Re: bikers at myrtle beachOn Jul 6, 11:46 am, "Da' Bear" <beargra...@gmail,com > wrote:
> On Jul 6, 10:30 am, Jon Tillman <j...@jontillman,com > wrote:
>
>
>
> > buck12ga wrote:
> > > On Jul 5, 5:15 pm, garriso...@gmail,com wrote:
> > >> Hello Da' Bear in Myrtle Beach and all other Pipers who may be riders
> > >> of the lost plain.
> > >> I read that your town is trying to remove the Bikers from two Biker
> > >> Hoe Downs in MB. Have you been there long enough to an opinion?
>
> > >> jerrygarison
>
> > > I've heard about this Jerry. A few bad apples seem to have spoiled it
> > > for the great numbers of guys just out for a good time. The constant
> > > revving of engines and burn outs have gotten on the citizens nerves. I
> > > know for a fact that feelings are mixed as some business people are
> > > happy to welcome the bikers every year. Tough call. Seems to me a more
> > > recptive rural venue might be the answer. Like where I live, lol.
>
> > > Buck
>
> > I don't live in MB anymore, but I do know that this has been an ongoing
> > battle there for a long time. First some background:
>
> > 1) There are two big bike rallies in MB, the HD rally and the Atlantic
> > Beach Black Bike Week. The city of MB has gotten in trouble for racism
> > during the black bike week because the city (not to mention businesses)
> > treat the riders then differently (this is not opinion, but legal fact).
>
> > 2) Because of various legal actions, MB is enjoined to treat both
> > rallies the same with regards to how much policing, infractions ignored,
> > etc.
>
> > 3) Both rallies are not as financially beneficial to the area as they
> > would like to be seen as. Most vendors at both are not local businesses,
> > though they do pack the hotels mostly full, like any other busy weekend.
> > The main difference is that, for instance Labor Day crowds go sit on the
> > beach, Bike week crowds sit on the street.
>
> > 4) Both rallies are a traffic nightmare for locals. MB basically has
> > only two main roads, both running North/South, and both become
> > gridlocked for the week of the rally (whichever one it is). While there
> > is a bypass, getting to almost any business or office in town requires
> > using one or both of those two roads.
>
> > Now, bearing all of that in mind, it is time for some unkind
> > observations on the situation:
>
> > a) both sets of bikers are drunken damned idiots making a public
> > nuisance of themselves, clogging the streets and riding drunk all over
> > the place.
>
> > b) MB is full of racist whack-jobs who don't want the black bikers
> > around because while being a white damned drunken idiot is called
> > "vacation", being a black damned drunken idiot is called a "riot".
>
> > c) A large portion of MB doesn't want the area to host such events, and
> > (in their minds) become Daytona Beach.
>
> > d) An equally large portion of MB wants any money they can get their
> > hands on and wouldn't care if it were a baby-rapers convention if it
> > didn't impact their liability insurance.
>
> > e) The town is run by the aforementioned racist whack-jobs, and they
> > have now twigged to the fact that if they get rid of the HD rally, they
> > can get rid of the black rally without being called racists.
>
> > f) None of this will solve anything, as if the bikers wish to show up,
> > they will. The only thing the city can do is deny vendor permits and
> > police more heavily, but showing up somewhere on your bike is not
> > (technically) a crime, so there is not much to be done.
>
> > --
> > Jon
>
> I would have to agree with my old riding partner's assessment in many
> places. Where I will agree, and even add a bit to will be a bit later
> in this.
>
> Areas of disagreement center around economic impact. Yes, the vendors
> are out of state, and if you buy a t-shirt, the profits are going to
> (fill in the blank, move around like a Carnie to bike events) out of
> state vendor. Still, those vendors pay (mightily) for those spots,
> both to the city, and the owners of the lots that they occupy. The HD
> rally comes in well prior to the "official" start of the season, so
> they are displacing folks who wouldn't even be here yet, and no one
> eats (or tips) like a Biker on vacation with other Bikers. The city
> recognizes that this proposed action would have some fairly dire
> consequences financially. Proof of the recognition comes in the form
> that, simultaneously with the removal of issuing permits for bike
> vending, there will be a substantial increase to the taxes imposed by
> the city on locals "to make up for the predicted shortfall".
>
> The city goes to great pains to say that their reasons for wanting the
> Atlantic *out* are not racist...but they are. The Mayor went on TV and
> admitted that the "core" of this is getting rid of the Atlantic, and
> there was no way to do it, save for getting rid of all Bike weeks.
> When asked what MB could do, given that Bike week extends well beyond
> the city itself, the Mayor replied that strategic, vehicle-by-vehicle
> license checks on the in-bound 501 could back up traffic to I-95,
> making sure that no one came the next year.
>
> and so it goes,
>
> Bear
Ok Bear and Jon,
what a world. :(
jerrygarrison