LET'S KEEP PARK CITY COOL

I rode by a guy the other day and like usual, I said ‘Hi’.  He ignored me and looked away.  Weird.  Maybe he is just tuned out or in a bad mood.  Later I rode by several folks with the same reaction and response.  That's not cool.  It seems like less people are being friendly these days, or are too preoccupied, to say ‘Hello’.  Don’t they know it is kind of a Park City custom to say ‘Hola, Howdy or Hey’, wave, nod or at least smile?  Do you know it takes more muscles to frown than to smile and it must be very hard to not say hello and turn away.  Smiling is kind of automatic human nature, bonding and politeness.  You never know who you will see coming back the other way and who might need help.  It could be you.  It could be them and you would help, or not.

Motorcycle riders all give each other the ultra-cool, low left-hand salute, even Harleys.  Drivers on bad dirt roads often give the two-finger salute off the steering wheel, never one finger, with a sense of solidarity and camaraderie for their shared experience.    Charlie Sturgis and Mountain Trails invented his 10 seconds of trail courtesy for saying ‘Aloha, Caio, Lo or Yo’ and my PC Leadership Class 17 invented our Civility Bells on our bikes to warn and inform others of our presence.  And then of course there was the ‘Say Hey’ Kid – Willie Mays, who started it all.  It is only common sense, common practice and common courtesy. 

So, what is it with these sour folks?  Are they new and don’t know the tradition?  We used to say ‘Hy’ to everyone on Main Street until there got to be too many of them and all we said was ‘Hi, Hy, High,’.   Now the trails are more crowded but not enough to feel dour or down.  Is it the young people who were not taught this or are so introspective and distracted with their lives, music, podcasts and phones to look up and see the trees, smell the roses and say ‘Hello’?  Hang up and ride.  Is it the old people that are so shaky and one dimensional that they can’t look up and say ‘Hey’ without crashing?  Slow down and relax. Is it the e-bikers that are shunned from an un-inclusive society because of their mechanical advantage and reluctance to do work?  Get over it.  Is it snobby trail hoarding locals that don’t want to acknowledge any one for not being from PC?  Get over your selves.  Is it people in matching Lycra kits and fancy bikes looking down on the rest of us on our K-Mart bikes, sneakers and Grateful Dead T shirts?  Uncool.

Perhaps it is just a matter of edification and acknowledgement that we are not out there alone, for better or for worse.  We all need to recognize each other, our commonality and community.  Celebrate the sharing of our great resources and good fortune to be out-and-about.  Next time you are out hiking or biking or skiing, say ‘Hy’ to others, and if they do not respond, say Bye.  Lets keep Park City cool.

And if you see me today with an illegal smile.

It don’t cost very much but it lasts a long while.

Won't you please tell the man we didn’t hurt anyone.

We’re just trying to have us some fun.  

John Prine

 

Matthew Lindon

Waterandwhatever.blogspot.com