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Riders On The Storm

Illegal Bikes and ATVs A Scourge On City Streets

The Waterbury Observer

Oct 5, 2021
24

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Story By John Murray

Across America groups of ATV riders have created an urban subculture that has unleashed chaos on city streets including Baltimore, Waterbury, New York, Philadelphia, New Haven, Hartford and Washington D.C.. ATV and dirt bike riders roam in packs, flipping off police officers, swerving in and out of traffic, pulling wheelies, and cruising through parks and onto sidewalks. Much of the public perceives the groups as a menace to public safety, but police officers in most states have a no-chase policy to avoid placing residents, and riders, in danger.

"It is a difficult situation," Waterbury Police Chief Fred Spagnolo said. "We are only allowed by state law to pursue in crimes of violence. The law is pretty restricting."

And the bikers know that, which emboldens them to taunt police officers and cruise around in lawless packs.

An urban subculture that began 50 years ago in Harlem. Image from WheelzUp

Waterbury PD has followed groups waiting for them to pull into gas stations, have tried undercover operations, and created a dedicated tip-line for the public to call in tips where the ATVs and bikes are being housed.

"We have had some success in confiscating ATVs," Spagnolo said, "but if the ATV is legally registered, it goes back to the owner, and is quickly back out on the streets. It's a revolving door."

Elected officials and police departments up and down the East Coast are grappling with the problem and seeking solutions. Baltimore is considering building a park to try and lure riders off public streets, Hartford and New York City have staged public events where dozens of confiscated bikes and ATVs are crushed by massive construction equipment, and New Haven is now fining riders $1000 (if they can catch them).

"Creating a park has some merit," Chief Spagnolo said, "and it should be considered. But the sport is very dangerous and there is a lot of liability to consider. The park could become deadly."

Which is probably why a proposed park in Baltimore has yet to materialize. There is also the sticky problem of transportation; how do the ATVs and bikes get to the park? Most likely by riding illegally on city streets (which defeats the purpose of the park).

A reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer asked an ATV rider why he rode. “Why do guys do anything that guys do?," the rider said. "Young and reckless. Why do we go to war, why do we fly planes and race jet skis? ... You know a man never wrestled an alligator without an audience.”

The riders are mostly Black and Brown young men who have created an urban bike subculture that is wildly popular with their peers. Filmmaker Jeremy Meek made a short documentary about dirt bikers in Washington D.C. called, “WheelzUp”. Meek interviewed the riders, mostly young Black kids in D.C., and they said they weren’t trying to hurt anyone, they were just out expressing themselves, creating vehicular graffiti, and looking cool for Instagram photographs. (WheelzUp https://youtu.be/uNosflZtOTs)

One young rider told Meeks that his parents supported his riding because it was much safer than most other options for inner city black youth, and kept him away from gangs and drugs. He said street riding gets him “in a little bit of trouble, but it keeps me out of bigger trouble.”

Chief Spagnolo said despite the eruption of gang violence in Waterbury the past three years, the ATV and dirt bike riders were seldom part of that scene. "Gangs are not normally what we see with these groups," Spagnolo said. "It's more people taking advantage of the situation."

Rebels on city streets creating what they call, vehicular graffiti. Image from WheelzUp.

It’s an unsustainable policy to let the packs roam free with little to no consequence, but what is the answer? Waterbury police have confiscated dozens of ATVs, and the City of New Haven just held a public event where dozens of ATVs were crushed. Anyone operating an ATV or dirt bike on New Haven streets - without permission - faces $1,000 - $2,000 fines. (The previous fine was $99.)

During a press conference about the illegal riders on city streets, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker was asked why New Haven doesn’t give these operators of illegal vehicles a safe, legal, off-road place to ride? There were several factors cited, including the issue of how do the riders get to the park? And most significantly, it appears the riders aren't interested in a legal place to ride. Part of the thrill of riding illegal bikes through city streets was breaking the law, and having little chance of getting caught.

