The latest from the city of Myrtle Beach re: rallies

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The latest from the city of Myrtle Beach re: rallies Myrtle Beach gets word out on motorcycle rallies - Local - Myrtle Beach Online


Whatcha think? Anyone gonna miss it?

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Posted on Tue, Jan. 13, 2009
Myrtle Beach gets word out on motorcycle rallies
Brochures, Web site educate on new biker laws
By Lorena Anderson
landerson@thesunnews.com

The city of Myrtle Beach and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce have launched Web and print information letting visitors know that from the city's perspective, the May motorcycle rallies are over.

Myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com launched last week, and brochures are available for distribution primarily through local hotels.

"We have new laws, and we'd rather not surprise visitors," city spokesman Mark Kruea said. "We'd rather they have some idea of what to expect when they come here."

People who haven't followed the bike-rally news since fall might not know the city has implemented stricter noise and muffler rules, a local helmet law, rules about parties in parking lots, a juvenile curfew and more.

Chamber President and CEO Brad Dean said the site and brochures are not an ad campaign and will not be advertised or mailed out generally, but will be given to people who request information.

Dean said it's the chamber's job to provide information to visitors, and the group gets thousands of calls every year about the month of May - either from people who are interested in coming because of the rallies or in avoiding the area because of them.

"We anticipate those calls are going to increase as May gets closer, and we want to make sure we are giving out accurate, consistent information that is in sync with what the city has done," Dean said.

The Web site bears a message from Mayor John Rhodes, a list of the 15 ordinances and amendments the city approved last fall to target the two May motorcycle rallies it says have grown too large and too difficult to control, and a section of questions and answers.

For example, one of the questions in the frequently asked questions section is:

"The rallies bring a lot of revenue to the city and its businesses. Does the City Council realize how much money it stands to lose?"

The city answers: "Yes, the City Council is aware of the economic impact of the motorcycle rallies, but the rallies also cost the community, and more than just money. Certain business segments did well during the rallies, but others did not. [...] But perhaps the biggest cost of all was the effect the rallies had upon our quality of life. Residents were no longer willing to give up the month of May."

The top of the site says, "effective 2009, Myrtle Beach, SC will no longer host motorcycle rallies."

Though the city never officially hosted the rallies, "Myrtle Beach doesn't want to be the center of the motorcycle universe in May anymore," Kruea said.

The Harley-Davidson and Atlantic Beach Bikefest have drawn nearly half-a-million visitors over about three weeks in May to the Grand Strand. People from out of the area like to stay in Myrtle Beach during the rallies, and the teenagers who follow the Bikefest riders turn Ocean Boulevard into a street party over Memorial Day weekend. Locals complain loudly each year about the rally attendees' noise, driving, activities and trash. But in 2008, after a Coastal Carolina University student was shot to death in a dispute over a parking space during Bikefest, even though the shooting didn't involve bikers, the city said it would take steps to end the rallies.

The chamber designed the Web site and has paid for the brochures. Kruea said the city might reimburse the chamber, but that has not been decided.

Dean said the Web site was produced by chamber staff, so it will cost the city nothing, and so far, his group has spent about $45 producing a few hundred brochures, some of which went with Kruea last weekend to a sportbike public relations officers' convention, where he was able to pass along information to about 1,500 people who market bike rallies and events.

"We will print brochures up if people call and request them, and if hotels want to use them, we will allow them to reproduce the brochure at their own cost," Dean said. "But this is not part of the chamber's ad campaigns, and we don't want people to confuse this with our overall message, which is that we want people to come visit Myrtle Beach. The only intent is to answer questions specifically about the rallies."

[insolentminx]

I thinka lot of bikes won't bother going.

As they say, it's not really an actual arranged rally... people just turn up.

It might make it a more family orientated rally with less drinking and partying, and more general admiring bikes...

But to be honest it does seem a bit stupid to implement such stringent rules, blatantly designed to stop bikers visiting the city right at a time when such a high source of income like the rally would really benefit the town in todays poor economic climate...

I'd have told residents to put up with it for another year and then seen how finances are doing when it comes round to arranging/cancelling the 2010 one.

[pitchinguy]

Ho humm, been there, done that. They no longer want my business, no problem. I'll spend my vacation & money somewhere else. They'll never miss me & I dang sure won't miss them. All is good.

[NCDave]

That rally stunk anyway. glad to see it go. For those that think you might miss it, go to Daytona instead. it's a LOT more fun.

[ImpactG]

In this economy I think they're nuts! Don't know about you, but I'd put up with a whole lot of aggravation for a fist full of cash...

[NCDave]

Prime example of cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

I've boycotted MB for a while now because of their attitude toward bikers. I plan to continue that!

(can you tell I feel strongly about it???!!!)

[ImpactG]

So be it then. Who really loses? It's not like there aren't dozens of events to go to over the season. Whatever.

