There’s been plenty of conversation on Facebook recently about official registration and “bandits.” I’m not looking to have the “why you should register” or “why bandits are bad” conversation here. Full disclosure: I used to be a bandit. I’ve learned the error of my ways. I register now, and encourage others to do the same. That said, I have some understanding of the “bandit” mindset, and I have questions/recommendations.
1) If RAGBRAI wants to encourage riders to register, and we know that we typically have 20-30k riders on the road most days (many of which are bandits), why limit weeklong registration to 10k people? My guess is that it’s more of a marketing tactic, to give it a sense of urgency & exclusivity. However, if someone misses the cut-off but wants to ride…they’re still going to ride. Why freeze them out if they want to register, and why turn away that money? I think limiting the number of registered riders may do more harm than good, as it gives people the impression that they don’t *actually* expect everyone to register and brings in less funds to RAGBRAI.
2) The people who are likely to “bandit” are those who are part of a team. Many teams offer transportation of bags/totes, so why not offer a lower-rate registration option for those who want to support RAGBRAI and take advantage of the myriad of services outside of the baggage transportation? It would be easy to manage, as they would get a bag tag if they selected that level, and their bags wouldn’t be loaded without the tag.
Right or wrong, “what’s in it for me” is human nature. “Do the right thing” often isn’t enough persuasion, and they don’t see the personal value in the $200 expense. The risk and reward are not high enough for bandits who feel like they would have the same experience either way. Last year I believe there were a couple of evening entertainment venues where bandits had to pay $5 to enter. They either paid or walked away, but I don’t think it changed the likelihood that they would register next year. RAGBRAI needs to come up with creative new ways to engage these riders, many of whom have been riding for many years, have always “gotten away with it,” and are resistant to change.
Again, this isn’t intended to be a “should you or shouldn’t you register” conversation/debate. It’s a “how can we better motivate people to register instead of shaming them into it” conversation. Any other ideas?
71 Replies
Probably if RAGBRAI can persuade vendors to charge bandits one-dollar extra per transaction. But, even if everyone makes 10 transactions per day, bandits will figure out it is still cheaper to stay as bandits.
1. Fence off the various Kybo areas and make them “wristband only” to enter areas.
2. Make the on route vendors charge a premium (not just a buck or two but a real premium) like $10 a beer at the Iowa Beer Tent instead of $5. This would only be for on route vendors, not the overnight towns.
3. Somehow make the shower trucks “no charge” with a wristband but cost prohibitive without. No charge meaning RAGBRAI squares up the shower truck vendors after the ride based on number of showers taken, etc. I know, I know a logistical nightmare but just throwing out ideas.
4. Could RAGBRAI work with the Air Force team to incorporate some type of different help/assistance experience along the route for those with wristbands vs. those without?
5. Could you somehow only allow registered riders on these Forums or the various FB pages?
Again, nothing is easy, just throwing out some random thoughts….Uncle Kraig
We ride self-contained. We don’t use RAGBRAI baggage service, rarely stay in official campgrounds, don’t use kybos.
We always register.
I’m against surcharges for folks without wristbands. Much of RAGBRAI’s flavor and commerce involves local folks, who are not on the ride. They enjoy the entertainment, food and drink, conversing with people from all over the world. Many of them volunteer to spruce up their town and clean up after the party’s over. They deserve to partake – it’s their town after all.
My approach to those who do the ride, but consider not paying, is to ask: If you could sneak into a movie theater without paying, and you knew you wouldn’t get caught, would you do it? Most people have a conscience.
Cheers,
Bobby
So what type of different service did you have in mind. Would they fix your tire then throw your bike in a cornfield for example?
I hadn’t thought through it in any level of detail really. Maybe they charge $20 or $25 bucks to bandits to change their tire and then turn around and contribute that to RAGBRAI to help offset the lost revenue from the bandit not paying?? Maybe they don’t help bandits at all?? Maybe they change the tire of paid riders with a smile and bandits with a frown :)
There are probably others ways too but I dont like the fix your bike and then throw it in a cornfield example though, probably going a bit too far in the punitive direction :)
This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by
Uncle Kraig.
