Post by freebird on Jun 15, 2009 21:39:37 GMT -6
This letter was in the Forum section as a responce to MB wants Our Business. It was posted by Purple Pan
I think it is past time that I tell everyone the following incident we encountered this year. (Thank you all ahead of time for letting me vent) I have held in too much, too long so it will be a long vent.
While at the rally this year, on the day before Mother's day, we had a very bad experience (1st EVER) with a business.
ALL other businesses we went in were thanking us for coming to the rally.
But anyway back to the 1st negative experience we have encountered in 5 decades of coming to the Strand.
We were screamed at by a store owner, (YES, screamed at) while in her store, all because we had on Harley shirts and were there for the rally.
Let me explain.
We were standing in line to pay when we overheard the cashier tell the customer ahead of us, that she had moved to Myrtle 15 years ago from Washington, DC. She stated she is the owner of the store we were in. ("The Thrift Store" on 17 near the original SBB) (For those who do not know, this store is NOT in MB)
Short version of what happened next:
When it was our turn to pay, we said hello to the lady at the register. (the self proclaimed business owner)
Without looking up at us, she replied back by asking "If we were there for the rally since we had on HD shirts".
When we said ”Yes that we were here for the rally”, she began spitting fire like a dragon. She let us know in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t like HD bikers and that she was angry at us bikers for NOT renting rooms nor spending money in MB.
(Bear in mind, she never asked where we were staying or spending)
She saw the HD shirts in front of her and went in for the attack on us ONCE she had our money in her register. (Yes, she waited to spew, AFTER we purchased from her) Go figure.
She said ALOT more and ALOT worse, than what I am about to post, but I am trying to keep it on topic.
(I assure you she covered a lot of areas towards us, with her hatred towards HD bikers)
While pointing her finger at us she said: "YOU PEOPLE aren't any different than flies chasing cows with how you follow each other from one rally to another doing no good. I’ll NEVER understand YOU PEOPLE. YOU PEOPLE were supposed to have still rented the rooms and spent money anyway in the city but YOU PEOPLE didn't. THEY said YOU PEOPLE would still come and spend your money but YOU PEOPLE didn’t. I'll be so glad when YOU PEOPLE aren't here next year because YOU PEOPLE don't spend any money."
That is when I reminded her she was STILL holding my change.
I went on to remind her that my children, grandchildren and I had purchased from her the week before when I had brought my family down to Ocean Lakes. (Plus reminded her that numerous times, we had donated things to her to help her so called Christian based business)
While I was reminding her of all this, she FINALLY looked up into our faces. (THAT was THE moment I had been waiting for from the moment she started blasting us for being bikers !!)
It was PRICELESS to see the look on her face when she realized we HAD been customers and donators to her business for YEARS.
She quit screaming at us and became nice to us all of a sudden, of course. (but never apologized)
By now we could have cared less how "nice" she became. We now knew her dirty little prejudice secret. We let her know we were going to tell her secret to any and all. So I am.
(Her business has definitely been added to our Not A Dime (Or donation) EVER again list)
Through her ignorant behavior tho, we learned from her that the majority of the businesses expected bike week to be “business as usual”. Full rooms and full pockets. (She said the businesses were shocked when we weren’t spending in the city)
Huh? These so called shocked people own and/or work for a business in a city that declared war on THEIR customers NATIONWIDE and they sat back silently, not doing anything about it, yet THEY expect their two wheeled customers to come and spend money with them anyway?
Didn’t the hotels have a clue due to all the cancellations and lack of reservations from us, that the two wheeled tourists were not coming to the city? Yes, of course they did.
I personally know of one place in the city that took a poll of their customers everytime a cancellation came in. They wanted to know why said customer was cancelling for proof against the city. Smart thinking.
Cancellations and lack of reservations alone should have made the others take action and get off their butts and join those already fighting for the rally. I still can’t get over that one.
Couldn’t the hotel owners have informed the restaurants and other local businesses about the lack of room reservations to get them concerned enough to join the fight ? Of course they could have.
Then for this “business” owner to verbally attack us when she "THOUGHT" she didn't want us either because we were there for the rally?
The woman from The Thrift Store is proof, that many have cut off the hands that feed them.
I appreciate the businesses (and individuals) who have fought from the beginning and I am pulling for their success. With that said, I will not continue to come to a city (or business in ANY area) that can’t give me the same respect and DEDICATION that I gave to it for over 50 years. I used to visit at least twice, most times 3 times a month with my family, EVERY month, due to living close enough and truly loving MB. (well, the MB it used to be when the Pavilion was still there)
I stopped coming to MB months ago, when I realized:
(1) that most business owners and employees did not stand up for the two wheeled tourists, nor help those that did,
(2) that those who claimed to be residents were repeatedly allowed to post on local news sites things like:
(a) “bump a biker win a prize”,
(b) threats to throw urine on bikers and in the streets of the city so it would splash on bikers that came into “their” city,
(c) threats of putting things, spit included, in bikers food if they came to “their” restaurants in the city,
(d) stating they were going to put sand in the intersections to cause bikers to wreck, (and bragging to have done so in the past) (I remember alot of sand in all the intersections during one spring rally not too long ago and now question the reason it was put down and who approved it)
(3) Last and most deadly of all to the businesses in MB, was when one of their idiot leaders thought it was OK to put Welcome Bikers on his business signs like usual.
