Pinched

Tonight is the eve of my first day off this term, which follows four straight days of teaching and 10 classes. I have two more on Thursday, a day off on Friday (although for purposes of instruction/inspiration/remediation, I am to observe a veteran teacher teaching middle schoolers in Arden Hills this Friday), and then start the cycle over.

To celebrate this much-needed day off, I met friends downtown at Brit's. We sat on the patio, watched the foot and bike traffic along Nicollet, and enjoyed evening air that was pleasantly cool after the day's humid 90 degree high.

One friend had walked and the other had bussed, and they walked me to my bike when we left. It was dark, and the first thing I noticed was that the top of my front light was lying on the ground. Then I noticed that the rest of the light was still clipped to my handlebars, with both D batteries intact and exposed. The bulb, however, was nowhere to be found, apparently capriciously thieved.

What's stranger than the random act of (rather mild, but irritating) vandalism is what wasn't taken. The entire light could easily have been released from the handlebars and taken, as could my odometer/computer. My much more useful round rear light, on a handy elastic cord, could also have been easily snagged, not to mention my fancy comfortable seat. Thankfully, all of those have been safe thus far, regardless of where I've parked my bike, and this incident won't cause me to question my faith in Minnesotan humanity--at least not for long. Now I'm in the market for a new light.