Police to oversee legal island-wide motorbike ride
(CNS): As many as 200 motorcycle riders could be hitting the road on Sunday for an organised motorbike ride across Grand Cayman, which the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will oversee. The police said that some roads will be closed during Ride Out Cayman (ROC), which is expected to happen between noon and 3:30pm this coming Sunday, starting in the Industrial Park.
The riders will travel to East End, then North Side, back through George Town, and finally to West Bay, where the ride will conclude along the extension road between Willie Farrington Drive and Esterley Tibbetts Highway (ETH), where there will be a skills riding session until 7:00pm.
As the police continue to tackle rogue motorbike riders who are using uninsured or illegal bikes or conducting reckless tricks on the main roads, they said that officers have met extensively with organisers of this event, which will have a heavy police presence to ensure all riders are legal and comply with the law while on the road.
Police said that only legal motorbikes will be allowed to participate in the procession and cars are not allowed; the riders will observe all traffic laws, including the speed limit. Furthermore, tactical measures, such as checkpoints and barriers staggered around the island, will be deployed during the event to prevent any illegal and unsafe riding.
Police warned that the ride could cause some delays and inconvenience to motorists, and the public is asked to avoid road travel on Sunday afternoon where possible.
The skills riding session, which will take place on the extension road between ETH and Willie Farrington, will be open to all motorbikes, including off-road bikes, as the road will be closed from noon onwards, so that riders on off-road bikes can assemble there for skills riding.
But police warned that off-road bikes that are not road legal should not take part in the “ride out” procession, and should be transported by trailer to and from the closed road for the skills riding session.
“Those who choose to ride illegally and pose a danger to other road users, despite the fact that an authorised event has been organised, can expect to face the legal consequences,” said Police Commissioner Derek Byrne.
“New legislation provides police with increased powers, which we will use to arrest rogue riders and seize bikes. They can either enjoy a fun and legal event with scores of other bikers, or they can break the law, endanger their safety and possibly be hurt or arrested, and lose their bike. The choice is theirs,” he warned.
Category: Local News
Think profile of typical bike rider in Cayman, then, think profile of typical CNS poster;
That’s the explanation for the hateful tone of this comment thread.
Bunch of old conservative farts.
Can’t wait until we have the entire LA filled with millennials. Maybe then we’ll drag ourselves out of the 60s.
caymanian millennials give me night terrors…..
I’m guessing the typical CNS reader wouldn’t leave their buddy for dead in the middle of the road, only to circle back and steal his bike! That moral low-ground belongs to the anti-social streetfighterz crowd. https://www.caymancompass.com/2017/04/10/motorbike-rider-seriously-injured-left-in-road/
Encouraging novice riders to balance on the seat of their bike with one knee, while threading a wheeling, unmuffled bike thru law-abiding traffic, like a carnival act, has no redemptive contribution for society. It’s just dumb and narcisistic. Willful defiance of law doesn’t make our roads safer, or endear oneself to the community. Once you venture beyond your skill set, you can be seriously injured or dead. That’s concern-based fact rather than hate.
I see your link, and I raise you the following;
https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/07/crash-lawyer-jailed-for-3-years/
Yah.
Not sure the comparison. Few of the wheelying idiots have been arrested, let alone charged, or prosecuted – and not because they don’t deserve it. Is the drunk sidewalk straddling lawyer supposed to be your template for road conduct?
Can you prove the lawyer idiot was a poster on CNS?
Excellent post thank you!
OH NO! An extra 1 minute detour to get home, what will the people ever do!?
Everyone is complaining about a 1/4 mile stretch of road being closed on a Sunday yet the NRA closes roads/lanes causing traffic and delays ALL the time. Use that same effort in complaining about a 1 minute commute delay to the NRA to do road work at NIGHT like every other developed country in the world.
Shetty Hospital reps ought to attend to get the stunt riders to pledge their organs, and I’m only half-joking with that suggestion. Behind closed-doors, transplant surgeons in North America often jokingly refer to them as “donorcycles” for a reason. We should have a proper organ donor registry in any case, for all road users, and residents so-inclined.
