Free Wheelin'

My mother was a great one to remind me a few thousand times over my youth that “Brian… It is not what you say, but how you say it.” WTF, Mom? Umm – I mean, to what do you refer, dear mother? 

OK, the original redhead in my life had a point – she usually did. This thought of her words came filtering back into my mind the other day when we (meaning I) had to stop to use the men’s room at the traffic circle in Harriman State Park. For as long as I remember there has been facilities right here, and they are usually open and clean each time I have needed to heed nature's call. Hey, in my 60s, and guys like me are allowed, ok? As we rode up to the island, in the center of the traffic circle, along Seven Lakes Drive, Arden Valley Road along the eastern edge of Lake Tiorati I could not help but notice that the once "Motorcycle Parking” had been rescinded. Above the sign for the “Comfort Station” (the bathrooms) it now clearly stated Motorcycle Parking Not Permitted. The pavement that was once marked for motorcycles had been taped over. “Hmmm,” I thought. I pulled in along the very edge of the circle, on the outside along the curb, Shira's rear wheel in the cross-walk. The park was surprisingly empty this fine Sunday in spring. I looked over the signs wondering why they had decided to nix the bike parking but then, heeding “The Call” quickly ran across the road to the loo. I would just be a minute. As I did I spotted the Park Utility pick-up rolling down Arden Valley Road. Whilst busy inside I heard the snap of a PA and the driver berated Shira about the No Motorcycle Parking. “Motorcycles Park in the Parking Lot” Four times. Shira heard it the first time… but he was persistent. Victor Chang once wrote about The Thin Line Between Persistence and Stupidity. He likened it to the famous American General Oliver P. Smith who said in World War II, “We aren’t retreating. We’re charging ahead in a different direction.”  All I really heard was “Motor…waa waa waa.” Like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Shira pointed at the bathroom. Realizing we were not in the lot, but on the side of the roads – safely I might add – he began to squawk that Shira was in a crosswalk. Not parked, but stopped with a running machine. Shira smiled inside her helmet, shrugged her shoulders, and the State Park worker – the same one that for some reason had to work on a beautiful Sunday in the spring - drove on, giving her the ‘Look’. Shira noted his displeasure, as did I as I walked out asking if we just got taken to task about stopping here. OK, I got it, and now you do. The park has nothing against we riders. But, you would not know this by the beratement Shira got from a guy in a pick-up truck from across the road on a public address system. Still, I have a thing about men yelling, rather than talking, to my wife and he could have been a bit more tactful. Rather than macho’ing it over the speaker he would have gotten a far friendly response by simply telling us where they’d like us to park now – maybe why too. Most of us react in a perfectly human way – when treated like a person. They simply want us to park across the street in the parking lot. Super easy, barely an inconvenience. The next day I called the park to see what was what with the circle and spoke with a very polite and civil woman named Tabitha. I asked her about the motorcycle parking at the circle and she explained that, although they love having us riding the park, the motorcycle groups have gotten larger and larger over the seasons and many times the office, which is in the middle of the circle was unreachable simply because there were far too many motorcycles to park in a safe and coherent manner. Bottom line – we got too big. Thus the move to the far larger and most likely safer lot right across the street. It was a pleasure talking with her and she restored my faith in civil servants. As for the unknown guy on the truck? He might take some civility himself from Tabitha. You see buddy, it was not what you said – but how you said it. The same thing can be said about other things…loud pipes for instance – but, that will be another rant. See you on the road!