September 24, 2008

Such as it was

Saturday I took my bike on the train and headed up to the city. After waiting in line at the museum, it turned out that one needed timed tickets into the Frida show. Grrrr.... I'd had a 'little thought' about looking it up on line before heading out, but didn't do it. I bought a ticket for Thursday night (half-price!) and decided to explore the city a bit.

I found an Aveda training school and made an appointment for a 90 minute facial/massage session (for 'only' $50!). Having two hours to kill, I headed over to the Ferry Building to look for lunch. Parked the bike at a bus stop with people swarming around. Took the bike lights with me and headed inside.

All the lunch options in there were crazy expensive. I ended up buying a book instead and decided to head back to the area around the Aveda school and grab food there (no tourists='real' prices).

I got out to my bike, unlocked it and jumped on to cross the street. Got to the other corner and scared some Asian guy half to death as I started cursing REALLY LOUDLY. Someone stole my bike seat. Just took the shaft and seat and left the bike. So, riding while standing, I rode back up the hill, canceled my appointment (since that same amount of money will now be used for a new seat), and grabbed some food.

In the end it felt like such a waste of an afternoon. I've had a car stolen before and didn't feel as violated and pissed off as I did about my bike. I'd just bought that seat a month ago. It was woman-specific, not cheap and MINE. My bike has become an extension of my body over the last year of riding it almost every day. I'm one of the 'good guys': I'm not buying gas, not contributing to pollution, not made of money--and someone attacked me.

Next time, listen to the little voice and stay home! Oh, and in the city, take my seat inside with me. Which is what I'll be doing tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to the look on the coat check person's face when I sashay into the museum and check a bag and a seat.

10 comments:

NGS said...

Argh. I've never had a piece of my bike stolen, but I have streamers on my bike and they have been vandalized. And, I had a similar reaction. Who is mean to the non polluters of the earth? The cycling community is full of wonderful, helpful, just plain nice people and this is how you repay them. It sucks.

I'm sorry!

Snickollet said...

I'm so sorry. That is the height of rudeness.

Can't wait to hear about Thursday night's museum trip!

Rachel said...

That's just awful all around. I hope your next trip into the city isn't so stressful.

Mama Nabi said...

DAMMIT! That's uncalled for. Agh! Now I'm mad. (Hope Frida show does make up for it... LN and I ran into the same thing when it was here - no tickets... so we did the sculpture garden instead)

jooliyah said...

i had no idea you could just steal a seat. that sucks that someone would do that.

and i was so excited for you when i got to the part about making a facial/massage appointment. i was thinking i'd really like one of those too.....so i was extra sad for you when you had to cancel it. :(

scarp said...

What a bummer. I hate it when really good plans just fall into frustrations. AndI hate it when I have that little thought about something that I ignore, and later wish I had listened to.

BTW, did Jrex finish his paper?

Anonymous said...

oh that sucks so much! i had two bikes stolen from me. they weren't expensive but i was attached to the first one. i was red. i was in 6th grade.

Anonymous said...

That happened to a friend of mine here in Japan, where I live. When she went to the bike shop to buy a new seat, she was told it happens often.

That's not to say it isn't incredibly frustrating, wherever you are!!

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry. What a world we live in that you can't even leave your bike seat.

Beloved said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your bicycle seat being stolen. I had a bicycle (and scooter!) stolen when I lived in Korea. I had to walk home and I was LIVID. Really, nothing can incite me to fury more than having something stolen from me. It's not even so much the loss of the item that makes me so furious, it's the fact that someone felt justified in taking something from me.

Well, that was a spiel! Good luck with your next seat.