I won’t dwell. But yesterday was a big day.
Perhaps as much to give me a break as you a break. I leave you with one question: Who is cooler to you?
This kindly couple?
Now, they were initially grabbing me with their matching helmets and their matching ironic jumpers and their matching bikes (well, not exactly matching, only one Ken Evans).
Regrettably, after they were done checking their phones at the lights, he dropped she so promptly it was rather awkward and quite impossible for me to take their photo as a matching couple as he’d failed to notice she’d failed to take off quite as fast as he. Instead, he was kind of yelling at me on his wheel (it was windy) thinking I was she and wondering if I had the keys and whatnot. Sadly, while passing him (on the folding bike) I had to advise he that she was a hundred or so metres behind. Probably because she is not training for the Olympics. Or something.
Nice matching helmets but.
Or this kindly lady?
Certainly of the less hip and more happening era, this nice woman had a little chat with me as I accosted her at the lights. She purchased her helmet on line because, well, as she said in her sweet lilting Dutch accent “for god’s sake, surely that little sticker is not that important, no? It’s safe for Europe, ya.”
After a few pedal strokes together along the road, I realised I’d met this fair lady before – “did you used to have a green bike…” and she chorused in time with me, “with a green helmet?”
Well – yes she did. Somewhere back a year or two ago, before the heart trouble that encouraged her to purchase her silver electric bike, this lovely lady had been rocking a rather bright green step through with a matching green skate lid. She’d admired my 50s bathing suit at the Carlton Pool and I’d admired her sweetly matching bike. Being Dutch, she said, she was so glad to see that so many more people were riding now in Melbourne, “when I got here, in the eighties ya, it was terrible. People thought I was crazy, now everyone rides!”
City that shall remain nameless – hear that – there is hope.
eleanor j jackson 
Awesome. Story about the couple. And photos.
It was hella windy that day – had the elements combined better, I’d have had a better chance of snappy these two hotties – but it was not to be! Thanks for tuning in..