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It’s finally time... time to get out of jail. Jason goes first. The number one Paralympic CIA agent, Leslie has given Jason the go to rendevous with wife and sister. But what about me?
So the Tool goes to the number one Kiwi, Coach Craig Griffin, and asks, “Will you please give me a get out of jail pass?” I get the nod from the Kiwi, “You are free to go, but don’t get hurt.” So I go to Anje, the Polish Coach (we are all Americans here) and ask him if I can borrow his sled (single bike built for one - GREAT! Glenn alone on a bike in Athens!). So...off I go.
If you have never been to Athens, the roads are a war zone. Some think I am not a fast learner, but today I learned extremely fast. Within the first two miles I get sideswiped by one crazy motorcycle driver with no helmet (no one wears helmets here). My first thought, “speed up...catch him....kick his _ _ _. But in Athens, as I found out in the next few secods, I have friends. And they weigh 3500 pounds. The motorcyclist cuts between two cars and one of those cars pulls out left. My new friend is now airborne. His bike smashes the pavement and he comes up running! Back to the car that cut him off and words are exchanged. My job is done here. I think I will ride downtown.
Within two miles of this another motorcycle gets clipped by a car. Taillight and side panel fly off of his bike. He raises his fist and tells the motorist how much he likes him...and drives on. I learned the best way to get through traffic on the bike is to follow the motorcycles. If the light is red...weave through traffic, get to the front with all the motorcycles. When the light turns green, be the first off the line and head for the gutter! I found the gutter a safe place to be. I could go on about my stories of my 30+ miles but I think I will stop with the driving stories because if you saw me I would look like a deer in the headlights.
The rest of the day I ran in between cars looking at old buildings, rocks and whatever else I could shoot (with my camera that is). When I finally got back to the track it was like I road 150 miles. That was the toughest ride I have done in Athens.
The people are extremely nice, if they are not in cars. And the air is very clean... if you like cigars.
P.S. Anje was glad to see his bike returned...in one piece (minus a spoke in the front wheel). But I did wipe the dust off Anje’s bike.
The Tool
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