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these guys realize that their chances of getting caught are slim to none, with minimal consequences even if they do. some interesting reader comments at the end..
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Long before I actually saw any of the 12 O’Clock Boys, a notorious group of dirt bike riders in Baltimore, I heard them. The rev of their motors, even at a distance, was a regular addition to the constant soundscape of helicopters and sirens. (Their name is in reference to the vertical position the riders attempt while pulling off wheelies.)
Couldn't access the article directly, but I don't see why it would be difficult to wrangle these guys up, impound their bikes, and cite them? Dirt bikes aren't ghosts....especially in groups......they can be seen and heard quite easily. Where are the police?
Couldn't access the article directly, but I don't see why it would be difficult to wrangle these guys up, impound their bikes, and cite them? Dirt bikes aren't ghosts....especially in groups......they can be seen and heard quite easily. Where are the police?
Seems like riding dirt bikes is a less dangerous activity for these boys than participating in the drugs and violence in their neighborhoods. Good for them for finding a fun, productive hobby.
I heard a similar story about teaching inner city youths to ride horses in city parks.
First, I share their love of dirt bikes. I got my first bike at age 7. I still own a KTM 250 at this very moment. Sadly, I haven't rode it in ages.
But, lawlessness aside, the idea that riding a dirt bike keeps these kids from engaging in drug/thug/poverty culture is perplexing to me. How does one of poverty obtain and maintain a dirt bike? I've had a dirt bike or some type of motorcycle pretty much since I was a kid. They are not free, nor is the maintenance. Where the heck are these children of "poverty" getting the funds to own a recreational vehicle???
Edit: I see these are actually not "kids." But I still want to know where the money comes from. It's difficult to ride a dirt bike at 2pm on a Tuesday if you have a job.
Seems that they might be a nuisance on occasion but running amok? The guy had to ask around just to find them. Seems to me to be an ad for a movie masquerading as a news article.
Seems like riding dirt bikes is a less dangerous activity for these boys than participating in the drugs and violence in their neighborhoods. Good for them for finding a fun, productive hobby.
I heard a similar story about teaching inner city youths to ride horses in city parks.
fun and productive?
i'm sure it's fun, but productive? really?
i guess it doesn't matter that it's totally illegal:
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But we couldn't do anything about it because police aren't allowed to chase. If they crash, they die. And then the police and the city are in big trouble. And if you did catch a bike, the rider would run. If you took the bike, the owner would just come back and reclaim it. Cop in the Hood: Dirt bikes in Baltimore
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Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC
How does one of poverty obtain and maintain a dirt bike?
Come over to the eastern side of Ft Washington and watch the kids on 4 wheelers run the streets. I don't know if they are in Tantallon yet but it wouldn't surprise me. Back when I was a kid the cops took your dirt bike and called your parents from the police station to come get you. Those deterrents no longer exist so kids do as they please. When you ignore some deterrents you are apt to ignore them all - I am talking about cops, DAs and judges at this point. When all deterrents are ignored what's the consequences of being caught?
Meanwhile, the state has plenty of funding to fly around in a helicopter looking for small stands of someone's homegrown weed with infrared/ultraviolet sensors so they can alert an army of ground based stormtroopers to arrest, handcuff and confiscate a dozen plants every few hours; maybe twice in one day.
How about those kids riding dirt bikes illegally around the streets of Baltimore? They aren't dangerous enough but those plants they spent weeks to round up sure were man killers.
There was a recent article in the NYT about a similar group in the Bronx. They ride the centerline, up on sidewalks, etc. Cops undoubtedly regard it as a hassle to go after them, have to confiscate and store the bikes, and invariably be accused of racism. So they let it go.
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