IMO, and others I have talked to, THAT for a lot of people was the straw that finally broke MB’s once biker supported back.
MB councilman Wayne Gray and his “Welcome Bikers” signs at his ANTI biker restaurants is a HUGE reason why the businesses in MB took a beating. (along with the other idiot leaders antics of course)
Difference is, Wayne destroyed the TRUST factor between the biker tourist and MB businesses by claiming to be biker friendly when he isn't. It made many wonder what other businesses might follow his low down tactic come Spring rally.
Months ago, we saw the pictures of Wayne's businesses welcoming bikers. Due to him doing that then (AND again this spring) how could any visiting biker REALLY trust which businesses were biker friendly in MB ? Most businesses weren’t speaking up in support of us , remember? They were silent instead. How could bikers feel comfortable eating or staying anywhere in MB anymore? They couldn’t !!
And what potential tourist, hundreds, some even thousands of miles away, wants to have to read the Sun News online everyday for months on end, to see if MB, wants them or not? NONE. So simple solution. Give MB what it told us it wanted. No tourists that own motorcycles.
With leaders like MB has and that nut at the Thrift Store outside of MB, (and the way both decided to attack the biker community) why would anyone want to come to MB to spend thousands for a vacation they knew they were going to be treated like sh!t at?
Only a fool would expect those who ride to have shown up "anyway" and spent like "always" .
Fool me for 50 years, shame on you.
Fool me in 09, 10 or ever again, shame on ME.
Wow, I feel better getting all that off my chest.
P.S. . Thank you to the person from BOOST who confronted Wayne at the meeting recently about his signs . Glad the video was posted online for all to see. It gives those of us from afar, HOPE, that Myrtle’s citizens will reclaim their city from their corrupt government.
Bikers I know, don’t have anything against Myrtle’s citizens or its businesses, just its leadership and the few who are controlling the leaders puppet strings. Because of Wayne and people like the woman at the Thrift Store, we tourists need to be assured of who we can trust before we will ever consider visiting or spending again tho.
I will look to you locals for guidance with what businesses are trustworthy in the area or are owned by those idiot leaders of MB. (All Horry county "leaders" included)
Regardless the outcome, thank you for your efforts everyone.
I hope to meet a lot of you in the near future.
I think it is past time that I tell everyone the following incident we encountered this year. (Thank you all ahead of time for letting me vent) I have held in too much, too long so it will be a long vent.
While at the rally this year, on the day before Mother's day, we had a very bad experience (1st EVER) with a business.
ALL other businesses we went in were thanking us for coming to the rally.
But anyway back to the 1st negative experience we have encountered in 5 decades of coming to the Strand.
We were screamed at by a store owner, (YES, screamed at) while in her store, all because we had on Harley shirts and were there for the rally.
Let me explain.
We were standing in line to pay when we overheard the cashier tell the customer ahead of us, that she had moved to Myrtle 15 years ago from Washington, DC. She stated she is the owner of the store we were in. ("The Thrift Store" on 17 near the original SBB) (For those who do not know, this store is NOT in MB)
Short version of what happened next:
When it was our turn to pay, we said hello to the lady at the register. (the self proclaimed business owner)
Without looking up at us, she replied back by asking "If we were there for the rally since we had on HD shirts".
When we said ”Yes that we were here for the rally”, she began spitting fire like a dragon. She let us know in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t like HD bikers and that she was angry at us bikers for NOT renting rooms nor spending money in MB.
(Bear in mind, she never asked where we were staying or spending)
She saw the HD shirts in front of her and went in for the attack on us ONCE she had our money in her register. (Yes, she waited to spew, AFTER we purchased from her) Go figure.
She said ALOT more and ALOT worse, than what I am about to post, but I am trying to keep it on topic.
(I assure you she covered a lot of areas towards us, with her hatred towards HD bikers)
While pointing her finger at us she said: "YOU PEOPLE aren't any different than flies chasing cows with how you follow each other from one rally to another doing no good. I’ll NEVER understand YOU PEOPLE. YOU PEOPLE were supposed to have still rented the rooms and spent money anyway in the city but YOU PEOPLE didn't. THEY said YOU PEOPLE would still come and spend your money but YOU PEOPLE didn’t. I'll be so glad when YOU PEOPLE aren't here next year because YOU PEOPLE don't spend any money."
That is when I reminded her she was STILL holding my change.
I went on to remind her that my children, grandchildren and I had purchased from her the week before when I had brought my family down to Ocean Lakes. (Plus reminded her that numerous times, we had donated things to her to help her so called Christian based business)
While I was reminding her of all this, she FINALLY looked up into our faces. (THAT was THE moment I had been waiting for from the moment she started blasting us for being bikers !!)
