The Last Ride of The White Man

For the past 7 months I have freely roamed the night cloaked streets of Phoenix on my bike without the aid of a light. Officially this is illegal. Numerous times I have passed by the police without them batting an eye. I have spoken to other cyclists who travel at night, with lights, and they pretty much all have stories of being stopped. Of course these individuals all tend to be not of the caucasian variety or generally quite sketchy. Night after night passed, seeing many officers of the law and rarely so much as a slow down. I felt as though my travels would continue to be uninterrupted by the local constabulary. Of course all good things must come to an end. Tonight I was stopped. Less than a mile from home (my nightly ride is about 16 miles). I was advised that lights are required and the officer requested to search my bag. Everything came up clear and after briefly chatting with the officers (another had stopped to join the first) about the dangers of traffic and seedier neighborhoods I travel through, I was allowed to finish my nightly journey. It's a fun, strange world we live in, you never quite know how things will play out. I guess I'll install a light, though I truly feel safer without one