Over the years I have found many things by the side of the road. I have panniers on my bike so it is easy for me to take home the treasures I encounter. Most of the stuff I find is food but sometimes it is clothing or household items. I have found some wallets over the years but of course I have turned them in right away.
Finding things and using them is part of the ethos of riding a bike instead of driving a car. Much of the food I find would go to waste if I did not use it. Scavenging is also part of my heritage. Growing up in a working class neighborhood in Providence Rhode Island, all of the kids picked black raspberries, blackberries, apples, blueberries and grapes. We returned bottles and used found materials to make forts, tree houses, slingshots, and mini-cannons. I don’t rescue all the abandoned food I see. Recently I observed two bagels in the garden at City Market and I had enough self-control not to pick them up. I am sure the birds and the ants enjoyed them!
The key to successful scavenging is noticing the things that have been left by the side of the road. In the Sherlock Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia, Holmes asks Watson how many steps lead up to their rooms. Watson does not know and Holmes says, “You see but you do not observe.” Most people see good stuff but they don’t observe it. They don’t notice it. The observing depends on riding a bike or walking. Even if you make an effort to observe from a car, noticing things is more difficult, as is stopping to pick them up.
What follows is the description of a day of street finds and free things:
On Friday, August 21st, I left my house at 10:15 to go to the Howard Center agency-wide celebration. It was a beautiful day, and I had a nice ride to the end of Pine Street in Burlington. On the way I rode past the place where Shiloh Skalka was killed and I saw all the memorials to her as well as the white ghost bike. I was riding on a sunny day, but I was remained of the ride we did in her honor on August 12th. 500 people showed up and we rode in the rain.
As I was going up a hill on Pine Street I noticed a bunch of very ripe bananas in the road. I stopped and was able to rescue two of them because although they were very ripe their skin was intact. If I was a true fanatic I would have taken all of them! I did not have my plastic banana holder with me but I did manage to get the bananas home without squishing them.
There were lots of giveaways at the Howard Center event including a burrito, chips, salsa, a nectarine, ice cream and a can of soda. I ate the chips, soda, and ice cream but I took the burrito with me because I had a late breakfast. The best part of the event was spending time with friends!
I rode my bike to Oakledge Park and prepared for a swim. I have a special bike lock that has a secure pouch for my keys, wallet, sunglasses and cellphone. I locked up my bike and valuables and put on my wetsuit. Even in the summer I get cold when I am swimming and the wetsuit really helps. I got into the water, put on my goggles and swim cap and swam from the main beach at Oakledge to the smaller one about a quarter of a mile way. Then I swam back. I was in the water for 35 minutes. It was a good swim even though the water was a choppy. After I got out I took off my wetsuit and hung it on a bike rack near my bike. I thought to myself, “I don’t want to get my bike wet so I won’t hang it on my bike while I go into the changing room. I’ll be sure to remember to take it with me when I leave.”
Next I rode into Burlington, and bought a new pair of bike shoes at Skirack. I had a pair of shoes with clip-in hardware that were also good for walking. I was reluctant to throw them away but finally one of the eyelets ripped and the soles were starting to wear out. I once had a pair of bike shoes that were mostly duct tape, but finally I had to get rid of them as well! After my shoe purchase I walked around for a while talking on the phone with my daughter Alice. I had coffee with my friend David at Kru coffee shop and used a gift card someone had given me for my birthday. More free stuff! As I was leaving Kru I noticed a cardboard container on an outside table that had been there when I went inside. I investigated and found two scones, which I rescued. On my walk over to City Market I saw a partly used bottle of dish soap on the ground. I added it to my haul for the day. After shopping at City Market I walked over to the YMCA where I had left my bike earlier that day. As I was packing my groceries away in my pannier I realized that I had left my wetsuit at Oakledge!
I got on my bike and rode back there, hoping it was still on the bike rack. I tried to stay calm about the whole thing. Often I get mad at myself when I lose things or leave them behind, so I was was trying to accept that the suit might be gone. I thought about all the gifts the world had given me that day, and hoped that the world had not also taken something away. I surmised that there was a pretty good chance that the wetsuit was still there and I was right! This is a photo of it. Someone had locked their bike to the rack even though my suit was hanging up on it. I rode home feeling grateful for all the gifts of the day including spending time with friends and talking with my daughter.
About the Author: Peter Burns is a long-time bike enthusiast, and one of the original year-round bike riders in the greater Burlington area. In addition to writing about walking and biking, Peter teaches a variety of bike workshops. He also works at a group home for people with psychiatric disabilities, teaches classes for the Vermont Humanities Council, teaches swimming at the Burlington YMCA, and is a regular host of Storytelling VT. You can contact Peter at [email protected].