Unicycle

I saw a man the other day on the Staten Island Ferry dragging a suitcase along the ferry deck with his right hand and holding a unicycle in his left. As soon as he passed me, I jumped up from my seat and tried to hurry over to him to ask him whether he rides the unicycle while pulling the suitcase, but, to my amazement, someone had already beat me to it, so I simply stood nearby to overhear his answer, which went something like this:

"No, I don't do that, in fact, I can't do that, as I need my arms in front of me to maintain my balance." "However," he added, "it is my primary mode of transportation in the city. I go to work on my unicycle, I use my unicycle to shop for groceries, and I even ride it to movie theatres and then tuck it under the seat beside me or in front of me. Unicycles are so versatile. You can go anywhere with them."

Apparently, this fellow is also a member of the New York Unicycle Club - http://www.newyorkunicycle.com/blog/ - though he doesn't go to the meetings all that often, as he claims, contrary to the news on the website, that there's far too much talking at these meetings and not nearly enough actual unicycling. Also, I guess, too much focus on the tricks one can perform on a unicycle and too little focus on the simple utility of urban unicycling.

What would our unicyclist especially like to see in the city in the near future? More unicyclists. There are far too many bicyclists and not nearly enough people on unicycles. He plans to begin a blog himself soon to share the pleasures and special satisfactions of seeing the city from a unicycle. We wish you all the best, unicycle man!