Among Portland messengers there is a convention of leaving items on one another’s locked up bikes.
Usually it is something like a piece of chocolate pilfered from a receptionist’s candy dish and left a buddy’s bike saddle, or flowers left on the handlebars. Sometimes its a race announcement or a party invite. When I feel like spreading the love, I’ll leave a tea bag or Emer’gen-c (Super Energy Booster) packet underneath the u-lock.
But my little beverage routine was upstaged last week. I found this beautiful poem from Ayla tucked beneath my u-lock.
Damn
Your bike is
BRIGHT
Orange, like the sun
That has gone down
For the next 8 months
One of my favorite allycats of the year is Bike Messenger Prom. It’s so great. Everyone gets all dressed up, meets at Albina Park, gets a manifest and hits stops all around town.
Stops include:
• Picking up the girl from “Mom and Dad’s” where “Dad” typically throws down some pretty obnoxious groundrules.
• Going to the Palm Motel for pictures/room party. (Room party typically turns into Parking Lot Party. Bikes everywhere.)
• Being told to buy beer without ID.
• Make outs on the bluffs. (Scored for time and hotness.)
This year’s event was Bike Messenger Prom 2005: 2 Tickets 2 Paradise, and I have been waiting to post this picture ever since:
That is Claire in the foreground. She has a story for every occasion.
Welcome to the sweetpea bicycles blog! It’s new. We are working on it. We love you.