[usmalenurse]

I rode down last spring on the first Saturday of Bike Week with 4 other guys and just spent the day. It was my first experience with Bike Week and it was nice just browsing around the vendor sites and checking out all the bikes. It's only about 2 1/2 hours from here but if they don't want me there with the bike, I'll gladly stay away. I missed it for the first 52 years of my life so the next 52 shouldn't be a problem .

Charles

[FL Vulcan Rider]

Originally Posted by ImpactG

So be it then. Who really loses? It's not like there aren't dozens of events to go to over the season. Whatever.

I know... Daytona is only a skip and a hop away from Myrtle Beach.

Originally Posted by usmalenurse

I rode down last spring on the first Saturday of Bike Week with 4 other guys and just spent the day. It was my first experience with Bike Week and it was nice just browsing around the vendor sites and checking out all the bikes. It's only about 2 1/2 hours from here but if they don't want me there with the bike, I'll gladly stay away. I missed it for the first 52 years of my life so the next 52 shouldn't be a problem .

Charles

The only thing it's going to do is hurt Myrtle Beach.

[ALStensby]

Originally Posted by pitchinguy

Ho humm, been there, done that. They no longer want my business, no problem. I'll spend my vacation & money somewhere else. They'll never miss me & I dang sure won't miss them. All is good.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[elr658]

Myrtle Beach died when I left. March 1986.And then they closed down the AFB.

[pitchinguy]

A while back, they said they wanted to replace the May bike weeks with some types of family oriented events to draw families instead. I'm curious to see what groups of families they're gonna bring in with all the kids still in school & the colleges still in session during May. Heh heh! Looks like a lot of lost revenue every May to me!

Then again, since they're not really pushing to educate people on the new ordinances, they're prolly planning to try to recover some of the lost revenues thru citations for new ordinances. MB has always been notorious for that anyway! Be damn careful if you ride a bike thru there!!! They'll prolly write you up for breathing & you can be sure the fines will be outrageous!!

[bamavulcandave]

One of the questions in the frequently asked questions section is:

"The rallies bring a lot of revenue to the city and its businesses. Does the City Council realize how much money it stands to lose?"

The city answers: "Yes, the City Council is aware of the economic impact of the motorcycle rallies, but the rallies also cost the community, and more than just money. Certain business segments did well during the rallies, but others did not. [...] But perhaps the biggest cost of all was the effect the rallies had upon our quality of life. Residents were no longer willing to give up the month of May."

"Buddy System" and Politics. Bet you no one on the City Council owned a business that profits from the rally meaning if they had a business that profits say $300K from the rally they would be for keeping the rally.
Maybe the week long rally was the problem, had it been a two-day weekend it would still helped the city economy.

[usmalenurse]

FWIW...I did receive this email today regarding the Rally. I haven't checked out the sites yet to see what they say. Just passing it along...

Charles



Hi all,

I am sending this email out to everyone in my address book. I realize that only some of you are bikers. I am hoping that you may know someone that is or maybe someone in your address book may know someone who is. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK PLEASE.

Myrtle beach has launched a new website to deter people from coming to the grand strand during the bike rally in may. The website is Myrtle Beach Biker Info | Laws | Regulations .. DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ ON THIS SITE. MOST OF THE INFO IS FALSE. THERE WILL BE A SPRING RALLY IN MAY 2009 HERE ON THE GRAND STRAND. There will be no activities sponsored by myrtle beach in the city limits. The city limits never had a lot of sponsored activities going on. The majority of bike week events take place out side the city. There will be plenty of activities going on within Horry county as normal. Nothing has changed. THE SPRING RALLY WILL BE MAY 8th - 17th 2009. If you want current and up to date and correct info on the rally, please check out one of the following sites.

South Carolina Motorcycle Dealer - Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson - Buell Myrtle Beach Bike Week, Spring Bike Week, Myrtle Beach Biker Info, Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Cruisin' the Coast Myrtle Beach Freebird Style Home These sites will provide you with truthful information about the rally. You will also find truthful information about the new myrtle beach city ordinances that only come in to effect within the city limits of myrtle beach. Don’t worry, there are plenty of ways around the city limits to get to wear you need to go. You should also be able to find hotel and condo rental info on these sites that are out side of the city. www.cherylchristopher.com is a site for surfside reality.

AGAIN, PLEASE SEND THIS OUT TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. This email needs to get out all over this country, Canada, and the world. You would be surprised, but I have met people from many different countries here on the grand strand during bike week.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP AND PLEASE RIDE SAFE.



Live long and prosper and remember to always speak your mind.
Gary Balcom Assistant Coordinator Horry County ABATE






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[RichLockyer]

Originally Posted by pitchinguy

Ho humm, been there, done that. They no longer want my business, no problem. I'll spend my vacation & money somewhere else. They'll never miss me & I dang sure won't miss them. All is good.

+1... same for Palm Springs.
They used to host "American Heat".

By 2005, it turned into a cop-fest and everyone was paranoid of getting cited for every little thing. 2006 promoters claimed 100 vendors... might have been 50, and for the most part, it was dead.

I don't know anyone who went in 2007 or 2008.