The you
are
the city of Arcadia California celebrating its seventy fifth anniversary is the
host city of the one hundred seventy eight you safety run
officers of the police
and neither a council of a car club which just directs the run every year discuss
preliminary strategy with Mary Dave Barry the National Guard armory is used for
meetings and staging operations and is the scene of the start
and finish of the run all this was through the courtesy of the commanding officer
Colonel Meister who was briefed by council vice president. J.D.
Angelo Friday June sixteenth isn't pounding
when he entered cars are thoroughly checked over these are brand new automobile
owned by dealers in the participating cities as their way of helping to further the
ideals of the run represent the main objective always is to promote understanding
and cooperation between police and young people
and the officials come from a number of different law enforcement agencies the run
also helps to teach safe driving practices
and give the participants a chance to show their good sense
and skill at the wheel all traffic laws and speed limits or to be observed.
The run is not a race the drivers don't compete for speed but for fuel economy.
No detail can be overlooked the speedometers are calibrated by the Automobile Club
of Southern California staging at the Armory is coordinated by voice radio with the
technical inspection performed on the cars at Huntington Motors a Ford dealership
several blocks away here officers go over all of the angles thoroughly
to be sure
that they conform in every respect to the manufacturer's specifications same
weight of oil is what in the every car.
A diagnostic Jack is made on all the they must comply fully with the California
emission control center
identical work as performed on each of the forty four cars competing in the run
and all the work has been done the apples are locked
and impounded as they are midnight
Sunday June eighteenth.
This is the big night all of us meet together in the armory for our final break
council president Neil Johnson for the ILS the route of the run for the first time
destination is always Yosemite. But the exact route has changed from year to year.
It's always kept secret until just the border patch.
So
that no one can pre-driver every car carries the same load about five hundred fifty
pounds the occupants
and luggage for each one are weight then the balance is carefully made up
and sent to seal in a bag and put into the trunk.
Briefing continued We've been up all night.
Nobody has time
but the old tired after
a last minute report on detours
and road conditions the time for the start is the four A.M.
Monday morning movie and T.V.
Crews have their cameras read the cars are lined up with drivers observers
and by the
signal is given and went off and I'd like a shot
but in a general Gaspar if they start careful handling like this.
I mean the difference between winning
and losing the
eastern horizon is just turning a deepening as we cross the Sandgate by sun up
there on the high desert
including official cars the run involves over seventy the excess at our early
morning rest stop in Apollo parked outside Lancaster parking is done in the most
compact arrangement possible
but this batch groups in bright red jackets stacked the cars in the same sequence
at every stop on the run drivers turn off
and restart their engines in the same relative position so
that they all drive exactly the same if
we turn back on of the highway again because leave the park
and regulated in your wedding or on.
State Route fourteen for every five run cars.
There's one patrol car including two emergency service vehicles from the auto We
have our own mechanics and gas goes with us all official cars.
Keep in contact by radio as we turn toward the to hatch against the scenery
gradually becomes a little more very what even treated the sight of a golfer a bag
of clubs a no on a motorcycle we dropped down into the San Joaquin Valley
to raise inventions and rich bankers the our first gassed up all gas
and oil used on the run has contributed by the Atlantic Richfield company our gas
stops in schedule in advance at Arco stations cars are again neatly stacked up city
street while waiting for a turn the bumps gas tanks are topped off only at the
start and finish a run to save time. It stops and road.
Well rounded off back to the automatic shuttle
and move on to the next The Observer rides in each car he logs the amount of gas.
He used
and then signs for run officials keep a similar record the observer also makes a
full report of any violations made by the drivers of is gone
or are over coffee
and donuts provided by the bank
or skills of a damn glad we have a chance to socialize learn to meet new friends
talk about the run
or are
more or less sponsor Gary canning continues his survey
but use those who will qualify for his own series of awards in several categories.
And once again we had no are now following route ninety nine.
It's late morning and we're beginning to feel
that summer heat in
to cars are divided by size knife into several classes
and they compete only within their own class each class is made as uniform as
possible differences are found in the driver Monday's lunch
stop as of cool
and shady eroding park in Fresno our chuck wagon has ice cold milk
and coke on hand
and we buy the food locally The menu includes one hundred ten Big Macs hundred ten
Quarter Pounders with cheese two hundred twenty hamburgers two hundred twenty fries
and two hundred twenty five bill comes to four hundred forty three dollars.
