OCEAN CITY — It remains to be seen if the annual September pop-up motorized event materializes next weekend, but resort officials are prepared nonetheless.
For several years, a motorized special event formerly known as H2Oi popped up each late September in the resort, often with disturbing results. While the formal H2Oi even has long since moved out of the resort area to Atlantic City and other locations, the annual September pop-up motor vehicle event has continued to be a troublesome weekend in the resort although the annual rally has been tamer in recent years. Last year, arrests, citations issued and tows were down considerably from the prior year, suggesting possibly the annual pop-up rally has begun to run its course in Ocean City.
However, despite the considerable drop-off in the lawless behavior associated with the event last year, town officials, the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and its allied law enforcement partners are preparing as if the event is returning next week. With the Oceans Calling music festival set for the last weekend in September, the conventional thinking is the pop-up car rally participants will be coming next weekend if at all.
OCPD officials said this week the social media intelligence shows the pop-up rally participants have organized events in New Jersey and North Carolina next weekend, but indications are a large number could make Ocean City a stopping point. After a particularly troublesome event four years ago, the Town of Ocean City formed a motor vehicle special event task force to begin exploring ways to curb some of the behavior associated with the event.
The task force reconvened last Friday to outline plans for a possible return next weekend. The plans include the implementation of the special event zone beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 20 and running through Sunday, Sept. 25. The special event zone will include lower speed limits, altered traffic patterns at times and a strong police presence including a fully-staffed OCPD and its allied partners including the Maryland State Police, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies from around the state.
I think it pretty much died out last year. Once there were real consequences in place, they opted to go elsewhere.
They are off to Wildwood NJ. Might have a few that try to hang on, but after last year they all gave up and went elsewhere. Now we have the rice rockets doing stupid crap during bike week.
Couple of words stood out in this article. Conventional wisdom and “could return”
I understand the marketing of being ready as a deterrent but really stating that conventional wisdom, our intell on social media and that a group could come instead of NJ or NC. Thats no better than being unpreapred with pants down a few years ago. Agitation pre sparked the prior shitshow. Merchants didnt work with the.city since money is the object, but then called the city for help after it was too late. Be thankful COVID changed many things, to a point.
Out of the box mindset and unconventional wisdom is the only solutions in todays society. I remember when Presidents of the recent past would tell the public (which was informing any bad guys) of a future op….whether that was overseas, mexico or hell here in the stated. WTF? 45 came out his 1st day and said HE would not follow that conventional approach and even said we will not alert any bad element that we were coming. Pissed many off to include politically. Hmmmm did we have any true issues during thise 4 yrs? Nope.
Why cant that be applied here. City Fail would not work with the prior promoter and we see how that worked out.
Force as words is one thing, todays group doesnt care. Force during and reporting after – thats the new way.
Letting ones guard down….and dont surrender prior either Chief. Thats a sign of utter weakness….something that happens alot in these parts.