The Friday night cruise event on Kalispell’s Main Street has continued to negatively impact the safety of families in outlying neighborhoods as it resumes for the 2025 season. Although members of the Kalispell City Council held a work session last fall to discuss community concerns with downtown traffic on Friday nights, a majority of the council members opposed taking any action against the reckless driving, speeding, and noise that is commonplace at the gathering.
Even before listening to any input from those attending the city council meeting to address the “cruisers” roaring up and down Main Street every week, councilman Sid Daoud promised to do anything in his power to fight any restriction on cruising. Restrictions would “violate the rights of our citizens,” he claimed. Councilman Jed Fisher echoed that opinion, stating “I will not be any part of taking this away from our people.” While Fisher and Daoud were elected to represent ALL Kalispell residents, they ignored Main Street businesspeople who spoke of the negative impacts to their hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. They ignored the parents who related stories of excessive speed as cruisers circle back to main through the neighborhood side streets. And they ignored the residents burdened by the noise of mufflerless revved engines and tire burnouts. Speakers described cruisers traveling up to 40-50 miles per hour on streets located blocks away from Main. A spokeswoman informed the audience that she routinely takes her children to spend Friday nights at a home removed from the car rally noise.
The cruisers (“our” citizens and “our” people that Daoud and Fisher support) spoke as well. One stated that “we are there to have fun. The speeding laws are on the books already.” Another declared that he would not obey any new ordinance that might infringe on his Friday and Saturday fun. A council member responded by noting that he hoped there would be some sort of self-policing. Recently, a Montana highway patrolman told me that he occasionally pursues Friday night cruisers speeding (some in excess of 120 mph) on the highway south of Kalispell. He mentioned that he would not pursue speeders traveling north into town because of safety concerns. He added that Kalispell city officers have been reluctant to issue citations to cruisers. A sheriff’s deputy recently claimed that cruisers wouldn’t care if they were issued a speeding ticket and added, “the culture has changed.”
Go down to Main Street on a Friday or Saturday evening and witness the car show/road rally. You’ll see the occasional car and truck sporting the yellow license plate with the coiled snake and the words “don’t tread on me.” What the cruisers intend to say is “Don’t tread on me while I am treading on you.” The first child killed or injured by speeders in a neighborhood adjoining a cruiser event will send a strong message – too late – to Kalispell’s residents that the cruisers’ rights and privileges have priority over the rights of everyone else in our community.
Joseph Biby
Kalispell