KonAaron Snake 

I had an awkward moment last week; a bike that is often parked outside of my office building has a lovely Brooks Swift with copper rivets. It was raining and the saddle had a rain cover underneath it in the railings. I thought about whether or not I should touch a bike that doesn't belong to me and decided to cover the Brooks for him. I felt odd doing it, but my thought pattern was, I'd love if someone did it for me.

Anyway, yesterday the bike's owner approached me angrily and asked me why I touched his bicycle. I tried explaining why I did what I did, but he was very annoyed and I wasn't totally sure of whether I did the right thing or not. I apologized and walked away with him yelling.

How would you react? Obviously there is a boundary around your personal property that another person shouldn't intrude upon, but if they're trying to help, doesn't that override the boundary?

robtown

It's a hard call. The parallel with cars is reaching in to turn off the headlights so the battery doesn't die.

KonAaron Snake 

Yeah...it's pretty much the exact same issue and I've agonized over that one as well.

cb400bill

The guy is an a$$, Write it off and move on.

gaucho777 

You did the right thing, whether the owner recognizes it or not. (I wish I could have voted for options B and C.)

Little Darwin

If my Brooks is out in the rain, please cover it with whatever is handy.

BigPolishJimmy

It's tricky... Yes, I'd like it if someone covered my saddle for me but no I won't touch another person's bike. If you walk up on someone while they're messing with your bike, how do you know if they have good intentions. Here after the fact the dude should have understood you meant no harm, but since he's so upset next time he can have a wet saddle.

mudboy

Lemme guess...typical Philly hipster schmuck wearing skinny jeans and ironic facial hair?

aixaix 

Pretty amazing he couldn't get past anger at having his stuff touched to think about why you did so. It is too bad your good deed was punished.

His problem, not yours.

bigbossman 

Best to leave other folks stuff be.

If he's squirrely enough to own a Brooks, you can assume he's mentally unstable.

Mike Mills

I agree 100%. He should be thanking you not yelling at you. He's probably transferring his anger at himself over to you.

BTW, how did he ever know it was you?

JunkYardBike

Oh, I thought this would be a thread about hygiene and touching someone else's saddle. There was actually a thread once where the consensus was not to hold another's bike by the saddle for sanitary reasons.

I think it was in the 41.

+1 Guy was a jerk. I can understanding him asking you the question, but not flipping out. How did he see you anyway? Hidden camera?

AZORCH

As we all know: Brooks ain't cheap - and if this @ss had the foresight to not only purchase, but also carry a cover then he recognizes that fact as well. He's an @ss and you did him a solid. I only hope someone will do the same for me if one of my Brooks is in a similar situation. And I thank that person right now, in advance.

Don't lose sleep over it. Life's too short and the world's full of people like this that, frankly, take too much energy to figure out.

canyoneagle

+1
You did the guy a favor in the end (crossing his personal space boundary in the process, apparently).

It's a tough call.
The fact that he continued to B@tch at you after you'd explained it tells me he's just an asshat. Most folks would "get it" and be appreciative of the gesture. Screw him.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Right on man. well said.

Personally I would not have had the restraint to not invite a person like that to Suck mightily on my Kiwis....and I'd probably get punched in the face for it. Wouldn't be the first time.

ColonelJLloyd 

There's nothing to be learned here. There's no explaining some folk.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

"Some folk you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week. Which is what he wanted."

SPlKE 

My thoughts exactly.

ColonelJLloyd 

Puget Pounder

next time, pour water on it on a sunny day to teach him to be nicer. When he confronts you, just refer to the other day when you covered his saddle and say that he needs to clarify what he wants you to do.

WNG

"Bone Saw!!!"


I would've appreciated it. Probably because I'm like-minded in the way of preserving my equipment. But it's a tough call since a fine line is crossed.
If he couldn't simmer down after an explanation that your effort wasn't malicious, He's not worth a 2nd thought, sounds like a poseur.

aixaix 

I own seven of them. Now I understand. Thanks, bigbossman.You've helped me find the root of my troubles.

KonAaron Snake 

I have NO IDEA and have been wondering that myself! There were a few messengers around when I did it...maybe one of them recognized me. Maybe he saw me do it, but you'd think he'd have said something then, or found a way to find me, if it annoyed him that much.

BBM - please send all worthless Brooks saddles you come across my way

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

"Covering the Brooks Boss"

"Yep, cover it up Dragline"

KonAaron Snake 

Messenger type...tats. Actually pretty big and bulky, but maybe he just seemed that way because he was in full on aggressive mode and I was weighing fight or flight.