Daytona Beach businesses hope for trouble-free 'Trucktoberfest'
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Daytona Beach's unsanctioned "Trucktoberfest" kicks off this weekend, and businesses hope truckers heard law enforcement's message loud and clear about coming into town this weekend.
Earlier this week, Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety posted on Facebook preparing residents for the unsanctioned, unpermitted Trucktoberfest. The post added that "loud music and horns, traffic violations, criminal behavior" will not be tolerated, and more officers will be out on the roads.
The post referenced past events where truckers clogged A1A, disrupted the Shores with loud music, air horns, littering, damage to the beach, DUIs, and lewd behavior.
Businesses along Main Street in Daytona Beach are hoping things don't get out of hand, and not as many people come out this weekend to cause trouble.
"It's just annoying honestly, I mean we've been with this for several years," Lassad Mnif at Sicily Pizza told FOX 35 News. Mnif said the truckers that come through for this unsanctioned event cause more headaches than help for businesses. "You have people coming here to order, you can't even hear because of all the noise of the cars and trucks."
Danny Yanesh, who works at Biker Brothers T-Shirts said the Trucktoberfest group is different from other groups that come through. "It doesn't help our community at all, they're not like the bikers or Jeep people. They come here, and they're blasting their stereos very loud, they tie up the downtown area and clog it," Yanesh said. "They don't spend any money in town for any of the merchants or any of the local businesses."
Earlier this year, a Florida law was passed that allows local authorities to designate an area as a special event zone, where stricter punishments can be enforced. Law enforcement can double fines and impound a vehicle for up to 72 hours for any noncriminal traffic infraction. The special event zone stretches from the northern tip of Bellair Plaza in Daytona Beach south to Daytona Beach Shores.