I Got to the Party, and Everyone Drove!

So as some of you may know, this past Saturday was the Recycle on Adams Block Party.
As you can read, it was to promote local small business and "Alternative Transportation." What does that mean? Bicycles. It takes the place of last years Scranton Bike and Scooter Festival (Held in August). The Bike and Scooter Fest happened right after I got The Meepers, but I wasn't sure if I would have him in time (The 09' Ruckus arrival dates ranged from end of July to September). So I did not attend as I had work at a retail store (Not Quint's).

Well they were not promoting scooters, as you can see from the flier. But they were promoting bicycles. And I am sad to say I was pretty much the only one who showed up on a bike. Toward the middle of the day, a guy showed up on an electric bike. He rode around the block a few times then left.

I however sat there in the rain drinking my beer, listening to live music in the street and purchasing gifts from the vendors. Here is my proof.
My bike and bag getting nice and wet locked to a parking meter. You can make out another bike to the far left of the frame. That is the Chinese delivery mans bike. It is always locked there in front of the take out restaurant.

SIDE BAR:

On my way down to this wonderful event. I came to a 4-Way Stop Sign. I had the right of way, but an old woman in her car stopped halfway into the intersection. Needless to say I stopped at my sign. I did a track stand, TERRIBLY I might add, then she waved me on. I took two pedals into the intersection and waved "Thank you," as she began to drive her car through the intersection right at me. Had I been hit, that may have raised more awareness to cycling then the event taking place did.

BACK ON TRACK:

I know the rain was a deterrent for people to not ride bikes, hell it was a deterrent for people to not come at all. Attendance seemed lacking. But halfway through the day people didn't care about the intermittent rain and were walking around anyway. Including this character.

If you have spent any time in Downtown Scranton then you know this man. Franky LaPaglia. He is a fixture and one of the resident "Crazies," and I use that term loosely in talking about Scranton. He proceed to sit down at the table next to Morgan and I and eat Low Mein and making a mess of the joint. He asked everyone on the street if the "Knew him," and of course 85% of them did.

Also as you can see behind Franky, they set up a table in the middle of the road with information on, well I don't know I didn't read any of it. But anyway, the table was set up in the rain with no cover, filled with paper products. A really great idea to ruin paper when your festival is about recycling. I only hope they went into the blue bin, and not the black bag.

Did some one say Carbon Offsets!? Well that is what Morgan and myself decided we were. I rode my bike and he walked, so we off set two people driving SUV's. I only hope some people car pooled.

Well I did leave about 4:30, as it was Amy's birthday, and she had to work. The rain seemed to slow down some after I was a block from home. While I was riding home the rain seemed to pick up to a "disastrous" level. Then, calm down. But I dried off and put on some dry underpants, and was off in my gass guzzling Scion xA at 38 mpg to visit Amy at work. Still being a Carbon Offset to all the kids who drove down to Adams in their SUV's. I am hopeing after I left some more people showed up on bikes.

But if they didn't this makes up for it!



That is all, carry on.