Ban of alcohol at Moses Lake Dunes

[vintageyz]

It seems like there is always something in Washington state. The Grant County Commissioners are holding a hearing on April 16 to consider an adoption of an ordinance to ban alcohol at the Moses Lake Dunes on a year round basis. While I do not endorse drinking and riding, it would also seem overkill to ban someone having a beer in their camper after riding. It is another restriction targeted specifically at off road riders. Plus, even unnamed sheriff officers consider the ban unenforceable. It may even be a step in the direction to limiting use at the dunes.

If you wish to voice your opinion on this, you may attend the public hearing on the 16th. Or, you may email your view(s) to commissioners@grant.wa.us

[Osaka627]

However I'm not old enough to drink. My sister and all of her friends and everyone else I know. Go to Moses Lake for Memorial Day Weekend I think can't remember exactly lol, but that would change a lot of things for them.. That place is PACKED... and lets just say everyone is not sober.....

[Rip Wheeler]

Well, alcohol affect many differently. Some get crazy and stupid, others want to fight everyone around him, some just get giggly, and others just get quiet and say or do hardly anything. The drinking and drunks probably is a huge liability and disrupts others. I know drinking at the Desert 100 was allowed and yet, I was able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. So it can be done in a reasonable fashion. I know many areas dont like glass bottles, as the glass remains in the sand for thousands fo years. I assume the dunes have already banned glass? Sometimes public areas that allow drinking can get crazy and stupid. It can be scary for some familys who bring all their kids to a weekend of recreation. I dont drink and this law would have no affect on me, however, I dont mind others if they are considerate and know their limits.

[Chipstien]

It seems like there is always something in Washington state. The Grant County Commissioners are holding a hearing on April 16 to consider an adoption of an ordinance to ban alcohol at the Moses Lake Dunes on a year round basis. While I do not endorse drinking and riding, it would also seem overkill to ban someone having a beer in their camper after riding. It is another restriction targeted specifically at off road riders. Plus, even unnamed sheriff officers consider the ban unenforceable. It may even be a step in the direction to limiting use at the dunes.

If you wish to voice your opinion on this, you may attend the public hearing on the 16th. Or, you may email your view(s) to commissioners@grant.wa.us

This is bad why? I have heard horror stories about that place and have never been there because of it. Seems this would get all the drunks and quads outta there so others could actually enjoy it without having to worried about a drunk driving quad landing on top of you.

[nw56]

vintageyz Can you post a link to this info? nothing personal but I'm not sending emails to any one with out reading exactly what they are trying to do.

[vintageyz]

vintageyz Can you post a link to this info? nothing personal but I'm not sending emails to any one with out reading exactly what they are trying to do.

I'd like to, but it was a very small legal listing in the local newspaper (Columbia Basin Herald;) meeting the requirement that ordinance proposals be announced publicly. It would have been easily missed as it was listed in the same area as someone requesting a hearing to move their mailbox ten feet. My original post quotes it almost verbatim. Hopefully, that helps. If not, I can appreciate being concerned.

[vintageyz]

This is bad why? I have heard horror stories about that place and have never been there because of it. Seems this would get all the drunks and quads outta there so others could actually enjoy it without having to worried about a drunk driving quad landing on top of you.

Oops, I missed your question. I wouldn't debate that there are times where controls are necessary. However, there are currently laws on the books to deal with disorderly conduct, drunkenness, etc. There can be enforcement of what exists. But, would you be willing to go through roadblocks to check all vehicles entering a public ORV park every day to check for alcohol? Or, after a day of riding, someone knocks on your motorhome door and wants to make sure you are not having a beer because you are simply parked at an ORV park. I think many of the stories about the dunes are related to a few weekends a year and, even with that, are as much folklore as fact. Quads can land on you when the operator is sober as well.

[hayshaker]

Public Notice

Are you here for the party or to ride. How many serious drinking related ORV accidents does it take to get your attention?

[Old_Man_Time]

Public Notice

Are you here for the party or to ride. How many serious drinking related ORV accidents does it take to get your attention?

I agree. I have been there once on one of the Holidays it is most crowded. It is not a myth about the drinking and the accidents that happen there. Many of them are alcohol related. This in no way targets those who just love to drive or ride. It targets those who make a dangerous sport even more dangerous. They would not have to knock on anyones door. It would simply make it easier to arrest those who they may check while they are riding. Arrest them and get them out of there before they finally hurt someone. I am not sure there are any rules on the books about riding a dirt bike or quad off road after you have consumed alcohol. Does anyone here know anything about off-road laws concerning this?

