Americade Blockaded

[Geezer]

I went to Americade once. It was interesting but I decided that once was enough because the organizers were too greedy. You had to pay to even get a look at the bike displays. The local merchants were not gouging, they charged normal prices for food and drink. I don't know about the hotels and campgrounds. Add this new fee to the cost of attending and I expect fewer people will attend in the future.

Although this time they seem to be targeting motorcycles, that is not always the case. It is common to see additional speed traps and road blocks whenever there is an event or even just nice weather, anything that brings tourists out.

 

[snikr]

The funny part is, a friend of mine rode over this past Sunday just so he could get caught in the Northway blockade and there wasn't any. I wonder what happened? We'll head over on Friday and see what trouble we old folks can get in to.

Tom

 

[otrfjr]

OK, I'll play devil's advocate and scapegoat (even though I believe the roadblocks are wrong at pretty much any level you choose): what if accidents, fatalities, and bad form (in the form of excessive acceleration & noise from aftermarket pipes--which save lives doncha know) decrease as a result of the watchful eye (of Big Brother)?

Let the tag team smackdown begin.

 

[Geezer]

OK, I'll play devil's advocate and scapegoat (even though I believe the roadblocks are wrong at pretty much any level you choose): what if accidents, fatalities, and bad form (in the form of excessive acceleration & noise from aftermarket pipes--which save lives doncha know) decrease as a result of the watchful eye (of Big Brother)?
Let the tag team smackdown begin.

If the loud pipes law, for example, was enforced every day they wouldn't have to set up road blocks that negatively impact the tourist industry.

 

[k7lvo]

OK, I'll play devil's advocate and scapegoat (even though I believe the roadblocks are wrong at pretty much any level you choose): what if accidents, fatalities, and bad form (in the form of excessive acceleration & noise from aftermarket pipes--which save lives doncha know) decrease as a result of the watchful eye (of Big Brother)?
Let the tag team smackdown begin.

If the loud pipes law, for example, was enforced every day they wouldn't have to set up road blocks that negatively impact the tourist industry.

Haven't you ever been fishing? You change the bait, your location, technique, etc. And, above all, you don't fish the hole dry. (Oh, yeah... fisher-people are NOT looking out for the best interests of the fish!)

 

[Bounce]

sure way to drive away Americade attendees. in an attempt to fill lagging coffers, they'll drive away one of their biggest money making events and be worse off than before.

 

[Roadrider]

sure way to drive away Americade attendees. in an attempt to fill lagging coffers, they'll drive away one of their biggest money making events and be worse off than before.

Another case of guilty until proven innocent.

Driving the event away may result in fewer motorcycle fatalities in the state. They'll claim that a victory.

 

[Flyguy]

Even if the organizers decide to move to another location, I'm not sure you can have a really well attended event that does not eventually become problamatic especially as concerns locals. Being a resident of Daytona, I can tell you that the locals are growing more disgruntled every year about Bike Week, Biketoberfest, and other MC events. Same holds true for Myrtle Beach residents. It is unfortunate that when you get a couple hundred bikers together they seem to regress to a primal state. At least many of the Cruisers and sport rider do. The ST and Wing guys seem to follow a more respectful drummer but are seriously in the minority.

Remember that this town knows how to deal with big events. The Daytona 500 causes a fraction of the discontent of bikeweek even though it brings in 3x the visitors. The problems that do exist are mostly about traffic. The unruly behavior seems to be focused at the track by excessive trips to the Bud truck. There are no groups of cars with removed exhausts terrorizing Civic drivers on A1A and filling up the Handicapped parking spaces downtown. Many responsible riders are loath to ride during these events as they don't want to be associated with their actions. What it is that converts normally sane people into "spring break" like adolesents I'll never understand.

Sturgis must be a nightmare . . .

 

[Ari Rankum]

Sturgis must be a nightmare . . .

I've always assumed this must be true of any of the big rallies, especially Sturgis, so I've never been, and I don't really know.

Nonetheless, one of the more common questions I get when some cage-only acquaintance finds out I ride is, "Oh, have you been to Sturgis?!?!"

