If you cannot use the method of taking photos of your receipts in front of your odometer, or taking photos of your
receipts at each gas stop seem like to much of a hassle, you may use this method to document your ride (you will still need all your receipts to copy and submit,
just not a photo of them in front of your odometer).
The downside is that trying to find an eyewitness out on the road at 3 am is no easy feat. And witnesses can be unreliable.
In order to document your ride, the Iron Butt
Association requires that you obtain an eyewitness AND a time and dated business receipt to document the START and END of your ride. A witness
for the basic SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner 1500 may be a friend (but not
one on the ride with you), spouse or even gas station attendant willing
to answer a letter from the IBA about your start or end time. If a
passenger is on the ride with you, please ask your witnesses to sign the form for the passenger also.
Make sure that you inform potential witnesses that the
Iron Butt Association may be auditing certain aspects of your ride and
may be sending them a letter with a copy of the page they signed asking
them to verify the information provided. Receipts are your primary
concern, however, a good witness has "saved" many rides, so try to pick the best witness
possible to see you start or end your ride. Keep in mind that a witness who doesn't
bother to respond to an audit letter or phone call is as good as having
no witness at all!
If a witness is someone you know, a short thank you note
after you complete your ride is always appreciated. Besides, the
witness will be waiting to hear how you did. If you can read .pdf files
(Adobe Acrobat) and want to see a deluxe "Thank You" letter, click here. Most
thank you letters are not that deluxe!
Try to remember that you are a salesperson each time
you approach someone to sign your witness form. If someone doesn't want
to provide a home address - suggest providing a business address.
According to experienced riders, taking a few minutes to explain your
ride to potential witnesses will get them involved. Most people will
actually feel honored to sign your witness form. However, attitude
plays a key role, if someone refuses to sign your book, don't argue,
move on to the next person.
Many IBA members also volunteer to witness, you might want to check
here
to see if there are any close to your start or end points.
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