03/29/2023
The Electric Bike Mauraders December 2022
It was long ago a prediction, possibly at the Helms Head Restaurant and Seaside Bar. At the not so famous one bartender’s bar is a very likely spot to predict. Many predictions were made at the seaside tables bar in the 1970’s.
He, not so famous, was serving Roy Rodgers and Dale Evans Kiddy Kocktailes, tall, lots of cherries and lightly laced with Takka Vodka. Chuckling, he was, at the sleeping children in the main dining area.
“You know what the future will bring.” It was not a question. Lyn went on ,”they will be bussing in labor from Stock Island if we don’t watch it.
Today in my 70s: Watch what? We didn’t see it as we built it.
We started building Mt Trashmore in the late 1970s.
Every Hippy and his sister strapped on toolbelts at the bidding of a Philadelphia paint salesman who woke up a group of money and started the rebuilding of Old Town with a front page picture and quote in the local news The Key West Citizen. “What this town needs is a good coat of paint” pricing us out of affordable housing every foot the dump rose.
As we predicted, today there is a severe housing shortage, and the workforce is growing enmasse on the next Islands up, Stock Island.
The rather throw up than show up workforce has been long outdated. Today an eager group of laborer’s dutifully get squeaky clean behind their ears and commute downtown to man the many jobs available in our once again bustling town. These are workers who, in lots of cases, reached the time clock here after a perilous life-threatening journey so they could get a that job, a clean place to lie their head and have some hope.
If you are up and out early on the streets of Key West, you will now notice the Electric Bike Marauders. There is a hierarchy on commuting here. Walking, riding a bicycle, taking a bus, carpool, are the common ride in. And there is the new generation of industerious souls who have the where-with-all to purchase one of those rugged electric bikes on the market. No license, no problem, here is the answer while it lasts. Streaming down US1 these Marauders slide easily from roadway to sidewalks negotiating the commute.
They are gaining access to in-town shortcuts and are fast becoming a formidable upwardly mobile work force.
The Electric Bike Marauders.
