I'm Being Careful

Something that I've neglected to mention for some time is the bicycle I bought a little while back. A good friend had two, and made me a reasonable offer for the second. It's been a real blessing in supplementing public transportation, which is spotty for certain times and places. Besides that, it's really an incredible feeling to zip through the night on a quiet street and feel the wind through your hair (taking all possible safety precautions, of course).

It sometimes accompanies me on the train, where it is a bit cumbersome, but welcome anyway. I have yet to try putting in in the rack at the front of a bus. So far, the most lengthy, involved trips have been out to the beach. I highly recommend riding along through the freakiest stretches of Venice Beach. There is a rather striking contrast between the beauty of the beach and the earthy disreputability of the area's denizens.

It's a Schwinn, which is perhaps the only known brand that makes people light up when you identify it at their request. It has a nice little luggage rack, and I have affixed to it a nice bell and several lights. There are also the two locks which render the bike significantly heavier. I've thought of affixing also a crate to increase storage capacity, but I am afraid that would really wreck its aesthetic value. That's important.

The helmet is also a Schwinn. I had gone a little long without one, but excuses like "It'll rumple my hair" and "Who has twenty dollars?" were not persuasive even to me. What has one got if not a working brain in an intact skull? The aforementioned lights and bell also aid safety. The lights make me visible and make others visible to me. The bell gets people's attention, but I can also jiggle it to create the illusion of a coming ice cream cart.

It's a nice thing to have going, this cycling thing. It's tremendously practical, and fun as well. There's plenty that I wouldn't get to be a part of if not for that, and these days I'm adding things to my life- not shutting them out. The minor inconveniences associated, which include the safety thing, thwarting the threat of robbery, and contending with such matters as poorly designed bicycle racks and other accommodations, do not begin to outweigh the good.