When I'm out on the trike I'm always on the lookout for people standing on street corners looking lost. If I don't manage to pick up a ride, I'll at least try to leave our guests with a impression that New Orleanians are friendly, helpful folks.
Yesterday I spotted a couple who looked like suitable targets, so I stopped to offer my assistance.
"We're just looking for a bar," they said.
"Which one?" I asked.
"No particular one. Just someplace to get a drink. "
Nice! Since my grade school days I've always had an overwhelming preference for easy questions over hard ones, and I'd be hard pressed to imagine an easier question in any field than, "Where do I go to get a drink in the French Quarter?"
Did I mention that we were just a block off Bourbon? Yep. A single city block. Even if I had managed to sell them a ride, it would have been a very, very short ride!
A couple of hours later, I came across another clueless-looking couple on a corner just a couple of blocks distant from the earlier encounter.
"Can I help you find anything?" I asked.
"Yes! We're so glad you came along! We've between walking for six blocks looking for a bar and we haven't seen anything. Where's the closest place to sit down and relax and get a drink?"
I helpfully pointed out a couple of bars within spitting distance, including one that they had passed just half a block back.
Today I've decided to do an experiment. As I'm riding around looking for riders, I'd like to see if it's even theoretically possible to go six contiguous blocks in the French Quarter without passing a single bar. I'll let you know how it turns out.
