I c lose my eyes Sunday nig ht t o t he linge r ing e c h o e s o f r e vv ing e n g ine s d r ifting like blue sm oke fr om t he s t uf f o f M a in St r e e t a nd d r e am s. Sho ut s muf f le d by helm ets and c lin k ing g la s s e s s p ill o ut f r o m t he s ub c o ns c io us e t he r and scatter like duc kpins a c r o s s t he s p r a w ling p a no r a m a s o f r e c e nt m e m o r y a nd Ri ver side Dri v e. It’s b e e n t w o d ay s s inc e t he m e e t a nd g r e et a t Po p k in’ s Ta ve r n, and although I’m sur e I’ v e s le p t , t his is t he f ir s t t im e I c a n r e m e m b e r lying do w n sinc e the 7 Hills Sc o o t e r C lub ’ s 3 r d Annua l I nd ia n Sum m e r R a lly be g an. I ge t to Popkin’s ear ly Frid ay nig ht w it h $2 0 a nd no r a in ge a r, t he o nly c e r ta intie s for the weekend be ing r a in a nd b e e r. As a f a ir ly ne w s c o o t e r r id e r, the conce pt of a r ally is s t ill a m o r p ho us, i nfo r m e d o n ly by a b b r e v ia t e d b a r sp e a k a nd a v a gue itiner ar y p o s t e d o n t he 7 H ills w e b p a ge . T he o r g a niz er s have r eser ved the sec o n d f lo o r o f t he t a v e r n fo r us, a d e c e nt s p a c e with a p ool ta ble and big c o uc h e s. B y 9 p. m . t he r e a r e s o m e w he r e a r o u nd 30 bike s out fr ont and a go o d buz z a b o ut a nig ht r id e a nd e v e nt ua l t r ip t o Av alon. T he cr ow d is a str a nge m ix o f s ub c ult u r a l id e nt it ie s a nd ge ne r a t io ns : Ric hmond hipster s toasting w it h m id d le - a ge d ge a r he a d s a nd m o d - m ov e m e nt thr owbac ks in par kas, subur b a nit e g a s m ile a ge e nt hus ia s t s le a ning a g a ins t the b a nis ter with ar t student s, r id e r s f r o m N o r fo lk , N o r t h C a r o lina a nd Pe nn sylv ania c hatting with Manc he s t e r lo f t d w e lle r s a nd Fa n k id s w ho jus t a s easily could have w alked. B y 1 0 : 3 0 p. m . he lm e t s a r e b e ing ho is t e d f r o m their positions on the wind o w s ill a nd r e p la c e d by e m p t y p int g la s s e s a s t h e g r oup m oti v ates for the fir s t r id e o f t he w e e k e nd . Ro ut e o f t r a ve l: unk no w n. My medium of par ticipation: a r u s t y 1 9 8 1 Ve s p a P 2 0 0 E w it h 1 9 8 c c s a nd a temper amental c lutc h.
iz a t io n o f a b s t r a c t ex p r e s s io ni s m . W he n w e ge t t o Av a lo n the w aitr ess sets t w o s ix p a c k s o f P B R o n t he t a ble a nd t e lls us t o e njoy, and as the e vening b e g ins t o lo s e it s fo r m , t he w e e k e nd s t a r t s t a k ing s ha p e . ------------I ge t t o G lo b e H o p p e r a r o und 1 0 : 3 0 a . m . , ha lf a n ho ur late and the thir d to s ho w. D a v e “ M unny ” , o ne o f t he o r g a n iz e r s o f t h e r a l ly, is alr eady ther e, c o m m e nt ing in a ll s inc e r it y o n my p unc t ua lit y. I t i s n’ t r aining yet, but the c lo ud s a r e fo r m ing o m ino us c o ng r e g a t io ns a b ov e C hur c h Hill. An hour and a ha lf a nd t w o s h o t s o f e s p r e s s o la t e r w e ge a r up fo r the longes t ride of t he r a lly, a 4 0 - m ile t o ur o f a ll t he r o a d s a nd s c e ne r y d e emed as neces s ar y ex p e r ie nc e fo r a ny b ip e d p ilo t t o c o m e t hr o ug h R i v e r C ity. T he sk y is no lo nge r m a k ing t he id le t hr e a t s o f inc le m e nc y a s it ha d w hen I ar ri ved, but
We set of f in sta g ger for m a t io n he a d ing w e s t , t he lo ng line o f s c o o t e r s expa nd ing and c ontr ac ting fo r s t o p lig ht s a nd t he us ua l Fr id ay nig ht p a c e o f Br o a d St r eet, a snaking jumble o f p la s t ic a nd s t e e l d r if t ing la z ily a c r o s s t o w n in an e ver e volving constella t io n o f he a d lig ht s a nd r e f le c t i v e r id ing ja c k e t s. By the time we stop of f a t t he C o m fo r t I nn t o le t w e a r y o ut - o f - t o w ne r s t o their beds, it’s r aining, the s p la t t e r ing d r o p le t s c a t c hing r e f le c t io ns o f r e d ta il lights and str eaking the m a c r o s s my he lm e t v is o r lik e s o m e w e ir d ur b a n 65