"get on your bike and ride"

i experienced perhaps themost reluctant person i've ever encountered while trying to interviw someone yesterday afternoon.

i went out to the park to meet up with some folks who were doing some bike ride. i didn't have much info. on the event. i didn't know how many riders were going to show up since it was dreary.

i walked around the park and through it. no one was there andit was nearing the 5:30 start time. after calling work and being told to stick around five more minutes, some girl coming up from behind me, says, "are you from the paper?" i acknowledge that i am.

she and her friend were on bikes and it was a short trip to the corner of the park to wait others. when we got to the corner, another one arrived on his metal steed.

so i begin to ask this girl about what this event, called critical mass, was all about. she rattled off some iinfo and i listened patiently. then i asked her for her name to see bout quoting, in case it materialized into a story.

"why do you need my name?" she asks.

"so i can write a story,' i reply.

"i already gave you information," she says.

"yes, but i just can't write down the info and not quote somebody," i reply, getting a little testy.

"how about emily," she says.

"emily what?" i ask.

"is that enough?" she says.

"no,l i need a last name. i can't do this anonymously," i say.

she tells me she really doesn't want to be quoted because it's not her putting it all together, it's a group effort.

so i say i really can't do anything with it without quotes.

"but i already gave you the information," she says.

clearly not understanding, i pretended to write on my notepad. another guy arrived, but said he had to leave.

as they began to depart, i simply said, "see ya," and walked back to the office.

i guess people don't have a clue about what goes into an article. i was getting royally pissed off. it was cool out and damp and it was drizzling. i didn't want to be out there, and certainly not with an uncooperative girl who had no clue what was going on.

either way, no story was going to be written since there were only three riders who departed yesterday from centennial park, off to make their mark on the city that biking it a good way to travel.

emily went her way and i mine.

"see emily play..." (pink floyd)