My first read of the morning was Myrtle Beach Hotels see slow start , a blog about the Myrtle Beach Rental Market being severely depressed. Good morning to you too!!!
I re-blogged the post and started getting comments from my fellow Rainers. Someone asked about Biker Week and how it wasn't happening this year. What do you mean? Biker Week is a Myrtle Beach tradition as ingrained in the public psyche as grits and fried okra.
People live for Bike Week. Doctors, Lawyers and CEO's have their plans for the Myrtle Beach Bike Week prominently featured on their yearly calendars, right there with the family's trip to St. Barts. Bike week is not a flight by night event; Bike week is a Myrtle Beach Institution.
Apparently, Myrtle Beach officials have elected to end this tradition by adopting harsh regulation designed to keep Bikers away from the city of Myrtle Beach. A long list of tough new rules has replaced the liberal policies extant for the past several decades. Here is a mere sample of the new ordinance:
•· No loud mufflers. No straight pipes. No revving of engines or excessive noise.
•· Everyone on a motorcycle must wear a safety helmet and protective eye wear (glasses, goggles, face shield, etc.) at all times while the cycle is moving.
•· No more than two motorcycles allowed in a public parking space.
•· No use of parking lots or landscaped areas of any business next to road or street for chairs, coolers, parties, drinking or food service.
•· Parties responsible for permitted or unpermitted special events that require an extraordinary public response may be held financially responsible for the cost of that response.
•· No alcohol consumption or open container possession allowed in parking lots and garages of any business.
Here is a quick lesson in Myrtle Beach: take a map of the Myrtle Beach COASTAL AREA. It is a 60 mile stretch of Beach known as the Grand Strand, extending from Calabash NC to Georgetown SC. To the South you'll find Surfside, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island and Georgetown. To the North lies the sprawling City of North Myrtle Beach. Study the map carefully and you'll realize just how little of that coastal area is taken up by the City of Myrtle Beach - only 9.5 miles of that 60 mile stretch, to be exact. The rest of our beautiful coast is part of Horry County (pronounced "Ohry" NOT "Whorey"). Neither Horry County, nor SC have a helmet law (for riders over 21). Murrells Inlet and North Myrtle Beach have made it clear they would gladly step in and accommodate the Bikers.
Conclusion: Bike Week - May 8 through May 17 - is still going on. You can enjoy the Beautiful Myrtle Beach Area and just stay away from the City of Myrtle Beach, unless you don't mind silencing your Harley muffler, wearing a helmet, parking no more than two motorcycles per space, staying off the grass, and being quiet and proper - raise your pinkie now, like a good little Hog!
I am not a biker and will not get on those things. They are beautiful and they make a lot of people happy, so I like motorcycles because of that.
When I was in Germany there was a huge admiration for the Harley Bike and the BMW motorcycle, as fine of a machine as it is, could not hold a candle to the Harley with the Germans.
The biggest curiosity to me about the biker culture of Myrtle Beach is a very large and well known bar for the Harley Crowd. The bar is called "Suck, Bang, Blow". In the strict communist culture I was raised in, they would put you in jail for displaying a name like that... I blush every time I drive by it...
I think it is a shame. Myrtle Beach will probably change their minds when they realize how much money they will lose.
That doesn't make much sense to keep away paying customers in bad times :)
I am a biker (older than most) and still love to ride. While bike rallies may be a little irritating to the locals, it is one of the best money making events. Doctors, Lawyers, corporate heads, you name it all attend these events. It's in their nature to freely spend and take care of the community. Sorry to see Myrtle Beach make such a huge mistake.
I was shocked to read that they are not having bike week. I love Myrtle beach and everyone knows bike week is a tradition.
Hi Mirela, I enjoyed this post! I like the way you write, and I am surprised that a city would turn away such a profitable, and well attended event!! Tisk, Tisk, what were they thinking! ' Raising my pinkie now!! :-)
nice post - is a shame that in a time when every city can use a great cash influx - myrtle keeps try to get rid of bike week...makes no sense to me
I have a friend who has attended many bike weeks in Myrtle Beach. They've always had a good time. They've never mentioned problems when they were there. I am also surprised that in a down economy they would takes steps to ban something that brings a large economic benefit to the community.
I am interested to see how far Myrtle Beach actually pushes their stand. Every year it is a big economy boost and especially this year they should be welcoming it instead of striking it down. I live within city limits and although it can be slightly annoying having to leave the house an hour early to get five miles down the road, I am used to it and don't mind it for a week...it gets me ready for the summer traffic anyway.
