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[RC] Hoosier Daddy & RM Bashing - mkrumlaw


Just a few comments about the ride management and/or ride manager bashing 
going on in public.

1.)First as Truman (at least I think it was Truman, sorry if it wasn?t) 
stated, rider cards are ride managements tool to communicate information 
to the veterinary staff and the timers throughout the ride and do ?belong? 
to ride management.  In fact, I believe the AERC BOD is considering having 
ride managers forward all rider cards to the AERC office with ride results 
in the future.  For those of you that ride in the South; most of the rides 
are timed by Nancy Gooch and her friend.  Nancy is a timing dynasty and is 
actually completing the AERC paperwork while/and/as the riders are 
finishing.  Most ride managers don?t have this advantage.  As a seasoned 
ride manager I historically keep the rider cards to use as reference until 
after the results are posted.  On two different occasions over the years 
I?ve had discrepancies over final placement in a ride happen weeks after 
the ride.  No one said a thing during the awards?  The only way I was able 
to verify and correct the results was by use of the rider cards I kept.  
Now that being said I do carry the cards with me to rides and if people 
want to grab them I will pass them out and will mail them if requested.  

2.)Just for the record, The Hoosier Daddy was a benefit ride, so the 
Keesee?s didn?t keep any of the $10K they reportedly collected.  Of course 
I?m sure by the time they covered the costs of the ride this was closer to 
4K but that?s not the point.  The ride benefited the trail systems in 
Indiana?Good for them!  And KUDOS for being first time ride managers with 
80 pre-entries and over 200 starters!!!

3.)How many people pre-enter rides?  Riders need to understand that food, 
t-shirts, vets, support people, awards, rider cards, food, water, porta 
potties, etc. don?t grow on trees, especially trees located beside base 
camp.  These things must be planned for and in most cases arranged and 
paid for well in advance.  Additionally they can sometimes cost more if 
extras have to be called in during the ride.  Most ride managers ARE 
trying to make sure there is enough of everything to go around but riders 
have to do their part too.  If you don?t pre-enter or at least call don?t 
complain.  I pre-entered the Hoosier Daddy, my entry was there, my camp 
site was there and labeled, my T-shirt was there, and I didn?t care for 
the meal so I planned and brought my own.  Someone that didn?t pre-enter 
got the benefit of at least one meal.

4.)Ride entry refunding is always an interesting topic.  We clearly print 
the refund policy on our ride flyer.  All but $10 is refunded as long as 
ride management is contacted a few days before the ride.  I?ve ridden in 
the East where pre-entry is mandatory and regardless of when you call 100% 
of your entry is lost which is O.K. those are the rules.  I always try to 
pre-enter a ride, or at least call ride management and make sure it?s OK 
before I show up if it?s a last minute decision.  I also assume that if I 
pre-enter a ride and don?t make it the ride manager has already planned 
and incurred the cost of my anticipated arrival so they should keep the 
money.  I consider it my contribution to the ride manager stress fund. 

5.)I?ve read a great deal of ride manager bashing in the content of ride 
camp this year.  As a ride manager, a rider, and a member of AERC, I don?t 
think this is the appropriate forum to fan your flames.  These should be 
kept personal.  I do find it somewhat interesting that you only hear about 
bad ride managers and rarely, if ever, the good ones.

Rant off?..

Mollie Krumlaw-Smith (MKS)




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