Friday, June 20, 2008

Thoughts from Boston

Back in Boston. Well Cambridge which I know technically is not Boston though such thinking caused me a little trouble yesterday as I drove in to town. Because yesterday was the celebratory parade for the new NBA champions, the Boston Celtics.
"But that's on the other side of the river," I thought to myself. And yet as I pulled up to the parking garage and found it full and then found myself in the midst of a green-clad throng of fans I realized it didn't matter that my destination was Cambridge and theirs was downtown. I am not sure if it helped that I too was wearing green yesterday--more grass than kelly. The fans were loud and represented a pretty diverse demographic: men and women of many races, parents, kids, older (no one past middle age that I observed though) and younger; preppy people and those sporting a more hip-hop style. This is what I like about Boston fans--they're diverse.
But generally Boston fans scare me with their fervent fandom. And despite the diversity, it's not as if fandom is bridging any kind of class, racial or even gender divide.

In other Boston news, I read this morning in the free paper that everyone leaves on the subway seats (I recycled mine) that a Northeastern University engineering professor has a plan to join a bunch of the bike paths in the city and into the suburbs. Great idea! I hope the city jumps on it. Time to see if all these politicians talking about ways to reduce gas consumption are ready to put public funds behind their rhetoric. Also, it would be a lot safer for cyclists. Because as much as Boston fans scare me, Boston drivers (except me--I'm an excellent driver!) scare me more. I wouldn't even consider bike commuting in this city if I had to go on any main drag around here.

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