What you carry with you over the course of the day can really change the way you look at things. I usually have a camera with me whenever I leave the house. The few times I have left home empty handed, I have continued to see the things around me through a lens and have regretted my lack of equipment. Not today, though.
My Mom picked up the kids and took them to LA for a couple of weeks. This leaves me with time on my hands, and a bicycle without extra kid weight : ) I decided that all extra weight was unwelcome while riding today. My camera was left at home. Making the deliberate decision to not shoot gave me the chance to just watch the world as it presented its self to me today.
What I saw was a whole lotta people on bicycles! They are all over the place in San Francisco. Some streets I saw dozens of them at a time, some just one or two, but all of the places I saw people getting where they were going to on bicycles are places that saw almost no two wheeled conveyances just three years ago. It wasn't just young people, either. I saw people of all ages riding everything from recumbents to homemade long johns. Almost everyone on bicycles looked the same as the people walking down the streets. The bicycle parking was full everywhere I went!
I will take out my camera to document it all another day. Today, I was happy to just be a part of the flow. Just another San Franciscan on a bicycle.
Ride on!
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slow bloggin, slow riding, slow chilling.
ReplyDeletei take week-long breaks at times from web, photos or bloggies. the most recent one after mi camera broke.
it is rather nice. youshould def. do it more often :D
I suppose the reason why you see more People on Bikes now is the Recession and People have to make Economies. They just cannot Afford their Gas Guzzlers anymore and those Suvs being the Worst of all.
ReplyDeleteAlso there is the American Disease of the Flab and People want to Fight back.They are getting scared into getting on to Bikes to improve their Health. All good they are making the right choices and are discovering the Joys of Cycling at the same time. It is also the Cheapest way of getting fit without knowing it just keep Cycling no need to Kill yourself.
The American Disease has also Spread to Europe with People Eating Junk Food and not taking enough Exercise. But the good News is that an awful lot of People are now Cycling in many Countries it is not just confined to the Netherland's and Denmark.
I normally take a Camera with me at all times save when I have no Batteries for the thing. When I dont take the Camera I use the Mobile Phone to take Photo's.
I always get upset when I forget to take the Phone now it seems to be a part of me,I am lost without it. I hardly ever use the thing for Phone Calls it is just for Emergencies the most I use it for is taking Pictures. I have it Dangling from a Chord around my Neck always to hand. I got fed up with it in a Holster on my Belt as it kept falling off as I Pedaled along.
We are in the middle of a Renaissance for Cycling in Ireland now these last 15 Years,it is great to see Hundreds of People on Bikes at all times of the Day and Night.
It is not unusual to see People at 2.00am coming Home from Clubs and Pubs on Bikes with Bicycles Parked to every bit of Street Furniture to Hand. Lots of Older People on Bikes as well.