I am happy to hear that Chris and Sally Benjamin are unhappy to hear the roar of motorcycles on the Pacific (or perhaps un-Pacific) Coast Highway. If enough citizens of Malibu become angry about this assault on our senses something will be done to stop it. Let me bare my soul. There are moments when the noise is so obnoxious that thoughts of violent retaliation come to mind; a dream worthy of Hollywood, with me standing on the bluff above the highway with a fully automatic (silenced) mowing down 50 to 100 pigs on the hogs. Having said that, I feel better, but perhaps that is only because the quiet sound of autos rolling down the highway is all there is to hear.
The fact that the City of Malibu apparently has no control over Pacific Coast Highway is symptomatic of a loss of local sovereignty and heavy handed state and federal edicts which nullify the authority of local civic leaders. However, an emasculated local citizenry is not a given; it is possible for local government to direct and restrict the activities of visitors, to protect the local citizens, and to improve the lives of their people.
A quiet main street would seem like a moderate accomplishment, within the ability of any self-respecting local government. The highway in Malibu is a residential street. Let’s make it safe for the people who live, work, and visit here.
John Vishe