New friends.
My ride home from the Emeryville train station takes me through North Oakland, in genuine bars-on-windows, chainlink fence territory. I can't decide how dangerous it is. There are far too many murders, but I haven't seen anything scary. I get in after dark sometimes, but I feel fine as long as I keep moving on my bike.
Tonight I heard shouts and saw three bikes on the block ahead of me, swooping and veering erratically. I was gaining on them, but relaxed when I realized they were kids, somewhere around twelve. They were shouting to each other, so they didn't hear me ride up on them. I got even with them and was riding fully in between the three of em, when one kid shouted "fuck me". It wasn't to me, they didn't know I was there. They were just feeling all bad-ass. His voice cracked though, so his friends laughed and his other friend said, no, like this, man. He put on his deepest, biggest voice and said "Fuuuuuck me. Bend me over right now."
I didn't think that was proper, so I said "Well, I hardly know you." They jumped and looked me for the first time, and then we laughed. I was nearly past them at that point, so I kept going. One kid paced me for a few more seconds, but saw a man he knew in the street ahead. He turned hard, peeled out pretty sweet and stopped inches from him. Lots of style, that one.
Tonight I heard shouts and saw three bikes on the block ahead of me, swooping and veering erratically. I was gaining on them, but relaxed when I realized they were kids, somewhere around twelve. They were shouting to each other, so they didn't hear me ride up on them. I got even with them and was riding fully in between the three of em, when one kid shouted "fuck me". It wasn't to me, they didn't know I was there. They were just feeling all bad-ass. His voice cracked though, so his friends laughed and his other friend said, no, like this, man. He put on his deepest, biggest voice and said "Fuuuuuck me. Bend me over right now."
I didn't think that was proper, so I said "Well, I hardly know you." They jumped and looked me for the first time, and then we laughed. I was nearly past them at that point, so I kept going. One kid paced me for a few more seconds, but saw a man he knew in the street ahead. He turned hard, peeled out pretty sweet and stopped inches from him. Lots of style, that one.
posted by Megan at 12:56 AM
3 Comments:
I work in North Oakland and lived there for a time. Granted, it's not Fallujah. But if it isn't dangerous, I'd like to know what is.
If you're taking a poll, it sounds like a pretty risky thing to be doing every day. I hope you stay safe.
Naw, actually it is rare. I only go back and forth between Sac and Oakland once a week, and I usually catch a train that gets me there in the light.
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