Put The Bikes Back On The Strip!

Leave The SUV's In The Garage!

Black bike week 2009, May 21-25

Atlantic Beach - Myrtle Beach, SC

There is news floating around that Myrtle Beach has cancelled 2009 Bike Week. Nothing can be further from the truth.  Black Bike Week has never been held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It has always been held in Atlantic Beach, South Carolina.  Myrtle Beach just happens to have more hotels than Atlantic Beach so a whole lot of us stay there.  While I am not involved in the organization of the event or the local government, I can give my take:

• Fact: there are two things that keep The City of Myrtle Beach from canceling Black Bike Week.  The first thing is that Myrtle Beach is not a host or sponsor of Black Bike Week.  The second thing that keeps The City of Myrtle Beach from canceling Black Bike Week is you, me and all the other riders who attend Black Bike Week.  As long as we continue to make Atlantic Beach, South Carolina our destination for Memorial Weekend, there will be a Black Bike Week.

The City of Myrtle Beach has never wanted the bikers to come to their town. They have always wanted the revenue that bikers bring to their town though.  This much is true. Up until now they have never had the nerve and judicial backing to make an attempt to force bikers (Americans) to stay away from their town.  Is there really a town, city, parish, county or state in this Country which can ban a citizen and his/her motorcycle out just because it does not like their type of recreation?  Not lawfully but I will be damned if Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is not trying to do just that.

The mayor and city council of Myrtle Beach has already raised taxes for the locals in anticipation that us bikers will not come to their town in May as has been the norm for more than 60 years (including Black Bike Week and The Spring Motorcycle Rally).  What a surprise they will be in for when May 2009 rolls around and thousands of bikers show up just as we have for the last 60 plus years.

Let’s take a look at their ordinances for a bit.

·         So they passed a helmet law.  This is no big deal.  Owning and using a helmet while you ride your motorcycle or ride on the back of a motorcycle is not a bad thing.

·         Not wearing a helmet and just avoiding the city limits of Myrtle Beach is not a bad thing either.

·         The majority of us wear eye protection already so what’s the problem?

·         Loud pipes?  If they are going to cite people for loud pipes, they better be able to discern which bike is making the noise and then they better have the proper equipment to measure the decibels as well as be properly trained to operate said equipment.  The City of Myrtle Beach better have a better plan that just running a stick up into someone’s pipe.  Lawsuits are sure to follow should this be the case.

·         The 18 and under curfew.  This is almost as much of a joke as my next entry in this list.  How can they enforce this?  What are they going to do when they encounter a 17 year old who does not live in Myrtle Beach or even in The State of South Carolina?  Hold you until their parents travel to MB to retrieve them?  Let’s be for real.  Were I in that age group and was accosted by the MBPD, I would sue them just as soon as they did not enforce this same law the week after BBW which is high school senior week in MB.

·         No more than two bikes in any parking space.  This one is so ridiculous that it is scary to think someone voted for the person who came up with this.  I just want to know how they will decide which bike gets a ticket in this situation.  I will drive the 3 hours back to Myrtle Beach to a court date to challenge this one if I am unlucky enough to get cited.  If I am the first bike in a space and two other bikers park theirs in the same space, why should I be cited?  I will simply take a photo of my bike in the parking space with a time stamp. 

I ask all law abiding citizens of this country who have been going to the motorcycle rallies for years, to go to Myrtle Beach this year and attend whichever rally you choose.  Don’t let your rights be trampled upon.  We as bikers can enjoy the beach and our vacations while showing the powers that be in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that we cannot and will not be oppressed and discriminated against.

But if you read all the info released by the City of Myrtle Beach, you will get the following:

• You can still come and ride bikes in Myrtle Beach during Memorial Weekend.
• You can still park your trailer on hotel property (or any private property that allows you to)
• There will be no event-related vending or event in the city of Myrtle Beach (but the event is in Atlantic Beach)
• The Grand Strand is 60 miles long.  You do not have to so into Myrtle Beach to have an excellent time.

So what has The City of Myrtle Beach cancelled?  NOTHING!!!  What has The City of Myrtle Beach changed; A FEW SAFETY ISSUES.  Just obey the laws should you decide to enter Myrtle Beach as you should and there is nothing they can do to you.  If you feel you are being discriminated against, be polite, get officer names and witness names if you can.  Complaints and lawsuits are the way of Myrtle Beach so fight them with their own ammunition.   

If you are picked on because of your skin color or the fact that you ride a bike, then that is discrimination.  The ACLU, AMA, NAACP and many other organizations would be very interested in hearing of your experiences.