Reaction File: Hippies

Peace Signs and Smiles, with a Drop of Righteousness

It's hard to classify someone as a hippy, becuase even people in suits might be hippies at heart (especially if they're sporting bushy facial hair). Let me define hippy as anyone who's able to make a living while dressed in something other than a uniform and who doesn't smoke or take taxis. It's more nuanced than that, but essentially those attributes probably capture a vast majority of liberal, Ben-and-Jerry eating, organic-food-market shopping tree huggers (like me).

On the one hand, hippies really appreciate the unconventional. So when they see me coming, they usually smile and often give me a thumbs-up or some other positive sign, even a nice comment. They are never unclever, so I don't have to worry about lame comments or circus music. On the other hand, hippies are more righteous than many other people. They sometimes feel that unicycles, like bicycles, don't belong on the sidewalk, and being righteous folks, they aren't afraid to speak up. So I sometimes get comments from perfectly nice-looking people about how I shouldn't be riding on the sidewalk. The comments are usually delivered quite drily and without anger. Unfortunately, they still rankle me because they're wrong on two counts: I'm not reckless or dangerous (which they can't tell, I realize), and there is no law against riding a uni on the sidewalks of NYC (which they don't know because, sadly, they don't know everything). So hippies, here is what I have to say: Thanks for your support, and keep the comments coming, as long as they're positive. Otherwise, I respectfully ask that you shut up.

Since moving to New Paltz, I've noticed that I get a lot more positive feedback on the sidewalks, on average, than I do in Manhattan or Brooklyn. New Paltz is known for its abundance of hippies, so it's generally a pleasure to ride thru the Town. But New Paltz also has a fair share of rustic types, so it's not all fun and games. More on that soon.