From Evan Sultanik

Bikes and bums

Merz and I went on another midnight bike picture ride today. Even though I have a 09:30 class tomorrow, it was worth it because it is such a beautiful night.

There’s something about bikes, both motorized and pedal, that gives me the sensation and fulfillment of wanderlust. A bike seems to give one the ability to go wherever he or she wants, unrestricted by roads, faster than one could do so on foot. I haven’t felt the way I do riding at night in Philadelphia since riding a 150cc Honda through the streets of Florence and the Tuscan countryside. Before that, I did not feel this way since riding my bike at night in sub-rural Pennsylvania as a child. I love the feeling of weaving through cars and going places that I know no other vehicle could navigate. I love sprinting through the streets at night, covering ten times the area of the city I would be able to on foot in the same amount of time. I love riding.

Okay, back to the story. Merz wanted to stop by a Wawa to make a few purchases. I stood post outside watching the bikes. When Merz returned, a bum approached and started a conversation. Now, the number one rule when being confronted by a bum is to keep on walking, as it is very socially awkward to abort a conversation when stationary. We were standing at that time, as we had yet to mount our stallions bikes. Seeing no exit, I started talking to him, as it is can often be fun to do so. I had absolutely no money on me, however. Therefore, after a lengthy conversation regarding his hatred of republicans, his belief that we were afraid of him due to his being black, his insistence on having seen Merz at the Rotunda, and his being HIV+, he inevitably asked me for some change, to which I truthfully replied that I had none. Merz and I therefore leave you with the following question: is it ethical to have a conversation with a bum, thus raising his/her hopes, only to refuse him/her money?

Previous: National television debut

Blog Entries

Next: WMaker