New Haven has also targeted gas station owners who aren’t allowed to let quads and bike riders fill up. Station owners face $100 fines (after an initial warning) for violations. Gas stations are required to post signs about the new law, and so are ATV dealers.

Although it’s difficult to clearly pinpoint where the riding began, indications are that it began in Harlem in the 1970s as part of African-American parades. And as the years went by, the riding became the equivalent to skateboarding in white culture.

In an article entitled It’s Bigger Than Bikes - The Culture Crush, it states that when “white kids would go to the mall and jump on things. They were the rebels.”

Similarly, in Black culture, riding on the streets became a form of rebellion. There are no woods and trails, so they rode on city streets.

Across the country, dirt bike and ATV aficionados, who are mostly teens, portray their riding as a robust subculture, saying that it saves lives by keeping at-risk youth out of trouble.

Bikes and ATVs are relatively inexpensive, you don’t need a motorcycle license to buy one, and the vehicles don’t need to be registered or insured. They are not street legal, but that’s not the point. The point is to acquire a really fun toy, zip around and evade the police when they try to snuff the fun.

Pulling tricks in Washington D.C. for Instagram. Image from WheelzUp

"This is a frustrating situation for us, and it's a frustrating situation for the public," Spagnolo said. "And it might be even more frustrating to us, because it's our job to keep the public safe."

Does Spagnolo see a solution?

"Accountability," Spagnolo said. "The courts have to take violations seriously and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

Spagnolo said he believes in second chances, but the system is now allowing individuals to break the law repeatedly with a limited amount of accountability.

"When we continue to allow that to happen," Spagnolo said, "we begin to develop the culture we see unfolding before our eyes." •

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Comments
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24 Comments

  • Leslie Conlon
    These Punks and gangs here on Chase Ave area there are No Cops on the Streets here in the last month they cut cars and trucks off they don't care about the red light or other Drives on the roads here! I just moved from Nevada to this area omg I am look…
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    • 33w
  • Christy Hotchkiss
    I've been a motorcycle rider and have a license since I was a youth...BUT I was never disrespectful of nature or people or police! This is feeling more and more like the wild west and it's spreading to everywhere! I understand the need to have places s…
    See more
    • 20w
  • Tommy Weber
    They are pure thugs and a menace to so it, this wouldn’t happen on Trumps watch , Trump 2024 Law and Order
    • 33w
    4 Replies
  • Chad Kalkowski
    These are nothing but a bunch of trouble makers causing dangerous situations on the road for other motorists . They certainly don’t deserve an article to be written about them .
    • 33w
  • Mary Frances
    I’m Long Island,Ny they fly down our street when the nice weather comes Quads,and dirt bikes.They don’t stop at stop signs and go at tremendous speeds and complaining to Police or town is a waste of time.What do you do than when nobody listens.?
    • 33w
    • Edited
  • Petr Popkorny
    They were knocking on my 54' trailer when driving 70 mph on interstate. If i would overlooked them, a slightest move of my wheel would make them dead. Then I would go to jail because of these morons? Hope police find ways to finish them really soon.
    • 33w
  • Ricardo Arrieta
    American trending. Any thing stupid you feel needs attention just post it or do it, viginas out weels down, and you will see that at least you will get over a million viewers. Typical Americans. This is what the trump and the republicans want in their …
    See more
    • 33w
  • Susan Elizabeth-Marsh Tanabe
    Hmmm… might it not be wise to legalize? Require a license, registration, and safe use?
    • 33w
  • Sean Berry
    These morons do the same thing in downtown Denver, riding on sidewalk, blocking traffic, going wrong direction on one way streets and they do it all the time and the police can’t control it.
    • 33w
  • Gus Fuller
    And these riders are not all teenagers and some ride on stolen atvs or bikes. We had a 46 year old in Lancaster riding in out of traffic on a possible stolen dirt bike, then got struck and killed by a vehicle. His buddy called 911, fled the scene and l…
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    • 33w
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