Why I’m Glad I Don’t Live in the Hills During Sturgis Rally

I miss my motorcycle. I bought my first bike the week after I graduated from Black Hills State in 2002. I rode the Black Hills for two years. That's why I can't stand being anywhere near the Sturgis Rally.

Now don't get me wrong. I think Sturgis one of the best events in the country. I just don't personally want anything to do with it.

Half a million people invaded the place in which I lived. It took forever to get anywhere. Riding a bike got more dangerous too with all the thrill seekers who think a packed highway is the time pull stunts. And my jobs, where ever I was working at the time, were always harder and longer for not much more money.

Some people love the Rally; the concerts and the parties. Rally week is vital to the Black Hills economy. But since I was a motorcyclist, not a "biker," I just wanted to survive. Here are a couple of reasons why I avoid Sturgis this time of year.

So far at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally there have been 8 fatalaties involving motorcycles including the most recent that also involved an ATV near Belle Fourche.

The most twisted story of the Rally is that of an 81-year-old Belle Fourche man who was stabbed four times by a hitchhiker who was going to the Rally to sell American flags for Disabled American Veterans. (?!?!?)

The Rapid City Journal has a webcam streaming live on Ustream from downtown Sturgis. There isn't a lot to see, but if you love the Rally and can't go, you might want to check it out.