The first time I met a bike fairy was on Canal St on a fresh spring evening. The air was damp from the recent rain and it is said in fairy folklore that fairies are more visible near water. I guess all the conditions were right for me to have such a close encounter with a fairy.
The next day I was having coffee with a good friend and after hearing my story his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Joe shouted, "It was a bike fairy! I know a bike fairy too. This guy follows me around when I ride at night and knocks out street lamps above me.
"I'll be riding along and all of a sudden, 'PSSSSPOPPPP' and the light cuts out."
His eyes are huge.
He takes a breath and lowers his voice. "The first time it happened I just thought it was a bad bulb. Then it kept happening to the point that I realized I was being followed!"
So I said, "Does it ever put street lights on when you pass?" Because what he was saying sounded really familiar but sometimes, occasionally, it happened the opposite way for me.
Joe said, "Maybe...once or twice? Usually he just cuts em off."
"And you call him a bike fairy, correct?" was my response.
He said, "I mean...what else would it be?"
The night I first met a bike fairy was a serene spring night. Drinking in the air as I speedily crossed the city, I let the breeze cleanse my face and everything else. At that point something landed on my left shoulder. I looked down but didn't "see" anything. It didn't matter because something was there. And she was sitting on my shoulder, enjoying the bike ride as much as I was. I could feel her excitement. It was palpable and exactly how riding a bike made me feel as a child.
This was when bike fairies started appearing everywhere...