We seem to prove that they're either driving makes you hungry.
I second guessed opposite an ACO station nearby then you.
Head up end of the foothills dog vacation country once we spot the snow top
mountains on the horizon ahead.
We know
that the northbound half of the run is almost up with
who's the incomparable
that our home for the next two nights is camping for
the cars are once again stacked high.
Actually very high and lock them down until departure time Wednesday morning.
Everyone looks up instinctively at the great trees
and granite cliffs powering overhead in line for
room assignments all of us have the same thought in my weight loss at last to a
good night's sleep. Next morning.
There's time to enjoy the valley.
Everyone who knows the park remarks on the unusually large volume of water on the
Falls River this year
the first time visitor just being in Yosemite is a special trip
all officials meanwhile attend a mandatory meeting to correct the few problems
that have been absolutely arisen
and to tighten procedures for the return trip outside
some frisbee playbills good appetites for a hearty lunch at the cafeteria.
Contestants are not allowed to drive during our stay in the valley
but after the meal that they show cars driven by visuals.
We head for the scenic and literal high point of the trip.
Now to our
Glacier Point far above the valley floor it splendid views of the shining peaks of
the High Sierras
with
in the midst of all this glorious singer a it's not easy to pick out a place
that causes over three thousand feet straight down below.
Then all too soon. It's six A.M. Wednesday June twenty first.
An early breakfast before we set out on the homeward bound half of the route.
Before the sun's rays are reached the valley floor.
We meet in the parking area for a last minute break.
There are some small improvements and routine
but no highway problems our route changes to report and right on schedule.
We're back on the road again abiding at intervals heading west for the destiny of
the time the last car leaves the valley the first car is about thirty miles ahead.
The routes
that are chosen for the run each year always offer a variety of driving situations
mountain and country and city two lane road
and intersect the drivers cope with it all.
Also with unexpected things like constructions on earth moving equipment
are third gas stop as in Modesto the cars are stacked on a quiet street
as a welcome mid-morning energy snack all set up
and waiting for us at a small city park nearby.
Then we turn south on busy state ninety nine
back again at roading park in Fresno for lunch we put away very nearly as much food
as we did the first time through
we leave the freeway at the town of self pick up a state highway through endless
miles of farmland are for gas opposite our
junction with Interstate five a cluster of service stations called La still don't
understand how it got its name the place is flat as a pancake
and right on the freeway.
It's hot
and this time there's no shade with an almost exactly seven hundred miles on the
run itself by now Arcadia
and the finish line are only about one hundred fifty miles ahead.
Then up the grapevine to the brake inspection area aka i way in there gone
by now.
Sun is low in the sky here to break the monotony of freeway travel we change drive
all participants on the run are chosen from Explorer posts on our laps by their
police abide the hometown of the observer each car is always different from
that of a strike the courts won't be influenced by civic by
nine thirty Wednesday night council officers are at the finish line.
So are crowds of friends and relatives each engine is cut
and the flags on the cars are pushed to their parking slot
and with happiness and high hopes
that every contestant five thousand nine hundred seventy eight youth safety run
comes to an end.
But there's still work to be done in a series of long meetings the council's board
of stewards tabulates the scores all reports from observers
and officials are studied penalties are assessed for any violations of the vehicle
code or the rules of the run.
Eventually they roster of names begins to narrow down the trophy winner are chosen
at LAX.
Meanwhile the final topping off is done every last bubble of their response by
officials using their own gas pump.
Because the precise amount of gas put into each car
Friday evening June twenty third at the Hilton Hotel and half of the.
There was bad
judgment Arnie Hobart charter member of the B. A.C.C.
Receives a plaque upon his retirement from the Pasadena police department.
Representatives of the Rams both sponsors slipping away.
First Geno English from the Atlantic Richfield Papa Jack Michaels from the Arcadia
sir but I'm glad his organization presents a brains
that doesn't get a commendation to every But as a big winners of the council awards
are announced next presently on Johnson presents the trophy their awards for
observers in addition to those for the driver
and co-driver of the winning entry in each class are participants of what is new
and accurate mpg for just proved on the highway rail in varied driving situations
but getting awards from the base
and around the world trips for the most outstanding because.
As a man what comes to an end.
Out of the crowd of youthful voices come a few words here and there.
That give the final breath happy
and excited.
I love to hear from
tired but excited hope in a way where really nice
and we were still going to stay longer. I loved it but.