Some residents 'delighted' rally numbers not as strong

Some residents 'delighted' rally numbers not as strong (Added: May 16, 2009)

Tom Rice, with the group ?Take Back May? an organization dedicated to ridding Myrtle Beach of the motorcycle rallies, said he's delighted that bikers are staying away from the city. (more)

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Some residents 'delighted' rally numbers not as strong

Motorcycle riders on the South end of the Grand Strand.

By: Thema Ponton | SCNOW
Published: May 16, 2009

Tom Rice, with the group “Take Back May” an organization dedicated to ridding Myrtle Beach of the motorcycle rallies, said he's delighted that bikers are staying away from the city.

Many of the bikers on the Grand Strand for the spring Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally said they are going to locations on the north and south end of the strand, outside of Myrtle Beach.

South strand resident, Paul Price said after serving his country for 25 years in the military and several years as a state trooper, he planned to spend his retirement quietly on the south end of the Grand Strand. But Price said quiet during the bike rallies is almost impossible. "You hear this constant revving of engines, all the time, just like you hear now and it never ceases, until the bike rallies leave and you can’t get a peaceful night's sleep, you know therefore your body never gets a full night's rest.” Price said he knows business owners are just trying to make a living and rally goers are just here to have a good time, but feels like he shouldn't have to tolerate the noise and what he says is lewd behavior. "Respect our community, don't disrespect us, don't rip up and down the road the wee hours of the night.” Price said there doesn't seem to be as many bikers here this year as in years past due to the new Myrtle Beach laws, changes in some Horry County ordinances, and the efforts of people like himself to try and lessen the impact of the rallies. But said the economy probably had the biggest impact. Price said he wants to see Horry County council enact enforceable laws to regulate the rallies, especially the noise from the motorcycles. "We want them to come enjoy, we don't want our businesses to be deprived of customers, we want them to enjoy a good, productive business and it can all be accomplished if we learn how to coexist." Mr. Price says he does have a motorcycle, but is planning to get rid of it because he doesn't think it's safe anymore.

Mike Shank, spokesman for Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson said he has heard concerns like Price's before and says he's sympathetic, but a lot of people depend of the revenue from the rally to survive and said the rallies are a Grand Strand event that will continue.