Just returned from watching the motorbikes roll through Gettysburg, Pa. Every year for the past seven years, I believe, bikers have swarmed upon Gettysburg the weekend after the Fourth of July for what they call Bike Week. It’s actually four days – Thursday through Sunday. On Saturday night they have a Parade of Chrome where the bikers form a chain and drive through the town displaying their beautiful bikes and making all kinds of noise. There are two types of minds among the locals, as you can imagine:
- We like ‘em
- We don’t like ‘em
Generally, the like ‘em crowd consists of the people who realize that bikers spend money and improve the economy of Gettysburg. The don’t like ‘em folks are the people stuck on the noise and they generally complain that the bikers are a nuisance. But they generally enjoy a reasonable tax so I don’t see the problem. They’re mostly older people and a few cantankerous young traditionals. I’m on the side of the like ‘em people.
So tonight, my wife and I took our lawn chairs to sit on the side of the road and watch the bikes drive by. It’s a beautiful sight. My only regret is that I didn’t take my camera or video recorder and catch it all for the memory. This was my first Parade of Chrome. I hope to do it again next year for it is pure poetry, noise pollution and all.