I Like to Ride My Bicycle

I love my bike. It takes me everywhere. Literally. I spend at least an hour on it every day, sometimes two, and on average bike at least six miles. It takes me twenty to thirty minutes to get to work and that's about three miles, so I figure I'm going about a mile every nine minutes. That's slightly faster than I'm sure my running a mile time would be. But I'm excited because I hate running and I'm still getting cardio.

On my way to work on Friday, about halfway there, I got a flat tire. Now I've had flat tires before and not realized it, but because this one happened so suddenly, it was hard to miss. A piece of glass punctured the back tire. Lame. I was initially just going though a "of course this happened to me" phase before calling work and telling them that I would be late, which was fine because I didn't have an appointment for another hour anyway. But as I was walking, and hitting my right shin on my left peddle every few steps and then progressively tripping, I started thinking about how much I hate litter. I hate litter. It is disgusting. And in my complete self-righteousness I will tell you, I do not litter, ever.

I really do not understand why or how people can. Really? Are you really going to throw your McDonald's on the ground? In front of me? When there is a trash can not twenty feet away? Really? You are? Well, I just want you to know that God hates you and you are going to hell. Yes, please look at me while I flip you the bird and pick up your trash and walk to the nearest trash can. The other day I did that. I was locking my bike up in front of the student media center and a girl and what looked like her mother got in their car, which was right in front of where I was locking my bike. There was a trash can a few yards away, but the girl threw her fast food garbage on the ground, next to the car, as she got in. I picked it up and threw it away, all before they pulled out. She started yelling at me as her mother rolled up the window.

I am blaming everyone who has littered for my flat tire. If people would "have fun" recycling instead of throwing glass bottles around, this wouldn't have happened. But people don't think about that, and they don't think about their environment and how gross and dirty it is because of what they do. But it's not their fault... it's always their fault.

After I finally got to work I was able to run my bike over to Re-Cycle, a bike repair shop that is not quite two blocks from where I work, and get my bike fixed in time to go home. Then yesterday my back brakes weren't working. So, after I got to work I took it there again and once again they were able to have it done in time for me to go home. And while it's been irritating the past couple days, my bike is now in almost tip-top shape. And it was all done for twenty bucks, Richmond is so cheap.