TOTALLY GEEKED!

Have a great time, Riding!

Riding wrote:

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many come from pretty far away and trailer their bikes, we do and we do not even go that far, we could ride, but like having our fifth wheel. We take our four dogs and they all ride with us. Czech you have family in Sturgis? and I heard motel rooms are even more expensive than they normally are during the Rally, some surrounding towns are getting $799 A NIGHT!

thanks everyone!

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 Why yes, yes I do.

We have a board member who lives in Rapid City as well.

NAOW wrote:

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Riding I live about 20 miles from Sturgis. I hope you have a great time! I heard back at the beginning of June that hotels for the Rally were already booked solid from Spearfish to Chamberlain.

Czech, that is awesome for you nephew (I didn't realize how close to me he lives)! Our next door neighbors are renting out their house. We have thought about it, but not ready to take the risk yet. Most people have great luck, but every once in a while you hear a horror story.

I'm not really looking forward to it. I hate how busy everything gets, I hate driving with all the bikes around, and I hate hearing about all the accidents. When I was working it was really fun to see and talk to all the tourists though.

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It wasn't to bad back in 1973.

Once was enough for me. 

Have fun, Riding!  I hope you have a blast! 

This is in Sturgis. Nope. Not for me. Just looking at all those people is making me tense.

Riding wrote:

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it was 101 Saturday and 102 Sunday and horrid!

and it LOOKED just like that...I may be in there somewhere LOL

KOTA just said 6 *official rally* deaths so far and that is not those hurt seriously in the hospital who may not make it

NOAW are you east or west of Sturgis?

LOL I remember once venturing to the Pizza Hut up by West Main and Baken Park and having my Cobbler bumper stocker and getting my car rocked! LOL

then I went to Black Hills State and the Techies at School of Mines rocked my poor car again LOL

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 I just saw that it is now at 6 fatalities too. But yea, there have also been a lot of injury accidents that I've seen reported. 

I'm East of Sturgis.

Lol. I've never had my car rocked or rocked another car. 

Me either Lexxy.

I pulled these off Google, but this is what they do with the bikes. They are parked on the sides and in the middle, and then only bikes are allowed to travel on those roads. 

Traffic is a big concern right now. There are so many people and Sturgis and the surrounding areas aren't really set up to deal with it. There was an article yesterday that basically said they have a plan if the interstate gets backed up, but that they were skeptical if it would really be effective this year (since it's the 75th, there are a lot more people coming)

Here's a comparison. The top picture is the rally last year, bottom is this year. 

NAOW wrote:

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Today was the last day.

Here's the report:
The report from the last day of the rally lists a grand total of 220 DUI arrests, 203 misdemeanor drug arrests, 99 felony drug arrests, and over $28,000 in seized cash over the course of the entire rally. A total of 1,501 citations were issued, along with 4,557 warnings.

Injury accidents totaled to 152 compared to last year's 69. Thirteen people were killed over the course of the rally, more than triple from 2014.

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 This thread has been an interesting read.  That crowd size is amazing.  And the arrests stats are pretty tame considering how many people were there.  The whole site of it is one I would like to observe but not be in the midst of.

Yea, it only counts people in the area, so it's probably a little bit more. And it is sad.

No, I don't know why anyone would think that is a good time to learn to ride.

I just saw this...

'Deadliest Catch' captain dies at rally

An autopsy will be performed today in Sturgis to determine the cause of death of Tony Lara, who was a captain on the Discovery Channel's TV show "Deadliest Catch."

Lara died Saturday in Sturgis in his sleep, Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin said. Lara was a captain of the Cornelia Marie, a crab fishing boat featured on the popular TV show.

Merwin said he didn't know much more about Lara's death and was waiting for the autopsy results to determine the cause.

According to the website examiner.com, Lara was in Sturgis for the motorcycle rally.

just Czech wrote:

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My nephew, in Black Hawk, had to take Friday off from work due to the rally. The rough bunches had come in and were causing problems. He was forced to guard his property. He kicked out bikers that got overly rowdy.
And, yes, he kept a gun close.
I guess some areas did get ugly.

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Those idiots always ruin things! 

I saw this on a site my DH and I belong too, I removed the troopers name involved and the lady sharing it

    things like this do happen

I had planned on coming to the rally every year for the rest of my life..this was my second year and this happens:

Well, the story starts with after a 200 + mile motorcycle ride....I failed to turn my turn signal on when changing lanes...even if no one is in the other lane..it's still illegal..

The story continues as the South Dakota state trooper apparently had never heard a girl with a southern accent & confused my slow southern drawl with being impaired.

The story from last Sunday continues as I was on the side of the road doing a sobriety test & blowing on a breathalyzer (which showed I wasn't drunk). Two more police cars pull up & all I could think of is that this is a lot of trouble for just a failure to use a turn signal. The trooper then says he doesn't like the way I was talking (southern I'm guessing) or the way I was walking (blisters from riding boots & stiff from such a long motorcycle ride to Mt. Rushmore). He then run my background & I have never had as much as a ticket..EVER.

