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andyshane

Ruidoso Lives Up To Its Name

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I just published this in another forum. We're visiting Ruidoso at the moment, and the traffic and noise really stands out, compared to other cities. Others have made the same complaint, a brief online search reveals. I contacted the Chamber of Commerce, and asked that they convey the information to the local government.

Of course, such things affect the RV community. We don't need to spend money on fuel, provisions and campground reservations, only to discover that the destination leaves much to be desired.

For years, the wife and I have visited Ruidoso with friends; this is our second trip in the motorhome.

While there are many RV parks here, they tend to be relatively modest. One exciting development is a big hillside resort being built near the Best Western on Route 70.

One thing we've noticed, is the slow onset of what is best described as "road anarchy" here. Ruidoso, like some other small towns scattered across the country, is becoming a haven bikers and off-roaders. Of those, there is a small minority for whom it is important to make the same level of noise inherent to a 747 on takeoff roll. Don't ask me why; my personal opinion is that it is loosely associated with dysfunction below the belt. Further, people are in a hurry, drive with their hair on fire. Signs that the community struggles with traffic calming are everywhere: speed bumps, special enforcement zones, flashing markers, the like.

It is a war they are clearly losing, at the moment.

The problem is severe enough to make us re-think our travel plans, as I conveyed to the Chamber of Commerce. They have a Facebook site, as do other towns' chambers and administrations. All of us can make ourselves known via that avenue, when we wish to praise or criticize our travel destinations.

The Chamber immediately replied, and I assure them that I'm not just in the business of complaining; that my wife and I had played tennis for two hours at the same downtown spot that was shattered by explosions of noise all weekend, and that we didn't hear a single open-pipe or bypassed vehicle the entire time.

'Turns out, the village adopted uniform New Mexico traffic ordinances in 2010, and there is one that specifically forbids open-pipe operations. So, it's just a matter of refocusing enforcement efforts from being aimed at truckers to what the ordinance dictates: all vehicles are supposed to have functioning mufflers.

As for the aggressive driving, Ruidoso has already exerted a large effort; they simply need to dial it up a bit, on weekends and during special events.

FMCA members wishing to add their two cents' worth can visit the Chamber of Commerce page or the Ruidoso Police Department page, on Facebook.

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"Don't ask me why; my personal opinion is that it is loosely associated with dysfunction below the belt. "

Interesting that you share your opinions so freely in a safe place like this. How about sharing that same opinion with the next 1%er you see.

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A brief followup: the city is struggling to control traffic, mitigate the fire danger by enforcing an outdoor smoking ban which has now been lifted, thanks to a week of rain. Now, they can focus on widening noise enforcement from relatively quiet tractor-trailers to the M60 machine gun-level open pipe cars, trucks and bikes that descend on the city like deafening locusts, each summer weekend.

When I made the original post, I didn't understand that this battle has been ranging in various cities, and is the talk of the bike world. In fact, we're getting ready to do our 40th consecutive Myrtle Beach week next month, and that city has effectively fought against the tiny minority of car and cycle enthusiasts who try to drown out everyone else with engine noise.

In the other forum, a member wisely counseled not to write off Ruidoso just because of a few miscreants; I can't help but agree. Along that line, we scoped out an impressive place, the Eagle Creek RV Resort outside of town, and are taking our business there, next time.

That'll put us near Pena's Place, our favorite breakfast haunt, on the north side of town. If you visit on a weekend, get there early for Jimmy's world-famous eggs benedict. And, since both the park and Pena's are at the north end, it's easy to avoid getting your ear drums shattered by the Viagra-denied weekend pestilence terrorizing mid-town, downtown Ruidoso. :D

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