Veteran dock porter Robert Chambers rides down Main Street taking a load of luggage to a boat dock Friday, August 27. Dock porters and police on Mackinac Island found themselves on opposing sides while trying to solve street congestion issues and an ordinance that regulates luggage transportation by bicycles. The police are concerned about safety with bicycles overloaded with luggage, while dock porters call for a return to the seasonal traffic officer program. City officials now say they will tighten the rules for dock porters and want increased police patrols downtown.

“The problem that we've been having this year is that the dock porters have been overloading,” said Chief Jim Marks during the Ordinance Committee meeting Wednesday, August 25. “They can't sit on their seat and see over the top of their load or they have two or three wings on their baskets, which makes it totally impossible to control the bike safely if somebody walks out in front.”

The police have been judging the overload issue based on whether a dock porter can sit on his seat and still see over the luggage. They say sitting while operating a bicycle offers more stability.

Sitting is not a stipulation of the ordinance, but may be addressed when it is refined, say committee members.

Just the other day, Mr. Marks said, a dock porter was overloaded and tipped the bike over in the middle of the street. Someone could get injured, he noted, and he has concerns that a dock porter would not be able to stop if a small child ran into the street.

“I've seen it time and time again, where somebody gets close to them, they try to stop, and there goes the load in the middle of the street,” he said.

So far this year, the department has issued four tickets for $110 each to dock porters for overloaded bicycles.

The police have been allowing one suitcase hanging on each side of the bicycle basket, but not hanging off the handlebars, said Chief Marks.

The ordinance reads: “A person operating a bicycle and tri-wheeler for the purpose of carrying luggage, baggage, packages, bundles or articles shall have such vehicle equipped only with standard-stock handlebars and standard-stock seat stem and must be able to operate such a vehicle, when loaded, in a safe manner. If a person operating such vehicle when carrying luggage, baggage, packages, bundles or articles is unable to safely stop within a distance of five feet, then such operation shall be presumed unsafe. If a person operates such a vehicle with luggage, baggage, packages, bundles or other articles hanging from the handlebars, then such operation shall be presumed unsafe.”

Dock porters contend that the police are not keeping the streets clear for taxi, dray, and bicycle traffic.

“When there are officers on Main Street, they're not getting people off the streets and onto the sidewalks, and that's a major problem,” said dock porter Alex Winkel. “You took away the neon shirts [safety officers], the people that were helping out and getting everybody on the sidewalks, and that's a major concern. It's leaving it up to us and the taxi drivers to get everybody off the streets and onto the sidewalks.

“...whether they're a good rider or a bad rider, you've got people backing up on the road, taking pictures. You have people walking four or five deep and you have carriages three deep making u-turns. There are plenty of safety issues. That's why we need the neon shirts back, if the police can't handle getting everybody onto the sidewalk.”

Police Chief Jim Marks asked, “Did you say, if the police can't handle it? Is that what you are saying?”

“Yes sir, because they are not right now,” replied Mr. Winkel. “I apologize, but they haven't been. It's been worse over the last two years.”

Taxi drivers would confirm that, he said.

“Ask them,” suggested Mr. Winkel. “The streets are flooded.”

He gave the example of two officers who stood by while a family walked right down the center of the road just a few days earlier.

“We need to control the streets,” he said. “People are safe on the sidewalks.”

He asked that the city bring back a program of seasonal staff who walk the downtown area offering information to tourists and assisting with street traffic. The program has been in place for the last eight years, but was eliminated in April by city council, which said it was not effective.

This year, the money the city saved from canceling the program was used to hire an additional seasonal police officer and part-time weekend dispatcher. The revenue for the positions comes from a 50¢ tourist bicycle license fee that is collected by the ferry boat companies when visitors bring their own bicycles to the Island.

Committee member Armin Porter began asking in July for early police patrols at bicycle rental operations that were conducting business in the streets. He complained during the meeting that he still is not seeing officers on Main Street, specifically in the morning. He asked Chief Marks to make the downtown area a priority for patrols.

“That is as much a problem as the overloading,” he said. “We've got to have somebody out there to enforce it.”

Dock porter Robert Chambers said experienced dock porters try to make sure everyone who leaves the dock is safe and not going to put anyone in danger.

“I'm not against the overload rule,” he said. “If a dock porter out on Main Street, if their vision is impaired, pull them over and give them a ticket. They deserve it. They should know better. They should use common sense.”

Summer visitor and former dock porter Brad Conkey said he agrees with both the dock porters and the city. Additionally, he said the seasonal greeters, who assisted police with traffic, are needed downtown.

Island workers and residents have an obligation to make allowances for visitors, Committee Chair Mike Hart said.

“The fact is, folks come up here, they're not thinking about rules,” said Mr. Hart. “They not up here thinking about somebody coming along. They're thinking about enjoying a carefree day on Mackinac Island. It is incumbent on us adjust to that. No matter what the police do, however hard they do it, we could have 50 cops out there on the street, we would still have pedestrians wandering around not really watching what they are doing because they're on vacation . . . It's just a simple fact of life on Mackinac Island, we adjust to them. They're not here to adjust to us. Our livelihood depends on them.”

The ordinance, however, is vague and subjective, said Mr. Hart. The committee should refine the regulation and set limits that will assist police with enforcement and help dock porters judge their loads. It will be further reviewed at future meetings.