No, I’m not being catty. MPR reports that during the GOP Convention, 1,000 bicycles will be available for check-out from racks around both Minneapolis and St. Paul.
There are all sorts of interesting things to think about this.
- How does this fit in with the St. Paul Council’s refusal to extend bar hours to save residents the sight of “puking Republican lobbyists?”
- How many lost out-of-towners will be wandering about on bikes?
- Will these out-of-towners know bikes are available in advance, or will we see convention-clad people sans helmets on these bikes?
- Will these bikes be available to the massive number of expected protesters? I’d think the protest peeps would be more likely targets for bicycle use, somehow.
Me, I’m planning to be well away from the convention hijinks, as I survived the DNC 1996 and that was enough for at least 20 years. I’ll be up near Grand Marais somewhere, so I’ll rely on all y’all to let me know what sort of law enforcement is brought to bear on lost (drunk?) cyclists, or if the bikes even see use.
New: Article says program will leave behind the check-out mechanism (credit card swipe) and 70 bikes. This article also says that somehow, the bikes all come with helmets.
Me, I am grossed out by communal helmets. Ew.