More likely than not, regardless of whether there is a participation waiver (and it doesn’t sound like there are any instructions to register), when the serious accident or death happens, victim family members will have actionable cause to sue the RCIPS for sanctioning an uncontrollable amateur daredevil event. I hope the hotels and private residents sue for the statutory nuisance. There is something seriously wrong with the wiring at Command, and THAT is perhaps the most unsettling part of this.
Oh for f**k’s sake!!! There really is no pleasing a lot of these people who comment!!
The RCIPS is letting us know of road closures, a procession and the route it will take. They will be escorting the procession. They have told us that there will be traffic on Sunday.
Thank you RCIPS! And thank you to the organizers of this event for holding it on a Sunday and letting us know the route!
This way, we know ahead of time, can plan our Sunday accordingly and if we choose to, we can join / watch the procession or avoid the roads – the choice is ours.
This is a great opportunity for riders to have a chance at being on the roads together, legally.
All other types of persons can have a procession (from the politicians during election time with their to Batabano/Caymas to the mobile singing Christmas carolers to …..) so it is great that the motorcycle riders have the same opportunity!
I hope this becomes an annual event so that the illegal riding on the road at other times lessens!
To all the negative people complaining – please be quiet or go find something else to complain about.
Thank you again RCIPS and organizers!
Why organize this on US Thanksgiving weekend, one of our busiest high season visitor weekends in the annual calendar? What is the strategic reasoning for compromising and restricting wider, and bluntly, more valuable peaceful enjoyment during this important stay-over visitor window? I’ll wait.
If you crave us thanksgiving then toddle off to th USA we are not Americans !
However, one of our two main industries is Tourism, and the island is packed with US visitors who are here for a variety of reasons such as a top level college basketball tournament, the biggest conference of the year next week, and yes, simply a vacation. The common thread for all these visits…..Thanksgiving. Plus there are a lot of Caymanians who celebrate Thanksgiving, including my family, due to various family members being born or growing up in the US.
The why are you trying to be like the American 12 O’clock boys gang in Boston?
I think you should toddle yourself over to the US and see how REAL police deal with public nuisances like yourself.
Good grief. Totally tone deaf to reality. Our main tourism customer market (by a double digit exponent) is the USA, and our hotels were filled in advance of today and, specifically for this annual revered weekend holiday – at top dollar rates. The hundreds of wheelying unmuffled biker gangs should never have crossed into the path of this market. There are going to be regrettable impacts by way of negative experience reviews and loss of our “bread and butter” repeat stay-over guests. Why are the stakeholders, CITA, and DoT so tone deaf to what’s been set in motion here by a siloed UK-centric RCIPS? Fail!
if these bike are following the rules of the road…why will the roads be closed to cars?
Because it’s going to be a dangerous wheelie/burnout fest full of half-baked retards on high powered motorcycles.
There will also be some half-baked retards on 125cc bikes too.
Who is going to charge all the motorist with obstruction of traffic? The police will be helping obstruct traffic for all the motorist on the road Sunday. Too bad they can’t write each other tickets.
imagine if this was a great trap by rcips to catch all the sumbags on their dirt bikes…..unfortunately rcips ain’t got the guts.
who honestly believes these muppets are going to obey speed limits or traffic laws in general?
Who believes that you drive sober
?!
Is being a tragic loser mandatory to join in the ride or is it just strongly encouraged?
Mandatory! And worthlessness will be assessed prior to the event commencing. We are looking for deadbeat wannabe YouTube stars and unemployed work shy drug dealers.
Drug dealers normally drive fancy cars and not riding a beat up old 125cc bike.
All of the gangs use bikes – some of these stunt riders are the couriers, doing pickups of cash, and drop-offs of product. That isn’t rain gear in the backpack. This is why the ROC reveres outlaws – it is a syndicate audition, now sponsored by the RCIPS.
I think the bigger loser is the person that goes on the internet and calls people who want to have fun a loser.
Says the person who went on the internet and called someone a loser.
Daddy issues are a must.
Size issues also.
