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Seth Piker Acceptance Letter
This letter is not really an
acceptance of a Board Position. It is the local club president's acceptance
of the club's lack of authority in the matter of who rides when on what
roads. Seth's
e-mail comments are bracketed, and my response follows. Addendums are
added at the bottom of this page as the frightening circumstances evolve.
Hopefully, I will someday be able to stop feeling like I'm being harassed
by a stalker.
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Hi Seth : )
<<
> Does anybody NEED to pay to ride, no, but the club
> does provide a service and a resource with a minimal fee.
>>
Really, thank you. Somebody has
finally said it out loud.
I'll post this on the American
Road Cycling web site. Maybe there will be recognition given in your
club's newsletter that there are two rides starting same day, same
time from Big V. There has always been a large group of people who
go on that ride but who do not read the newsletter, do not show up
for other rides, and who have never paid any dues. In general the AA
riders follow their own path, and the people riding the Hump are
basically only attracted to the competitive nature of that ride,
nothing more.
Spillover to the other slower
rides which start there is probably common.
I personally paid for six other
memberships the year before I got accosted. I only did that because
you seemed to be worried about dues not being paid by some of the
people showing up for the Monday night ride. When you mentioned the
Maniacs were not members, I bought memberships for all of
them—plus a couple others—to "make them legal." Club dues are a lot
cheaper than gym fees, and these people provided me with a lot
better workout than a trainer could, so I was glad to pay for them.
In contrast, outside of the
weekly reminder at the meeting before the Saturday ride that the
paying of one's dues might be nice, I never found anybody else who
was really too worried about the dues issue. There is a ride in San
Antonio, Florida that is very similar to the Hump, and it has been
regularly attended close to 50 years without any club associations
whatsoever. It is the ride and competition that attracts these
riders. For some that is all that matters. They are not interested
in dinners, dates, and social events.
I really did not set out to
organize a new club. I set up the web site because a number of
people were asking me to come back to the Hump, and I always had to
tell them I was banned for profanity and non-payment of dues. So
American Road Cycling began merely as a way to make sure the
true nature of the local club's authority was made clear. Thank you
for restating it, and reminding us that dues are really optional for
rides held on public roadways with no SAG services or meals
provided.
I am as shocked as you that so
many people have shown such strong interest and propelled
American Road Cycling to national status as an umbrella group
for local clubs.
Thank you again for your reply.
-b
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And to remove all doubt, Seth
writes back:
Hi again
You can do what ever you want, we said it last year that the roads
were
public. I don't know why you make such a big deal about it. You can
go
organize your own club, I hope you the best and good luck.
Seth
Pretty much says it all, doesn't it? I
guess he missed seeing the
MEMBERSHIP LIST. This bit of good news is
probably not going to make their newsletter—which has been taken over
by the Taliban.
Addendum: Not only did
this stuff never make the newsletter, later Seth wrote to Paul
Latrine:
Hi Paul
First, thanks for doing the talking this morning.
Second, we cant have Bob and Mary riding with the club, I know what
he says,
its a public road and parking lot, yes it is, but riding with the
group is
not public, and being as much of a baby as he is, if he is told that
he cant
ride with the group he has to accept it. Its mostly for ins.
reasons. I f
something happens that he is involved in on "our" ride, the club is
liable
for it, he has not signed a waiver, so we are responsible for it. I
don't
know how you want to handle this, you are the leader of the ride
they ride
on. I can send them an email or you can tell them. I will do
whatever you
want, but something has to be done, they can not ride with us unless
they
are members.
Thanks, let me know if you want to do it or if you want me to do it,
Seth
Paul's reply to Seth is rich (and his
sentiments continue to be repeated to me by others):
Seth,
First, you're welcome for my doing the talk on Saturday. I figured if no
one
was going to take the lead, the ride would never go off on time.
Second, calling another cyclist a "baby" probably isn't the best way of
endearing me to your cause. Asking me to have Bob and Mary join the club
for
"mostly insurance reasons", makes me wonder what other reasons are there
that they can't ride with the group. It also sounds that you are asking me
to do this because I am "the leader of the ride they ride on." Am I going
to
be responsible for all riders on my ride? What about the people that drop
me? Are all ride leaders responsible to make sure that all memberships are
kept up to date? For that matter, are all ride leaders current members of
the club? I know that I have been delinquent in paying my dues this year.
So
it is ironic that I can give the morning talk and lead a ride of a club
that
I don't belong to.
It sounds like you, Bob and Mary have history regarding this membership
issue that I am not privy to.
I would be happy to ask a cyclist not to ride with a group that I do not
belong to for you. However, my moral character would find that
unacceptable.
So, I have forwarded your note on to Bob. He can answer you directly. I am
sure you probably know the answer that you will receive.
If there is anything else that I can do for the cycling community of
Orange
County please let me know.
Paul
I copied and forwarded Paul's reply to
Seth adding simply:
Nice try! -b
Resulting
in the following from Seth, which I still do not have a clue what is meant.
Here is his full e-mail:
your fight is with Robb, has nothing to do
with me, so what's the point ?
Duh, huh?!? I guess he should take
another look at Taliban Steals
Bicycle Club, and this time read it. Actually not only was Robb not
involved in this (or only at a tangent), it isn't even Seth's fault. He is merely the most
visible example of the Culture of Stupidity that has infected the local
club. American Road Cycling is working closely
with the CDC to make sure this disease is contained.
Hopefully, PunchBag won't see all this and start twiddling her
necktie.
this page last updated:
02/01/2015 10:38:48 PM |