A Happy Story

I was tangentially involved in a very unhappy bicycle v. motorist story last week. Today, I was directly involved in a very happy one.

My tire went soft five miles into my twenty-mile commute (Newton to Marlborough). I tried to fill it using my handy-dandy CO2 tool, but failed miserably. (Pilot error, it's safe to assume.)

So I started walking, unsuccessfully ringing a few doorbells where it looked possible that the residents might have a pump. I should note that I was on Rte 20 in Weston, which is moderately busy and not densely populated.

Then, I started hitchhiking.

It took a while, but a middle-aged couple in an SUV picked me up. He was taking her to work. At that point, I had a few different plans, one of which was to get to an REI about five miles away in Natick. When they asked me where I was headed, I said I'd like to get to REI.

The man said he'd be happy to take me there. It was clear that REI was out of the way and that the woman's work was not on the direct path to REI. She volunteered that he should head directly to REI, she'd get off along the way, and walk a bit to work.

He did, she did, and he drove me right up to the REI door.

It was 9:00 and the store opens at 10:00.

I knocked on a window. A nice young man opened the door. When I told him I needed a pump, he returned in two minutes with the shop pump.

I changed the tube. Pumped it up. And, got on my way.

A long morning, but a very pleasant experience.