Hi, I'm Willow Belden and you're listening to Out There, the podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors.

First of all, happy New Year. As a special New Year's treat, we're going to be doing two things on this episode.

First, we're bringing you a story that I think we'll offer some hope about humanity.

And secondly, we're going to take some time to dream.

A few weeks ago, I invited you to describe your outdoor utopia, and we got some wonderful responses.

At the end of this episode, we'll share some of those responses.

But first, the story.

It's a story about riding a bike in New York City.

New York City is not known for being bike-friendly.

The streets are busy, drivers are impatient, and pedestrians often clog up the bike lanes.

So if you're a cyclist, it often seems like shouting is the only way to make people get out of your way so you can get

anywhere. But several years ago, something happened on the Brooklyn Bridge that changed the way

one man thinks about biking in the city. The man's name is Noam Osband, and on this episode,

he shares his story.

It's a story about how we communicate with strangers and about how to get what you want.

I'll let Noam take it from here, and just a quick note, in case you're listening with young kids, this story does include some adult language.

I've always been a chatterbox. I just like people.

When I wait in line at a supermarket or a pharmacy,

I always start a conversation with a person next to me.

Typically, I ask people questions about themselves.

Nothing too personal, nothing to direct, and most folks really just open up,

as if they've been waiting for someone to puncture that invisible bubble of propriety that separates us from each other.

...