It is sad but true, the police presence en route, in and around the event deterred bikers from attending. As many rode up Highway 20 to 53 and saw the police acting as though it was a security checkpoint, many bikers kept going past the intersection and turned around and went home.

We were coming to watch our favorite biker band play and give for a cause. It is ridiculous to assume that The Fryed Brothers Band was in any way an attraction to gang violence. They are a biker band that plays all over the country and is in big demand at all major biker events. They attract bikers, that is why they are a biker band. If you had a country concert instead would you have had all the police presence telling cowboys to go away or set up checkpoints watching for cowboys? Hell no!

The run would have been a much better turnout than it was but due to extensive police presence ity made bikers feel they were being watched, license plates recorded by law enforcement. It was totally out of line and being one of the bikers along with a group of about 35 who did not attend as we did not want to have to go through a police barricade to attend a charity event.

The law enforcement ruined this run for you not the bikers; the bikers came, saw and left before they reached the event. I sat at a popular eatery in Williams where a lot of bikers were and all were disappointed ... to the fact that they were telling other bikers on their way to the event to turn around as there were too many law enforcement officers. There were as many as several hundred that turned around when they heard that there were more police officers than bikers.

As most of us have nothing to hide, it is just an embarrassment and stereotyping to have to stop us and check our identification just because we were coming to an event for charity ... we knew it was for charity and that is why we came. But the police presence made it out to be a biker war in the making that day. That was totally undue harassment and as far as future Blue Heron Runs, save your money because the bikers will not come ... the word got out and the bikers responded accordingly.

Most of us enjoyed a day ride through Capay Valley and other areas that day and the money meant for the charity went to the casinos in the area instead. So the casinos should be pleased that all that charity money went for gambling and fun, not a law enforcement circus.

As for your police chief and other law enforcement, they told you the usual bullshit about ensuring a safe atmosphere. That is the biggest bunch of crap we always hear from law enforcement at any event ... they just wanted and had the opportunity to take down information from bikers to be used to help build their data base on bikers. They were not there to ensure safety as their main priority, they were there to gather information and they used your run to do so.

It's too bad because it could have been an event that would have been looked forward to for years to come and the money raised for charity only increasing with each year and the Fryed Brothers Band was what we were coming to hear play as well as most the other bikers, we love the band and they attract a huge crowd.

And the funny thing is that in the 27 years I have known the band, I have never seen trouble at one of their performances, only good biker camaraderie and fun.

 

 

Kevan “Doc” Lyman lives in Yuba City.

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