Ride, ride, ride...let it ride

I am planning on  Biking With Beanzie July 13

     Biking for Beanzie is a bike ride sponsored by the DeKalb Kiwanis Club.  There are a variety of distances, but I am opting for the 25 mile ride.  I think I have one person (Bob Z) who might be joining me....but the more the merrier.
    I have ridden Beanzie before....and it has been hot.
    I have a t shirt from Switzerland.  It is red with a white cross, because that is the Swiss flag.
    I wear it when I ride on the road because I think it has better visibility to motorists than a black, or dark shirt.
     Like many distance bike rides, Beanzie has rest stops along the way.  You can get some water, a snack, rest, talk to other riders and Kiwanis members, and then pedal on.
     So there I am, riding my bike in my red shirt with the white cross.  I pull into the first rest area and a lady looks at me and says, "Oh, you are on the medical staff."
     I know she has me confused with someone who can tell a tongue depressor from an enema, so I say, "No, you must be thinking of someone else."
    She replies, "Well, you are wearing a Red Cross shirt."
    I look at the shirt and say, "What color is the cross?"
    "Red, like in the Red Cross," she replies.
    "No," I said, "This is a white cross, as in the Swiss flag."
     She looks startled and laughs, realizing her mistake.
     We chat, I hop on my bike and pedal away, sweating profusely in the heat.
     I hit the next rest area and swear on a stack of Playboys, someone looks at me and says, "Oh you must be from the medical staff.  Are you with the Red Cross?"
     This time I cut to the chase, explain it's a white cross and it is representative of the Swiss flag.
     As we are sitting there talking, a bike rider comes in, looks at me and says, "Are you with the Red Cross?"
     Seriously???  Three people ask me the same question and I am wearing a white cross??
     I did offer to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation on a couple of female riders, but they pointed out there were not in distress.  "Besides," one said, "You are wearing a Swiss flag."
    Ok, I made that last part up.
     This year when I ride I will wear my yellow Tour de France shirt.
     I just hope they don't mistake me for one of the tour riders who may have gotten lost.   After all, we are very similar looking in our spandex shorts and shirts.