This year’s 2024 autumn Rod Run began on Thursday in Pigeon Forge, but it appears to be a little different. Many rod runners believe the car show could suffer as a result of Pigeon Forge’s legislation, which was approved last month and forbids the advertising of cars for sale on the side of state roads inside the city limits. Pigeon Forge Police Chief Richard Catlett stated, “This is not something where the city came to work one day and said, ‘Hey you know what, let’s make an ordinance where they can’t park on the right of way.'”
Cars for sale next to the 441 Parkway will now be towed, according to Catlett, due to their lease agreement with the state. He stated that the State is required to uphold the regulations in place there, which forbid advertising, as they possess 60 feet of ground on either side of the road. Joe Swift, a rod runner, stated, “What hurts me, or what bothers me, is this one spot I sold three cars here last 22 years, and usually I sell it by the first day.” Therefore, I’m surprised by the new rules. In other words, you’re essentially going to run something out of town, and it will injure a lot of individuals in addition to harming the local economy.
Attendees of the twice-yearly Rod Run expressed concern that this would alter the overall auto show and have an effect on nearby companies. “I object to the modifications. I am aware of the dealers, but there are other options besides halting everything. In my view, they have destroyed the local businesses,” rod runner Larry Cook remarked. But according to Catlett, the rule fixes parking-related problems that companies have previously encountered. “They try to call us, but there was nothing we could do about it before this new ordinance went into effect,” Catlett said.
Even while the ordinance makes parking easier, out-of-town rod racers expressed concern that the show might no longer be worth attending. “It will simply continue to get smaller and smaller until people stop coming. And while this has proven successful, it appears that they are simply pushing out the average man or woman, which defies logic, according to Doug Minton, an Alabama native.
Leave a Reply