what can be seen riding on a bike....

There are lots of bike riders here in Charleston. No surprise, really, since this city is totally flat, full of students, and has a large lower class population. The bike riding habits around here are often quite interesting. As someone whose husband always make her wear a helmet while riding down here and a future doctor who sees the effects of head trauma, I was amused/horrified one day as I was riding home from work to see a girl riding her bike. At night. WIthout a helmet. Riding the wrong way up the road. All while TALKING ON A CELL PHONE. I don't think she could have done anything to make her ride less safe unless she had been drinking beforehand and was simultaneously trying to smoke some weed while she rode. And don't even get me started about people crossing the major 6-lane highway we live right beside. At night. While pushing strollers. But my downstairs neighbor commented yesterday about how she has been keeping track of the strangest thing she has seen someone carry while on a bike. And I must admit, I had never really thought about that. She says she watched someone try to carry a vacuum cleaner on a bike one time, and eventually just put it down and rolled it along with him. It only took a few days before I began to see why she keeps track of these things. I saw a man riding, of course, the wrong way down the road with a MICROWAVE in his basket. I mean....where was he coming from and where was he going? I'm certain I don't know, but I'll keep you posted of anything interesting that rides along my way.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm not sure I can top you, but around here you can sometimes see people with a stack of newspapers in front. A stack about 4 feet tall! You also see people with those weird reverse tricycles - the back has been flipped around to the front so that you can carry amazing loads of stuff there. I've seen bags of trash, water jugs. Not sure I've seen any microwaves, though. The people that sell used books, microwaves, super hero figures, clothes, and everything else you can imagine on Mondays and Fridays on my street usually have some other transportation arranged.
Ken said…
We have lots of bikers where we live in New Jersey. There's not much room for them on the 2-lane shoulderless roads that run through our swampy region, but the bikers shrug it off and take their chances. Actually, it's the cars that take their chances - it gets pretty dangerous trying to pass them.

You also see a lot of work trucks, or delivery trucks, blocking the roads. You have to go around them into oncoming traffic. The problem is that they will often park on hills, or near curves, so you are forced to just close your eyes and whisper "mommy!" as you take your chances.

Anyway, come visit us sometime if you want a driving adventure...

Ken

PS: The Tells can make the simplest stories interesting (and usually funny). Though I notice there haven't been many Jeff posts 'round here lately.

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