NC county to end service on 'Tail of the Dragon'

Associated Press - September 30, 2009 8:55 AM ET

ROBBINSVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Motorcyclists in western North Carolina should take note. Beginning next year, emergency help on the Swain County part of the route known as the "Tail of the Dragon" may take longer to arrive.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that Graham County is ending its ambulance service into Swain County to respond to wrecks on the well-known motorcycle route on U.S. 129.

The road starts in Blount County, Tenn., and packs 318 curves in 11 miles.

It takes about 22 minutes for an ambulance to get to that part of U.S. 129 in Swain County from Robbinsville in Graham County. It can take as long as 50 minutes to get there from Bryson City in Swain County.

County leaders say they used to get few emergency calls for the route but now get about 30 a year, at cost of about $100,000 annually.

Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OK I do believe that statement there is going to be enough for a lawyer to sue them for not providing service in their service area. And its not just the bikes going down that  figure into that lawsuit. Its every single person living and working in that area that is now being denied the quickest possible coverage.
Yep they just think that they have lost $100,000 now.  If I'm not mistaken the $100,000 is approximately the cost of 1 ambulance and round the clock coverage with a crew.