Rally time
04/08/13 05:15
They’re here. The hills are rumbling with the sound of motorcycles. The billboards are filled with advertisements for bands, venues, foods and other rally fare. The annual Sturgis Rally is in full swing. We’ve lived in the hills long enough that we are a little bit used to it. Playing host to thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts is just part of what we do. For the most part, the folks of the hills are supportive of the event. After all the cyclists spend a lot of money during their visit. The event provides jobs and a burst of income that keeps some businesses in the black for another year. We have learned to take routes that involve as few left-hand turns as possible when we drive into town. We have learned to look very carefully for motorcycles when pulling on to the road. We have adjusted to the roar of the bikes going by our home so that we don’t interrupt our conversation with each passing motorcycle.
Yesterday, when we were finishing up a morning of splitting wood we were standing around talking. It was a pleasant day, not too warm and not stormy. We had had a small crew but had accomplished quite a bit. As we visited we noticed the helicopter ambulance heading toward the hospital. “Yup,” someone said, “the rally is in full swing.” Increased activity for law enforcement, ambulance workers, and the hospital emergency room are also a part of the rally each year.
We’ve all learned the drill. Look for motorcycles. Look again. They don’t always travel in groups. The individual bikes are a bit harder to see. Avoid following too closely, give them room. And when you do see an accident, make sure you aren’t making things worse. Find a safe place to pull over and dial 9-1-1 before you attempt to render aid. Most of us have seen an accident or two. They happen every year.
According to our local newspaper’s web site, there have been three fatal motorcycle accidents this weekend. One took place on the Interstate in eastern South Dakota and involved a group of four cycles riding in a staggered formation heading to the rally. Another occurred just west of town on Nemo Road. The third was also west of town near the intersection of highways 44 and 385. One of the attractions of the hills for the motorcycles are the winding and scenic roads that are filled with beauty and have enough curves and grades to be a challenge for a cycle. And most motorcyclists enjoy speed. They aren’t however, the only ones on the road. The rest of us, though we try to stay off the roads a bit more than usual, continue to drive to and from our regular business. And our roads are often crossed by turkeys and deer and other critters.
The cattle grazing in the open pasture area on Sheridan Lake Road near Dakota Point didn’t get the memo about the rally. While they often are up the draws and away from the main road, on Friday they were all down alongside and on the road. In addition to the dangers of large slow-moving animals on the road, many of which are black and amazingly difficult to see in the dark of night, they leave behind their normal business that creates slick spots on the road. Hopefully the motorcyclists are warning each other and everyone is slowing down a bit.
The accidents are the part of the rally that I dread. I’m not a big fan of the noise, but it is only a couple of weeks each year and there is an up side to the noise. It announces the presence of the motorcycles. I try to drive with my windows down as much as possible during the rally so that I have the auditory warning as well as the visual sight to keep me aware of and safely out of the path of motorcycles. I’m not a big fan of crowds, but I can put up with hoards of visitors for a short time. The same natural beauty and western hospitality that drew me to the hills and has made it such a great place to call home is attractive to others. And guests are an important part of what makes it work for the rest of us to live in the hills. The income from tourists is a very important part of our local economy. I can tolerate the crowds. The craziness of huge outdoor concerts and parties are easy enough to simply avoid. I prefer to keep my clothes on in public and like it when others do as well, so I simply don’t go to the places where huge temporary bars are attended by waitresses wearing swimming suits.
And I am a people watcher. There are all sorts of interesting people to see. Some of the motorcyclists go in for decoration. There are more tattoos than a navy reunion in our town this weekend. I’m especially a fan of those on the upper shoulders of men who are wearing sleeveless shirts this week. You know that when they go back to their regular lives and white-collar jobs those tattoos are covered up by a short sleeve shirt. Other cyclists go in for costumes. You can see some pretty strange modes of dress if you sit on a street corner and watch the bikes go by. You wouldn’t normally think that a hot August day would be a time to wear a buffalo robe, but I’ve seen it. Some cyclists have expensive, matched outfits and have chosen their colors to look good with their bikes. I’m more drawn to the duct tape crowd, who wear old jeans and faded leathers and sport t-shirts that proclaim that they were at the rally years, and even decades ago.
But I don’t like the though of people getting hurt. I cringe at the sound of the helicopter and pray that I don’t become involved in an accident. I cut back on my driving and stay at home more.
A perfect rally for me would be one in which there were no people injured in accidents. But that dream will have to wait for another year. This year has already been bad for some of the participants.
So be careful out there. We want you to come and visit. We want you to have fun while you are here. But we also want you to come back and you can’t do that if you get ground up in an accident. We’ll do our best to help and provide care if you get injured, but we’d really prefer that no one gets injured in the first place.