I haven't quite succeeded in coining the facial expression that I use to answer that question, but I'm making progress. The same goes with the word that describes the facial expression: fuxwrongwithu? *

* - If English were more like German, we'd have many, many fine words in the motorcyclists' vernacular like fuxwrongwithu.

 

[Colin24]

My personal experience with New York State: Got a ticket for passing on solid line. Legal in Ontario, not in New York. Honest mistake.

Now I know that when you get pulled over be polite, open and professional with the police officer. Take your helmet and sunglasses off. Dont be angry. Pretty common sense stuff. And every other time I have been pulled over my good behaviour has been reciprocated back by the police officer.

However this time it was different. This particular cop was all attitude. (I think the technical term is "Douch Bag"). Took over an hour to write the ticket up. Was all in my face because he didn't understand that in Ontario we dont have to get a safety inspection every year. Kept demanding to see the sticker that said the bike had been inspected and could not understand why we didn't do that. He also could not run my licence through his computer (out of country) and this combined with other things that were not the way "New York State" did it seemed to really piss him off further. He simply could not understand that other places do things different, Sheesh. Finally, after an hour and a half he finished writing the ticket and I was able to get out of there.

Unlike Ontario with preset fines, the tickets in New York State take the form of submitting to a judge who decides and then gets back to you on the fine. So I mailed the ticket off with all the info and waited. A couple months later I get a letter saying I was found guilty and here's what the fine is.

No problem I think. Except I start reading the fine print! I had 14 calendar days (not business days) to pay the fine. Of course being in Canada it was international mail and had taken 10 days for the letter to reach me. Combined with bad timing I didn't get it till I got home from work on Friday night. So by the next business day when I could get a money order I only had 1 day to get it to them.

There was no statement of what would happen if I had not paid on time. But there have been some horror stories in the news over the years of people travelling from Ontario to NYS and ending up paying huge fines for simple traffic violations. I was not about to take any chances getting hit with hidden "late payment" fines. So I had to send the money order via overnight courier to ensure it made it to the courthouse by the deadline. In the end I payed almost the same amount as the fine for the courier to get it there.

IMHO: That experience combined with what I am reading in the original article gives only one conclusion; Its a cash grab. And a really big one at that! Imagine all those out of state people getting annoying little fines. Once they finally get the fine there is going to be a certain percentage of people who simply dont get the fine paid inside the 14 day window. Activate the hidden fines and Cha-Ching... Just watch the money roll in!

- Colin

 

[BladeRunner]

Sturgis must be a nightmare . . .

I never ever go to events of this size. Here in Knocksvile they have the Honda Hoot. I know many really cool dudes that attend but every year someone dies in some act of silliness.

It is not like going to a festival or event where you park and are entertained by the event itself. But rather it is a social gathering where attendees mill around and some just have to put their egos and 'tudes on display.

Now don't get me wrong it is almost always a subset of the attendees without home training that exercise their right to be stupid and not the majority of riders. But this minority really tweeks the locals and the fo'k 'round here are apt to teach you (and any other unlucky representative rider) a lesson without much thought given to Newton or his laws of motion as applied to steel, asphalt and flesh.

I much prefer a ride out in the rural areas solo or with a friend or two at the most. There is nothing to compare.

I prefer the forum where there are many many like minded individuals that demonstrate daily their willingness to exercise gray matter and present an image of responsibility.

I prefer to spend my money in small towns along the way where people have never seen an FJR and are very happy to have you visit and impart an offering to their community.

dos centavos por favor

Now about this peg scraping...

 

[otrfjr]

It could be that I'm part of the problem for bike festivals that regress to the primal. Not that I drink, run loud pipes, drive like an idiot, or engage in any of the bad behaviors that tick off Daytona residents when I'm there. However, I do go to see other folks behaving this way. The lure of the spectacle I guess. And I love seeing every type of bike imaginable in one place, too. I even put up with helmetless riders who patronize a certain American bike manufacturer and who pull up next to me at stoplights, rev their 68 hp, push rod, air-cooled v-twin with aftermarket pipes to make a godawful noise, then turn to laugh at my quiet bike. (True story from the last Bike Week.) On the one hand, I would prefer zero fatalities and for every biker attending to behave as an ambassador to the non-two-wheel-inclined community. But on the other hand, I like watching all the exotic animals in the carnival.