It was PRICELESS to see the look on her face when she realized we HAD been customers and donators to her business for YEARS.
She quit screaming at us and became nice to us all of a sudden, of course. (but never apologized)
By now we could have cared less how "nice" she became. We now knew her dirty little prejudice secret. We let her know we were going to tell her secret to any and all. So I am.
(Her business has definitely been added to our Not A Dime (Or donation) EVER again list)
Through her ignorant behavior tho, we learned from her that the majority of the businesses expected bike week to be “business as usual”. Full rooms and full pockets. (She said the businesses were shocked when we weren’t spending in the city)
Huh? These so called shocked people own and/or work for a business in a city that declared war on THEIR customers NATIONWIDE and they sat back silently, not doing anything about it, yet THEY expect their two wheeled customers to come and spend money with them anyway?
Didn’t the hotels have a clue due to all the cancellations and lack of reservations from us, that the two wheeled tourists were not coming to the city? Yes, of course they did.
I personally know of one place in the city that took a poll of their customers everytime a cancellation came in. They wanted to know why said customer was cancelling for proof against the city. Smart thinking.
Cancellations and lack of reservations alone should have made the others take action and get off their butts and join those already fighting for the rally. I still can’t get over that one.
Couldn’t the hotel owners have informed the restaurants and other local businesses about the lack of room reservations to get them concerned enough to join the fight ? Of course they could have.
Then for this “business” owner to verbally attack us when she "THOUGHT" she didn't want us either because we were there for the rally?
The woman from The Thrift Store is proof, that many have cut off the hands that feed them.
I appreciate the businesses (and individuals) who have fought from the beginning and I am pulling for their success. With that said, I will not continue to come to a city (or business in ANY area) that can’t give me the same respect and DEDICATION that I gave to it for over 50 years. I used to visit at least twice, most times 3 times a month with my family, EVERY month, due to living close enough and truly loving MB. (well, the MB it used to be when the Pavilion was still there)
I stopped coming to MB months ago, when I realized:
(1) that most business owners and employees did not stand up for the two wheeled tourists, nor help those that did,
(2) that those who claimed to be residents were repeatedly allowed to post on local news sites things like:
(a) “bump a biker win a prize”,
(b) threats to throw urine on bikers and in the streets of the city so it would splash on bikers that came into “their” city,
(c) threats of putting things, spit included, in bikers food if they came to “their” restaurants in the city,
(d) stating they were going to put sand in the intersections to cause bikers to wreck, (and bragging to have done so in the past) (I remember alot of sand in all the intersections during one spring rally not too long ago and now question the reason it was put down and who approved it)
(3) Last and most deadly of all to the businesses in MB, was when one of their idiot leaders thought it was OK to put Welcome Bikers on his business signs like usual.
IMO, and others I have talked to, THAT for a lot of people was the straw that finally broke MB’s once biker supported back.
MB councilman Wayne Gray and his “Welcome Bikers” signs at his ANTI biker restaurants is a HUGE reason why the businesses in MB took a beating. (along with the other idiot leaders antics of course)
Difference is, Wayne destroyed the TRUST factor between the biker tourist and MB businesses by claiming to be biker friendly when he isn't. It made many wonder what other businesses might follow his low down tactic come Spring rally.
Months ago, we saw the pictures of Wayne's businesses welcoming bikers. Due to him doing that then (AND again this spring) how could any visiting biker REALLY trust which businesses were biker friendly in MB ? Most businesses weren’t speaking up in support of us , remember? They were silent instead. How could bikers feel comfortable eating or staying anywhere in MB anymore? They couldn’t !!
And what potential tourist, hundreds, some even thousands of miles away, wants to have to read the Sun News online everyday for months on end, to see if MB, wants them or not? NONE. So simple solution. Give MB what it told us it wanted. No tourists that own motorcycles.
With leaders like MB has and that nut at the Thrift Store outside of MB, (and the way both decided to attack the biker community) why would anyone want to come to MB to spend thousands for a vacation they knew they were going to be treated like sh!t at?
Only a fool would expect those who ride to have shown up "anyway" and spent like "always" .
Fool me for 50 years, shame on you.
Fool me in 09, 10 or ever again, shame on ME.
Wow, I feel better getting all that off my chest.
P.S. . Thank you to the person from BOOST who confronted Wayne at the meeting recently about his signs . Glad the video was posted online for all to see. It gives those of us from afar, HOPE, that Myrtle’s citizens will reclaim their city from their corrupt government.
Bikers I know, don’t have anything against Myrtle’s citizens or its businesses, just its leadership and the few who are controlling the leaders puppet strings. Because of Wayne and people like the woman at the Thrift Store, we tourists need to be assured of who we can trust before we will ever consider visiting or spending again tho.
I will look to you locals for guidance with what businesses are trustworthy in the area or are owned by those idiot leaders of MB. (All Horry county "leaders" included)
Regardless the outcome, thank you for your efforts everyone.
I hope to meet a lot of you in the near future.