The current bicycle market appears to be operating under the assumption that transportation is a competitive sport. A thousand dollars? Ten thousand? I’m still clinging to a 2012 Diamondback Edgewood, a testament to a time when a bicycle was useful. It cost approximately the price of a decent dinner twelve years ago, and continues to function with an almost unsettling degree of competence.

I wonder if the pursuit of ‘premium’ has simply resulted in a more elaborate way to experience mechanical failure.

Contacting the local school is also essential; someone there might recognize her, or even uncover a missing student report.

It’s natural to be anxious, of course, but try not to let it overwhelm you. The fact that she didn’t appear to be in immediate peril (no screaming or no frantic banging) is a reassuring detail. She’s likely alright; perhaps a lost phone, a disagreement with her parents, a relatively minor upset. Still, the situation is undeniably unsettling.