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We want to move to Myrtle beach but hear from friends that the amount of time the biker weeks takes up is getting longer and longer. The spring "week" lasted about 20 days and who knows how long the fall week will be.....We dont want to have to spend much time being afraid to leave our house because of the bikers. How do we know that the biker weeks will not become biker months? thanks
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
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We have lived through several MB and MI bikeweeks. Although not our "cup of tea", we have suffered annoyance at the noise, little else. And I have never felt that the bikeweek activities have lasted more than a week. In fact it seems most activities are more like a long weekend. We have never felt afraid to venture out. Although from what I have seen on the news about the Atlantic Beach bikeweek I might feel differently up there. But Atlantic Beach is far north from Murrells Inlet.
...How do we know that the biker weeks will not become biker months? thanks
How do we know the next major hurricane won't roll thru and cut another channel between the beach and the river? How do we know the developers won't cut down the last tree, leaving builders with nothing but straw for houses? How do we know the insurance companies won't finally follow thru with their threats and pull out of this area? How do we know that SC won't one day elect a Democratic senator, causing the entire state to crumble and fall into the ocean? If you're a what-if worrier, coastal SC probably ain't the place for ya'.
Bike weeks have been an important part of this area for a long time, I'll bet much longer than your friends have lived here, and if MB ever wakes up and gets some brains, they'll apologize to the bikers for being idiots and try to make amends. For many years, the largest MB blood drives occurred during bike week. Their poker runs poured immeasurable amounts of charitable funds into the local agencies, not to mention the huge contribution to our local economy. MB ain't Sun City, and God help us, it never will be.
Unfortunately, MB will never apologize under the present regime and bike week will never be what it once was, this year was the 72nd year, it is the oldest bike rally in the Country and use to be considered one of the top 3. Now it is a joke, what was there this year 40 vendors, when in years past there were 300+.
I agree with the other comments. Bike week is not a big deal unless you live near one of the venues frequented by the bikers. I do not, so my experience is that there's more bikes on the road and it's a little noisier but overall...no big deal. If I lived near SBB or a Harley dealer, I'd probably feel differently.
During the Harley events, most bikers are considerate and just want to share the road and enjoy themselves. Can't say much about the Atlantic Beach bike week because I don't live near there but it's mainly just the weekend. Their expansion of Bike Week to 2 weeks was just a political maneuver aimed at the state for forcing them to have an election that they refused to schedule. Next year, I'm sure it will be back to just the weekend.
.....We dont want to have to spend much time being afraid to leave our house because of the bikers....
I don't have much to add, I think Pawleysdude covered it quite well. I was wondering, however, why you would be afraid of leaving the house? Unless you have a fear of loud noises, or vehicles with two wheels, I can only assume you have a huge misperception (I am being kind ) of bikers and/or bike week. I am not trying to be flip, but I can assure you it doesn't look like a scene from "Mad Max"
Well this year the bike week started on may 11 and wasnt over until the 21 and that sounds like more than a week end to me. Right after that bunch cleared out the other bike week folks started coming in for their "bike week"which lasted through memorial day on the 29th... Almost the entire month of may (a great month for vacation before school lets out) was filled with the biker noise and dangerous drivers( biker accidents and deaths make it dangerous ) Like I said it seems longer and longer NOT just a long week end..get real
Well this year the bike week started on may 11 and wasnt over until the 21 and that sounds like more than a week end to me. Right after that bunch cleared out the other bike week folks started coming in for their "bike week"which lasted through memorial day on the 29th... Almost the entire month of may (a great month for vacation before school lets out) was filled with the biker noise and dangerous drivers( biker accidents and deaths make it dangerous ) Like I said it seems longer and longer NOT just a long week end..get real
How convenient. You seem to have answered your own question!
crestliner...I don't know where your friends live or how much detailed background they've given you but here's the scoop on what happened this year.
A Harley Dealer decided, on his own, to extend Harley week from the traditional one week period to 3 weeks and only he published it on his web site. The County, which issues permits to vendors who participate in Harley week, decided to still issue permits for only one week...they actually discussed cutting it back but left it as is. So, the majority of the activity took place over a one week period for Harley week when the vendors were able to set up. Did bikers come during the other weeks?...yes but not in the numbers that they did for the "official" week. The County is going to keep a lid on how long the Harley week lasts. Furthermore, the Harley bikers know that they are not really wanted in Myrtle Beach proper so they tend to spend most of their time near the Harley Dealer, SBB and other biker bars. So, it's not like they're roaring throughout the entire Grand Strand and all the housing developments. You see them mostly 17business and 17bypass and near the beach. As I said before, all-in-all, it's not such a bad time unless you happen to live near their hangouts. And yes, there are biker deaths mainly alcohol related. It's easy to stay away from them if you don't live near their hangouts...just stay on the back roads.
As far as the Atlantic Beach Bike Week, it's mainly confined to the north end and especially Atlantic Beach. As I said, they town expanded the "bike week" as a stunt to try and thwart the state forcing an election on them which the state was justified in doing. They "scheduled" bike week activities in the community center which is also the only polling place in town. Of course, on election day there was absolutely no activity in the community center. The TV stations showed the streets on AB during the 2 weeks of bike week and they were completely empty except for the traditional scheduled weekend. The vendors were crying the blues as they had no customers. Furthermore, Atlantic Beach almost cancelled bike week this year (before the state scheduled the election) because they couldn't afford to host it. So, who knows if they will even host the weekend next year...let alone 2 weeks. If your friends didn't tell you this whole story, I can only assume that they are woefully oblivious to the local news.
After re-reading your original post and follow up, I'm not sure what you were really asking the folks on this forum to respond to. Seems like you had already decided that the existing time was too long. No one can assure anyone that bike week won't expand (or anything won't happen as PawleysDude says). But, we do know that the local governments are loath to do so at this time and tend to respond when local residents apply pressure regarding quality of life issues like this. So, if your friends have already told you that it's too noisy as it is today, then MB is not the place for you. Myrtle Beach continues to grow and expand. You should continue to search for a quiet, isolated beach or a far removed farm where no one will disturb the solitude.
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) of bikers and/or bike week. I am not trying to be flip, but I can assure you it doesn't look like a scene from "Mad Max" 
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How convenient!
