Brevet rules

Every now and again I have a rider on one of my longer brevets ask a seemingly simple question.
Q. The route goes near my house. Is it OK for me to drop in and eat/sleep there?

Article 6 of the RUSA rules states:
Each rider must be self sufficient. No personal follow cars or support of any kind are permitted on the course. Personal support is only allowed at checkpoints. Any violation of this requirement will result in immediate disqualification.

This is generally considered to mean that you cannot have someone follow you in a SAG vehicle, pull you, or aid you in any other way except for neutral support provided by the ride organizer. There are many questions as to what constitutes aid on the RBA message boards and there are different interpretations.

Anything that could be construed as deliberately meeting up with someone who is not on the same ride for the purpose of receiving aid is grounds for DQ. Accidentally meeting up with a buddy who is not on the ride and riding with them for more than a few minutes is strongly discouraged. This much is clear.

I once rode a 600k with a very long, hard, hot climb with no water available for three to four hours. I created my own water drops the evening before the ride. To me, that is self-sufficient and doesn't break the rules. No one stood by the side of the road to give me water. I also provided water to another rider who was with me and left the jugs out for any riders who were behind me.

Let's suppose I had left my car part way along the route and used it to store water or food or equipment. The car is unmanned. Again - I don't see a problem with this unless someone is waiting in the car to help.

Now let's think about the house question again. Let's suppose his house is only a mile from the official overnight control. Why should he pay for a room at the overnight control when his house is only a mile away? I cannot reasonably expect him to do this. But I can insist that his wife does not help him in any way. I can insist, but I can't enforce!

What if his house is twenty miles away? Does it really matter? To me it's not that different from the car scenario. The only thing that would concern me is the possibility of him getting support from a family member in the house. That would be a clear violation of Article 6.

So the answer, from me, is "Yes, you can sleep at your house." But no-one can help you by cooking for you, doing your laundry while you sleep, giving you a back rub, etc. Heck, they can't even open the door for you.

I know there are purists who disagree with my logic. The definition of "aid" is subjective. Some people argue that even a welcoming smile and a friendly face are "aid". That's just silly.