I have to be sure when I walk out that door

[venta]

Yesterday morning, I rolled up to Reading railway station (in a train). I hopped off, dumped my bag in my cycle's basket, donned hat and gloves, unlocked the bike... and discovered it was ensnared in the neighbouring bike's lock. I could have broken it out, but it would have required dismantling part of my brakes. I didn't have the tools on me, and I would have been reluctant to take it on anyway - my brakes are a bugger to set correctly, and they are currently right for the first time in about 18 months.

I left a note saying "Please be careful!" on the other bike, and got the bus to the office. Last night, my bike was still captive, and my note still poked out jauntily from the gear changer.

This morning, the offending bike had departed and my note had migrated to my bike's basket. On the back of it is written an extremely profuse apology, and an offer to refund me any money I might have had to spend on a bus or taxi. It's signed with a name and a phone number.

Faiths in human nature restored: 1

(It's one of life's little ironies that yesterday I was somewhat bitter that some inconsiderate bastard had forced me to stump up for a return bus fare. Now that I've been offered a refund, I concede that £3 is not a huge deal to me, and feel it would be somewhat churlish and petty to demand it back :)

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Aw, that is sweet. And now that you have posted the story to LJ, you have created a knock-on effect of enhanced faith in human nature in me too. I will try to pass it onwards as I go. :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

(And gosh, isn't LJ looking different today...)

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

If it's a mobile number, I'd send 'em a 'thanks, but it's fine' kind of text. And it was nice of them to feel bad about it and offer to make good, rather than to crumple up your note and kick your bike for you daring to criticise them.

Maybe I can believe that there are decent people out there... maybe...

(And I must now resist the urge to skip up to Marketing singing 'I want to break free from your lies, you're so self satisfied, I don't neeeeeed you')

[venta.livejournal.com]

I did indeed send them a text along those lines.

You may have a kudo - two if you actually did skip to Marketing, singing :)

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

But I like my job :)

[quisalan.livejournal.com]

People in marketing _like_ skipping colleagues, promise! :)

[quisalan.livejournal.com]

I was about to suggest something very similiar too. Spread the good vibes!

[smiorgan.livejournal.com]

Human's aren't all that bad. Except the ones who chain their bike to yours because they're scammers, knowing you'll have to leave your bike overnight when they can come back with bolt cutters.

Glad you still have your bike and the apology though. People make mistakes.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I leave my bike overnight there anyway, so they would probably just have nicked mine in the first place :)

The problem I've been having of late is of leaving my bike locked to the racks in Reading (they're Sheffield-style racks), then finding that someone's leaned their bike against mine and locked their own crossbar to the rack.

Technically my bike isn't locked to theirs, but getting it out is hell and all trouble. The only method I've found to work is to flip the "oustide" bike upside down and wheel mine out - something which requires the assistance of 1-2 passersby.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

gah! -- I hate that. There should be a prominent 'No outsideys!' notice attached to all Sheffield stands.

[zenithed.livejournal.com]

Aw, lovely. I once had a New York taxi driver realise I'd left my bag in his trunk, drive halfway across town to return it to our hotel and then refuse a tip. Sometimes people are great.

[ailbhe]

Not me! It turns out there are LOADS of Ailbhes in England. I hardly knew any when I was growing up.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, I thought it would be really unusual in England!

Incidentally, how do I pronounce it? I've been going for a sort of "Ave" (rhyming with 'save', not 'have') but I have no idea if that's right...

[ailbhe]

It *used* to be really unusual but it's common as muck now. And it's quite close to Alva, or Alver with a SE England accent.