Road Rage
Could walking around the Rose Bowl in the "wrong" direction soon be illegal?
Days after Levi Leipheimer emerged the overall champion of the Amgen Tour of California, slow-roasted tensions at -- or around -- the Rose Bowl will resurface tonight. Were I not teaching, I wouldn't miss getting the "scoop on the Rose Bowl loop" tonight.
"The city of Pasadena is looking at ways for all recreational loop users to have a safe and enjoyable experience. A public meeting to discuss improvements is scheduled Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Mediterranean Room at Brookside Clubhouse, 1133 Rosemont Ave."Years of cumulative frustration from stadium neighbors, pedestrians and motorists boiled over last summer as the Rose Bowl Operating Company brainstormed ways to put an end to the formation bike riding known as the "peloton." I wrote some stories and it even warranted that the peloton posed a significant safety hazard to the City Council. After cyclists showed up en peloton masse to complain to the council -- some of whom are avid cyclists -- an ordinance that would have banned riding more than two abreast was dropped. Rumor has it one of the proposed solutions: Ticket pedestrians for walking the wrong way around the stadium.
The Peloton is bound to become insufferable now that they have won and think that the law is on their side. I wonder how long it will be until they feel they are entitled to throw punches? What is mystifying to me is why Chief Melekian picked this fight only to back down completely. Remember this whole issue came to public attention because of the poor behavior of the some cyclists. The only conclusion to be drawn is that in Pasadena being a bully works.
I got a modest proposal: Let's just kill every human who wants to use the Arroyo for anything at all. Leave it to the coyotes, squirrels, skunks and birds.
Oh, and let's get Larry Wilson first. No more of the pompous editorializer for his own interests at our least favorite birdcage liner.
Mike
I am feeling even more insufferable than usual.