My boyfriend has a motorcycle and since we live within city limits that helmet law is going to affect us because pulling out of our driveway is considered driving in the city limits so if we want to go to Market Common in the middle of July we're going to have to put on the helmets and sweat our butts off. If I'm going farther than a few miles from home on the bike I make sure our helmets are on anyway, so the helmet law may be most annoying for Myrtle Beach residents.
Suck, bang, blow is actually a reference to the way an internal combustion engine works and is not dirty in itself although it's actually usually suck, squeeze, bang, blow so the bar in Murrells Inlet is taking some creative liberty in their name (most likely to see you blush). =)
I agree with the other comments. I don't see how it makes sense to put stringent rules in place that will keep people away who would boost the local economy.
Things like this will just push them to another town that has open arms and a need for cash flow.
Blind politics...
They can't see the forest - there are too many trees in the way! Laws like the ones you mentioned are exactly what nearly killed off custom motorcycles in the 70s. Who will be next to adopt some kind of similar 'killem with regulation' laws (besides our federal government)?
My intrepid Darlene (one of our agents), sent a copy of this blog to the Mayor of Myrtle Beach, with the following note attached:
YOUR WHOLE DEPT. NEEDS TO READ THIS BLOG AND MOST OF ALL THE MAYOR!! PLEASE READ OVER ATTACHMENT AS WELL, NATIONAL LAW IS A ‘STATE LAW' NOT A TOWN LAW FOR HELMETS !!! AND COMMENTS FROM REAL ESATATE AGENTS ALL OVER THE USA !! YOUR DECISION TO STOP BIKE WEEK IS A CRIME TO ALL OF US LOCALS AND TOURISTS ALIKE!! Darlene Olivo ABR ----------North Myrtle Beach
This was the response from the City Manager:
Darlene, thank you for your email. I see that you are in North Myrtle Beach? As I understand it, North Myrtle Beach officials tell us that the laws they have on the books are as tough or tougher than ours, but in any case, they still welcome the rallies.
Tom Leath
City Manager
Isn't the Helmet Law a State Motor Vehicle Law? Now, if these people don't read your specific rules on line and they come through your town without helmet's, it's ticket time for your town!! If all the people who are in North Myrtle Beach or anywhere have to drive through Myrtle Beach ,have to bring there helmet's, pull over, put helmet's on, pull over take helmet's off, this is not only unsafe, but quite ridiculous!!
North Myrtle Beach, tough laws, that's OK!! But what a great town it is, what a fantastic mayor we have and they welcome Bike Week with opens arms!!
Not to mention the state our economy is in, how is Myrtle Beach doing so well right now that you don't need the proceeds that Bike Week brings in, according to our sales and rental statistics that we do regularly, the Hotels are hurting due to this economy?? I have a tremendous amount of clients that relocate here that were introduced to this state as a result of Bike Week, my husband and myself included quite a few years ago. Now I have clients who have changed there mind to buy that second home or permanent home here because of your decisions. My goal at this point is to check into ORDINANCE 2008-64 with State Legislation and our Governor to see if this law can stand. Not only the outrage that's pouring in from your decisions, but the helmet law seems to be one of the biggest question at this time !! Thank You for your time. Sincerely, Darlene Olivo ABR
...And just in case you're wondering: Yes, she is a redhead. It seems that I have a proclivity for hiring redheads. Go figure!
Mirela, Yes I saw a news tidbit about that a week or so ago. I thought that if business was down why shoot yourself in the foot. I use to live in N. Myrtle in the Crescent Beach section. I actually use to work for the Nakato family. At that time we had two locations one was in the Galleria right down from the Steakhouse on Kings Hwy. I was the manager of the Galleria location (where I learned my Japanese). I know how much business Bike Week brought in.
It's too bad the city of Myrtle Beach is doing this. Honestly I think they wanted to stop the problems they have with Black Bike Week and they couldn't stop one without affecting the other one.
Those of you who do decide to skirt the city of Myrtle Beach, keep in mind that the city limits overlaps 17 bypass in many places also so you will need to use Hwy 31 to avoid Myrtle Beach. You can get on the north end of it by taking Hwy 22 from up near Briarcliffe/Colonial mall. On the south end you can get on Hwy 31 from 544 Surfside.
This site has a PDF map of the city limits
Mirela - You are right there are people I know that live for Biker Week @ Myrtle Beach. I can not believe that the City of Myrtle Beach would do this - well - yes I can our City Council has done some pretty stupid things over the past few years. But in this economy how on earth can they justify this to their commerical enterprises. What's the Chamber's position on this?!?!
I'll be watching this blog! Thanks - Kathy