John’s protest movement still failed to reel in the lack of enforcement of motorcycle traffic laws because the mayor rode a motorcycle. John felt the best way for his movement to tackle the problem was to disrupt the weekly “parade down Broadway,” where dozens of motorcycles rode down Broadway every Saturday.
“We need to get out on the road,” John said, to skepticism from his team.
“John, the paper will paint us as criminals if we stand in the middle of the road to block the motorcycles,” Merridith, the assistant head of the motorcycle protest, argued.
“What’s the least threatening thing we could do on the road to protest?” John asked.
No one spoke up.
“Exactly,” John continued. “Badminton. We all go play badminton in the middle of the street.”
“What’s that going to do?” Merridith asked.
“Prove that we’re really not threatening. We’re playing racket games with something called a birdie.”
The team reluctantly assembled a lot of badminton equipment.
The following Sunday, the day after the parade, with many bruised and battered protestors in attendance, John held up the day’s paper.
“Bye, Bye, Birdie,” read the headline, with the sub headline, “Impromptu badminton game ends with motorcycle target practice.”
Underneath the headline was a picture of John holding a broken racket.
“I feel like we won some sympathy on this,” John said.
“You didn’t read page two,” Merridith said. “Poll shows Southgate has no love for Badminton, Town Sides with Motorcyclists.”