No, you didn’t.
Sorry Joe, I apologize for coming on and posting something without a detailed implementation plan, contingency plan and operations manual. I was, unlike yourself, simply trying to contribute something positive to the conversation. If I have time to put together a tested and detailed plan, I will resubmit my answers. Otherwise, I’ll just see you in July :)
There is currently a spirited discussion of the bandit issue on the Facebook RAGBRAI L site with equally ineffective solutions proposed.
You can look at these for yourself.
Riders do not register for a number of reasons. One of them is the inability to secure wristbands. At the start of RAGBRAI last year Matt told the Des Moines Register that official rider registrations were up 20% from 15,000 in 2021 to 18,000. The DMR reported that on the first day from Sergeant Bluff to Ida Grove there were actually 30,000 riders. In other words, there were 12,000 “bandits”.
12,000 riders that according to suggestions, would be denied access to bathroom facilities, bike services by the AF team, (or given dirty looks). They would also be subject to over priced beer and food, shower cost prohibitively expensive. And don’t forget, cut off from forum or Facebook access.
In other words, draconian measures applied to 12,000 riders by townspeople and vendors who just want to make a profit doing what they do.
Fast forward to today. With registration about to open in less than a week, RAGBRAI announces that
There were 15,000 in 2021, 18,000 in 2022 and RAGBRAI is capping the registrations in 2023 to approximately 10,000 on the 50th anniversary ride where more people than ever are showing interest.
So the question is, who is contributing to the “bandit” issue. It is apparently not of much concern to them, otherwise they would have expanded the cap to meet the demand. When they brag about the 30,000 riders, they are giving their tacit approval of the situation and happy it’s happening.
So don’t look to the towns and vendors or Air Force to solve the issue.
DW
Has this always been the case?
Mostly a lot of trolling in those discussions. I get it. Trolling generates responses, and those responses must be the love language of lots of people.
I have a life. Therefore, I can’t conceive of trying to whip up the community. The admin evidently needs to feel that love as well with a recent post. He’s free to express himself as he wishes, but as a fiduciary of the page, his judgment is revealed in his posts.
I’m between the devil and the deep blue sea. Blocking an admin isn’t a good move. Reviewing the trolling which appears to be trending in the group with the associated eye and brain assault won’t enhance my enjoyment of RAGBRAI. My rhetorical question at the moment, as only I can answer it is: Do (can) I find another place for information on the upcoming ride or do I subject myself to those people who want to troll?
Yes, we have ridden self-contained since 1990. We are not really tougher than anybody else, probably less tough than many. It’s just our aesthetic. I mentioned it in this thread because I believe folks who ride RAGBRAI should register. Thus, we register.
Uncle Kraig,
I want to thank you for your thoughts and ideas. Suggestions like yours at the beginning of a thread serve to get people thinking. In my opinion, if not embraced, they should be met with a polite alternative not derision.
If we all had to submit doctoral theses in our posts, very few would be on this forum.
This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by
LawnchairMan.
This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by
LawnchairMan.
This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by
LawnchairMan.
This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by
LawnchairMan.
Yeah, because simply doing what’s right is too damn hard. In many ways RAGBRAI has become a rolling cluster f#%k with too many people and not enough resources and yes, I blame bandits for a fair portion of that.
Perhaps the only way to reduce bandits is to exclude them, politely of course.
Not wanting to be greedy, but how about pumping up the contents of the swag bag with tee-shirts and water bottles, laminated maps, food coupons, beer tickets, and related “merch” of value for the registered riders?
Or, how about a % discount for registered riders in the RAGBRAI expo tent where the kit from previous years is sold?
Who is going to pay for all this stuff, the registered riders? At this rate the early fee will be $300.
And how do you exclude unregistered riders politely or otherwise from a public highway?
If RAGBRAI is capping registration at 10,000 then 8,000 from 2022 where registrations topped 18,000 suddenly become bandits.