Folding Bikes are Great for Cruise Jobs

I know this blog isn’t about folding bikes, but I can’t resist talking about mine.  It’s just perfect for a cruise ship job.  I will give two examples.

1. Thursday we were in Kauai, and my Dahon Vitesse and I got off the ship.  I unfolded and biked into town.  The main road through town looked too crowded, so I climbed up a side road that looked much less popular.  Eventually I found myself at the commercial area, where the Kmart and mall are.  Then it started pouring!  I was soaked, and none too happy about riding back to the cruise ship.  I remembered, though, that the free shuttle back to the cruise ship stops at Kmart.  I relaxed – visited the book store, the coffee shop, the sandwich shop.  Then, when I was ready, I folded my Dahon up and brought it with me onto the free shuttle, no questions asked.
2. Today we were in Honolulu and I was to meet my friend S., who lives on Oahu, later in the morning.  I got off the ship mid-morning, stopping briefly at the local bike shop, then pedaled on to Waikiki.  I biked all along the boardwalk, past the beaches, stopping now and then for something to drink – then later something to eat.  When traffic allowed, S. arrived in Honolulu and called.  We met at a nearby intersection a few minutes later, and I folded Vitesse up and she fit perfectly in the truck.  And we were off to the beach!