Today's Blog topic, was requested by a Peanut Gallery reader...
It seems this particular issue, is beginning to wear on his last nerve and I must admit, it happens to be one of my pet peeves as well… so it’s an easy topic for me to relate to.
SO! As someone much smarter than me, once said... “let’s get to it!”
For the sake of simplicity…
I’m going to group folks into 3 general categories, as to how folks “normally” arrive… when it involves showing up, at a specified time, at a specified location:
The Early Squirrel Crowd.... Heh (don't you just love these pictures!!!!?)
These folks normally show up 15 - 20 minutes early. They wanna be at the designated spot well in advance. They DO NOT!!!!.... Want to be rushed! They want to get all of their stuff sorted out.
Check, check, check, double check…
Mark my words... they will be, straddling their bikes, looking at their watches at roll time, wondering why the hell everyone else isn’t ready... and for good reason.
I have to admit, unless the wheels are falling off of my personal little plane...or I am lost… I normally fall in the the Early Squirrel Crowd regarding the 15 minute early arrival… but for whatever reason I simply can’t explain, I don’t actually get my act together until the last possible second before “roll out”... Probably because my Hobo bag is too full of crap, or I can’t find my car keys... the Flea, will attest to my miserable failure of keeping up with my car key.
But... I am ready, at "roll out time"!!!
The Skidding in Side Ways Crowd
These folks fly in at the absolute last second bug eyed, white knuckled, with their hair on fire. This is the Category the Flea and Big Pit happily wallow in.
Even though everyone around them is in a full on panic, because we would bet our lives they'll never be ready in time... the Skidding In Side Ways Crowd, seem totally at peace with this hair raising routine... This is "normal" for them…
They either fly up, partially dressed in their riding cloths, or quickly dress in the parking lot.
Gear is flying in all directions, wheels are being whipped onto bikes, a flurry of chaotic activity that could potentially take out the eye of anyone who mistakenly wanders into their "prep zone".
Despite all the odds, members of the Skidding In Side Ways Crowd are ready at the appointed roll out time.
I never get how they do it… but they have mastered their own little personal time clocks and somehow have found their little "whoo- sa" moment.
Me… I would have a Grand Mal seizure, trying to do what they do.
The NOT SO Fashionably Late Crowd
These folks…. Well, these folks absolutely push the buttons of the Early Squirrel Crowd…
My guess is, these folks will be late for their own freaking funeral!!! They roll in right at…. or after the appointed ride “roll out” time… forcing everyone to wait, while they casually get their crap out of their car… then, sort through their gear…. Yada, yada, yada…
To make matters worse... as they are rolling in LATE... they make sure you see them, by waving like maniacs to get our attention, so you don't leave without them... @(&%^%#!!!!!!!!!!!
I find that I have to bite my tongue, at the risk of bursting into a string of obscenities when one of these Morons starts, adding insult to injury by asking one stupid question after another... something along the lines of…
So…
Q - How far are we going tonight?? A - Not as far as we would have, had you shown up on time!!!
Q - Do I have time to take a quick pee? A - Nope, your body will absorb it once we start riding!!
Q - Does anyone have any Saddle Sore cream? A - Nope, your body will absorb it after about 50 miles!
Q - What route are we taking? A - Not sure NOW! We have to shoot a back azimuth and re-configure our FREAKING route, now that we don’t have enough daylight, due to a late start!!!
Q - So what's everyone gonna wear? A - We've decided that we're riding naked tonight. Go ahead and take everything off... we'll wait for you!!!
I just want to yell….
WE HAVE TO RIDE!!!! But I guess that would be rude. So, I just bite my lip… and mutter something funny to the Flea, to make her laugh.
So... here's what I have to say about The Not So Fashionably Late Crowd.
The entire World... even folks who are are waaaaaaay less fortunate then us, have a way of telling freaking time....
And even the folks in tiny little tribes in the middle of Freaking Rainforest's in the Middle of NOOOO WHERE, find a way to get to Tribal Counsel or where eeeeverrrr they need to be, when they need to be there... and my guess is they don't even have a car to get them where they need to be on TIME!!!!
If they are late, they get beheaded and as a, don't be late next time message, to the other dudes, their shrunken head ends up on a stick...
Pretty cool incentive to show up on time.. huh?! I totally made that up.. but, it sounded good.... huh ??? :)
If you can't afford a watch... hell, make a freaking sun dial in your back yard... frankly... I DON'T CARE!!!! But in my book, there's no excuse for not being on time.
MY POINT.....
Roll out time, is roll out time... The Not So Fashionably Late Crowd, should be left, sitting in their cars waving like a bunch of boobs.
Or... if they want to join the group ride and they have the legs to chase on, well... they can join the ride, if they can catch the group.
Maybe next time they'll learn to be on time.
If you continue to wait on them.. that's called "enabling". Guess what... they'll never learn and just continue to show up late... Now you have become part of the problem.
But to be fair... at the next ride, make the announcement, that the roll out time is the roll out time... no waiting for anyone.
The following week. Leave on time. Anyone not ready... get's left... no exceptions.
Have fun out there, Ride Safe
I'll Talk with you all soon
The Peanut Gallery
