Read the letter below and then check out the video on Cullys page (right hand side in the black) Then decide if it's worth it. Lets see, Fremont, Calif., Mass., Now the Dragon. Is there a pattern. You be the Judge.EMAIL FROM TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL:
As you have noticed, the THP has started an enforcement program in the Deals Gaps Area of Hwy. 129. Some people are very upset with this effort and some people applaud it as long overdue. We are receivingemails on both sides of the issue. I can tell you in the past year, wereceived calls and emails every few days that ask us to do "something"in this area. The overwhelming majority of people describe this area as "total chaos and lawlessness." When you combine these type of descriptions and the statistical information on crashes and fatalities (three fatalities in one weekend two weeks ago), we felt like we had to do something as a public safety organization. You may not agree with our program but it is aimed at protecting the public who frequent that area and ride in a safe manner. It has nothing to do with "quotas" and
driving tourism from Tennessee. Anyone who rides in that area and does so safely is always welcome and will not have any problem with the THP. We will continue to conduct our enforcement program for the near future in an effort to make Deals Gap a safe place for recreational motorcycle activity.
Lt. Colonel Tracy G. Trott
Tennessee Highway Patrol
TAIL OF THE DRAGON ANSWERS:
Lt. Colonel Trott:
Why can't governmental agencies take intelligent approaches to problems? Your "enforcement program" is actually a shut-down and will be viewed by many law abiding visitors to your state as harassment. In the end it will result in reduced revenue, many complaints from tourists and affected businesses where a more logical approach could have satisfied everyone.
Tail of the Dragon has pleaded with Blount County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for years to provide routine enforcement on US129 in order to keep the "chaos and lawlessness" as you describe to a minimum. There had not been a death on the Dragon for eleven months prior to the increase in enforcement which was begun by Blount County Sheriff's Office on July 1. The three deaths you mentioned all occurred after this "safety program" was implemented. Two of the deaths were a couple in their 70s on a trike .... so much for the "total chaos and lawlessness" crowd.
Over this past weekend there were two traffic fatalities within 65 miles of the Dragon. If you had not saturated this 11 miles of US129 with Troopers perhaps these other accidents could have been avoided.
Your program will continue to be presented on our TailoftheDragon.com website for what it is. Perhaps someone in power will see the ridiculous extremes presented by your governmental bureaucracy and take action.
Sincerely,
Ron and Nancy Johnson
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/
Are we riding Free yet????? rc
