FLCC> one person's view of Tuesday night

[Glenn Swan]

>Nick Robertson sent this observation of Tuesday night's ride/race.....  He 
>may not think he has the respect of everyone, but I know he deserves all 
>that and more.  I think I am glad to have missed this one, since I might 
>have blown a gasket and really reamed some people out.  I know that many 
>of the riders who show up for Tuesday nights aren't necessarily on this 
>listserve, so we will need to "educate" some of them before the next 
>outing.  We truly are lucky that over the years we have avoided most 
>serious accidents and traffic incidents, and we have read about the 
>experiences of enough other clubs who have been shut down or worse, 
>suffered accidents, injuries, or deaths during their weekly events. It is 
>up to all of us to instill a strong sense of responsibility in each and 
>every rider because we are responsible for our own safety, and both 
>directly and indirectly the safety of those who ride around us while we 
>race. Stupidity, carelessness, or just plain bad luck on the part of any 
>one of us can lead to the end of what is now an institution of about 25 
>years. It is up to each of us to protect it by being smart and aware of 
>our total situation while we race each week.  We must be better...




>Riding last night was interesting to say the least.  I think I saw
>more stupid riding last night that I ever have before.  I want to
>send an email to the listserve, but don't have the necessary respect
>of the field to have the message be received.  I think that we are
>lucky that no one was hurt, killed, or that we weren't shut down by
>the police.  There was almost no adherence to "car back" yells.
>Several times while riding out to the start there were cars that
>tried to pass just to find a car coming the other way, but had
>nowhere to go because the group was filling the whole lane across.
>Most of the way out, the whole lane was filled.
>
>But, the worst part was during the race.  The A's went out yellowbarn
>and back up Irish settlement.  B's were doing something that had them
>coming down midline.  After Irish settlement I was in a chase group
>with Bill Erikson and John Compton.  The A's passed up the intersection
>with midline and then the B's came out right before us.  A few B
>stragglers never even checked to see us coming, I had to yell to get
>them to not blow through the stop sign right into us.  If I had been
>a car doing 55 or 60, that could have been bad for them.  But it gets
>worse.  As we were approaching the Bs, I looked behind to see a
>sheriff.  We yelled car back and I know that others in the field
>heard us because they looked back, but did nothing.  For over a mile
>the sheriff was behind trying to pass, but couldn't.  Bill and I were
>both thinking this was the end of Tuesday night races.  Right in
>front of the sheriff, people were going two wide over the yellow line
>up one of the short steep hills!  So they were taking up over a lane
>on a blind hill.  Finally the sheriff decides to try to pass, but
>just as he/she does, an on coming car comes and the sheriff had to
>turn their lights on to prevent a head on collision.  Finally the
>sheriff was able to pass on the approach down to 79.  To my surprise
>they passed and just kept going.  Maybe they had somewhere else to be
>or maybe they were just letting this one slide.  Either way, we got
>lucky I think.  I thought for sure the were going to stop the field
>and put an end to things.
>
>Finally after the ordeal, I was able to get around the B's and get
>back up with the A's.  On the way up to the observatory, people in
>the A field were well on the left side of the road nearing both
>crests.  I was sitting there watching this in disbelief.  If a car comes
>over the top and there is no way there would be time to move.
>
>All in all, I was embarrassed to be out riding with the group.  I
>know that this discussion seems to come up every year, but it never
>seems to be taken seriously.  I am afraid of someone getting hurt or
>killed at some point if nothing changes.
>
>
>Nick