Runners and their fumes

I walked to the place on Prospect where Laura and I lived for a year. The Recreation Center was jammed with healthy people who came to register to run in a race tomorrow. There were signs and banners proclaiming the "Green-ness" of the event, but every booth had a smoky, gasoline-powered generator; and there were large trucks parked on the street. Their noxious diesel engines were idling and gasoline-powered generators were running continuously. They're still parked there, fouling the air. They won't leave until 7 pm.

Almost every runner drove a car there (more pollution). The La Jolla Parking Nazis were swarming like angry bees, chalking tires and writing tickets by the hundreds. Untethered children ran away from parents who didn't want to lose their places in line. The parents held their ground but screamed threats or promises of future toys and "goodies" at their children. A woman who was looking at sweat-absorbing headbands had a dark green Frisbee thrown at the side of her head by an escaped and unsocialized child.

If a person really wants to run, can't they just run? Unless this running registration is really a parking ticket-based scheme, why is all the organization and commercial activity needed? Is it really needed, or is all this "organizing" merely evidence of the herd mentality of people who are compulsive and obsessed? Was it necessary to have a third rate band mechanically belting out old songs so loudly that they could be heard from four blocks away. The wind should have carried the noise to the south, but it was so loud that a discordant "Surfin' USA" overpowered the elements and flooded the area. Thank God the Beach Boys weren't runners.

The band had gasoline-powered generator too.

A peaceful park turned into a smoky, noxious, gasoline and diesel-powered bedlam. | have much to learn about having fun.