[NumberCruncher]

I agree. I have been there once on one of the Holidays it is most crowded. It is not a myth about the drinking and the accidents that happen there. Many of them are alcohol related. This in no way targets those who just love to drive or ride. It targets those who make a dangerous sport even more dangerous. They would not have to knock on anyones door. It would simply make it easier to arrest those who they may check while they are riding. Arrest them and get them out of there before they finally hurt someone. I am not sure there are any rules on the books about riding a dirt bike or quad off road after you have consumed alcohol. Does anyone here know anything about off-road laws concerning this?

In 1996 I stopped by Moses Lake en-route to Sand Point Idaho. It looked like something out of the Road Warrior. I will not go back. I don't think enforcing this type of law is practical, but if it was passed it may prevent the drunken losers from showing up in the first place.

I don't drink so it won't affect me either way. I don't condone any type of prohibition but if you can be objective about alcohol, it doesn't contribute much to society. Look at the vast number of families destroyed by alcoholism. When a fight breaks out at a sporting event, do you think alcohol is involved? When a woman is beaten by an abusive husband or a child abused by a parent don't you think 90% of the time it happens when that person is intoxicated? It has been said that if aspirin were discovered today, the FDA would never approve it. Well if alcohol was discovered today and people saw how it truly was a mood altering drug that destroyed families, it would never be allowed to be manufactured. Of course they probably wouldn't allow dirt bikes either.

Greg

[cooplege]

hmm. Well I like going to the Moses Lake dunes, and I like bringing beer there, so I don't really like this. I frequent the dunes for a weekend or two a year and do so with several busddies. We avoid the big holiday weekends because it is out of hand. The quality of people camping there on the holiday weekends on avarage seems low. Stupid poeple will do stupid things when they are drinking or not. However, when we go, there seems to be a lot of great people that we meet.

The problem is this... Grant County already tried something like this and it didn't work, Moses Lake as a town wanted it changed back to the way it was, much like it is today. They didn't ban booze I don't think but they locked down the park after so many people showed up. It lasted two years. If you eliminate booze form the dunes, many poeple will not show up like they have in the past and Moses lake takes a hit in revinue. During the holiday weekends, the town's hotels sell out, the restaurants are packed and the stores and gas stations nearly sell out of beer and fuel, firewood, and other items.

I just don't see this as sticking. This alcohol thing will go away. The real problem is the environment. There is a lot of trash out there in the sand. I caught a couple locals out there burning heaps of trash out in the middle of the dunes the day after they came by our camp to make sure we were cleaning up after ourselves while we were in THEIR dunes...

Pissed me right off.

Like many on this forum, the camp we set is cleaner when we leave then when we got there.

In short, stay away from Moses Hole on the holiday weekends and enjoy it in the early spring or in the fall. Few people there and you can play follow the leader all day.

/my two cents

[vintageyz]

As I've noted before, I am opposed and dislike drinking and riding; dunes, trails, roads, etc. But, consider this scenario. Let's say the ordinance is passed by the county commissioners. First of all, virtually no one from outside the area will hear of it. As hundreds if not thousands of people arrive, drinking occurs, and the sheriffs office determines that the law is not enforceable. The sheriffs then recommend that the dunes simply be closed because it is too much of a problem. You say impossible? Spell Thurston ORV. It closed because of injuries. Florence sand dunes has no drinking and a good member of the Moses Lake area was killed there. The latest serious injury at the dunes was due to a rider hitting a hidden piece of concrete. Stuff happens. It IS crazy at the dunes a few weekends a year. But, for all the other days, it is an impending restriction of what you can and cannot do. Quite interesting since the same commissioners just let alcohol back into the Gorge at George. You may not ride here, but where you ride is fair game for bans as well.

[125shifter]

I haven't read every reply to this post, but I'll only add that after seeing how stupid crazy a place like Glamis gets w/ some kids (100,000 of them) and booze, it's a good thing.

[wheelchaser]

Yeah what a great thing, I love it when people tell me what I can and can't do. Gee I guess it will make a big impact on drunkenness . Their are laws against drunk driving but idiots still do it. They should just pass a law against being an idiot that would solve everything.

There are enough laws on the books to deal with these types of problems. More laws are not the answer, the cops can't even enforce the existing ones how are they going to enforce this one?

This is just one more example of riding areas under pressure by opponents of our user group. Pull your heads out, we are being attacked on multiple fronts and most of us don't even realize it. If things don't change soon we will be like the guy who gets his but kicked before he even knows he's in a fight. Join the Blueribbon Coalition now! Otherwise plan on riding on the moon and yes you will have to change your jetting .