It's very hard for me to tell this story because I get sick to my stomach thinking about it..The next thing I knew the trooper had called for another trooper to escort me to jail because he was on a motorcycle. Apparently the other two police cars weren't allowed. So we now have 4 vehicles with lights flashing all for not turning on a turn signal. If you know me, then you know I am SEVERELY claustrophobic. I kept asking the trooper why he was handcuffing me. He then read me my Miranda rights & said we are charging you with a DUI. There I stand completely sober with nothing but an ibuprofen in my system. In South Dakota you have to stay in jail until you go to court & see a judge & the judge sets your bond...to be continued soon..when my stomach can handle it.

My poor husband had pulled over about 1/4 mile up the road & had no idea what was going on. He finally got back to me & the trooper said I'm charging your wife with DUI. The look on his face was priceless...he knew I was completely NOT under the influence of anything. I was sitting in the trooper's SUV having a total come-apart... crying & hyperventilating & gasping for air handcuffed. There was absolutely nothing either one of us could do. When I arrived at the jail I was given blue scrubs that said "Property of Meade County Jail." I'm not going into details but the booking process of getting put in jail makes me understand why people run sometimes. I had never even seen this except in movies. They then said I had to give them a tube of blood. So I just sit in my blue scrubs & orange crocs numb from shock...feeling sick again now.

After them searching me for trying to sneak stuff in jail, I was put in a small room that wreaked of vomit & a lady on the bottom bunk. The officer grabbed a mat & said you need to lay on the floor. Handed me a blanket. My nerves immediately took over & I started throwing up & then the upset stomach started. 1 stainless steel toilet in middle of room. Needless to say my cell mate was mad. I didn't realize a jail has no bars & now has 4 walls with a door that stays locked with one small slot to slip you in what they consider food. Lights stay shinning on you bright all night & at 5 am the lights get real bright & a speaker comes on & says breakfast at 6. They finally opened the door & we got to sit in an area with about 20 other jail mates. They all stared at me & wanted my breakfast. I happily gave it to them. They then told me I needed to take a shower..no one told me I had to wear my croc shoes..oh well, hopefully I will not get shower fungus. I proceeded up the stairs to my room while they all set in gathering talking about me..one thought I was a prostitute, another thought I was a drug trafficker, another heard I attempted to kill my husband & the list goes on & on. I never told them anything. Breakfast turned into lunch (which I gave the other inmates) & I'm still locked up. As I spent the night & next day locked in a cage wondering if the judge would see me, my nerves got the best of my stomach...just like they are now by thinking of it...to be continued later on down the road

they finally called my name over the loud speaker to go see the judge. Walked me down a hall and ask me to kneel in a chair. I had no idea they were putting shackles around my ankles, a chain around my waist that connected to the chain between my ankles, & handcuffed my wrist to the chain around my waist. I couldn't even wipe my nose & was crying profusely. I was ask to follow an officer & about 10 other inmates outside & across to the courthouse. I could only take baby steps cause the ankle shackles hurt so bad. The officer said when I walked in to stand & look at the judge & NEVER look behind me. If I'm caught looking back then I would be escorted back to jail & see the judge at a later date. I had no idea if my husband or friends were there. I wanted them to be there to bond me out but I also could not imagine them seeing me like this..my nerves got the best of me & my knees buckled & the court officer caught me on the way to the ground..1st time to ever faint...she sat me on the first row of the courtroom & whispered "if you want out of here, you've got to talk to the judge. Otherwise I will have to take you back to jail"...

The judge ask for me to step forward. He ask if he lowered my charge to reckless driving would I plead guilty, pay a $750 fine, & lose my license for 30 days. I then ask for the results of my blood work. Keep in mind the breathalyzer said I wasn't drunk. I said I was innocent & I didn't think failure to signal was reckless driving. The punishment didn't fit the crime. The DA said the blood work wasn't back & suggested to set my bond at $500 and for me to appear back in court Tuesday and see what the blood work said. I was then escorted shackled & crying back to jail & put back in my cell. About an hour later they came & escorted me up to a changing room & gave me a check for all cash in my purse & all my belongings. They said someone had made bond for me. I hurriedly got dressed. They explained if I didn't show up for court the next morning (Tuesday) I would be in contempt of court.

Tuesday morning DH & I showed up early to court. You can't imagine my nerves (I was shaking like a leaf). After a few people spoke with the judge & everyone plead guilty, it was my turn. I walked up front & he ask me how I wanted to plea. I ask him what my blood work showed. The DA ask the judge if he could put my case off again until Thursday so she could see the police dash videos. The blood work showed nothing.

we went to court bright & early Thursday. As soon as we went through the metal detectors they ask us to go to the clerks desk & handed DH a check for $500 that he had to pay for my CASH bond & gave me a piece of paper saying the state attorney dismisses all charges & the reason being "interests of justice." I was free to go with no fines & a clean record...I started crying & was so excited to leave free...like it never happened.

Between going to jail & court I tried to continue to have an AWSOME trip. One of the highlights of the trip was going to see Def Leppard & Skid Row Friday night. Unfortunately when the concert was over we were sitting bumper to bumper on the highway trying to leave the concert & a Dodge Ram truck decided to punch his accelerator & plowed over us & another motorcycle. I was riding with Philip. We are very sore & bruised up but are gonna be fine. The other two guys he hit weren't as lucky & left in the ambulance. Philip's motorcycle will have to be fixed..GUESS WHO THE TROOPER WAS WORKING THE WRECK??? The one who falsely arrested me for DUI,  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


Edited to ensure names were out