Cycling in to work this morning, one of those wretched plastic bags blew into my derailleur gears, clogged them, tangled the chain, which flew into the pedals and jammed.
I deteriorated from trying to unscramble it using Kleenex and litter that I found in the street, but realised after three minutes that I’d need to get help.
I pushed the bike along the street and found a scrap metal man in an old truck. “Have you got a screwdriver?” I asked. “I need to lever my chain out of the pedals.”
He hesitates. Then, after a pause, he says “Course I have!” And he’s got about ten, in a rack in the inside of the door.
He says “Sorry I hesitated. I thought for a moment you were an MP. Then I realised you were you. Here it is.”
I battle for about 30 seconds, my hands getting blacker and blacker and the tangle getting no looser.
“Here, let me do it,” he says. “And listen, here’s the Swarfega and a pack of wipes. Sort yourself out.”
It’s true, my pristine white shirt was in serious peril from my oil-stricken hands. Within two minutes he’s cleared it. He’s saved my day.
We have a good laugh about his reference to MPs. And then I try to give him a tenner – but he won’t have it, so I have to shove it through his open window.
We leave, the best of friends.
Commentsoldest first
What might he have said had you been an MP?! Probably ‘on ‘ya bike Pig’!
So, he refused a tenner?! Many people would have taken ‘ya for a right ride or have the shirt off ‘ya back!
Jon, you experience lifes joys on that bike!
Great story and I think it reflects well what ‘people in the street’ think. I’m sure Mr Scrap Metal Man is not alone in putting more trust in C4 news than he would MPs.
A voxpop as good as any!
Can’t say I blame him. Doubt I’d lift a finger for an MP.
Just don’t put that tenner on expenses….
[...] His latest entry – which I encourage you to read – is a heartwarming reminder that where there’s muck, not only is there brass – ocassionally you’ll strike gold! [...]
Celebrity and ’street cred’ !
You’re well loved Jon and you reward your viewers by asking the right questions…
I work a very busy job as a hospital doctor and watching you and channel four news is often the highlight of my day and my only connection to ‘real’ life, many thanks for a job well done.
When the government tries to flog the idea that we have only just thought about recycling, you think about your scrap metal man, he has been doing it for years and years. I can remember as a youngster that if on your adventures you found an old car battery, you could take it to the scrap man and he would give you 50p for it, enough for a ‘ money object’ session in the tuck shop.
Never mind all that, where can I get a transparent C4 umbrella?
Jon, so does that mean you won’t be standing in the next by election?;0)
[...] Snow|Posted: 4:11 pm on 10/11/09 Category: Snowblog | Tags: Cycling/ environment/ London/ trees Cycling to London’s Islington this morning to meet a contact, I spotted a man digging a hole next to a [...]
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