Book Review – Hey Mom, Can I Ride My Bike Across America? by John Seigel Boettner (1990, Siegel Boettner Fulton)

In 1986, Californian Middle School Social Studies teacher John Seigel Boettner and his wife Lynn led a group of five twelve- and thirteen-year olds in a bike tour across the United States. Hey Mom, Can I Ride My Bike Across America? is Mr. Seigel Boettner’s 439 page account of the trip. It is a well-crafted and enjoyable read.

I’m quite fond of bike touring books and this one is one of my favorites. A few characteristics of the book are pretty unique to this genre. First of all is the group. Most touring memoirs focus on an individual adult or perhaps a pair of adult cyclists. I’ve never read a touring book that includes the experiences of children.

This book is also unique in the way that the journey unfolds. John Seigel Boettner takes his time telling the story of the trip. It seems as if every single day is described in some way and never is an amount of time glossed over or condensed. It is a testimony to John’s great skill as a writer that it never feels bogged down or tedious. All of the events are related in a way that holds the reader’s interest. This is probably the slowest-moving touring book I’ve ever read (and I’ve read almost fifty at this point). It stands in contrast to a book like Thunder & Sunshine by Alistair Humphreys which moves from South Africa to England via South America, North America, Asia and Europe in almost 100 less pages.

The Seigel Boettners and their students have many important experiences along the way. There are the usual weather events, mechanical failures and illnesses to overcome, of course. But as in so many good touring books, the most important aspect of the trip is meeting people. Senators, waitresses, mechanics, Amish farmers all make a lasting impression on the members of the group as they see their country from the saddles of their bikes.

I remember the summer of 1986 pretty well, too. I was just a year or so older than the kids in this book and I went on a week-long snorkeling excursion with a group from my summer camp. While not nearly as large an undertaking as riding a bicycle across America, I have many lasting and positive memories of that time. One often gets the impression when reading a touring book that this is the tale of a (if not the) high point in a person’s life. The journey related in this book was probably that moment in seven lives.

This is (and is not) a Bike Blog

With the start of the new year, I am motivated to start a blog. I plan to write about many topics, but I’ll often be commenting about the things I find in the street. As a thrice daily walker of two small dogs, I spend a fair amount of time on my neighborhood’s sidewalks. I also am an avid cyclist. On a bicycle, the individual has the ability to see lots of things that are missed by motorists. It’s also pretty easy to retrieve them or at least investigate more closely. Additionally, I have a 25 mile commute to work each day. Unfortunately, I do drive a car to and from work. I like to vary my routes to and from work so that I see different neighborhoods and roads. While doing these three things, I find things in the street.

I live in a relatively urban area. My town abuts a major city and my street is two block from the city line. We have a mix of retail, dining and residential property. There’s a decent amount of foot traffic which contributes to the quantity and quality of things found.

My time in the streets (whether I’m dog walking, riding my bike or driving) is when I can think about a lot of things. In a sense, my thoughts and ideas are truly the things I find in the street. My desire is that this blog will be a place where I can put these ruminations.

Because I think about bicycles a lot, I will probably end up writing about them. Bikes are great; I like working on them, reading about them and most of all riding them. I also plan to write some book reviews. It’s highly likely that many of the books I’ll review will be about bikes, specifically bike touring.

I have a great family and a satisfying job, but I don’t feel the need to write about that. I’m private about my family and, well, the job pretty much takes care of itself these days (I’ve been at it for 15 years).

I know that I will probably not write about my daily life and associated minutiae. There are plenty of blogs like that and that’s fine (sure, I read them) but I don’t have a desire to write that kind of blog.

What objects do I find?

First of all, bicycles and bicycle equipment. As of this writing, I have acquired 128 free bicycles in just over three years. Many were from the side of the side of the road (trash piles) though others were technically in dumpsters. I am a habitual dumpster diver for bike stuff (I do it several times a week). Additionally, some friends have given bikes to me that they’ve found or do not want or need any more. I fix up many of these bikes and donate them to a local Salvation Army. I keep some for my own use (and for my family). I also give some away to friends. A few are not fixable and they get properly recycled. I am amazed at all of the bike stuff I have been able to get for no cost at all.

The second type of thing I like to find in the street is money. Usually it’s small coins. I’ll pick up every single penny I see. I was curious about how much I would find in a year, so I put all of my 2009 money into a container. I had no idea how much I would net and no plans for the money. My wife came up with the brilliant idea of using it to pay for dinner on New Year’s Eve (mmmmm, Indian food). The total for 2009 ended up being just over $75.00. Not all of it was found on the street; $30 was found in a public park and $10 was found in the parking lot of a bar after my band played a gig there. I am surprised that people drop so much money on the ground.

The third category of things I find in the street is hand-written notes. I keep all of the interesting ones protected in plastic sheets in a binder. It’s really interesting to me to see what people write down. The things written on these pieces of paper were not meant for my eyes, so there’s a little bit of a voyeuristic thrill in finding them. It’s much like the “Found” website and books, though I started keeping these things before I ever heard of “Found.” I’ll scan some to share in this blog.

I pick up every piece of metal cutlery I see discarded in the street. I know it’s kind of gross. I do clean them, but I don’t use them for eating. I keep them in an old coffee can. I have a vague idea that someday I might fashion some kind of wind chime out of my found cutlery. As far as I know, I don’t think I’ve picked up any heroin spoons. How do these knives, forks and spoons end up on the street? Do people take snacks from home for which they need a utensil and then they can’t be bothered to bring the thing back?

I’ll pretty much pick up any random article and take it home. I don’t collect everything I see, but I’m always on the lookout for something interesting. I did have the idea to start collecting gas caps once, but I did not. I have found some interesting random articles and I’ll write about them in the future.

So, welcome to Things Found In The Street. It will be a home to essays about found objects, bicycles, book and other media reviews and commentary. Happy 2010 to the world!