No Lock, No Problem

I just couldn’t pass up a bike ride on an afternoon like we had today. The sky was completely blue without even a wisp of a cloud and there was a slight breeze. I drenched all exposed skin in sunscreen and put on my bike shorts and my helmet. Then I was off.

Mine was a ride with a mission, however. I needed orange juice and some new polish for my toes, plus my daily latte at Starbucks. So my destination was the obnoxiously large Giant Foods just about 2 miles from my house.

I took back roads with little traffic. The only bad part was crossing busy Route 7, which I managed to do at a light. However, as I neared the entrance to the Giant, I said to myself, “Shit! I don’t have a lock for my bike.” My bike if unlocked might be a temptation to someone in this area. I was thinking of leaving it outside and asking the guy who pushes the carts around and loads groceries to watch it, but he looked at me like I was crazy. So I walked it inside and asked if I could leave it in the Customer Service area where they sell money orders, cigarettes, and other things they are worried will be shop-lifted. The tall African-American guy working there said “Sure” and went right on helping the next customer.

So I bought my several items, loaded them in the container on the back of my bike, and headed off for Starbucks. This was the first time I was happy to see all the Ethiopian men drinking coffee out front. I asked if they would watch my bike and one who spoke English said “No problem.”

My only real dilemma was what do to next. I had steaming hot coffee and needed 2 hands to ride my bike. I eventually figured out how to put my latte cup in the water bottle holder and I was on my way back home.

This was my first ride of the season and it just whetted my appetite. Next weekend maybe I’ll ride down by the river. There are so many nice places to ride a bike in metro Washington, DC. I'll have to remember to bring a lock with me...