Memorial......forgotten?

I clearly remembered that day. August 10th, 2011....it was a warm and nice day. I happened to be out in Palm Springs for work and the heat was in the 120's and was thinking to myself how nice the weather must be back at Orange County and would love to ride when I got home. I was still preparing for my upcoming Duathlon and I wanted to squeeze one in. Duane Parkinson did get that lovely ride in. Unfortunately it was his last.

Duane was going southbound on Shady Canyon road towards the 405 freeway. He had to be on the road because the popular bike trail that outlines Shady Canyon ends at the park. There is also NO bike lane. A female driver in a Mercedes SUV (insert typical O.C. Stereotype here) had recently exited from the guard shack and rolled down the hill. The road veers to the right. Duane and the SUV collide as the bend in the road straightens out. Duane left behind a wife and 3 children. He was 42 and served as a detective for the San Bernardino Sheriff's department.

So soon after the accident, a memorial had begun with flowers, pictures and notes. Soon after, the white "ghost" bicycle appeared that I had read about in NYC for fallen riders. It is a stark reminder of the risk we take each time we take the wheels out for a spin. The memorial stays there for months....until this week.

I frequent that drive because of my clients that live in Shady Canyon, and today (November 14th) I was shocked to see what wasn't there anymore. The ghost bike that was locked to the light post was missing and the flowers and keepsakes were no where to be found. The nearby gardeners tending to the lowly bushes did not seem to know anything. It was as if.....nothing happened on that fateful afternoon. Nothing to remind the drivers of the flashy SUV's and sedans that us bikers, are vulnerable people out next to your vehicle. Nothing to scream that your Facebook on your cellphone can wait until when you get to Irvine Spectrum. Nothing to remind us riders to be a little more cautious, a little more vigilant.

I wonder who executed the removal of the memorial. I wonder how much Irvine Company has to do with it. Where does the city draw the line between allowing such memorials to stand vs. being cleared out. I wonder if I should honor Duane's last ride on that sunny afternoon with a revival of the memorial.....