Mixed feelings on bike fest crowds
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Mixed feelings on bike fest crowds
This week?s bike fest along the Grand Strand is almost coming to an end but very few bikers paid the annual visit this May. That for some residents like Tom Rice is good news.
Aisha Khan/WBTW
One of many pictures Tom Rice archived from bike fest and rallies over the years.
This week’s bike fest along the Grand Strand is almost coming to an end but very few bikers paid the annual visit this May. That for some residents like Tom Rice is good news.
Rice said that he was tired of dealing with bike rallies getting out of hand and creating a nuisance in his neighborhood, but added that he is glad the city finally stepped in to do something about it.
“I think that the city council did a great thing, I think that they were courageous in doing it and I think that has been the most effective benefit to come out of this,“ said Rice.
Rice for years has kept a folder of statistics, records and tallies on the bike rallies and pictures of the types of lewd behavior he says that he has seen often during bike fest. That’s something Rice added he had to take upon himself to do for the last few years. He said that this was his way to show that he is concerned about his neighborhood and doesn’t feel comfortable sticking around as soon as the bikers come to town in the month of May.
“I think people hear about them and they cringe I think that people, other tourists won’t come and there’s a reason for that, they may not be able to put their finger on it until you dig down,” said Rice.
Some bikers that News 13 caught up with in Atlantic Beach on Sunday said that type of digging down has led to the stereotyping of al* bikers, adding that they are convinced that those who oppose the spring rallies are intentionally driving away good business in a bad economy.
“The money that the rally generates I think it’s well worth it for the city just to put up with a couple of days of noise,” said Gary Billeaud who visits the beach every year from Louisiana but for the first time chose to ride to North Myrtle Beach.
“You just can’t judge one bad apple, where the one bad apple will spoil the whole bunch, you’ve got good people and you’ve got bad people granted, but everyone comes down here to have fun and not bother anybody,“ said Reggie Williams who rode down from North Carolina.
Rice went on to explain that he’s had several friends and neighbors unable to get away to another place when the bikers come into town and instead he said they just lock themselves in their homes for two weeks.
“It is really disheartening, it makes you feel bad about your community, it’s a bad place for a family to be and it’s total disrespect,“ said Rice.
Rice also told News 13 that a group made up of concerned city residents called “Take Back May” will hold a ‘thank you rally’ on June 10th for the city council and Mayor John Rhodes.
Rice added that everyone is welcome to attend the event held at the train depot on Broadway from 11:30am to 2pm.
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Reader Reactions
Where’s the poll You just said is up ?
mr.rice,
needs to mind his own business,i wish someone would escort him out of town.
he is probably one of them retired or some one that dont have nothing else to do but complain about everything,if he had a purpose in life it mite matter but thats all he is good for like the rest of myrtle beach politics.
Mr. Rice is worried about “lewd” behaviour from bikers? What about the lewd behaviour that happens in and around the so called gentlemen’s clubs that greet you when you enter the beach area on 501? What about that Mr. Rice…how come this doesnt bother you?
The bikers brought in revenue to the city and surrounding areas that HELPED you Mr. Rice. I think you could put up with a little noise for a few days and know that the city was reaping the benefits.
I would rather see a few locals lock their doors than watch a few thousand families with small children stranded in stand still traffic on 501 for several hours. The city can be proud of itself, you sure showed those families that you are taking a stand. They could watch the strip club from the bridge over the waterway as their bladders burst and their tempers raged. The bikers will return but the families are disgusted with your abuse of govermental power, I would never recommend that they come back.
Who the crap is tom rice? Sounds like a pervert and probably keeps his folder in the bathroom so he can enjoy it. I am sure they will have an appreciation part for rhodes and his idiots, bet it will be covered dish because no one else will serve them in the city unless they will give them the “special”. I guess needs to live in a special gated community with exclusive shuttle service and maybe all the idol limousine service’s can hook a brother up. I love sitting back and watching all the fallout, hopefully the business owners have had enough and are willing to take it out of the park starting with Tom Leath, all the idiotic council and Rhodes can drive the bus as they leave what is left of the city they have destroyed.
Little tax man rice is not going to think that it is such a good thing next year when tons of A.B. bikers take advantage of the incredibly low room rates in side city limits next year. Many are going to be coming a week early and some will leave a week late. Now we can all see just how their utopian ideas of selective tourism work or do not work depending on how you look at it. Remember what we said in the beginning Two years of Boycott and Mayhem. Nothing has changed except that now the Harley boycott has spread to many other groups all except the A.B. crowd which has vowed to spend as little as possible inside Myrtle Beach but now that they know that with the NAACP watching the town of Myrtle Beach will not dare harass them the way they did the Harley bikers last week. So the word is that next year the younger, wilder, sport bike crowd will own the town of Myrtle Beach for all of Mayhem. God really does have a sense of humor. So remember to save some cheese doodles for grandma.
I agree that sometimes when there are large crowds of people you will have a few bad apples that are disrespectful to others but the MOST DISRESPECTFUL THING MYRTLE BEACH has done is to take away revenue without having a plan to replace it.
Please tell me how you can justify taking away a business’ income and then raising the hospitality tax to offset the lost of that income?
I have been in the service industry for 20+ years on this beach and even there are quite a few disrespectful families…. what type of tourist do you really want?
The Mom, Dad and 2.5 kids that can’t afford a vacation in these reccessionary times or bikers that work hard and spend their hard earned money to have a good time? Besides that fact, how can you call any visitor to Myrtle Beach getting stuck in a 2 - 3 hour traffic jam because of a “safety checkpoint” HAVING A GOOD TIME?!
What is it you want Mr. Rice? If you want to live in a family-oriented residential area move out of a “RESORT” town!
SOMEONE LOCKED THEIR SELF UP FOR 2 WEEKS B4 CAUSE OF BIKE WEEK.NOW,DID YOU?,OR ARE YOU MAYBE STRETCHING THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT?
If you are so disgusted with the lewd behavior, why would you keep pictures of it?!? Taking peictures of it would mean that you have to look at the behavior that you don’t like!!! I don’t get it!!!!
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