it -- this guy was going to get a new bike." They all should be awarded the Order of Canada for doing that. Mitic, who was shocked when they presented it to him, credits the gesture with helping him get back up on his new, artificial, titanium feet and legs. "Hell, yeah," he says. "Knowing that bike was out there to ride, I knew I had to get back." They presented it to him in April but he waited until a month ago to actually ride it. "I just wanted to wait until I was strong enough. What a feeling," he said of that first ride. It was so special he went out and bought his fiancee, Danielle Still, a starter bike and the two have been learning together. "It has changed my life," he says. But enter the rigid rules of a condo complex to the story. After several weeks of parking these motorcycles in their two rented parking spaces at their rented condo at Yonge and Sheppard, they have been told they have to remove them by 1 p.m. tomorrow or they will be removed for them. "Please be advised if you don't remove your motorcycles ... we regret to inform you we will have no choice but to tow your motorcycles," reads a letter signed by "senior property manager" of Toronto Condominium Corp. #1362 Sandi Plesa. Now is this really necessary? If they were snowmobiles, maybe? But a motorbike? Talk about the highs and lows for Mitic in 2007. Turns out the condo building has grandfathered-in a rule that motorcycles are no longer permitted in the underground parking area. "I didn't realize that," Mitic said. "There are other bikes parked nearby in the same underground." 'MAKE AN EXCEPTION' But there are exceptions being made for them because they were there before the new clause was put in. Mitic tried to get a meeting to explain that he is in rehab for just another month and then he will be moving back to his base at CFB Petawawa in his quest to get back over to Afghanistan. "I just want to see if they could make an exception for a few more weeks or at least until I can make some other arrangements," he said. "The thing I am worried about is if I have to park this expensive bike on the street, it will get stolen for sure." He said no one has been receptive in talking with him and he was rudely told "rules are rules." Sounds almost as inflexible as the Taliban. "I didn't want to be all boo hoo about it," said Mitic. "I just want to come up with a compromise." Now Mitic is frantically trying to come up with somewhere to put the motorcycles. "They didn't give me much time here," he said. "I just don't understand what they have against motorcycles -- especially since they are fuel efficient and are not as bad with congestion. Mine are not bothering anybody where they have been parked!" It's sick treatment since Mitic, with the help of the Canadian Armed Forces, pays $3,875 a month for the furnished apartment with one parking space and an additional $80 for a second space. Plesa has not returned my call but if she does I'll explain my philosophy for war heroes is to not kick their artificial legs out from under them and to do whatever you can to help them enjoy their wheels. | ||
| Barker |
found this pic  | ||
| Thespive |
Shit like that infuriates me to no end. I hope there is enough bad press that he finds a resolution. --Sean | ||
| Sleez |
more pics;   Jody and the Five Amigos who made it happen (Steve, Lorne, Keith, Cory and Steve) from; http://www.barriehd.com/gallery_Buellseye_JodyMitic.html | ||
| Ebear |
Hey Barker...is there a PH. # or email we can write to?I'd like to support these folks and have a word with the landlords.I have nothing but appreciation for these Buellseye Guys and anyone who fights for freedom.You guys Rock.Friends like you are rare and make everyone around you better people for knowing you! | ||
| Barker |
not sure about contact info. just found article on web. might try contacting moto mojo mag: http://www.motorcyclemojo.com/ they did a cover story on him/bike. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I have helped other riders that thought they could no longer ride a motorcycle get back on them through the VA in CA and since I moved back to MO. The real problem here is these home owner association "petty little hitler types". They love throwing their weight around and forcing others to do their bidding, by enforcing rules, no matter how ridiculous or meaningless. It's just infuriating to me seeing one of these jerks picking on a courageous individual just to take them down a few notches as a show of power which is all this is. Most people have no idea how much courage it takes to come back from a debilitating injury and try to take your life back. It's not easy, and my hat is off to Jody Mitic. That man has HERO written all over him in a large bold font. The apartment complex and it's manager need to get their collective head out of it's nether region and give him a break. After all it isn't like he'll be there that long | ||
| Jflaig |
I am not always in favor of involving the politicians, but this sounds like an ideal opportunity to let the PTB work for the soldier that is protecting the mini-Hitler. They need to step in and help this hero out. | ||
| Vanvideo |
It absolutely sucks the way this hero's been treated. The people involved need to be outed for the cowards they are. On a side note, that's one bad-ass Buell! It looks like a Redneck Buell custom: http://www.redneckengineering.com/mutant_redneck_b uell.htm Or this bike: http://mcworx.com/bike14.html |
