In one of my earliest posts, I described what I carried—literally and figuratively—in my messenger bag.
In those days, four decades ago, I was too angry and stupid—and, I believed, too broken—to do anything, professionally or personally, that required me to interact with another human in a way that would require me to reveal my intelligence, talents or vulnerability—or lack of those qualities.
I can assure you, however, that during those days of dodging taxis, pedestrians, dogs—and, sometimes, myself—while pedaling slaloms through Manhattan traffic (Remember, there was no “bicycle infrastructure!) that as strange and, at times, illegal as my cargo sometimes was, it in no way resembled what Huntington, West Virginia police found in Kristopher Osborne’s by backpack when police stopped him, ostensibly for riding his bike without a light.
He was carrying drugs—as I did on at least a few occasions. But he also had a gun (For all I know, I might’ve delivered one!) in his knapsack, which was full of explosives.
Around 1975 I was living in Huntington. I would often go
ReplyDeleteout at night using two leg lights, each just below the knees.
They were like flashlights with one bulb that used two size
C batteries. Each had three lenses, clear for the front, red for
the rear, and amber for the sides. One night I was stopped by
a cop who said he saw me two blocks (over 2000 feet) away
and noticed that I didn't have a light on my bike. It seemed
that my leg lights didn't count as they were not MOUNTED on
my bike. Since I lived just around the corner I was allowed
to go home. The next day I put a WALD clip with a flashlight
on my handlebar so I could be "legal".
Oops! I need to correct a math error in my comment.
ReplyDeleteTwo blocks was only about 1100 feet away.
Anon--I used those leg lights around the time you describe. I haven't seen them in decades. They probably were more effective as safety devices than most bike-mounted lights available at that time.
ReplyDeleteAt the time leg lights were the best bicycle light around.
DeleteI even tried the "rocket" tail light but I had a friend tell me
the only reason she didn't run over me with her car was
that she knew that I was somewhere in front of her.
One year I went to an auto store and got some red car
tail light repair tape. I then put it on a flashlight I had
mounted to the rear of my bike. It wasn't until 1984 that
I saw my first good bike light. It was a cateye that took
one or (maybe) two D batteries.