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Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore) showed a three-minute video compilation to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Wednesday of an Ocean City unrecognizable: Drivers spinning their wheels, producing thick white smoke on Coastal Highway, cars drifting in intersections and pedestrians walking up to vehicles in the middle of traffic and hanging off of the median.
This is not the government-approved, semi-annual聽聽event where jalopies and muscle cars sail the streets.
This is the unofficial, unsanctioned H2oi weekend: A 鈥減op-up,鈥� social-media-generated modified car weekend 鈥� not associated with the聽聽Volkswagen and Audi event held in Atlantic City, N.J.
鈥淲hen this pop-up event shows up in town, you see people enter our community driving cars that have taped letters on their car that say, 鈥楩 the Ocean City Police Department,’鈥� Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan told the Senate committee.聽鈥淚 think it lets you know right up front what we鈥檙e in for 鈥� the total disregard to law enforcement that we are facing.鈥�
Despite the official H2oi event鈥檚 move off of the shore, these cars have been coming to Worcester County for years, bringing along what locals describe as chaos.
鈥淥ur family is held hostage when these motorists come into town,鈥� said Ocean City Communications Director Jessica Waters, adding that going to the grocery store or even walking down the street feels like a dangerous situation.
鈥淚 have to get my children off the bus when this behavior is taking place,鈥� she emotionally told the committee. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e scared for their safety; I鈥檓 scared for my safety.鈥�
Under current statute, all law enforcement can do is dole out fines that max out at $500, which聽Meehan says the recipients in some cases pin to their jackets like 鈥渂adges of courage.鈥�
Meehan said that there were more police officers deployed in Ocean City on Saturday night of that September 2019 weekend depicted in the compilation video 鈥渢han anywhere else in the state of Maryland.鈥�
鈥淭he best we could do is write a citation in front of a good number of bystanders and watch them just jeer and just 鈥� egg on this activity,鈥� said Ocean City Police Chief Ross C. Buzzuro.
Buzzuro told the committee that after a combined effort on behalf of the Ocean City Police Department, the Worcester County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and the Maryland State Police, last September鈥檚 unsanctioned weekend racked up over 1,000 car stops, more than 1,600 citations and 100-plus arrests.
鈥淭his is not only an issue for the public in general, but for law enforcement,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s we鈥檙e more vigilant, the public is becoming more聽鈥β燽razen, aggressive and reckless in their behavior.鈥�
Carozza has introduced legislation this session that would take police measures a step further.
聽would allow law enforcement to dispense misdemeanor arrests during all of these motor vehicle weekend events 鈥� sanctioned or unsanctioned 鈥� making 鈥渆xhibition driving,鈥� like the tire-spinning burnouts, drag racing and engine revving seen in Carroza鈥檚 compilation video, subject to higher fines or even jail time if committed in special event zones.
Carozza said that she has filed this legislation as an emergency bill because the first of the three motorist events this year is set for May.
, sponsored by Del. Wayne A. Hartman (R-Lower Shore), will be heard in the Environment and Transportation Committee next week.
Legislative action has been previously sought to alleviate some of the effects of all three of the annual gatherings.
In 2018, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr (R) signed聽聽that allows the State Highway Administration and local municipalities to designate 鈥淪pecial Events Zones鈥� in Worcester County. That classification allows for the reduction of speed limits and increase of fines for traffic violations during car-specific events happening around local highways that are anticipated to draw 1,000 attendees or more 鈥� regardless of whether or not they鈥檝e been permitted by the government.
When areas are designated to be special event zones, LED traffic signs bearing that classification are planted along the highway.
That legislation was also introduced as an emergency bill.
Local officials say that the 2018 law has helped, but that it isn鈥檛 enough.
Carozza told committee members that during last year鈥檚 unsanctioned event, two pedestrians were struck by a car whose driver lost control while trying to perform a burnout in the street. One of those pedestrians was a minor.
Waters said that she is sickened by the hundreds of messages she receives from aggrieved residents and visitors about the behavior of the event鈥檚 attendees.
Ocean City Chamber of Commerce Director Melanie Purcell said that the revenue the town sees as a result of the thousands of visitors the event brings is not justification for the mayhem that ensues.
鈥淚 will say our businesses do see an economic impact from this event. They do see commerce, they do get revenue,鈥� Purcell said. 鈥淗owever, they are willing to sacrifice that to see something done. This is simply not worth the business that they see coming through their doors.鈥�
Ocean City resident Bob Rothermel produces the two sanctioned motorist events.
He said that his Cruisin鈥� weekend hot rod events that have run for almost 30 years attempt to exude 鈥淗appy Days鈥� or 鈥淎merican Graffiti鈥� vibes, but have been 鈥渉ijacked鈥� in the last few years by what he dubbed the 鈥溾�楩ast & Furious鈥� crowd.鈥�
鈥淲e don鈥檛 run events that look like this,鈥� he told the committee. 鈥淲e are aghast that something like this happens in our community.鈥�
Rothermel said that he doesn鈥檛 want the sanctioned Cruisin鈥� weekend events 鈥� which he called 鈥渢he largest privately-owned car show east of the Mississippi鈥� 鈥� to be exempt from the proposed legislation out of fear that the raucous crowd will start popping up there, too.
Sen. Christopher R. West (R-Baltimore County) questioned why lawmakers shouldn鈥檛 push to make exhibition driving in Worcester County a year-round offense rather than just during the sanctioned and unsanctioned vehicular events.
Rothermel said that he鈥檇 鈥渓ike to see it 365 days a year.鈥�
Carozza reinforced the legislation鈥檚 urgency.
鈥淎ll I know is that right now 鈥� we need it for Worcester County, and it is an emergency bill because these events are coming up in May,鈥� she said.
Rothermel鈥檚 sanctioned Cruisin鈥� Ocean City spring event is set for May 14-17, and the Endless Summer Cruisin鈥� weekend for Oct. 8-11.
According to聽, this year鈥檚 unsanctioned car event in Ocean City will be held Sept. 24-27 鈥� the same weekend as the town鈥檚 annual Winefest On The Beach.
