Dirt Bikes And The City

Several years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I was standing at a downtown Baltimore intersection. Waiting for the "Walk" sign to illuminate, I made small talk with a few of the tourists who were visiting the city for first time. As I pointed out some of the local attractions and advised the crowd were to get the best crabs, a faint buzz could be heard in the distance. It quickly got louder and, before long, a large group of "disenfranchised youths" on dirt bikes came flying by us. They sounded like a bunch of hornets as they zoomed in and out of stopped traffic. They narrowly missed several pedestrians who were crossing Pratt Street.

All around me, the tourists were shaking their heads in amazement. They couldn't believe the brazen disregard for the law. I, on the other hand, wasn't surprised by it. It was just another day in Baltimore.

Although dirt bikes have been illegal to ride on city streets for as long as I can remember, it doesn't seem to deter the inner city youth from doing it. They will often do wheelies and other stunts, giving little or no thought of the safety of anyone in their path. Ironically, the police have been prohibited from chasing them for this very reason.

Earlier this year, a young woman was hit and killed near the Cold Spring Lane Metro Station by one of these rogue bikers. And back in June, a 5-year-old in Cherry Hill was seriously injured after he was hit by a dirt bike. The hit-and-run bikers were never caught and are likely still out on the street creating havoc.

This past Sunday night, city police were called to a spot on Reisterstown Road that's known for illegal dirt bike races. As the police attempted to disperse the crowd, they were greeted with rocks and bottles. While dodging stray rocks and other projectiles, one cop drew his firearm in an attempt to subdue the angry mob. Fitting right in with the "give them room to destroy" mindset, that cop was abruptly suspended.

Some of the community sympathy for these assholes is mind-boggling. For instance, I was watching a news cast where a woman said something like, "Yeah, I know they're breaking the law. So, what? What else are they supposed to do?"

Really?  Riding dirt bikes illegally in the middle of traffic is the only thing these "kids" can do? Wow, that sounds pretty hopeless to me.

I also hear how there aren't enough recreation centers in the inner city. Hmm, is there an overcrowding problem with the ones that exist? Somehow, I doubt it. But if I were a city taxpayer (and thank God that I'm not!), I'd be willing to call the community's bluff on this one. Let's built x-number of new rec centers and see if it has a significant positive impact on the community.

I have also heard folks saying that the city needs to build a park where the kids can safely ride their dirt bikes. You're shitting me, right? Do you really think that these urban dirt-bikers would give up the thrill of rebellion in exchange for the controlled environment of a government-run bike park? No way. The only people that I see showing up are the 7-8 year olds who want to hone their wheelie skills before they hit the streets with their older brothers.

I just read a WBAL story where Mayor Rawlings-Blake acknowledged that she's taking the illegal dirt bike issue "very seriously".  She also said that she's taking a look at other jurisdictions around the country to see how they're addressing the issue. It's not like this is something that suddenly happened overnight. Illegal dirt bikes have been an issue for at least 15 years in Baltimore. I've seen it with my own two eyes! And now the Mayor and City Council are just starting to look into it? I guess it's the same way they spent years "looking" into the problems with the Baltimore City Jail.

Do rules mean anything anymore? If I want to organize a game of touch football in the middle of Pratt Street during rush hour, can I just do it? And when the police show up, can we angrily pelt them with Gatorade bottles and knee braces? Can we simply spew out a bunch of lame excuses for our total disregard for the law?

Baltimore "leaders" desperately need to get a handle on things soon because it's becoming increasingly clear who's really running the city right now....


kw