Anecdotes – Chris Bevens

Getting Pulled Over Up North: An Anecdote In Which I am as White as I can Be

I’m riding my 2006 Honda VFR up north, out of Seattle. This is around 2013. It takes a good sixty miles or so to get out of city traffic and finally past the last straight stretches of highway 9, a final thirty tedious miles of four-lane stop-and-go heading north, broken into seemingly endless intervals byContinue reading “Getting Pulled Over Up North: An Anecdote In Which I am as White as I can Be”

My Friend, the Fluorescent Light

I have this thing I do at work I want to tell you about. I’ve somehow become the Fluorescent Light Expert. I inspect and maintain the fluorescent light fixtures in this large showroom where I work. Despite my ignorance of fluorescent lights or the physics of electricity in general, I’m considered the expert on allContinue reading “My Friend, the Fluorescent Light”

The Odd Kite Theft

My grandpa is an aviation nut. He was in the Army Air Corps during WWII, he was a mechanic on B17 aircraft while in the service. He had a stack of Aviation magazines next to his reclining chair my entire childhood, and he would regularly take me to any airport we happened to be nearContinue reading “The Odd Kite Theft”

Bike #2 and the magic raffle

I have one clear memory when it comes to my second bike, which was also my first road bike. It was a Schwinn World Sport, I believe from 1980. Unlike most all of the other bikes I’ve owned, I don’t really have memories of riding this one. I do remember I got a handlebar-mounted touringContinue reading “Bike #2 and the magic raffle”

Bike #1 and the James Street Jump

I was around five when I got my first bike. It was a white Huffy with a Snoopy numberplate that said BARNSTORMER on it. I remember my grandmother said it was too big for me. I remember I thought it made me a big kid. My father took me out back behind our house toContinue reading “Bike #1 and the James Street Jump”

Bird Mob

So, I was eating lunch down at Lake Union near where I worked. There’s a little park, Waterway 15, right next to Ivar’s there. It’s a narrow little park sloping directly down to the water where there’s a spot to launch a kayak or canoe, and a few benches to look out at the lake.Continue reading “Bird Mob”

United

I’m on the 3 heading up James. It’s real steep and we are fully loaded, standing room only. It’s rush hour on a hot summer Thursday afternoon in Seattle. James goes straight up a steep grade under I-5 toward Boren Ave with a stop light and heavy cross traffic at each intersection. The bus isContinue reading “United”

Why Walmart Paid for my Knee

I was working at a large discount store known for it’s low prices, low wages and low tolerance for union organizing. I was newly separated and needed a part-time job to help with the bills and child support. A job that I could work nights and weekends for the extra cash. Alright, fine, it wasContinue reading “Why Walmart Paid for my Knee”

The Railroad Killer

In the summer of ’99 I drove from Loveland, CO to Clayton, NY in about 35 or 40 hours as I remember, fueled on coffee and Colorado Kind, otherwise known as weed. A little bit of drive through fast food as well. I traveled in my Subaru Legacy fully loaded with everything my then-girlfriend andContinue reading “The Railroad Killer”

Gnossienne

I used to work with this guy, I’ll call him Mike. Mike had been there for a long time, like twelve years or more when I started. Mike was a short man, and about my father’s age. A white man with leathery tan skin and big ears that stuck out from under his short andContinue reading “Gnossienne”