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2006 RIDE SUMMARY June 10, 2006 The day before our naked bike ride we were contacted by the Burlington Police who requested the purpose of the ride and the route the bike ride would take. One of our organizers talked with the Police telling them about the Bike Ride and told them everything they needed to know. The Police were very friendly and understanding and wished us well although they really wished we would not go on with the ride :-) Our Naked Bike Ride day started at 11:00am with a small meeting among organizers and other interested parties. That meeting was followed at 2:00pm by a showing of the video of the World Naked Bike Ride - London 2005. At 4:00pm, with fairly heavy rain, bike riders were already congregating at the Start location on North Winooski Avenue in Burlington. The parking lot was jam- packed with cars, people and bikes. By just before 5:00pm the streets near the start location were lined with many, many spectators who started yelling for the riders to get naked. At 5:00pm approximately 60 riders disrobed privately in the garage of the building, exited and got on their bikes. The naked bike ride had officially begun down through the streets of Burlington, Vermont with naked bike riders (and one guy on a unicycle) carrying signs about our need to use less oil, the lifeblood energy of the Earth. With crowds of hundreds people cheering all along the way, the bike ride progressed up and down street after street. Only a couple negative comments were heard from the crowd with one person only saying "Put your clothes on people" and another "Oh my god, those people are naked". One young woman talking on a cell phone was so surprised by the sight of 60 naked and decorated riders that as I passed her, I heard her say "I'll call you back, theres a buttload of naked people riding by on bikes". I laughed heartily just seeing the amused look on her face and hearing the surprise in her voice. The local televison stations and print media were present at the start location and along our route to document our naked bike ride. During the naked ride we passed several Police Cars going in the opposite directions of our ride.....TWO OF THE POLICE IN THOSE POLICE CARS WAVED TO US AS WE WENT BY! An off-duty firetruck riding by bleeped their sirens several times and waved! Now dont we live in an awesome City! The naked bike ride wound its way through the city and after stopping in front of "Stone Soup" for quick refreshments and a chat with all the people congregated on the streets, headed back to it's starting point with tremendous support from everyone. The riders and the spectators were well behaved as we knew they would be and we didnt expect anything less from them. The ride lasted about 45 minutes in pouring rain and 50 degree temperatures. A party was held at someone's house after the ride and we ate heartily with the great food she and her husband made for us. The people attending the party were a joy to converse with. Great company and a wonderful time. Thank you to the other organizers of the Naked Bike Ride for all the hard work they did, the naked bike riders who braved the cold and rain, "Stone Soup" and "Radio Bean" Cafes for their open-mindedness and support, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Police for their fantastic cooperation and support as well. All of you are the greatest! Did we get our message of the need for less dependancy on oil and our message of celebration of harmony, love and respect for our bodies, across to the people of our city and the world? Probably not, thats why we will ride through the streets of Burlington again next summer in 2007 with even more people, more messages on our signs and more love to share! Once again, thank you to everyone who made our 2nd annual World Naked Bike Ride in Burlington, Vermont a success. See you all again in 2007! +PEACE+ John Founder of Burlington's Naked Bike Ride
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