Bunch of old, bitter fuddy duddies in this comment section. Would you rather them ride like they did last year? At least this way all bikes will need to be legal and police will escort them the whole way. This is much better and safer for the public while allowing the youth of Cayman to have fun. It’s a win/win for the police and the riders.
Golly, how gullible are you? The ROC reality and what the Police dream might transpire, couldn’t be further apart.
residents should record all activities…including all the illegal bikes along with the police not doing their duty.
well said….lets record the incompetence of the police farce….. it will serve us well in future litigation….
Residents should also record drunk and reckless drivers.
2 wrongs don’t make a right. address the issue at hand ..’king’….
This is one massive disaster in the making! Just wait and see!
Well I don’t know about anyone else but I’m going to go poach some marine life from the Environmental zones while the po po are all tied up with this nonsense.
I’m going to pull off an armed robbery!
What an absolute joke and waste of police resources!! Shame on the RCIPS!!
Agreed they should be spending their time looking for drunk drivers on Friday and Saturady nights.
And Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
I’m not one believe the RCIPS high command is capable of any strategic planning, so it would shock the hell out of me if the following should arise from this weekend’s ROC.
1. Ride sets out as planned from Industrial Park, with traffic violations no worse than would be expected in a large group of properly licensed motorcycles.
2. As would be expected by anyone other than RCIPS, many unlicensed bikes will join in the parade as the procession moves east.
3. After stopping for refreshments in East End, the bikes once again set out for North Side with all of the unlicensed bikes now fully integrated in the parade.
4. Somewhere along a 2-mile rugged stretch of the Queen’s Highway, with no access out except the main road since there is only cliff on one side and sea on the next, RCIPS setup a really secure road block and only allow the licensed bikes to pass.
5. With massive land and air support from behind, and an impenetrable blockade in front, the RCIPS could surround all of the unlicensed bikes in one small area and undoubtedly recover a lot of stolen bikes.
6. As a biker, I would not object to having my ride interrupted if it meant that a lot of the crazy riders who give the rest of us a bad name are taken off the streets for a while.
7. Even those who legally own the bike that is not street legal should not object to paying a fine to get their bikes back if it means separating the thieves from their stolen bikes.
Stopping for refreshments at Pirates Cove? Seems lke as good a place as any!
The police state: “Some delays and inconvenience should be expected by motorists, and the RCIPS asks that the public avoid road travel on Sunday afternoon to the extent possible.”. What about all of the tourists heading to the airport on Sunday after their Thanksgiving vacation? Why on earth would they plan it for a known busy day for travel??
Are you against motorcycles?
Are you against common sense?
Who cause more delays when a drunk driver crashes. Motorbikes always escape traffic. It’s cars that cause traffic . Buy some sense
20/11/2018 at 11:33 am
How the H is that supposed to disrupt a tourist going to the airport????
Sunday are known for NOT being a busy travel day on the roads.
Just looking for something to complain about, eh!
lol
Everyone knows the RCIP is allowing this to collect intel for future prosecutions purposes. They need faces matched to bikes since riders usually wear full helmets.
Seems like it’ll be a boring ride with all this police presence and checkpoints anyways.
I’ll just wait until next Sunday. Queue the thumbs down 🙂
Lol. You think the RCIPS is that smart? These dopes get foiled with every road block they set up.
Not to mention that every road block they set up is not in accordance with the traffic laws requirements… this is what happens when barbers and construction workers become police officers. SMH.
The RCIP should spend better time waiting for folk outside of bars and once they start their cars then check them for drunk driving. That’s what I saw in Trinidad.
Ah, Trinidad. A fine example of law and order to which we should aspire.
Trinidad reduced their drunk driving and speeding crimes with greater detection and convictions. Even some of their goverment Minsters have been fired for drunk driving . Yes they have crime but they don’t cover it up as they do in Cayman. As I said before caymam is a pretend country
This is sending completely the wrong message. WTF is going on here?!
This is taking control. You and I both know it would have happened regardless or not. At least now we can ensure 99% of riders will be on legal vehicles and supervised.
We block off the entire west bay road strip for people to walk on the road drunk and dry hump, yet there’s a problem with this event where the RCIPS has found an effective compromise to promote safety?
Can’t please unna at all.
