Myrtle Beach long ago (long)
Hoppy
I think it was about fifteen years ago when we packed the scooters up for a
ride to this new motorcycle thing in Myrtle Beach. Went straight to the
Other Brothers Tavern when we hit town for a few beers and heard this rumor
about some club from "up north" coming down and it might not sit too well
with the local club.
Stepped around the back of the bar with my girlfriend to smoke a joint and
was interupted by a helicopter buzzin' the place and that was playing hell
with the paranoia factor. When we went back out front all hell was breakin'
loose. Across the street was one hell of a gathering of cops. There was a
van with shotguns and rifles leaned against it, lots of policemen, both
uniformed and plainclothes.
Saw the other club come in and figured that this was none of our business
and it was a good time to leave for our campground. We rode out very slowly
and made it to camp and then out on the town for an otherwise great time.
It was like a little Daytona.
The following is an actual newspaper story printed in the local paper the
next day that I had up in a box I found the other day. It seems pretty
funny now.
Anybody know if this bar is stall around?
GANGS DISPERSE
Myrtle Beach Sun News
By Coyte White and Georgetta Sharman
What is perhaps the most massive show of police force seen
recently in Horry County took place late Saturday afternoon
when hundreds of motorcycle riders gathered at the Other
Brothers Tavern on US 501 west of Myrtle Beach.
However, the face-off with police, if indeed it was a
confrontation, ended peacefully with no incidents.
The motorcyclists, comprised of the Hells Angels and the
Pagans, drank beer for about three hours and then began
dispersing, leaving scattered empty cases of beer containers in
front of the establishment.
The Pagans, located in the Northeast, came to Myrtle Beach to
establish "turf". The Hells Angels, who have invaded the beach
from North Carolina cities from time to time, have either
considered the Grand Strand their territory, or the area has been
considered a neutral zone for bikers rest and relaxation.
As far is known, this is the first time the two major motorcycle
gangs have convened together in the Grand Strand area.
The presence of police at the scene apparently prevented actual
fighting.
Reports indicated leaders of the two gangs confronted each other in the yard
of the tavern and squared off, but only verbal
exchanges took place with no actual fighting.
However, police at the scene said when the Pagans arrived at the tavern they
got off their motorcycles armed with sticks and
started towards other gang members, but upon seeing the cordon of officers
at the scene , they threw down the sticks and walked over peacefully to
Hells Angels.
However, if fighting had taken place, police were fully manned
and ready for almost anything.
As one veteran Myrtle Beach officer said "We're just here to let
them know what to expect. Thus far, there's been no trouble.
They've been as nice as can be." But police were ready, Myrtle Beach, Horry
County, SLED, State Patrolmen, FBI, ATD, sheriff's and Wildlife officers
armed to the hilt.
Federal ATD officers, crammed into a van, were armed with
double-barreled shotguns, as were some Horry County police.
Flack jackets were in evidence, and one Horry County officer was armed with
hollow-point and armor-piercing bullets for his .357 magnum revolver.
"You've never seen me armed this heavy before," said the officer.
What brought out the heavy cordon of police was unconfirmed
reports the Pagans came to the beach to confront the Hells
Angels.
"We heard some rumors," said J. Stanley Bird, Myrtle Beach
police chief. "We don't know that, but we took all precautions.
As far as we know, it is just a rumor."
Bird said there had been no arrests in connection with the
gathering of the motorcycle gangs. While the cyclist were
numbered in the hundreds at the tavern, Bird said it was difficult
to place an actual estimate of the number, though he said, "I
wouldn't doubt if there were over 1,000."
The chief said an estimated 5,000 motorcyclists were in Myrtle
Beach for the weekend.
The Other Brothers Tavern is known as a "bikers tavern." When
the gangs gathered, a number of cyclists was seen not wearing
colors, or identification marks, the denim jackets with patches on the back
that identify them as members of a particular gang.
By 6:30 p.m., the majority of the gang had thinned out and gang
members, wearing their colors, sped off with their ladies clinging
to the backs of the cyclists.
Police had difficulty during the three-hour gathering keeping
curious spectators from parking, poking their cameras out the
windows of their cars to photograph the gang gathering.
During the incident, a SLED aircraft and chopper circled
constantly overhead, keeping the scene under observation.
In Columbia, SLED spokesman, Hugh Munn said, "You hear
that (gang confrontations) every year, but I don't know if there is
anything to that."
Munn said it was not unusual for SLED to send agents "as a
precautionary measure when motorcycle gangs gathered."
