"Bandit" meets are meets that happen in York, mostly on earlier days of the week before the TCA meet at the fairgrounds. It's essentially people setting up at hotels and a few fire houses.
The TCA meet, even in decline, is still much larger than any Greenberg show I've ever been to.
Do you "need" to go? Of course not. But it is something to do at least once, if you can figure out a good way to get there and get around once there.
As to the not driving, depending on where you live, that is a challenge. If you have friends from your area going, maybe you can hitch a ride with them (and split hotels if they are going multiple days, etc). There is at least one bus that is organized regularly (for one day of the TCA meet), but it is Long Island based. If you want to do bandit meets and the TCA meet, you want to be there for at least 3-4 days, most likely. (but getting around to the bandit meets requires driving between them, they are not at the Fairgrounds where the TCA meet is held, nor are they central to one another that you could readily walk between them - not that you would want to if you make purchases, obviously)
-Dave
