You need to be pre-approved to race the madison by the Elders of the SDVA, and for good reason. You do that by showing up to these practices and then getting yelled at repeatedly, and eventually their blessing. As with anything else, respectfulness, courtesy and a safety-first attitude go a long way.
NOLA is a great town, visited a few years back when the lady was out for a work conference. Really dug Frenchman street and all the live jazz going on and whatnot.
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"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste