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Originally Posted by Spiderman
I was aksed on the day of the AR ride last year. others were too who politely turned down the offer IIRC.
So know you know Baph.  |
That's the point about transparency. Knowing so after the event isn't exactly transparent organisation IMO.
From gid's reply, he offered last year, and was turned down. There could be many reasons for this, but you were obviously asked Spidey as someone felt there weren't enough markers, so someone had to make up numbers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spiderman
I didn't know the route when i was aksed and tbh i dont think i needed to.
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I kind of agree, just I feel that whatever rides I've been marking on (I hasten to add I've only attended one AR & didn't mark on that), I've made the effort to be aware of the route. Occasionally I've forgotten where I am due to singing to myself in the helmet though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spiderman
The point is that there is a group who are tasked with taking care of the rideout. If i was wearing a bib and saw 2 peeps pulled up, one clearly broken down and the other helping i'd know it was my job as the first there to pull up too.
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Anyone that's been on virtually any NW rideout with me will know I always stop to help out, be that a breakdown, an accident or a simple knock of confidence. That's if I'm wearing a "bib" (not that NW rideouts have them) or not, though to be fair I am usually in high-vis on a rideout.
We've had talks about not stopping if someone is pulled by Police, yet I still do. If they want a look at my bike, well, that's my fault for stopping. But I wouldn't leave someone stranded in the middle of nowhere not knowing the first thing about where they were going.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spiderman
...thus making them one of the marking team by default?
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I don't get that at all. I know when my phone rings whilst I'm riding the bike (granted, not everyone will), and my phone is always set to only ring if it's key people calling me (not everyone has a phone that can do this) when I'm on a rideout. So by default I'd pull over & answer/call back. Again, that's if I'm marking or otherwise.
Other people will have setups like Autocom where they can talk & ride at the same time.
Being prepared to take/make a call whilst mobile on the bike isn't one of the criteria for being a marker as far as I'm concerned.
I wouldn't be the best person to talk to about say, a GSXR broken down at the side of the road, but I'd have a good crack at it, and carry most tools when I'm even out & about by myself. I've repaired numerous bikes at the roadside purely by being in the right place at the right time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spiderman
And it'd be silly for the TEC to stop as the other markers along the route will be waiting for him to come and ree them to go on and mark some more.
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The whole point, at least to me, of having markers & TEC, is that if the TEC doesn't come, the marker waits indefinitely. If the ride has got so far, and the leaders are aware that markers aren't keeping up, the leader pulls over & gets the ride to re-group. At that point, anyone could be sent back to enquire about the hold-up.
What would happen if the TEC, for example, was taken out in a SMIDSY (not that I'd want that for a second but it illustrates the point of the TEC not arriving at a marked junction)?