I stopped at meggetland to help a comrade whose mudguard bodge with cable ties had split. He was taking the mudguard off. I leant him a hex tool. However his QR skewer was stuck. Salt corrosion. Was getting nowhere until a woman shouted from her balcony then sent her husband down with tool box. Pliers shifted the skewer. Alas it would not then tighten again which was a pity. The samirtan then provided some Wd40. Very kind
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Kindness near canal
(18 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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That is genuinely nice. Humans: you may live a little longer...
Posted 6 years ago # -
I had one last summer. Shortish day out with family and a friend... who was on something of a run down bike. On the way back up the NEPN, with still some considerable distance to home, it became apparent that the workings of one of the wheel hubs were coming to pieces. I was making some very slow just-get-home progress, but of course without any proper tools. Gentleman stopped, we chatted, turned out his job was with bikes so he popped home and came back with proper tools. We were 'back on the road' in no time. Beyond the call of duty.
Which reminds me of the day I stopped to assist a man way out in East Lothian - standing with a dérailleur in his hand looking distinctly oily and entangled and stuck with a repair... who it turned out was only trying to mend a puncture. A bit of magic with a hex key to put things back together, quick puncture repair, and he was on his way too - full of complements and thanks.
Feels good :-)
Posted 6 years ago # -
Stories of kindness are almost as good as kindness.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I once helped a couple push their stricken campervan off a busy cross-roads in Helsinki - they were very grateful but spoke no English and my Finnish failed to spontaneously materialise, so we just nodded happily at each other and the gentleman gave me a postcard which I still have, with a drawing of me pushing a campervan, and he turned out to be a sculptor called Rafael Saifulin - I am not sure is his work would be met with approval by IWRATS, but I am a fan of this:
Hanko, Wind from the Sea 2 by INNES, on Flickr
Posted 6 years ago # -
I am not sure is his work would be met with approval by IWRATS
I am not so rhadamanthine as you fear. That looks like a rather wonderful piece. I'll bet bicycles are very difficult to sculpt.
Posted 6 years ago # -
I'll add that to my dinner-party vocabulary.
I am predisposed to like it such was his demeanour at this meeting - you are a discerning fellow sculptor - I am pleased to know you do approve.
Posted 6 years ago # -
As part of my perpetual penance I will post here again;
I once refused help to a distressed lady with a small child. I was running against the clock and wholly caught up in my own trivial task. I don't think the shame will ever leave me, and I have tried to atone by offering help to strangers whenever I can since that day.
I have basic mechanical competence and have tweaked many broken bicycles since. My favourite was mending a puncture for a Goth on the canal at Hermiston.
Posted 6 years ago # -
as long as we learn from our mistakes one should never need continued penance.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Let the man enjoy his hobbies, @rider73
Posted 6 years ago # -
gembo kindly complemented me on my bell-ringing as we passed one another under the eastern-most bridge on the canal earlier.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Let the man enjoy his hobbies, @rider73
How distinctly un-presbyterian.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp, is it unkind to say that what I did was compliment you? Dependent on how pedantic one may be? ( dependant is someone's child, or similar subordinate who relies on you I usually go for that one too, it is very finicky that one as the dependant is dependent on you until they become independent aged about thirty five?)
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo oops... I can't even claim that it was a typo since 'i' is distant from 'e'.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp
Worry not. I have muddled penance and penitence in this thread. It's a mess.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Maybe auto correct?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@gembo you're too kind. The swipe action for complimented just worked fine... Too much haste, too little thought.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@jdanielp
I am too pedantic
Posted 6 years ago #
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