Musings on a Lemon

June 10, 2022

Musings on a Lemon

There is a festival this weekend, a Lemon Festival, and it takes place in Upland. It may be the city's biggest event of the year, typically drawing tens of thousands of people into the downtown over three days. I rode through the festival this morning on the way to work, not to be a wise ass or anything, but because the route goes right through the middle of all the tents; they left the crossing intentionally clear of vendors so you can do that.

Cool, I thought, and when I got to work I did a search for the Lemon Festival, just to see what the entertainment was going to be. While looking at the schedule of events, I noticed a handy-dandy How To Get Here button. Ah, this should be good I thought, since the Pacific Electric Trail (PET) goes right through the middle of the fest. I pushed the button. Right at the top was the standard warning you see, not just for the Lemon Festival, but for all the festivals that take place in the little downtowns of the foothill cities - "parking is limited". Yep, that is for sure, yet people will try to find some anyway, I thought.

Underneath that was a mention for Metrolink. The festival is right on the doorstep of the Upland depot. Okay, okay, that makes sense, especially for people who are coming from further a field, but

What other recommendations are there?

Uber and Lyft were next on the list of "good ways" to get to the Lemon Festival. I deflated a little bit but, alright, people gotta make a living I suppose.

Well, surely now I'll see the mode of transportation with the smallest footprint, the one that takes up hardly any space at all, the one that would be perfect for something like this.

But there was nothing else on the list. There is no mention of bicycles I sputtered, the morning cuppa all across the table top. Even though the PET goes right through the middle of the festival? Laura swore she saw some red hot anger flash across my eyes. Probably just the coffee I said, but she was right. I mean what the heck - you warn people about limited parking (lets face, though they won't say it, what that means is don't drive if you don't have to), but then don't even mention the one mode that is perfect for the thousands who live within three to five miles of the downtown.

And did I mention that the PET goes right through the middle of the festival. I tell you, sometimes I wonder what it would take...

Make no mistake, however... I mean I have been on the PET during Lemon Festival weekend before, plenty of people will ride bicycles there; they don't need to be reminded it is easier, more efficient, more cost effective, but why not include it in the list that comes up when someone pushes that How to Get Here button?