The Bicycle Thief

Don’t worry; my bike is still in my possession.

My title is referring to the 1948 Italian film of the same name, directed by Vittorio De Sica.

I watched the film for the first time about a week ago. I’ve just joined Netflix so I’ve been watching a lot of films. Mostly foreign.

This really is a lovely film, with such a simple plot. In my playwriting class I’ve been talking about how all characters in plays, films, novels, etc go on some sort of journey. Whether that journey takes the character across oceans, to the moon, or down the street to fetch a pint of milk doesn’t matter. It’s what happens to them on their journey, what they learn about themselves along the way and how or if they are changed in any way at the end of their journey. The journey in this film is not a long one, but boy is it an important one.

As I’ve been told in the past that I often spoil films for friends by revealing the ending before they’ve seen it, I won’t say anymore about the film. Although there’s a big clue as to what happens in the title and if you haven’t already seen it you should as soon as you can.

Incidentally, my housemate Tom almost had his bike stolen this week. He was visiting a couple in our neighbourhood and came out to find a guy about to ride away on his wheels. The bike wasn’t locked up so I guess you can’t really blame the guy (I think my viewing of the aforementioned film has made me a little more sympathetic towards bicycle thieves) but I wish we did live in a neighbourhood where you can happily leave your bike outside knowing it will still be there when you return.

I love my bike and don’t want to take any chances of it getting stolen, which is often why I use two locks when I leave it out for an extended period of time. One is my old D-lock I used with my previous bike in London. The other is a Mega chain lock that must weigh about 10-15lbs and cost me half of what I actually paid for my bike! If someone was able to break through both of those locks and take my bike, I guess I’d have to take my hat off to them for their excellent thieving skills.

In other news, this week I’ve finally got around to exploring part of the Flint River Trail, which has been on my cycling to-do list for a while. Yesterday I rode down to the Farmers Market to pick up some fresh milk, bread and a few veggies. The glass milk bottles made it home safely in my panniers, much to my relief. I can make pretty much the whole journey there and back on the trail as it winds through the UM-Flint Campus towards the Market. Then last night I ventured out a little further on the trail towards Kearsley Park as I was going to a concert there. I have to admit the ride there and back was more enjoyable than the concert itself, but it was nice to see a lot of people out in the park making the most of a rather overcast summers eve.

With the addition of cycling lanes downtown and the soon to be completed bike path on the west side of the city, it’s good to know this city is starting to take cycling a little more seriously.

On yer bike to fight climate change!

Just last week I stumbled upon a pretty awesome website about a new initiative called the 2 mile challenge. It’s sponsored by CLIF bar, makers of some yummy organic energy bars.

I was really happy to discover this, as I have to admit since I’ve arrived back in the US there has been little in the way of climate change related activism to get me really excited. Living in London for six years it was virtually impossible to go a day without seeing or hearing about another creative way to get people to wake up to the realities of climate change.

What’s this 2-mile challenge about then? Well if you haven’t already, stop reading this and check out the website yourself: www.2milechallenge.com

Or if you’d rather keep reading for now, here’s a little summary from yours truly along with some rather startling statistics that I found on the site.

In short, this challenge is all about encouraging folks to give up the car now and then and jump on a bike instead. You simply register online, join a virtual team (riding for one of three wonderful causes) and log your miles. The winning virtual team gets a $25,000 grant for their charity. I’m riding for the alliance for climate education.

So why should you do it? Well it’s better for you and the planet of course!

Alarmingly, in the US 40% of all trips are 2 miles or less. What’s worse is that a whopping 90% of those trips are made by car (grrrrr).

Something else I learned? That the US has more bike owners per capita then most countries, but it is near the bottom of the list for using them.

That statistic in particular makes me rather sad for several reasons.

On my first visit to Kenya I remember quite vividly walking along a dusty road with a group I was working with when suddenly a boy appeared on a beautiful old bicycle. The sheer excitement the sight of a bicycle brought to many in our group was incredible. There were plenty of smiles and laughter as we took it in turns to ride the bike.



In places like Kenya and many other African countries, bicycles are often the only means of transportation for health workers and teachers to travel huge distances to reach out to some of the most needy people in their communities.

The image of thousands (perhaps millions?) of bikes sitting in dusty old garages across America really breaks my heart. There’s something lovely about getting on a bike that many Americans are missing out on. A gentle breeze across your face or a reminder of a time when things were much simpler. I could go on…

If I chose to, I could certainly afford to own a car. Some still show a little smirk when I try to explain why I don’t. This week however I’ve been reminded of what a gift it is to simply own a bike, let alone ride it! And I’m reminded once again of what an incredible gift our planet is. Okay, riding in the heat this last week has not been fun but knowing I’m doing what I can to curb my carbon emissions is worth it.

So if you’re one of those Americans (or insert your own nationality here) who have had a bike sitting in the garage for a while, I urge you to dust her off and take her for a ride this week.

Or if not, donate it here: www.bicycles-for-humanity.org and send it to someone who can really use it.

Happy travels.

Happy Independence (from Oil) Day

Okay, so I know I'm officially two days late, but I just saw this image on the guardian's website and felt the need to share it.

It's a heart-breaking image, but one more reason why I'm going to get on my bike again today despite the 92F forecast.

Click here to see the image in it's original location.

un-packing

I am now one of the newest residents of Oak Street in Flint.

Last Saturday I moved the rest of my stuff up from my parent’s house in Fenton. After several months of living out of suitcases and having all of my books and other precious things boxed up, it has been lovely to finally unpack and settle into my new home.

I’m living with my old friends Tom & Rachel Wyatt, their four-month-old daughter Hannah, Esther and Dewey (the cats) and Lucy the Rottweiler. Both Tom and Rachel work for the Salvation Army and are committed to developing an incarnational ministry here in Flint, which is a passion I also share. The neighborhood is certainly an interesting place. Just last night Tom and I shared a bit of a laugh at the drama unfolding between a husband and wife next door. Forget reality TV-our neighbors provide plenty of real life drama. Aristotle believed that Tragedy was the highest form of Drama. If that were the case, the cast of characters that make up this street would certainly not be out of place in a Greek Drama of epic proportions.

Now I am living downtown, I have been able to bid farewell (for now) to the long Fenton-Flint bike rides. I no longer have to carry a change of clothing and various other bits in my panniers. The weather has been pleasant enough that I can ride from point A to B and not even break a sweat. It’s been lovely to cycle to the University (where I begin teaching next week), down to the local market to pick up some bits, and even to get a well-needed haircut.

I even had my first night-ride since arriving back in the US. I’ve been a little nervous to ride at night here, as there just isn’t as much street lighting as there is in the UK. Of course I have my bike lights, but they only do so much. I may have to invest in some sexy high visibility clothing if I’m going to continue with the night riding…

I’ve had to improvise when it comes to bike security a little this week. There is plenty of bike parking at the University, but elsewhere it becomes a bit of a problem. Thank goodness I invested in a mega chain that weighs about 10lbs and can securely lock my lovely bike to a small tree, fence, or lamppost when necessary.

I have to say I have been missing a lot of friends and London quite a bit this week. I’m not exactly sure where it’s come from, but I suspect it may have something to do with my un-packing. It might also have something to do with the sheer shock most people display when I tell them I’ve just moved back to Flint from London! While I was still living out of a suitcase I felt in somewhat of a transitional stage, but the act of un-packing has brought with it a new sense of permanence. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, but I am determined to make the most of it.