Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019 - 16

COURTESY OF THE DES MOINES REGISTER

Iowa leads the nation in wind power generation relative to total in-state electricity production.

It isn't illegal to ride
your bike at night, but
it isn't wise.

than we were years ago. As a result, the event is
safer than ever, with less underage drinking and
more responsible partying-without law enforcement having to be heavy-handed."
That's one of the things RAGBRAI rookies marvel about-the constant yet easygoing, non-threatening presence of law officers in towns and on
from across the nation and around the world-and
the road.
then shows them eight different overnight host
Iowa State Trooper and Safety Officer JASON
towns, as well as all those delightful smaller towns
MARLOW has kept cars away from RAGBRAI
along the way."
bicyclists and onlookers full-time since 2007.
Offenburger pointed out that alcoholic bev"Basically, what the patrol does is provide
erages are important to RAGBRAI's success.
structure for time management skills," Marlow
"The well-run beverage gardens in the oversays. "That's maybe a politically correct way of
night towns generate much of the revenue the
putting it, but that's what I call it."
communities need to put on such huge recepThe Patrol keeps people rolling down the
tions for so many people," he says. "But the
road-if they straggle too far behind or dawdle
event's coordinators, the Iowa State Patrol, local
too long in a farmyard, they'll fall behind and run
law enforcement and the RAGBRAI volunteers
out of time.
have become much wiser and more experienced
"We remind people of time management by
with managing alcohol sales and consumption
having suggested shutdown times," Marlow

16 IOWA SPIRITS

Iowa Spirits Spring Summer 2019

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