The WarCamp Line - April 2001

  Road  Rules

This is the time of year when we all want to get out and drive.  Just about any excuse will do.  ‘Honey, would you go to the store?’  ‘Sure, I’ll be right back.’  Then you flip the top back, take off and 30 minutes later you remember the store and call home to see what you were supposed to get.  It’s fun to drive anywhere!

  Organized drives are different only because they’re more fun and you can you can anticipate them more.  It’s really hard to imagine why everyone doesn’t do this.  Could the leaves in the gutter be that more important?  From little jump up and call a few friends type drives to DougM’s classic Hill Country drive with 60 Z3’s from all over the country, we love them all.  

Now, two things about this little article.  First of all, this is meant to be interactive.  If you don’t agree with me, send a note to WarCamp@swbell.net. If you have suggestions, and I hope you do, same old WarCamp@swbell.net please.    

Second, I called it Road Rules but that’s a bit hard.  Road Suggestions would have been a better title but it just didn’t have the same ring to it.  Other than the safety issues, please don’t take these as hard and fast rules, just suggestions.  This is only for fun.

Remember, The serious need not apply!

  Anyway, until you send me your suggestions, here are mine:

  2 to 3 Weeks prior to the drive:

·        RSVP to the Drive Meister.  It sure is hard for him to make reservations at a restaurant when he has to tell them, ‘5 to 50 people.’  If you have to cancel, that’s OK but do that also.  If your plans change and you can make the drive but didn’t RSVP, come on out but make a good effort to let him know.

·        Check for any maintenance that you might want to do before the drive.  It’s a good time to go ahead and get those new wiper blades or that new soft boot.

  The day before the drive:

·        Wash the car

·        Check tires and fluids

·        PLEASE, fill up with gas!  Ain’t it a shame when you hold up 20 cars that want to be on the road while you wait in line to fill up?  :~(    If it’s a long drive to the Starting Point, leave early enough to top off your tank near the Starting Point.

·        Check the web page for any last minute changes

·        Pack the trunk with some bottled water, sun screen, maps, a James Bond Family Channel (FSR) radio with extra batteries, warm clothing/cold clothing/wet weather clothing and perhaps a trailer to carry all of this stuff.

·        Confirm the pickup time with your copilot

·        Get a good nights sleep, and,

·        Brush after every meal.  

The morning of the drive:

·        Get up early, grab a quick breakfast and get on the road

·        Be at the Starting Point a little early

·        Sign the waver

·        Get out your FSR radio then,

·        Go around and introduce yourself to everyone. Keep in mind that the Drive Meister probably doesn’t know everyone.  A very large part of the fun is meeting everyone.  It’s amazing but I’ve found that of all the people on all the drives I’ve been on, I’ve enjoyed them all.  If I may say so, we’re a great group of folks.  Help us keep it that way.

·        Have some tolerance for someone a little different than you.

·        Do pay attention at the pre-departure meeting.  Almost always there is a change or some info you will be glad you have.  Ask questions if there is something you want to know.

  Safety Issues:

·        Start out assuming that the group will get split up.

·        If the traffic light turns red, stop (Duaaa).  Don’t worry about the group getting fragmented.  That’s probably going to happen any way.

·        Don’t tail gate, watch your spacing.

·        Don’t pass someone in the drive.  If you want to be in front, volunteer to be the Drive Meister!

·        If the driver in front of you gets far behind the car he’s following, don’t worry about it.  You maintain a safe spacing.  It’s OK!

  While driving the Drive (this is the main part of my article):

·        Turn your headlight on.  It’s possible that some people will think we’re a happy bunch of people in a funeral procession but don’t worry about that.

·        Sometimes, it’s best for the #2 car to pull out and block the road so that everyone gets on the road together.  Consider the safety aspects of this, however.  That means that the #2 car then becomes the tail gunner.

·        Stay in behind the person in front of you (duaaa).  That is, don’t pass another person in the drive.  Ain’t safe, ain’t polite.

·        Stay in the right lane except for passing.  Signal for lane changes.

·        When a car in front of you changes lane we don’t all want to all make a quick lane change behind him.  Wait until an appropriate time to change lanes and pass that slow mini-van.

·        Try not to rear-end the car in front of you, some people don’t like that.

·        Keep a reasonable distance between you and the car in front of you and try to maintain that distance.

·        This is a good place to explain ‘The Slinky Effect.’  A car slows down and everyone behind him compresses into a smaller space.  Then the person in front speeds up ‘cause he’s about to get rear-ended and then everyone behind him does the same so that the spacing for all the drive is now spread out.  Then repeat step one.  The Slinky Effect.  Due to this effect, the rear cars seem to always be traveling at 1.5 times the speed of the Leader.

·        Keep a reasonable distance between you and the car in front of you and try to maintain that distance.

·        Smile a lot.

·        Talk on the FSR a lot.

·        Wave a whole lot.

·        Have fun!

  After the drive:

·        Smile a lot.

·        Wave a whole lot

·        Tell everyone what a great time you had.

·        Be sure to send kudo’s to the Drive Meister – Buy him a beer, it might be me next time. :~)

Special instructions for the Drive Meister and his assistant:

·        Pick a drive and drive it a few weeks prior to the date.  There will be enough surprises a few weeks later.  Note the distances between road changes.

·        Set a date, check the club calendar and consider holidays near the event.

·        Locate driver friendly stops about 1 to 1-1/2 hour apart. These stops must have bathroom(s), soft drinks, easy in and outs, room for all the cars to park and be easy to find.  If someone makes a wrong turn and everyone behind him or her follows the leader, they need to be able to find you.  Make sure it’s location is clearly noted in the drive instructions.  I.E. “It’s the McDonald next to the Texaco about 100 yards past the big bridge on the right.”

·        Make up and copy a Route or map with instructions.  This can also be posted in Adobe Acrobat on the web page.  Include your cell phone so that late risers can call you and intercept the drive.  Also handy for lost drivers.

·        Write up a notice to be posted on the web page 4-8 weeks prior to the event.

·        About a week before the event, write another for an email to all club members.

·        I have this fear that I’m leading a group to say, Texas World Speedway, and when we get there all we see is a chain across the drive and you find out that the race you were going to see was last week.  Check it out!

·        Call the manager of the lunch/dinner restaurant and make reservation for the group.

·        Make sure wavers get signed before you leave the Starting Point.

·        Send off the Insurance forms 1 to 2 weeks prior to the event.

·        Keep the waver and certificate of Insurance for a year or so after the event.

·        If there are a lot of cars, consider splitting the group into groups of 10 to 20 cars.  It’s a lot easier to manage groups of this size.  Appoint a leader and tail gunner for all the groups.

·        Carry detail maps of the area.  If a road is closed or under construction, you may have to wing it.  Be prepared.

·        Have a list ready to cover points in the pre-drive meeting.  Finish up the meeting with safety issues.

While driving:

·        Keep your cell phone on.

·        Tell everyone what’s happening over the FSR.

·        Perhaps your copilot can handle communications and navigation so all you have to do is drive.

·        Set a sane pace then watch behind to see how everyone is doing.

·        Ask your copilot to reconfirm lunch/dinner reservations with a more exact time and head count.

·        Have fun.  The leader of a drive has the right and obligation to have the most fun!

One more time, send your suggestions to WarCamp@swbell.net

Zeeya

               Warren