[Powderhound]

Here is a news flash for the people of Moses lake. The dunes there suck compared to oregon and some in idaho. We frequent Moses every Memorial and Labor day ( not to mention numerous trips throughout the year) just to go and have fun. We can bring people with us that don't ride and they can have a fun time too. We usually have 15 or so people in our group and end up spending a large amount of money in town. We do our riding during the day and drink at night. There is not all that much mixing of the two. I will ride all day and not feel like I am crowded once you get away from the main road. If you want to ride why would you do it close to the camps anyway. Moses is a party and a chance kick back and watch the antics. I have no idea why someone would bring there family there on those two weekends. It is kind of crazy but the people who don't enjoy all of that should not go. My girlfriend drug me to the ballet the other day and I won't go back because it's not my thing. That does not mean that I'm going to talk smack about it. I will just go enjoy other things. I talked to one of the cops out there on one of our random trips to the dunes and he said that there would not be that large of a drop off in attendance if alcohol was banned. Yeah right! I alone know that our group would not go and I know of at least 20 other people that wouldn't go. Now I know that the ambulence visits have been more frequent lately and that is not good. I have also seen the cops let people go that are obviously drunk while they are riding and driving. I say crack down on enforcement and do not penalize the people to drink in a responsible manner. If the town wants the revenue they will resist this proposal. As for me, I will wait and see. I may have to plan a trip to oregon for memorial day.

[crfro]

That's too bad that the "man" is coming down like that. My family frequents the Dunes in Florence where drinking is banned......no big deal. After a great day of riding, we load everybody up and grab a some pizza and a cold one on our way out of town. I agree with an earlier post....."Did you come to drink, or ride?". Seems to me that it's much easier to hang at home and pound some beers than to load/unload/travel/etc to have a beer. (OK...a bit extreme).

With 2 kids that also ride, keeping it safe is my #1 concern.

Jeff

[cooplege]

I talked to one of the cops out there on one of our random trips to the dunes and he said that there would not be that large of a drop off in attendance if alcohol was banned... I have also seen the cops let people go that are obviously drunk while they are riding and driving. I say crack down on enforcement and do not penalize the people to drink in a responsible manner. If the town wants the revenue they will resist this proposal. QUOTE]

I've talked to the same cops as well. They let people go because they don't want a riot. One small riot and cops would get hurt and the place would be shut down for good within weeks. If they can keep the drunks in the dunes and happy they don't spill into town and things can co-exist. When I was watching some chaos in the dunes a several years ago on memorial day I asked a sherriff who was on a quad sitting next to me how he handled things here. He told me, "All of us here this weekend are here just to break up fights and call the ambulance."

I like being able to ride at Moses Lake and I like being able to have a beer around the campfire afterwords. I agree with some of the others that alcohol really isn't the problem, but one can argue that in circles all day, which I am sure the people of Moses Lake will do when the have the hearing. If teh Chamber of Commerce has anything to do with it, I bet nothing will come form the hearing at all. I for one believe that money will rule the decision on this, just like it did last time it overturned a passed law.

[Chipstien]

You are asking the wrong person. I am a thirty year old who doesn't drink and in fact I have never been drunk in my life. I am one that feels if you are caught driving under the influence then there should be a mandatory 14 days in jail no questions asked. However being someone who can't stand the taste of alcohol, this is easy for me to say. Problem is with this thought is that within 4 days there wouldn't be any prison space left. That should tell you something right there....

[Went775]

For those of you who might think this is a direct attack on us as dirt bikers, I think you may be wrong. I believe this to be more of a crowd control measure to lessen alcohol related incidents. The problem not only exists in the dunes, but on the water as well. This begs the question, will alcohol be banned on the water as well? The water, boats, and personal watercraft are a big part of what goes on out there as well. My dad is a Battallion Chief with Grant County Fire Dist. #5 and the dunes are in their response district for both EMS and fire. The stories he tells me every year about what happens out there are ridiculous to say the least. A few years ago he told me about some guy who ran his boat aground and straight into someones camper. Fortunately, no one got seriously hurt, but that is just one small example of the crazy incidents that occur there all the time. It seems that a lot of people who go there experience a temporary lack of situational awareness. I grew up in and rode all over Grant County, but never rode at the dunes, and there's a reason for that. I think that reason is obvious. Especially during the Holiday weekends there's a huge problem with underage drinking, and I'll bet that fact is just one big reason for considering the alcohol ban.

[MX813]

the only thing that scares me is that outhouse.... the worst I have ever seen in my life...

yes, banning glass would be good since it sticks around for a long time and can cause damage to bikes and humans if crashed on.

but outlawing it outright...would be tough cause on a good day of riding, nothing taster better than a cold one when loading up and bench racing...

plus, I only ride there during off-peak days.. mid-week with my buddy and we have the whole place to ourselves...literally

mx813