As plans progress to move the Four Corners Iron Horse Motorcycle Rally from Ignacio to another location next year, tempers have been running somewhat high in Cortez, one of the sites being considered.

There’s no doubt that the influx tens of thousands of bikers to a small community brings a considerable increase in the revenue of those businesses the bikers could reasonably be expected to patronize. Establishments that provide food, drink or lodging top the list, probably followed by stores that sell memorabilia, groceries and liquor. That revenue cycles through other businesses in a community, and adds to sales-tax revenue as well. That’s a good thing.

The negatives attached to such income include crowding and traffic. While all of us would say we support prosperity for local merchants, it nevertheless annoys us when we can’t get a table at our favorite restaurant, or can’t cross Main Street except at intersections with traffic lights. That may seem like a petty annoyance, but it’s also a sign that we don’t necessarily have the resources to support the proposed level of visitation. Cortez caters to families interested in the archaeology of the region. That’s a different market than the Iron Horse. Farmington is larger, and for that reason those residents may not be as concerned about the negative effects; spread across a broader base, they are far less onerous.

Although residents might like Harley riders on an individual basis, they’re understandably concerned about inviting thousands of them to spend the weekend. Durango residents learned that the visitation did seem very much like an invasion, and Cortez, being much smaller, is likely to feel the overload even more, while Farmington might feel it less.

Still, the issue is largely one of numbers. It only takes a few less-than-civilized individuals to wreak a great deal of havoc. If even one of every hundred bikers is a trouble-maker, that means quite a few will be congregated in one place, greatly increasing the chances that the weekend will be an unpleasant one for the community hosting the rally.

Alcohol is a definite factor, and even if the Montezuma County Commission declines to break precedent and allow the consumption of alcohol at the fairgrounds, there should be no pretense that drinking won’t take place. One county commissioner related how a biker had told him that even after a few beers, the cold wind in his face during a motorcycle ride sobered him up quickly. The irony of that statement should be obvious to us all. Cold wind aside, riding a motorcycle down the highway after a few beers is not a good idea, nor is it legal. Driving after drinking is a reality that must be addressed.