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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.

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
 

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


P
retty 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

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