Yesterday, as I was leaving for work, not 20 yards from home I heard a big pop, and a huge shriek. The shriek was me. The pop was my rear tire exploding. My bike is now locked up outside my home with a flat. A truly sad sight. And scary. A slightly wounded bicycle always seems an invitation to pilfer.

I called my bike shop in the afternoon, the manager said, “No, it shouldn’t take long to fix”. I said, “How’s it look for tomorrow?”  He put me through to the mechanic. “What kind of bike do you have?”  asked the mechanic.  “Hold on” he said. Minutes later I found myself back on the line with the store manager who told me they are full up for the week. An example of stellar customer service. The manager kept stammering variations on the same thing in order to avoid committing to any kind of alternate solution, “So, yeah, …”  “probably not gonna be able to…”  “try back next week”. No waiting list, no appointment. Am I to pop in occasionally with my broken down vehicle on the off chance that now there’s room for my bike to wait its turn?

Today I dropped into the shop on my way walking to work to find out how it works.

Walking’s fun once in a while, especially in this weather – once you accept the sheer lack of speed. You see stuff. You get less stressed. You’re unencumbered. You can pop into a shop without effort. You can amble like pedestrians do. Pedestrians get away with being so pathetically unaware of their surroundings. It’s liberating to be a pedestrian for a change.

I went downstairs straight to where the mechanic hangs out and listens to Jazz, and does his thing. I asked him what the procedure was for getting in line for repair.  He recognized me, knows my annoying bike. I’ve been there with many a flat. He handed me an inner tube and said he’d go and get the manager, then he disappeared up the stairs. After a moment I followed him. “He’s just in the bathroom”  I paid for my inner tube. I now owned an inner tube.

The manager said, “I have no idea if he takes appointments, that’s up to the mechanic. Go ask him”  Seriously? You go talk to him! He left. Five minutes later he said their other location could take me right now and fix it while I wait! How nice!  I was on my way to work. On foot. “No, he won’t be there tomorrow”, said the manager.

It’s time to stop being such a little princess and learn how to fix the fucking thing myself!