I spent a lovely day exploring the Barataria Nature Preserve with J., thinking it would be really nice to have a bike out there. Tonight, though, after a good bit of time spent repairing a flat and picking glass out of my front tire, I got to ride. I headed down to the Bywater to meet friends for drinks. It was a lovely night to ride: cool, clear, and busy. I rode home up Baronne, passing the early Halloween crowd and the many folks still celebrating LSU’s victory. Once you cross into the Lower Garden District, though, the view changes drastically. The streets are dark and virtually empty. I stopped to take a picture of this apartment building near Terpsichore. I pass this place all the time, and it’s the only place I can think of that has this kind of sign on the front, warning those who don’t live there not to trespass, and claiming an ID is necessary to visit the premises. I understand what the landlord and residents are trying to do here, keeping the people who live here safe from drug dealers or burglars. I’m not sure who is checking IDs, or if the panopticon just plain works, but as I rode home, I wished we didn’t need these signs, that we could all feel as safe in our neighborhoods as, frankly, I feel when zipping around town on my bike.