SYD*

Driving home this afternoon, we got stuck behind a cyclist pulling one of those double kiddie bike trailer thingies. He was going fairly slowly and a little erratically but eventually got off the road and we moved on.

Further down the road we caught up with him again (heavy traffic + red lights). His bike was laying across the kerb on the wrong side of the road and he was several steps away from his bike running after a plastic bag.

At first we thought he might have had an accident or something. We were quite concerned about the child he was towing. His stumbled a bit as he walked and then did the strangest thing. He put the plastic bag up to his mouth and inhaled. Then hopped on his bike and slowly started pedaling off.

It took a minute to register. Dan recognised it first.

He was chroming.

Our first worry was the contents of the trailer. Thankfully we got a good view inside and it was child-free - just some plastic bags (probably filled with cans of inhalant). And, quite frankly, I was shocked. It wasn't really uncommon to see that sort of thing in the really dodgy part of the city near where we used to live, but a little further out (still in the inner-west)?? Whilst riding a push bike in peak hour traffic??

I guess that's Sydney for you.

At least he was wearing a helmet.


*reference to Lily Allen's song LDN.