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The Rally Sucked

Visian

look out!!!
Let's put all the negative feedback about the rally in one thread... this will make it easier to improve processes going forward.

Ian
 
Okay, I'm game..

This was my first rally. I am the guy perhaps a few of you saw sleeping outside a men's room on Wednesday night, on a wooden bench, because I'm not camping in a field when I see lightening in the air.

I had a pretty good time. I found no problems with the porta-johns. I haven't camped in 20 plus years but I remembered to bring extra toilet paper, although I didn't need it.

I found the traffic manageable.

The folks selling the cantelope and fresh fruit on the road toward the beer tent were great-that was kick-a--- cantelope and it was nice to be able to get fresh fruit at the site.

I never saw so many hi-viz colored jackets in one place. It was refreshing.

So many people had really nice bikes. Harley and cruiser riders chrome their machines-BMW riders electrify them.

My ONLY complaint is this--I was by myself, and I wore my little "#1" pin when I was there. I'm a socialble guy but I guess my only disappointment was that not a lot of people went out of their way to say "hi" or speak to me unless I initiated the conversation. It seemed a lot of you knew one another and I felt like an outsider the whole time I was there. I know there was a lot of cathing up to do among friends but I guess, well I don't know, it was a slight turn-off.

Otherwise, thanks for the good time and thanks to the volunteers who made it all possible.

I guess my dearly departed aunt would remind me to never criticize without offering solutions so here is mine-perhaps at future rallys there could be some sort of a special area in the beer tent or somewhere for first timers or lone riders to socialize with other first time attendees or lone riders, a place where some rally veteran volunteers could talk to us and help break the ice and learn the ropes. Thank you
 
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Okay, I'm game..

This was my first rally. I am the guy perhaps a few of you saw sleeping outside a men's room on Wednesday night, on a wooden bench, because I'm not camping in a field when I see lightening in the air.

I had a pretty good time. I found no problems with the porta-johns. I haven't camped in 20 plus years but I remembered to bring extra toilet paper, although I didn't need it.

I found the traffic manageable.

The folks selling the cantelope and fresh fruit on the road toward the beer tent were great-that was kick-a--- cantelope and it was nice to be able to get fresh fruit at the site.

I never saw so many hi-viz colored jackets in one place. It was refreshing.

So many people had really nice bikes. Harley and cruiser riders chrome their machines-BMW riders electrify them.

My ONLY complaint is this--I was by myself, and I wore my little "#1" pin when I was there. I'm a socialble guy but I guess my only disappointment was that not a lot of people went out of their way to say "hi" or speak to me unless I initiated the conversation. It seemed a lot of you knew one another and I felt like an outsider the whole time I was there. I know there was a lot of cathing up to do among friends but I guess, well I don't know, it was a slight turn-off.

Otherwise, thanks for the good time and thanks to the volunteers who made it all possible.

I've been to three MOA rallies, and this one was the best.

I saw a bunch of 1 pins, but didn't know what they were until I asked someone Saturday night. Maybe if there had been a sign on the vendor row with the 1 on it letting everyone know these were new MOA members, more people would have said something to you.

I just thought the 1 pins indicated that there was now one more group that was excluding me. :cry
 
Every part of the social side of motorcycling has cliques.

Yes, there are tons of people that love to talk to the "new" people, be thankful they did not find you because they tend to be the most annoying.
 
Only because I wasn't able to be there. Otherwise I know I would be posting in the Rally Rocked area.
 
A couple of quickies, realizing it is, of course, too late for this year!

Volunteer. You'll meet your co-workers as well as other attendees.

Spend a bit of time before the rally connecting with your local (or even virtual) club.
They are often organizing rides to the site and club gatherings during the event.
Are you on MOA Forums? Attend Forum Frenzy in the Beer Garden.
Ride an Airhead? They had comfy chairs and a hospitality tent in the camping area.
IBMWR and the Chain Gang doubtless had gatherings as well.

File it for next year.
 
Okay, I'll jump in here. I thought it was nuts to route ALL traffic thru the vendor area. On the plus side, the one way rule was a good idea. But on the down side, the one-way rule routed you OUT of the fairgrounds (had to wear your helmet just to go to the shower) and then back into the grounds. On the plus side, there was plenty of green grassy areas on which to set up the tent. But, they were on a 30% slope!

I especially liked the way they paved the interstate intersection on the first day of the rally; go TNDOT!

Don
 
I guess my dearly departed aunt would remind me to never criticize without offering solutions so here is mine-perhaps at future rallys there could be some sort of a special area in the beer tent or somewhere for first timers or lone riders to socialize with other first time attendees or lone riders, a place where some rally veteran volunteers could talk to us and help break the ice and learn the ropes. Thank you

thanks, mike.

that #1 pin was an idea that originated in the ambassador group a couple rallies ago. the goal was to make new people feel welcome.

we have to get better at making everyone aware of what that pin means. perhaps a short article in the magazine next year.

perhaps a prize of some sort for welcoming the "special" #1....

ian
 
I've been to three MOA rallies, and this one was the best.

