{"id":85,"date":"2008-08-13T13:18:52","date_gmt":"2008-08-13T21:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/?p=85"},"modified":"2010-07-16T15:29:27","modified_gmt":"2010-07-16T23:29:27","slug":"itards-on-the-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainbikebill.com\/blog\/?p=85","title":{"rendered":"iTards on the Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m generally okay if folks want to rock out on the trail with an iPod.\u00a0 It is when they do both ears and have the tunes up high enough that they can not hear the world around them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There is a whole list of mini-rants that I could go into about missing turns on group rides and\u00a0not being able to interact with other trail users and coming across as jerks.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Blah Blah Blah….<\/p>\n

\u00a0Here is a case from a ride a couple of days ago that involved a hiking “iTard”.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m riding along and spot a rattlesnake on the side of the trail.\u00a0 I stop and check him out.\u00a0\u00a0 He is a good sized snake but has not reacted to me yet.\u00a0\u00a0 I like to get this critters away from the trail as some boneheads will kill them if they encounter them.\u00a0 After getting a couple of shots I’m about to get the snake’s attention so it will go away when I hear a couple of hikers coming.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The snake and I are near a curve, with the snake being between me and the approaching hiker.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 From the sound, I could tell they were trail runners.\u00a0\u00a0 I yell for them to hold up.\u00a0\u00a0 Nothing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The first runner in all of his iTardness rounds the corner in all of his white-corded bud wearing glory.\u00a0\u00a0 I yeah\u00a0“snake” really loud now and his girlfriend (just rounding the corner) stops and joins in the yelling fest.\u00a0\u00a0 The dude is on a collision course with this snake.\u00a0 I wave my arms frantically and yell one more time and iDumbAss finally stops and looks at me with a bewildered look like “What”?\u00a0\u00a0 I simply pointed at the snake that was about two strides away from being in striking distance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 iTard freaks out at bit in full reverse.\u00a0\u00a0 After that I snake gets a little concerned and makes some noise and goes away.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Rattler\"<\/p>\n

Shortly after\u00a0the\u00a0hikers pass me, I hear\u00a0iTard’s girlfriend running him through the ringer about not being able to hear what is going\u00a0on.\u00a0 I snickered\u00a0as I got rolling again to complete some North County trail\u00a0goodness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Trail<\/p>\n

More Stuff Like This<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Futzing at La Costa<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t New HelmetCam Setup<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Wildhorse \u2013 SART<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Lake Calavera Trailwork<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/div>