I go every year in May with my dad and a group of friends. My first time was in 2011, and I swear, as I pulled into town, it was like driving into a scene from American graffiti. It was stoplight drags and carshows in every lot all night long. See, I'm a "hanger on" as the article calls it, as none of our g bodies are eligible for the show (76 and older only.) However after the first trip as a passenger, my dad has been bringing his t/a and enters it in the show. I am a spectator of the official show as well. And while I may do a little stoplight drag racing in the evenings, I also go to the cruise nights all weekend, and enjoy using my olds as my transportation.
Yes, it has gotten out of hand over the last few years. There are many more hangers on, many who come strictly to race and do burnouts at every light. Yes, no matter the level of enforcement, people still act out. Usually by Saturday night the sheriffs dept and the state police are in town for extra patrol. There are 2 to 3 cops on every corner. When few hundred thousand people are in town, its necessary. This is a big event for the town, and some fools just detract from it.
The idea of including some places to let this fun happen, like a track, would be great. I would hope that people would move their shenanigans to that locale, however some of the situation in town is the atmosphere. Having the event attracts people to get into the fervor and misbehave. Many come just to race up and down the strip.
The issue they face is: how do we keep the event, yet calm the masses on the roads?
Well, I don't envy them, as this isn't an easy task. The issue is that the event, the town, has a reputation attached to it from the events that people come down just for the excitement and the "lawlessness" even knowing that they may be ticketed heavily, or have their car impounded. Many out of staters know that the points from MD won't affect their license. Many just don't care, they consider it part of the cost of coming.
This reputation is an issue bigger than the event though. H2Oi isn't a sanctioned event in the city like cruisin' is. When it was canceled, people still came to enjoy the city. Many came out of spite because the event was cancelled. There is a reason they are targeting H20i, it was never an Ocean City event! Its an event held near by that people still invade the city for. If you look at the incidents from this years cancelled event, you can see why they are cracking down on it. People came to pick a fight with ocpd. Cars tagged "F OCPD" and fights started with officers. Police were hurt. It was an attack by many, and I can't say I blame the city for cracking down on them. I have never heard of this happening at any other events there.
In the end, I hope there can be a resolution that allows the events to continue. I enjoy coming every year, and I admit, had it not been for the show, I never would have visited. I don't want to see the cruising end, or no more parking lot shows all night. There just needs to be an answer for the 4 day long burnouts and full on drag racing in the streets of a town overcrowded by spectators.