I agree, the dry-humpers give us advanced winers a bad name!
Clearly, you are unfamiliar with the ROC objective to be as shocking, unconstrained, and terrifying as possible. There are “professional” youtube idiots from other regions that fly-in to raise the stakes and embolden our local idiots. They are well-known and should be flagged at airport. Watch and regret, Goldilocks.
Clearly, you’re a local idiot who missed the point.
Exactly. At first I thought this was a ride out for a cause like raising funds for someone in need, but just a ride for what? ? Lol…wasting gas and time
When last have you donated to a worthy cause my friend?
I can see your going to be one later in life say i wish i that !
Stop being a hyprocrite!
Banana Republic where motorcycle are concerned. Yet still drunk and reckless drivers are the main culprits of accidents.
NHTSA road fatality stats show that over half of all road fatalities continue to be from drunk drivers, and last year, 80% of those drunk fatalities also tested positive for elevated levels of blood-THC or opioids. For the first time ever, drug and alcohol synergistic impairment exceeded alcohol-alone in roadside fatalities. The stats here are probably similar or worse given how lax folks seem to be about high-driving. I doubt the RCIPS have bothered to source any tools to measure this, and we’ll see lots of it (again) next Sunday.
There is fear of motorcycles where Cayman is concerned. Most folk in Cayman are ingronant to motorcycles and bicycles. With a high import tax of 42% on bikes over 125cc makes you think the CIG don’t want motorbikes.
But here in Cayman you have tiny roads with large cars , trucks and SUVs. Motorcyles and bicycles is far better option for these roads. Again banana republic and folk that live in bubble
When you have to listen to the noise and experience the arrogant and careless riders then you begin to wish motorcycles were never allowed on the Island. I have nothing against motorcycles…….just the idiots that ride them.
How many of these idiots have cause accidents compared to the drunk drivers you see on each Friday and Saturady nights?
LOL – INGRONANT!
76.2% of statistics found on the internet are made up on the spot.
Even after all these years, the RCIPS haven’t even Googled “Ride of the Century” or know what it’s all about, or that it is a global problem. The whole purpose is to film (from trailing pickups) greater and greater acts of anarchy, outrageous lawlessness, and unacceptable personal dangers. There are hundreds of videos online that they could have watched…foiled again. Do they not have the internet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJWCAPX884
ROC 2018 was sick! Have you watched it yet?
pathetic…where are the christian values?? we dont want to wind up like other caribbean islands who have forsaken god for wordly pleasures???
I’m with you brother. Amen. There is a whole chapter of Psalms devoted to motorcycles that nobody bothers to read.
But instead of “wordly pleasures”, we just ask her to talk dirty in Spanish!
You mean that part where it says that “Moses Triumphed.” LOL
When is the RCIPS-sanctioned machete-fight skill clinic? Will that be held in front of the Westin on Boxing Day? Maybe the JMU can teach our precious disaffected amateur canoeists on how to safely navigate the channel cuts at night with no lights and a full cargo? They could plan that lawless spectacle for Morritt’s on Christmas Eve, right after the domestic violence and animal torture sessions. Wtf are we doing here?!?
You forgot sponsoring the armed robbery simulator so they can hone their skills before hitting the streets.
The RCIPS pistol-whipping seminar will follow the RCIPS window-lock picking and sliding door defeat tutorials. Ritz Ballroom, 7pm, Thanksgiving weekend…you can’t make this stuff up.
I’m sure the ROC participants are over the moon with joy at having to be supervised and hand-held by the police on their ride. After last years display of the lawlessness & mayhem that ensued , with police having to jump out of the way to avoid being struck , I am sure the police are equally ecstatic at having to ride shotgun on the event. Anyone that owns a boat should plan to be out on it all day & stay off the roadways .
Is anyone else sick of these bullshit road closures!? I’m done paying my road tax for roads I cant even frigging use!
Lol
Theres a road tax?
There you have it folks!!! The police are SCARED of the motor bike gangs in Cayman!! What a disgrace!!
we knew that from last year….when comissioner said ‘law enforcement was not the answer’……….zzzzzzzzzz
Gotta love that made up quote
it is not.
