"I don't honestly see a solution ever being found for this problem."
this is a quote from the thread on first-time racers, and refers to the "ride on the right, pass on the left" rule that seems so obvious but doesn't appear to have gotten into the common consciousness of the riders out there.
while on the course a motorcycle came past with an official on back. funny thing, it came by at the perfect time, there were people all over the road in front of me, not passing, not dropping back, and one guy was riding just across the double yellow, like one foot on the other side of it, and without any real urgency to get back to OUR SIDE of the road, let alone to the right of the road.
now, here i am, buzzing along at a speed 3mph faster than this guy, and i had to basically stop in my tracks, because if i rode past him on MY side of the centerline i'd be guilty of passing on the right. there was an official right there, so what could i do? i had to wait. (i don't know whether a penalty was handed down or not, that's not my issue, it's not why i'm writing).
i write all this as preparatory to my question: i have nothing but admiration for the job our officials have done, and we have a very well officiated sport, esp if you grade on a curve. one thing, tho, our officials are absolutely forbidden to exercise any proactivity.
this has been the doctrine for a half-dozen years, and i must ask, has it worked? the riders in the wildflower tri do not yet get the rule. they didn't get it six years ago, they don't get it today, and i was, i guess, struck by the fact that it was MY job to gently remind everyone on the course to ride on the right unless passing, while the official was entirely mute. what bad thing would happen if the official was to spend his day repeating, while on the back of his motorcycle, "ride on the right unless passing."?
to me, it seemed like the waste of an official's good time. he's out there. he obviously didn't have good attendance at his pre-race meeting. why not extend the pre-race meeting out onto the course, and just keep repeating to everyone, "ride on the right unless passing."?
i just don't see the harm in this, esp in view of the abject failure, for all their good intentions and good work, for the officials to get triathletes to understand this rule. it's a sales job, and in sales, when your customer isn't buying, you can't just continue to blame the customer. at some point you have to look at your sales presentation. USAT has tried to punish our customer base by giving penalties out with vigor -- penalties sometimes exceeding 25% of the entire field. the notion was that a couple of harsh years would whip our sport's populace into line. it didn't happen. so now what do we try?
personally, i feel that allowing the officials to exercise a little on-the-road education can't hurt. otherwise, i and other riders have to do that job, which i don't mind doing, i just wish i was doing it WITH the officials who are out on the course, not INSTEAD of them.
i'd be much obliged if those in the officials community would care to comment. i know a variety of them read slowtwitch. i don't want to hassle them, because they do a fabulous job. it's just that there has been this doctrine, and it's been the doctrine for a good long while, and my question is, "is there room for an adjustment in this doctrine?" other sports regularly look at the way the officiating is implemented, and perhaps there's a tweaking of how it's done in triathlon that might make for a worthwhile discussion.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
this is a quote from the thread on first-time racers, and refers to the "ride on the right, pass on the left" rule that seems so obvious but doesn't appear to have gotten into the common consciousness of the riders out there.
while on the course a motorcycle came past with an official on back. funny thing, it came by at the perfect time, there were people all over the road in front of me, not passing, not dropping back, and one guy was riding just across the double yellow, like one foot on the other side of it, and without any real urgency to get back to OUR SIDE of the road, let alone to the right of the road.
now, here i am, buzzing along at a speed 3mph faster than this guy, and i had to basically stop in my tracks, because if i rode past him on MY side of the centerline i'd be guilty of passing on the right. there was an official right there, so what could i do? i had to wait. (i don't know whether a penalty was handed down or not, that's not my issue, it's not why i'm writing).
i write all this as preparatory to my question: i have nothing but admiration for the job our officials have done, and we have a very well officiated sport, esp if you grade on a curve. one thing, tho, our officials are absolutely forbidden to exercise any proactivity.
this has been the doctrine for a half-dozen years, and i must ask, has it worked? the riders in the wildflower tri do not yet get the rule. they didn't get it six years ago, they don't get it today, and i was, i guess, struck by the fact that it was MY job to gently remind everyone on the course to ride on the right unless passing, while the official was entirely mute. what bad thing would happen if the official was to spend his day repeating, while on the back of his motorcycle, "ride on the right unless passing."?
to me, it seemed like the waste of an official's good time. he's out there. he obviously didn't have good attendance at his pre-race meeting. why not extend the pre-race meeting out onto the course, and just keep repeating to everyone, "ride on the right unless passing."?
i just don't see the harm in this, esp in view of the abject failure, for all their good intentions and good work, for the officials to get triathletes to understand this rule. it's a sales job, and in sales, when your customer isn't buying, you can't just continue to blame the customer. at some point you have to look at your sales presentation. USAT has tried to punish our customer base by giving penalties out with vigor -- penalties sometimes exceeding 25% of the entire field. the notion was that a couple of harsh years would whip our sport's populace into line. it didn't happen. so now what do we try?
personally, i feel that allowing the officials to exercise a little on-the-road education can't hurt. otherwise, i and other riders have to do that job, which i don't mind doing, i just wish i was doing it WITH the officials who are out on the course, not INSTEAD of them.
i'd be much obliged if those in the officials community would care to comment. i know a variety of them read slowtwitch. i don't want to hassle them, because they do a fabulous job. it's just that there has been this doctrine, and it's been the doctrine for a good long while, and my question is, "is there room for an adjustment in this doctrine?" other sports regularly look at the way the officiating is implemented, and perhaps there's a tweaking of how it's done in triathlon that might make for a worthwhile discussion.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman