- Exceptional point duty trainer!
And so the fateful day arrived, Sunday morning 5:30am on Valentine’s Day….. After a year of absence the 3 Passes Cycle Tour was back on the Peninsula cycling calendar.
Club member had been busy for months arranging and cajoling fellow members, other organisations, service providers and the like to get in on the act. They also did things like distribute leaflets and posters. Collect prizes for the day. Arrange with Coca-cola to have the truck available on the morning.
Late entries and set up took place on the Saturday the 13th so it was up to the God’s. And what a beautiful day it turned out. Breathless, cloudless, perfect cyling weather!
Parking was ably managed by experienced “‘parking guard’tjie” Andy Holland, ably assisted by the “child labourer” Cyril Jacobson. Like always we have those members of the public that could do better but never volunteeer of their services to do so and those members of the public who know better. In the first category the impolite embarassment-to-his-family screaming / shouting /swearing imbecile and in the second category the guy that parked his Mini atop an embankment rejection sage advice from our parking master.
Entry sales went smoothly except for the occasional mismatch between prices quoted by us (the organiser’s of the 3 Passes) and the event sanctioner’s (PPA). Or the missing stickers (found later we hear).
The first group set off at 6:30am followed at 3 minute intervals by the rest of the 968 cyclists that took part on the day.
Music was provided by our very own cycling reporter on loan from kFM. Pity someone forgot to mention to certain other persons you will need to have an array of music CD’s available. But never fear the music was gladly accepted by all those left behind.
“Boerie” rolls, bacon & egg rolls and coffee went down a treat. Especially for those involved at the starting line when they finally got a chance to get away.
Sad points we take away from this year’s event. The traffic officer’s! At 5:30am there was the largest contingent of traffic officers and vehicles I have ever seen anywhere in the Peninsula our South Africa for that matter. And so early. And they promised so much at the time.
So why our dismay? Well some of our friendly men and women officer’s are more interested in standing in the shade on the side of the road than direct traffic. That is left to volunteer’s to sort out as was evident at the main circle in Fish Hoek. Or the fact that some of the motorcycle’d officers decided to provide the front group with a blue light cavalcade. Totally out of scope, un-called for and we believe totally illegal as well. Or cases where officer’s left there alotted post to move somewhere else because they thought it is a good idea. And then not render a service at the new point either. Why are we sad about this? Because we have to pay our friendly traffic officer’s R368-00 per hour for giving the communit this level of service. Total bill for the day comes to R23,000-00! A total rip-off considering this is a fund-raising exercise to support good causes such as the Lion’s Fisher Centre and the Foodbank of South Africa.
Will we do it again? We don’t know yet. But we will take a final decision on the matter in October of 2010.
Que sera, sera!
