Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126442
(Continuedfrom page 22} o 00 0') ~ plea~?" She said, "What for?" I said, "WeD, being that the Bureau of Land Management says that I'm the Phantom Duck of the Desert and a federal judge says that I'm the Phantom Duck of the Desert and there is some debate about the subject, weD you claim that I am not the Phantom Duck of the Desert; therefore, you will be a witness in federal court." She says, "Well, what are you going to do after you take my name?" I said, "I'm going to go to the next teDer window and ask that teller to cash the check and if that teller refuses, I'D take that teller's name as anotber witness to go into federal court and testify that I'm not the Phantom Duck of the Desert. So with that, the girl says, "Just a moment please" and she went and got the manager and the manager carne up there and wanted to know what the trouble was. I told her. She told the girl at the window, "This is Mr. McKey. Cash the check." I didn't want to sign it with my name because I didn't want anyone to know who I was. I just wanted to sign it The Phantom Duck of the Desert. She said, "Is it OK if we put your account number on it?" I said, "Certainly." She said, "That's Mr. McKey - cash his check." So I signed it Phantom Duck of the Desert and she cashed it and I went on about my business. Would you go through it again if you had to? Ai Fots: Really it's something that you had to do. You're right when you say "if you had to." Or if you could back away? 24 Ai Fots: Already knowing the outcome, I'd say that I'd go through it again and the reason being that when I got into this, I had no involvement. What really involved me was the government bringing their lawsuit against me. Feeling kind of strongly about what was happening anyway, .then understanding the issues at hand and knowing that you're innocent, there's no reason to back down. The only reason, you find out later, that you might want to back down is money. It takes a lot of money to defend yourself. I think a person benefits by the education he receives. I think it has also benefitted the motorcyclists. Knowing the answers that we've already come up with, knowing the power that the people wield - more than anyone particular person or a leader of any group, or anything. It's kin" of astonishing. ..Th·t', I he only :--. It , • --r. r '" ~ we have - we receive letters from 20 to 80 people a day, That's our power - the idea that the people are behind you, The BLM knows it, They know that there are people behind you and that's the reason you're there. There's no way we could be in the position we're in now if the BLM hadn't put us in that position. They're the ones that did it - with that sneaky little lawsuit. Somehow it backfired on them. They made a martyr of Louis McKey. Louis McKey: That's an easy one for me to aDlWer. Pretty easy ... now. When the going was at its worst in this last year - as you know, Mary and I have been married a little over 27 years - and when the going was at its worst, Mary told me one day, "I just can't take this any more. Your whole life has become the Phantom Duck of the Desert. You're leaving me out; you're leaving the children out. It's consuming aD of your time. I can't take it any more and you're going to have to make a choice. It's going to have to be the Phantom Duck or me." I didn't hesitate too much at all when I told her. "Mary, I love you and I don't want anything to happen to us and what we have, but I have an obligation and I have an opportunity to do something that someone has to do and I just can't back down from the responsibility that I feel that I have to accomplish something that is possible to grasp. If it comes to the point where it's the Phantom Duck ca~ or you, right now it's going to have to be this ca~. I just have to fight it." So she left. She packed her little bag and Idt. She was only gone for a couple of hours and she came back and moved in the front bedroom where we didn't talk too much for about a week. Then beca~ of all the things that were involved that kept us together over all the years, we started tallting and she realized just how ~riously I felt about this and how sincerely I felt about this and she didn't complain after that. The complaints were mostly sincere and she knew something had to be done, and we'll work together a little better. Now that this is over, that Thanksgiving is over, there's a slight lull and I don't know whether there may be another storm. But there is a slight lull right now. We had the outside of the hou~ stuccoed and next week I'm going to paint the primer QUACK! QUACK! Who gelS his name in the eycle News 1Ids7 Willis W _ 01 the Desert Ducks M.e. coat on the outside and Alan's going to help me build a new garage door ~nd I'm going to get the finish coat on the outside and I'm going to paint the inside of this ho~ and we're going to get new carpet and I have a couple of light fixtures to fIX in here. I've got to touch up other stuff and I'm so far behind and I'm going to get it all done, believe mel I have to hurry beca~ I know that there's another battle coming up. I have to get aD this painting, and the new furniture, so that everything will be all ~t for the next battle and I'D be able to concentrate on the next battle without having to worry about painting and landscaping and a few other things. I'm going to get it all done. • The fight'll continue as long as the Duck has the backing. Send what you can to The Phantom Duck of the Desert. 7896 Kempster Ave.. Fontana, CA9233&.•• ,