Play

I was recently interviewed (along with several other cyclists in the area) for a play on transportation. Essentially we just sat around telling stories about cycling while a group of drama people eavesdropped on the conversation. We went to the play that they made from that on Saturday (they also incorporated interviews with senior citizens, people who frequent the bus, teenagers and other groups).

First off, it turned out really well. They feared taking quotes and real experiences and trying to dramatize it because it loses something in the translation, so they essentially just used exact quotes put together into conversations. They took some dramatic liberties, but it turned out really well. I could sit and watch the play and think, "I said that, Dan said that, Aaron said that, etc." I think they did a better job of quoting me than journalists ever have. I really enjoyed the play.

Now I want to share what I learned. Here's the big thing for anyone who waters their sidewalk. I know, you are just trying to water all of the parts of your lawn without having any dead spots. Sure it's just a little inconvenience for passers by, it doesn't kill anyone and it doesn't waste that much water. Here's what it does... it makes it impossible for electric wheel chairs to pass. Oddly enough, electric wheelchairs are electric and they don't especially like water. In fact, water kills electric wheel chairs. Now think of walking around your neighborhood in the summer. How far can you go before you run into a sprinkler watering the sidewalk? How would you like to be confined within those "walls"? I have always been annoyed by people watering their sidewalks, but I never realized how much it can affect some people.

Seniors also had it rough. Their baby-boomer children in the suburbs would eventually take their drivers license and give them a line like, "It's OK Mom, we'll take you any where you want to go." Here's the fine print, "AFTER WORK, AT OUR CONVENIENCE, WHEN WE ARE NOT TOO TIRED, AND IF IT SEEMS IMPORTANT TO US". And after they shuttled us around for the first 18 years of our lives we welcome them into our homes, give them false hopes of mobility and let them live out their days in a pseudo-prison that we call home.

One of the other groups portrayed by the play was teenagers. It never ceases to amaze me how much teenagers think they know, yet how ignorant they remain of their surroundings.

The cyclist portion of the play was done to resemble James Bond. It was well done, he doesn't even know the dangers that he will have to face.