<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>The Curmudgeon has had few opportunities for comment recently -- until now. Hoo, boy. This whole business of bike rentals at Old Faithful raises so many red flags with me, so many that the following is only a sample. Each of my comments here will refer to Mr. Getty's statements in his e-mail of 4/18/2006.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "There will only be myself and one other Xanterra employee renting bikes out, and I can assure you that I have a detailed speech that I will require each bike rider to listen to before turning them loose..."</DIV> <DIV>     Right. I don't know what the operating hours might be, but summer in Yellowstone has wonderful daylight for up to 16 hours. So two employees, 7 days per week will be awfully thin coverage, no matter what. It demands that at times it will be a single employee on duty, and there will then be times (like right after an eruption of Old Faithful on a gorgeous day in July) when that person will be swamped. The renters will be anxious to get on their way. Are they all going to get the detailed speech -- I mean, honestly ? And of perhaps greater importance, are they going to pay attention to a speech, any speech?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr Getty said: "I'll also be asking each group where they intend to go, and how long they intend to be out."</DIV> <DIV>     I contend that this will be a largely-meaningless exercise. These people in the vast majority will be going out into the geyser basin for their first-ever time. They will not know where they'll be going -- not really -- and even if they do, they're going to encounter a geyser that "erupts late", or "there was a long line at the store", or "well, we didn't expect to go all the way to Biscuit Basin, but..." Will there be a penalty for late returns?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "Your concern about injuries... there is no way to eliminate all possibility of injuries... we should MINIMIZE it as much as possible [emphasis mine]"</DIV> <DIV>     How cool. This statement basically says that there will be injuries. Rental agreements or no, this is a huge concern that ought to scare the National Park Service out of its wits.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "I've coordinate again with NPS and we've developed some procedures for the bikers to minimize there[sic] exposure to vehicles, and again we'll be going over... proper safety procedures."</DIV> <DIV>     Yes, about as effectively as the bear/bison/thermal safety literature handed out at the entrance stations.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "NPS is even looking into lowering the speed limit in what we anticipate to be the heavier biked areas."</DIV> <DIV>     How wonderful to see that the NPS already recognizes that were will be traffic problems in what is already a traffic nightmare area. And also that NPS is considering impacting the travel of thousands of people in motor vehicles because of a potential 30 bicycles. Thank you very much.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "... I've modified the rental agreement to state that any infraction of the rules can result in a stiff fine by NPS."</DIV> <DIV>     These fines should be explicitly stated, point-blank. The agreement should also note that any fine will be  -- not can be, but will be -- per bike -- for example, four bikes at Grand Geyser, four fines levied.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "Guests will be required to lock bikes when they leave them."</DIV> <DIV>     This will be enforced by whom. Will all locks be keyed the same, so that anybody could "adopt" a different bike while out in the basin. How often will keys be lost and, in such a case, who will be free to go to the bike's location with another key? Or whatever? Or how soon will there be "extra" keys floating around "in the wrong hands"? Combination locks? Surely you won't go that route.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mr. Getty said: "Currently, our plan is to use the existing bike racks..."</DIV> <DIV>     Excellent. Like the broken 4-bike rack at Grotto, the no rack at Daisy, at Riverside...?</DIV> <DIV>     I say, if there are to be as many as 30 rental bikes in the geyser basin at the same time (possible) and if the renters of those bikes are required to lock the bikes when they leave them, then there ought to be at least 30 bike rack spaces at each of the major attractions in the basin -- Visitor Center, Inn, Lodge, Stores, Castle, Grotto, Daisy, Riverside, Morning Glory, Biscuit Basin, Black Sand Basin -- at a minimum.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Well, I suspect that the bikes, all apparently Trek Navigator 200 models, will be identifiable as Xanterra rental bikes. Wonderful. Because if I see a single one on a boardwalk, on the dirt trail beyond Morning Glory or beyond Punch Bowl -- I know how to 1) use the FRS radios and 2) file a formal complaint. And both will be done for any and every violation I see. That's a promise.</DIV> <DIV>    </DIV> <DIV>I will comment to the NPS right here -- I see on the Yellowstone Website, page about bicycling in the park, that there is the statement that bikes are NOT allowed on the dirt trail beyond Morning glory Pool. However, it does NOT state (or say anything whatsoever) about a prohibition of bikes between Punch Bowl and Black Sand Basin.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My overall opinion of this program? I hope Xanterra loses its shirt.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>I suggest responses to any of this be posted to the geyser list, <A href="mailto:geysers@wwc.edu">geysers@wwc.edu</A>.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV>Thank you.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>T. Scott Bryan</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>