Hey Smoopy

[Gold Street Customs]

I read about your Christmas parade bicycle ban, and I replied to the sponsor and they responded back.
Conversation started today
James Manley
6:24am
James Manley
Taking bikes out of your parade is like taking the red rider bb gun out of Christmas Story, its just not right.
Good Neighbor Station
9:20am
Good Neighbor Station
We did not have bikes in the parade last year, unless they did without our permission. Insurance did not allow for it. The problem we are up against, is allowing five or ten year olds on bikes and risking them running into a float and getting hurt. We don't want anyone getting hurt.
That being said, we will look into allowing for bikes next year. This is now the third complaint we have received this year and we received zero complaints last year. So, this is new information to us about this being a problem. Don't get us wrong - we love bikes. Perhaps a rule change should be made allowing those over 18 to ride in the parade. We will discuss this with the insurance provider and the volunteers that spend countless hours planning, obtaining permits, outlining the route, working with MTSU, working with the Police Department, etc.
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[CRASH]

Insurance will be the death of parades. I had an old tractor. I was going to pull a girl scout troop on a trailer. The parade required insurance. The coverage, for a single parade had to be in the MILLIONS, and it would have cost me hundreds for one day. Welcome to the litigious nation.

 

[CCR]

Our local parades are banning "throwing" candy now ... if you give candy you have to hand it to the kids. So everyone with floats had to get volunteers to "hand out" the candy ... meanwhile the local business has turned their "corn cannon" (think potato gun, pvc barrel with a pressurized air tank) in to the "candy cannon" .... blasting kids with candy ... the hit of the parade pretty much (except for the shriners cars, they're always the best). It left everyone else giving out candy a little grumpy though. Especially when they see the cannon show up at the next towns "no throw" parade.

Hope you get to run them Smoopy. I would think it's probably just a matter of talking to the right person to get the okay if it works the same way as it does around here.

 

[cashman]

Hate to here stories like this! Riding in my local Christmas parade is one of the things I look foward to each year. They should be more concerned with the safety of some of those overloaded utility trailer floats with twenty five kids and a 5000 watt generator riding on it than with people riding bicycles.

 

[deorman]

No Shriners in go-carts? That's just crazy. :roll:

 

[Bigcam59]

Some times it's better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission...

 

[CCR]

The bicycle candy delivery thing does sound pretty cool. I would probably be blown away as a kid if some guy did a power slide over to the curb and gave me candy :mrgreen: Do you remember when there were actual "floats" too, now it seems like everyone borrows a truck/convertible or loads up a trailer, I remember working all school year on the class floats ... at least we still have Shriner's cars around here :shock:

 

[dragnusa]

They have 2 rules around my town for parades, No throwing candy. and a new one just added over the summer no one under 18 can drive a golf cart in the parade. One of our high school golf girls laid one over under the underpass cutting donuts.