Well, me and my favorite bike club are getting ready for Tuesday's "Double Trouble" Road Race. So yesterday morning, club pres Mike and I were out sweeping the course. (That's a fine-looking corner, if I do say so myself.)
And all of a sudden there it was . . . a dime! It looked like it had been run over by an army of dump trucks, but it was beautiful to me. I know, I know. I wasn't technically on a bike, but I was doing something bikey, so it definitely qualifies as a road find. (Road find rule #23.a.7)
Only trouble is, I emptied my pocket into the tip jar at Lindaman's last night. So now that I don't have it, the find doesn't exist. (Road find rule #14.c.3) It was sweet while it lasted.
4 comments:
I suggest you review the 2009 supplement to the Road Find Rules, Appendix G which clarifies Rule #23.a.7 to define something bikey as riding a bike, repairing a flat on your bike, performing any sort of maintenance on your bike, and stopping your bike go to the bathroom, ask a stranded driver if they need help, or to perform or observe someone else performing maintenance or repair on a bike.
The photo you did take has no evidence of a bike-which would have helped meet the requirements of Appendix G--and shows you had the opportunity to take a picture of your find, but did not. As you know from the road find links you provided photographic evidence is paramount. Although you don't say so, it appears you have a witness which is some help. But still, there's Appendix G.
To be quite honest I did not see the dime in question. But I do remember complimenting Pat on his find. If it helps Pat's case, I had my bike with me and road the course after we swept the corners.
As an interesting foot note, Tom M and I found a dime on the Four Mound Prairie race course last night; however it was on "the hill" and we were chasing Ron B up the hill. We assumed that Rob dropped the dime on purpose to slow us down. We didn't fall for the bait and kept pedaling up the hill. So if anyone wants a dime, there's on Four Mound Road, about halfway up the hill. I'm not sure if getting a tip about a road find makes it still count as a road find.
~Mike
From reading Hank's comments, one might get the idea that I tried to pull a fast one and that I assumed no one would delve into the rules and call me on it. Knowing that Hank is a reader, and knowing of his penchant for getting to the bottom of things, I would have to be an idiot to think that. The truth is, I never got the 2009 Supplement. I think it got lost in the mail. There. That should remove any doubt about my integrity from your mind.
I did briefly think about setting fire to some napkins in the far corner of Lindaman's, to distract the staff, so that I could fish my dime out of the tip jar. But given the many other questions on the legitimacy of this find, I'm not sure having it my posession would solve anything.
With all this in mind, I think it's in the best interest of protecting what little may be left of my reputation as an ethical person to completely rescind this road find claim.
This whole episode just strengthens my resolve. I will be back with some killer goods.
Pat, I do not consider this unethical behavior on your part. There was certainly no intent to violate the Road Find Rules. As with any bureaucracy, information falls through the cracks, takes forever to get out, or simple disappears because of the annual reorganization. I expect it to get worse with the outbreak of a turf war between the Road Find Rules Committee and the Department of Roads Found Property Agency.
I know you're tempted to ride out to Four Mounds but let me remind you--and this is from the bureaucrats again--being told of a road find opportunity does not count. Were you to ride out there without prior knowledge of the dime then you'd be fine. They throw in legal terms like prima facie 'n' stuff like that. I can hardly make sense of it myself.
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