Brooklyn Unicyclists Are Fighting For Our Respect
Let’s take a minute to talk about unicycles. They’re on the rise here in Brooklyn!
And they want your respect, you tittering jerks!
In the wake of the recently held Brooklyn Unicycle Day, the Brooklyn Paper talked to a few local enthusiasts, and it turns out they have some trouble getting people to take them seriously. What is that even about?
“I’ve seen cops harassing unicyclists and not knowing the law,” said Keith Nelson, who organized the event. “They’ve been harassed for riding in the bike lane or on the sidewalk. There’s nothing defining where they can be.”
By way of increasing visibility, on August 31st, unicyclists rode en masse toward their natural mecca: Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel, or as locals call it, “Zeus’ Unicycle.” And yes, many of them performed cool tricks, but this is not just a vehicle for the circus-minded.
“It’s a great mode of transportation,” explained Nelson. “And they’re designing them to go longer distances now — they’ve got 29- and 36-inch wheels now and people are going 25 or 30 miles on them.”
Well, why not. Shouldn’t we all let our freak flags fly? Or our freak wheels… spin?
Follow Virginia K. Smith on Twitter @vksmith.
