With a ‘once-in-a-Century’ weather event blowing in New Yorker and noted amateur stunt artist Casey Neistat rode Downtown to see the sights.
His record of the trip is a timely reminder that simple systems are more robust, harder to defeat. Apparently in the super-storm’s chaotic aftermath bicycles are proving the only reliable form of mechanical transport. There’s a surprise.
Once on a Critical Mass in London the rabble pulled up outside Buckingham Palace. When a tall-biker started riding around inside the artificial pool around the fountain I suddenly realised what those contrivances are really designed for. If this individual had one he’d have got through with dry feet. The fact that modern day flood water isn’t just clean rain, river or ocean may account for the low-grade finish on your average, everyday tall-bike?
Once upon a time nature was our adversary, a buffer for our excesses. Not any more. You don’t even need to be convinced that man-made climate-change exists, just asking the question – “Is this storm an act of God or was it triggered by the cheap-energy economy?” – changes our philosophical relationship to the World.
During most of human history the problem was furious bears in the un-mapped woods. Our organisation consisted of building a nice warm campfire to scare away the bears. Now the bears are our furry friends and the threat comes only from the campfire.