I saw a bunch of 1 pins, but didn't know what they were until I asked someone Saturday night. Maybe if there had been a sign on the vendor row with the 1 on it letting everyone know these were new MOA members, more people would have said something to you.

I just thought the 1 pins indicated that there was now one more group that was excluding me. :cry



oh, so THAT is what the girl with the #1 pin who stole my hat at the beer garden, spun me around for a picture, called me a hottie then whispered something unintelligible into my ear.....................all in front of my fiance of 4 hours was up to!:laugh:thumb
 
weather

jeez. can't the rally chairs control a simple thing like the weather? :rolleyes

seriously, one thing i felt could be improved upon is the closing ceremonies.... good LORD that thing is long and boring.
 
oh, so THAT is what the girl with the #1 pin who stole my hat at the beer garden, spun me around for a picture, called me a hottie then whispered something unintelligible into my ear.....................all in front of my fiance of 4 hours was up to!:laugh:thumb
now that was the funniest moment of the rally. The look on your SO's face :laugh

I just found the whole thing to be too overwhelming... and I live in Manhattan. Too many people shook my hand and gave me beers.

To have done differently had I known: I would have gotten an RV like my bro, Visian :thumb:thumb
 
First, THANK YOU to all the organizers and the volunteers.

My loving wife and I had a great time. While we missed the Bean tour due to being land locked by our neighbors, we still had a great time hanging out in the vendor areas.

I found a passage on the back side of the vendors that funneled me to the exit.

Beer garden, I wish there was a food vendor or two nearer.

TP was in short supply up on the hill at times. We had to breath thru our mouths whenever walking near the portapotty near the Airheads.

Looking back, we enjoyed Grey and the whole area. My heart has never been blessed as much as it was there!
 
Who Won The Bikes ?

Any one know where you can find out who won the bikes ? Had to leave Mid day Saturday.Had a great time!!!!!
 
I wish I had been there to enjoy the suck-i-ness. Unfortunately family obligations kept me away.

But, I did register to go, and subsequently donate my registration fee to your bad time.


a more serious note:

Were recycling bins provided? I notice earlier this year at that the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - a dozen beer (can) vendors and no recycleing bins, eventhought that race series promotes/runs on straight ethanol.
 
Enjoyed my first rally

The title of this thread isn't fair. The rally did not suck... it was a lot of fun and from my perspective well organized. With any big event, there could be changes and improvement. I would have liked a vendor list and a map of vendor booths. I wanted to go back to specific vendors and had trouble remembering where they were, then walking all over the place hoping to bump into them. I always found a bathroom when needed. The food vendors provided variety and I liked that they were spread out in different areas. I arrived Thurs and found the traffic and parking acceptable. I didn't camp and rode in twice a day. I enjoyed a variety of seminars and next rally will spend more time with the vintage bikes. Thanks to all the presenters for providing an opportunity to learn and to meet others. What a big event for such a small entry fee. Congrats to the organizers and thanks.
 
a more serious note:

Were recycling bins provided? I notice earlier this year at that the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - a dozen beer (can) vendors and no recycleing bins, eventhought that race series promotes/runs on straight ethanol.

Yes, there were many recycling bins located all over the rally site.

Good job, Holly! :thumb
 
Keep it honest

This thread is supposed to be about how this rally sucked. You folks, like me, who had a great time at the rally should not post here. Hills in Tennessee, what a surprise. People using up the TP, who'da thunk it. Water containers and cups for anyone, just not right. In order for my post to qualify for this thread, here it is..... No good coffee on site. There.
 
I thought the rally sucked!

1. When we got there Thursday late afternoon the only camping was the overflow field. It was a very very long walk to the bathrooms/porta-pottys until late Friday night when 10 porta-pottys got dropped off.

2. The food vendors were slow, quite often out of food. My wife went to shower while I waited in line for coffee. I was 3rd in line when she left to walk to the shower. She got back all showered as I was being waited on. And the coffee was only warm and very weak more like colored water.
The next day we went to moseys for breakfast. 6 of us ordered a hungry man breakfast. It was to have eggs, biscuit w/gravy, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. Of the six we ordered 2 had eggs (they ran out) 1 had hash browns, 2 had pancakes, 3 had glazed honey buns, 4 had biscuits, none had gravy. They were just putting whatever they had in the meal and still charging full price.

3. While there were a lot of vendors, clothes, gadgets, it was all for newer bikes, there was nothing for the older bikes, there were more bikes built before 1996 there than built after 1996.

I could go on .... but I won't

The roads were nice, :thumb
The rally sucked. (I have been to 9 rallies) if I don't buy a new bike, I just don't see the sense of going anymore. :dunno
 
The only thing I missed out on was the Forum get together. the last that I had heard, it was going to happen at the Beer tent between 7 & 9 pm on Friday. the tent was full of people when I arrived, and I had no idea where the group would be. maybe next year we can narrow it down some. other than that small issue, it was a GREAT RALLY...:thumb:thumb:thumb
 
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