As they drove away, I noticed the bumper sticker on the back of the van that said “Branding Iron Tattoo Parlor.”  Maybe it’s just me, but I think if I owned a tattoo parlor (and isn’t “parlor” a great word for a place where you get a tattoo?) I’d want to suggest different imagery….  

“You’ll have that tattoo in no time. Your brand is ALMOST hot enough.”

 It’s slightly better than “The Bloody Needle Tattoo Parlor,” or “The Slippery Hatchet Tattoo Parlor,” but not much. I’d go with “Feather Pen Tattoo Parlor,” or “Angel’s Kiss Tattoo Parlor.”

After the van pulled over on the other side of the Trinity River Bridge, I hopped out of the back seat from the side door. We pulled my bike and bags out and I thanked them several times.  

Because of my seat in the car, and now because the van was blocking my view, I wasn’t able to see the road ahead of me. As they pulled away I watched the van get smaller and smaller….

…as the Old and Lost River Bridge came into view. 

I was looking at a bridge that was almost identical to the one I’d just crossed, and certainly just as dangerous.

I considered hitchhiking again, but in the end I just pedaled over it. 

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I didn’t die.