iCycle DC

2040.

It’s got nothing to do with greenhouse gases, clean air, footprints, carbon-neutral anything. WAIT. It absolutely does!

On January 20, 2009 our country converged on the National Mall and paid witness to history. The Inauguration of Barack Obama. To the tune of two million.

They came by air and by sea and by foot. Oh, and bi-cycle. Over 2040 of them. Yep, a crisp January morning dipping below 20 degrees and there they were in every direction…bicycles.

I heard the news. Stay clear of downtown DC. Avoid the roads. Take Metro. Traffic nightmare. Beltway gridlock. Media love their mayhem.

And I was SHOCKED. As I turned every corner, no cars, no people. No people, no cars. Clear as far as the eye could see for blocks upon city blocks.

First it was 14th Street. Then K. And 16th. And H. To Pennsylvania, M, Wisconsin. Clear, clear, and clear. There was parking in Georgetown I tell you!

Where pray tell are the people? They are all at the Mall! Shopping for hope, and change, and peace and love no doubt. And here is was down every desserted street. (Misspelling is my cherry on top.)

I was like, well, a kid on a bicycle. I rode on every street. In the middle of the street, with no hands. I did circles in the middle of H and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Because I COULD.

Chains came to Washington alright. And we rode 'em in.