President's note

President's note, October 10, 2014

A different bike ride

James Morrison is a great guy and a great contributor to our club. Tuesday morning, after Rich’s bike meeting the night before, I drove out to his motor home on Mission Bay to pick up the banners he’d used to promote our Ride the Point.

There’s a children’s playground where you turn right on Mission Bay Drive, coming off the 5. When I passed at eight o’clock it was encircled with yellow tape. I saw a couple patrol cars, then a couple more. A dirt bike was overturned near a table. Seemed like a boy was lying on the bench, behind the officers.

I picked up the banners and chatted with James. At 8:35 I drove toward the children’s play area. The tape was in place but it looked like everyone was gone. Then I saw a single black and white. The body was under a yellow shroud, feet sticking out past the end of the bench.

I thought of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Then I realized I had no idea what happened. Maybe a homeless citizen died in his sleep. It’s not Point Loma, if not far away. A different world, though, a different bike ride. There may be nothing we can do.

Leon