#84 In Roads-Bikers behaving badly

 

I’m at the rental house for our crew in Sturgis. It’s above the fray in a quiet residential area where families watch the colorful sunsets as deer mosey across their lawns in the evening. It a nice place to escape to after the chaos of rally. The next-door neighbors are a collection of riders, mostly from another country, who have rented a family home. I’m out front loading up to take off and count about ten bikes roll out of the garage. After several wild nights of loudest bike competitions, burnouts outs, and drinking in the street, one of the guys asks if their partying bothers us.kids warning_I7D9102

“Not me, because I’m in the basement, but the ones upstairs aren’t getting much sleep. You’re not too popular around here,” I tell them. “Yeah? Well, it’ll be worse tonight,” comes the reply as they rap out the engines and roar off down the short block before they have to turn. Across the street children stand close to their parents and cover their ears. It bums me out that these riders are so inconsiderate to our host neighbors. Places like the Buffalo Chip and Broken Spoke eagerly invite bikers to light ‘em up and exercise their inner child. There are areas downtown that encourage burnouts and rowdiness is expected, but I feel bad for the locals who have to suffer this kind of disrespect in their own neighborhood. I find myself embarrassed by my biker  brethren, then I wonder if I’m just getting old. There was a time in my youth when I might have joined in the mayhem.

Later in the day when I return from a ride I notice a sign about mid block asking motorists to exercise caution as children play in front of their homes. I find myself wondering if it will make any difference.

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