Bird said, "Perhaps 99 percent of the motorcyclists are good
substantial citizens, not causing any trouble, but there is a certain
percentage..."
Earlier, the gangs had a cycle race at the Myrtle Beach speedway in the
afternoon.
Late Saturday night, Horry County police were still guarding the
tavern and halted one car filled with tavern customers to check
for possible driving under the influence conditions.
Hoppy fex...@gte.net
Steady losin',
Means you ain't using,
What you really know is right.
John Prine
SelectInv
I just got back from Myrtle Beach.....we had a blast.....I saw several MC Clubs
there....Hell's Angels, Pagans, Warlocks, The Tribe....I'm sure there were
others......I saw NO VIOLENCE or really anything out of line. A few rear tires
burned, a couple of really loud pipes...A SC State Trooper told me Saturday
afternoon that no problems of significance had occured so far....I did see City
Police, State Police, SLED, and the Myrtle Beach Swat Team on the strip in
substantial numbers........all in all I think with over 100,000 bikers(i think)
in town it was probably less eventful than a sales convention.....
William Becker
Hoppy wrote:
>
> I think it was about fifteen years ago when we packed the scooters up for a
> ride to this new motorcycle thing in Myrtle Beach. Went straight to the
> Other Brothers Tavern when we hit town for a few beers and heard this rumor
> about some club from "up north" coming down and it might not sit too well
> with the local club.
Ya know,I find out the damnedest things around here.Small world,I
probably
walked right by ya several times.Hell we might have even rode out
together.
I was in one of the first waves getting out of Dodge when the Pagans
showed
up.
The way the math worked out for me was; Bunch of Angels(prob. armed) +
bunch
of Pagans(prob. armed) + bunch of law (armed to the teeth) = A damn good
time
to find some place else to be!
>Hoppy fex...@gte.net
Whats even more of a hoot is that I was riding a 79 FXEF
Bill B. (wbecker)at(bnr)dot(ca)
1960 FL DuoGlide
1994 FLHTC ElectraGlide
My company don't speak for me and I ain't doing it for them
Hoppy
William Becker wrote in message <35602F...@sigfile.below>...
>
>Ya know,I find out the damnedest things around here.Small world,I
>probably
>walked right by ya several times.Hell we might have even rode out
>together.
>I was in one of the first waves getting out of Dodge when the Pagans
>showed
>up.
>
>The way the math worked out for me was; Bunch of Angels(prob. armed) +
>bunch
>of Pagans(prob. armed) + bunch of law (armed to the teeth) = A damn good
>time
>to find some place else to be!
>
>
>Whats even more of a hoot is that I was riding a 79 FXEF
>
>Bill B. (wbecker)at(bnr)dot(ca)
>1960 FL DuoGlide
>1994 FLHTC ElectraGlide
>My company don't speak for me and I ain't doing it for them
Yea, I figured all it would have taken was one sharp sound and all hell was
going to come down. That was club business, not mine and it was a great
time to "exit, stage left".
Rode up with a bunch from Charleston. I just found that old clipping and
thought that things sure have changed. I can still remember that white van
across the street with all the long guns propped up on the side when we came
out from the back of that bar.
JStone1203
I've lived in Myrtle Beach for the last 21 years....the police
are still here...but now they are more discrete, and welcome
bikers with open arms...and tolerate rather much during Bike Week (just had the
58th. annual HD week)...yet the police are
still on the lookout for trouble, and are better prepared every
year. Rest assured the response teams are in place and ready to
go...
Jon
HD & Buell rider
Hoppy
JStone1203 wrote in message
<199805202034...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
Yea, but that don't answer the question...Is that bar still there?
Hoppy
steve wrote in message <356281...@nac.net>...
<snipped>
i'll go back
>again, we had a good time, rivals daytona!!!!!
>sr
We had a great time there 15 years ago. Sounds like it's gotten better and
much bigger.
Spring is a little late up here in the PNW for this southern boy. I was
probably just time-trippin' back to warm sunny rides about this time of
year. Fuck it, I think I want to change my cam before it gets too warm
anyway.
SelectInv
Most of the cops were on the strip that I saw.......The Hells Angels were at
the Holiday Inn on the strip with large banners hanging from the
balconys......north a few blocks were the Warlocks at a small hotel on the
opposite side of the street.....I saw the Pagans at Murrells Inlet at the swap
meet.........What I was trying to emphasize was that it seemed to me that
various clubs and people from all walks of life came together to have fun and
enjoy our common interest wthout violence........we really had a good time and
will go again next year....
'94 FLSTN
JStone1203
Sorry about the bar...been long gone....
Later,
Jon Stone