That's My Parking Place, Fella'

Biker Clubs versus Biker Gangs

Jethro turned his black Harley Davidson motorcycle into his Brother’s gravel driveway.  He parked the Big Bike he called Razorback, walked up the front porch steps of the white frame farmhouse, and tapped on Sam’s screen door.

“That you, Jethro,” a gravelly voice bellowed from the back of the house ?

“You know it is, Sam.  I saw you take a peek at me from the back room,”  Jethro answered matter-of-factly.

Jethro could hear Sam’s big boots clomping down the house’s hardwood floors to the door.  Sam opened the large oak front door, unlatched the screen door and waved Jethro inside.  “I wasn’t expectin’ you to drop by today, Jethro.  Your phone not workin’ ?

“Naw, my phone’s fine.  I was just checkin’ in on you.  Makin’ sure you were okay.”  Jethro answered.

“Yep, Janet, the boys and me are doin’ fine, Buddy.  They’re out grocery shoppin’, and I’m takin’ care of a few bills.  Why ?  What’s up ?  Sam asked.

“You hear about the Come to Jesus Meetin’ at Twin Peaks ?”

“Yep, you know how news travels, Jethro.  I understand nine were actually sent special order to the Lord’s House today.”  Sam said.  “You just makin’ sure I wasn’t one of the stiffs ?”

“You promised me that those Gang days were over for you when you married Janet and got settled down, but you can’t blame a brother for worryin’” Jethro said.

“My bike shop is makin’ us a pretty good livin’, Brother.  I ride around with neighborhood Bike Clubs these days, not Gangs.  You need to trust me on that.”  Sam rumbled.

Jethro started to say something, and stopped himself.  Instead he said,  “They’re charging 165 or more of the Boys with engagin’ in Organized Crime, and The Central Texas Marketplace and the Twin Peaks restaurant have been shut down while they gather evidence.”

“How’d the fight start,”  Sam asked ?

“The word they’re puttin’ out is that it was an argument over a Parkin’ Spot, but you and I know that was just an excuse.  It’s a Turf War.  The Bandidos think they own Texas, and the Cossack’s, who’re Hell’s Angels wanna-be’s, and three other smaller Biker Gangs want to prove otherwise.”

“There will be Revenge killin’s down the road.  Hope the cops know that,”  Sam said.

“It’s not  just the Locals handlin’ this, Sam.  The Texas Rangers. Texas DPS and the FBI are sniffin’ all over it, too.  It was a stupid move on everybody’s part.  The Twin Peaks is a popular Family restaurant around Waco.  And Gladys and my girls go shoppin’ at the Texas Central Marketplace all of the time for one thing or another,”  Jethro said angrily.  “If you’re gonna’ rumble over Turf or hurt feelin’s, you don’t do it at Family hangouts.  The whole thing was out of control and way out of line.”

“Yep, it was.  Anybody else get hurt,”  Sam asked ?

“There are around 18 others who wound up in the local hospitals with knife and gun wounds.  In fact, one of the nine dead, died at one of the hospitals,”  

Jethro answered.

“Why didn’t the Boys just stick to bats, chains, brass knuckles and clubs.  Why did they have to bring in the knives and guns ?  None of those Fools makes sense,”  Sam said.

“It’s about Money and Power, Sam.  That will always lead to knives and guns somewhere down the line, if lines in the sand get drawn.  You know that,”  Jethro answered.  “That’s why Gladys and I worked so hard to get you out of The Gang Life and into the Biker Club Life.”

“The Biker Club Life ?  You make me sound like a pansy,” Sam laughed.

“Raisin’ a Family, and doin’ it the right way is no work for a pansy, Sam.  And you know that.  It’s hard work.  But we know how to do hard.  We always have,”  Jethro countered.

“Yeah, it’s just a different kind of hard,”  Sam chuffed.

“Well, it looks as though Wacky Waco is polishin’ up it’s trophy for wall-eyed, looney bin shoot outs again,” Sam chuckled.

“Jethro laughed outright.  “Yeah, you’d think after that Branch Davidian fiasco that lessons would be learned around these parts, but noooo.  We’ve made national news once again for bein’ a bunch of trigger happy Rough Riders.  And now, folks on the roadways are gonna’ start cringin’ again every time they see a Harley roll up next to ’em.”

“Good,”  Sam exclaimed !  “Maybe they’ll give us more respect out on the road and a little more leeway.  Some of those idiots in pickup trucks get way too close to my rear end out on the open road.”

“They say that the police cars and other folks’ cars were riddled with bullet holes outside the restaurant.  And some of the Gang members that are still out on the streets are threatenin’ to kill any police they happen to run into,” Jethro said.

“Yeah, I also heard that the cops had been working on tryin’ to avoid this Turf War for over a month with the restaurant management, and they got no help, ’cause the restaurant wanted to keep all of the Biker business.  That was a big mistake if you ask me,”  Sam added.

“Yep, big mistake.  Some folks just don’t take things seriously enough sometimes,”  Jethro agreed.

“How soon is the Twin Peaks opening up again ?  You know,” asked Sam ?

“So far, Twin Peaks is gonna’ be shut down for seven days.  Maybe more,”  Jethro answered.

“Gol durn it !  I can’t get my favorite chicken fried steak, mashed taters and gravy for a week or more ?  It ain’t right !”

“Is that what upsets you the most about all of this, Sam,” Jethro asked sarcastically ?

“You bet it is, Brother !” Sam answered grinning.

“Well, it’s good to know that you’ve finally got your priorities straight,’  Jethro countered.

Sam‘s hazel eyes drilled into Jethro‘s, “And don’t you forget it, Brother.  Don’t you forget it.”