It’s worse than that: on Sunday, RCIPS Command allocated a single community beat liaison officer – tasked with being as amenable and street cool as possible – to supervise the CostUless parking lot car speaker contest, as well as a huge swathe of other territory north and south. The moment he was offsite, or back turned, the chaos ratcheted-up, culminating in burnouts, and reckless speeding. The road is all marked up with burning rubber from this event.
How was this symbolic public liaison officer supposed to contain, or have any command and control, over hundreds of showoffs, at a designated showoff competition? Even with scheduled events, and years of past transgressions, the RCIPS fail to learn, or anticipate, the idiocy of these groups, and staff accordingly.
In North America, for insurance purposes, any land-owner operating these events would be required to pay a uniformed police support unit, with Fire Dept, and Ambulance on physical standby.
No such requirement here – heck, they don’t even ask the public or hotels how they’d feel about another ruined Sunday with 8hrs of statutory nuisance! How’d you like to be a family from the USA, paying >$15k to stay at Kimpton or Ritz on the wheelie strip for your restful tropical holiday?
These are monumental errors of poor reasoning, and calendar awareness. Total disregard for residents and our highest-spend stay-over guests.
Sounds like your an old fart that lives in one of those condos that be yelling at people to get off you sand.
WE as a car community barely get a car show. WE as a car audio community barley get to demo our sound systems and do SPL comps to see who has the most bass decibels.
Since your so crossed with people breaking the law. The next time your doing 40 in a school zone or 42 in a 40 remember your speeding
If you have a problem with my car sound system being to loud…….if it’s too LOUD then YOUR too OLD.
Let all the miserable/old/expects boom up the dislike button!!!
Where do Caymanian residents protest this event, once again, approved without consent of residents or hotels? Last Sunday we endured almost 8 hours of the Automotive Art Car Stereo Showoff, where no permission was sought for this foundation-rattling event from the abutting so-zoned inhabitants. Does anyone realize that opening a 5 mile unmuffled wheelie stunt track might be a problem in the heart of the US Thanksgiving Hotel Tourism-zone – one of the busiest weekends of the season? Who approves these statutory annoyances without looking at the tourism calendar? Maybe they shouldn’t be doing that job. Who is the current Chief Health Officer?
I would like to attend the protest!
I think it’s best you protest on drunk drivers
LOL!!!!!!!! But wait till
Kaboo. Wanna talk about stereo annoyance? How about three stages with more speakers than the the hair that makes up my beard. STFD! And stop complaining if you want peace and dead beat silence go move to little cayman so the mosquitos can pick you up and fly away with ya.
IF ITS TOO LOUD THEN YOUR TOO OLD!!
Why are we still encouraging these nuts to endanger people’s lives on the road? They still ride like maniacs on Sundays, doing wheelies and riding like they are the only people on the roads., it is only a matter of time before some innocent person or a child is killed. It does not even make sense to call the Police anymore because they do not do anything. Most of these guys and bikes are not even licensed.
Says another idiot who cant read the article…
Now hang on here a moment. Didnt the RCIPS not say a few weeks ago that they will be reducing road closures for events such as cultural shows etc??? Yes they did. But here we are and they are facilitating basically a shut down of the main roads in Cayman so that motorbikes can take over the street. Simply PATHETIC. I hope it rains so hard that day.
Good idea!
Promote it to draw Motorcycle enthusiastic Tourists – an Annual event.
Oh yeah, cause some couch-surfing YouTube idiots from Anguilla are going to bring in more tourism dollars than the entire United States of America on what they had hoped would be a peaceful Thanksgiving family holiday. Think man.
usual nonsense from the police farce….
Pathetic. Why pander to the whims of these infantilised men playing with their toys? The result of the population should not suffer.
rest*
If it were to be authorized at all, it ought to be done miles away from Residential and Hotel Tourism Zones, where no nuisance would be registered. Underwater would be good.
Ughhh these guys again? Why isn’t the track good enough?
And so what are law abiding car drivers supposed to do if they want to access one of the closed roads. What a joke.