 

[BladeRunner]

It could be that I'm part of the problem for bike festivals that regress to the primal. Not that I drink, run loud pipes, drive like an idiot, or engage in any of the bad behaviors that tick off Daytona residents when I'm there. However, I do go to see other folks behaving this way. The lure of the spectacle I guess. And I love seeing every type of bike imaginable in one place, too. I even put up with helmetless riders who patronize a certain American bike manufacturer and who pull up next to me at stoplights, rev their 68 hp, push rod, air-cooled v-twin with aftermarket pipes to make a godawful noise, then turn to laugh at my quiet bike. (True story from the last Bike Week.) On the one hand, I would prefer zero fatalities and for every biker attending to behave as an ambassador to the non-two-wheel-inclined community. But on the other hand, I like watching all the exotic animals in the carnival.

Ah yes Karnevil...

Wasn't there a Star Trek episode where everyone went out into the streets for a evening of fun and frolic in the streets? You know "chips, dips, chains, whips" sort of thing? It was supposed to calm the savage beast in all mankind.

I must confess though, I do like peeking from behind the curtains with a "primal" desire to ride slathering at the mouth; flames shooting from the exhaust; my wanton wench in tow, but alas it is a luxury I cannot afford (you know the price of gas and all).

Enjoy! Be safe!

 

[BrunDog]

Ahhhh... what's a "rabble"?

-BD

 

[twowheelnut]

I've always assumed this must be true of any of the big rallies, especially Sturgis, so I've never been, and I don't really know.
Nonetheless, one of the more common questions I get when some cage-only acquaintance finds out I ride is, "Oh, have you been to Sturgis?!?!"

I haven't quite succeeded in coining the facial expression that I use to answer that question, but I'm making progress. The same goes with the word that describes the facial expression: fuxwrongwithu? *

* - If English were more like German, we'd have many, many fine words in the motorcyclists' vernacular like fuxwrongwithu.

:rofl:

I submit for your facial contortion exercises, this fine example of fuxwrongwithyou:

As you can see, the finger exercise is merely a bonus and when perfected, serves to enhance the facial expression.

You're welcome.

 

[v65]

OK, I'll play devil's advocate and scapegoat (even though I believe the roadblocks are wrong at pretty much any level you choose): what if accidents, fatalities, and bad form (in the form of excessive acceleration & noise from aftermarket pipes--which save lives doncha know) decrease as a result of the watchful eye (of Big Brother)?
Let the tag team smackdown begin.

If the loud pipes law, for example, was enforced every day they wouldn't have to set up road blocks that negatively impact the tourist industry.

It's my guess that they are trying to recenter the tourists back to Goldwing/Beemer/etc crowd. In the years that I have been going the place is getting more like Laconia and less like the Honda Hoot. My guess is that the locals are not appreciative.

In contrast I was in SD for the end of Sturgis two years ago, I got to hear the locals talking to each other about how well Sturgis had done. Repeatedly hearing this left me with the definite impression that Sturgis was a big part of the economy - they seemed less concerned with the BS and more with the money.

 

[Ari Rankum]

I submit for your facial contortion exercises, this fine example of fuxwrongwithyou:

Wow, either that kid needs a new diaper, or he's got an instinctual grasp of the fuxwrongwithu look.

 

[leo]

Well, well, I would like to think that history will repeat itself.

I wonder if the politicians in Ashville,NC are still wondering why the Honda Hoot left?

 

[Toecutter]

I wish they'd write a "loud pipes" ticket around my neck o' the woods once or twice per year. Maybe I'm just sensitive to noise pollution, but I can't hear my neighbor's dog's barking a half-mile away like those damn boneheads on Friday nights around here....

 

[twowheelnut]

I wish they'd write a "loud pipes" ticket around my neck o' the woods once or twice per year. Maybe I'm just sensitive to noise pollution, but I can't hear my neighbor's dog's barking a half-mile away like those damn boneheads on Friday nights around here....

I'm sure those pipes you hear are marked for off highway use only.