Ode to the Trek 7100 Womens Multi-Terrain

So a few months ago I decided to trade in my cheapo-Craigslist cruiser for a nice Trek mixed-terrain bike. For a whole year before the upgrade, I had been struggling to keep up with Choi on rides, and was starting to think I didn't like biking all that much.

Someone suggested the bike might be to blame. I thought about upgrading for months and went to 3-4 different bike shops, several times before finally purchasing one, and even then - only because I was driving Choi insane with all the trips to look at different versions of a frame with two wheels and pedals.

Turns out, the right equipment does make a difference. Having a bike with hand brakes and gears is like a whole other experience. I really do enjoy riding. Choi and I even rode our bikes up to Metairie for dinner one weekend (an 18 mile trip).

It was great!

But this is New Orleans, so that's not how this story ends. HA. Happy endings? This is the birthplace of the blues. In N'awlins the story ends with someone breaking into your screened-in porch and stealing your bike.

And your roomate's bike.

And then the cops don't show up for 5 hours. Incidentally, they don't file a report, because you gave up on waiting for them after an hour and went out for a beer.

But wait a second ya'll. The story can't just end with crime. This is New Orleans! There has to be crime AND incompetence.

So the next morning, instead of pursuing the stolen bike or the break-in, the cops stop by to ticket my car for "parking against traffic". NOT in front of a fire hydrant, NOT blocking someone's driveway, NOT too far from the curb. A ticket for parking in a completely valid parking spot, on the left side of the street.

GAH. New Orleans is such a kick in the face sometimes.