RCIPS is to enforce the laws of the Cayman Islands NOT encouraging illegal activity by acting as chaperones. God forbid a rider is injured or injures an innocent road user or bystander due to a participant’s negligence. Then with the RCIPS overseeing this “ride”, who is then liable, the unlicensed and uninsured rider and motorcycle?
A simple road block on any of the many sections of our bypasses, where trucks/vehicles are used to completely close the road behind and in the front of riders. Therefore no chases and no where for riders to go or be injures, and with using government equipment to remove all confiscated unlicensed motorcycles taking part in “ROC”. Due to the motorcycles being used in an illegal activity, they are to be seized and either destroyed or those capable of being roadworthy can be auctioned with Government retaining any funds acquired. Then only released to a new owner once proof of being licensed and insured.
As a law abiding citizen and supporter of motorcycles, no reason to not have an organized event but all taking part must be legal as well as the vehicles/motorcycles involved. Expectations are not too high for all road users to follow the same laws as the rest of legal drivers and motor vehicles. Driving and access to public roads are a privilege and not a right. RCIPS resources are better served protecting our communities and not being chaperones for an illegal activity of no purpose but dangerous and reckless behavior as been proven the recent past.
Ride Out Cayman… ROC… Don’t you mean Ride of the Century?
“Skills”… Don’t you mean stunts?
Why should the public expect delays if the riders follow the laws of the road? Will they stop at stop lights? Or prevent me from entering the road when the light is green for me?
Will the laws of the land still be enforced on the closed portion of ETH? This “Skill” zone should be on private property. Not a public thoroughfare.
This police presence will come at considerable cost. How about a little good old fashioned harassment and check for licence and registration and insurance from all the riders prior to setting out. Write enough tickets to break even on the day. They have promised to obey the laws? Enforce them.
A little 1984 would go a long way too… How about a sign up sheet, Name address, make of bike and a description, maybe a photo.
If you’re asking for some 1984, you either haven’t read the book or are just another brainless sheep.
What about all of the illegal electric scooters and bicycles we see on the roads, can they participate or not?
if you have nothing useful to say…then say nothing at all.
Who’s coming: All idiot riders regardless of qualification or mode, plus their support/YouTube film vehicles.
so what problems are e-scooters and e-bikes causing?
What a pile of S#!t. They should be catching these rogue riders- which I’m almost certain will be amongst the legal riders. Every Sunday after sunset like clockwork a set of them come down from the Eastern districts doing stunts and other dangerous manoeuvring with ZERO form of lights! You can hear them from a mile away. This is another accident waiting to happen and chances are some innocent person or child maybe seriously hurt!
This would be a good opportunity for the bikes and riders to be photographed together so that in the future it can assist with identifying them when they are riding illegally…
Which is why they wear full face masks.
In order to participate in this “legal” event all bikes and riders should be required to submit to proper verified identification – names, addresses. full face photos and photos of bikes at least. If they do not break the law at other times they will not have a problem with this.
Personally, I would rather see this effort go into fixing the endless dump saga, fixing education, bring down the ridiculous cost of living and oh yes pass the standards in public life.
But if we cannot have that then we designate a Sunday afternoon in each month for SUB rally, convertible rally, segway rally and so on until traffic grinds to a halt.
The police are responsible for none of those things, so not sure what that has to do with this
So the police has now teamed up with the motor bikes to parade around our island so that they can behave then close off a road by several neighborhoods to do tricks?? Are you fking kidding me. Why not take them out to the race track! I hope the RCIP makes sure that each rider signs off on a waiver to say “if I fall off, crash or die” I am not going to sue the country. Next will be the fast cars parade, cannot wait. So much for peace and quiet on a SUNDAY…smhhh.
And if one of these “skills” riders gets hurt or killed, will the RCIPS get sued for facilitating this event? Very likely. Will riders be be required to sign an indemnity?
The police can’t control them, so their chosen option is to facilitate them. Bad idea! Next year there will 400 riders. Island gone crazy.
Pathetic!
This is actually a great compromise.
Usually don’t support the popo but I commend them here for this. Was gonna happen regardless or not, at least now it’s under control.
Legalize and regulate. Prohibition stops nothing.