gdh81

Ah yes, but I see that you spell "offense" with a "c", so you must be from the UK. Therefore you are not offended by my comment as it was directed at fat Americans.

The defenSe rests.

Sirrus Rider

As a sacker in my youth I bore witness to many many unbalanced store patrons. One old lady who had more money than sense (not to mention psychosis!) would insist that boxes of mothballs be plastic bagged so they wouldn't contaminate any food items. Keep in mind that the boxes of mothballs are already sealed and short of slamming them on the ground and stomping on them will not open. Or equally memorable (and probably just as nutty) a 30 something "new waver" chick came into the store, bought pantyhose, and then proceeded to put them on right in the store (and no she had nothing on under her miniskirt unless they make hair panties.) I have to say the last one was the best to have to contend with, but most were blue-haired, unhappy, old ladies who had to inject their unhappiness into other people's lives. I think you had a run in with one of these. If someone was complaining about dirt from a bike inside a grocery cart, it had more to do with just ruining someone else's bliss. A grocery cart on a microbial level is quite filthy, a bike is no worse and would not contribute further. As for fruit or vegetable contact in the cart one would hope that most people would wash these items before consumption.

jur

Well put.

EvilV

You allow dogs in food shops**********

I'm a dog and cat owner, but I'd never expect to be allowed to take them into a food shop, or any shop come to that. The only dogs allowed into food shops or cafes in the UK are guide dogs for the blind and such. It is against the law to admit a dog to a food shop or a cafe or restaurant here with the exception of an assistance dog. I suppose equality legislation trumps the hygiene regs.

I liked Jur's comment about the potatoes being unsanitary. It's true enough - they have more mud than any bike. LOL.

EvilV

He's put on a hell of a lot of weight since I last saw his photograph then.

EvilV

If there is, it could be on everyone's shoes as well, so maybe everyone should leave them at the door - but then, some people have smelly feet, so maybe they should all go through a sterilising foot bath, but wait - why not a shower before admission too...... and then, some of the customers are ugly, or look poor.

Or maybe we could just get over it and realise that the whole planet is swarming with microbial, life, that every bag of potatoes or onions or whatever is swarming with millions of bacteria.

SesameCrunch

No doubt a direct consequence of spending too much time in Bike Forums and not out there riding instead!

gdh81

They should totally make "hair panties"! That was hilarious, well done.


And yes, people over here bring their dogs EVERYWHERE now. Its effing ridiculous. And then they give you a dirty look if you give them a dirty look. Part of the "its my America and I'll do any damn thing I want" attitude.

stevegor

Interesting point about the store offering to let the OP leave his bike in the manager's office, equally interesting about the low hygene levels of 8 yr olds and their booger balls...I wonder, should the management offer or require customers to leave their filthy little urchins in their office as well?

gdh81

Fred Meyer (the Pacific Northwest face of Kroger) grocery stores have an area for children to stay and read books or watch kids' shows while their parent shops. Its free and very safe, with ID checked for everyone and a CPR certified attendant. Keeps the kids busy and quiet, and safer than riding in a cart. When I was a cashier I saw several kids do headers out of the cart to the floor below.

griftereck

this thread was about carrying bikes in shopping trolleys

think its a stupid idea

anybody will run over dog dirt. But might not notice.
If you get it on your shoe your more likely to notice.

I often see kids in trolleys. Think thats daft. As they may have trodden in something.
And they dont want to be there. So nobody wins.

Also how much shopping will you be buying when out with your folded bike?

Only items that are bought from the shop should go in the trolley.


Well maybe drunken men at 11pm to.
But they wont be anywhere near the shop

nigelme

That should be Sainsbury's new slogan " Sainsbury! Where food is swarming with millions of bacteria "

gdh81

The bacteria arguement is completely valid. But people are stupid and they are more concerned by visible dirt. Hence the popularity of salad bars and buffets. Gross. I'd sooner eat off my chain guard than a salad bar.

EvilV

I think it's a matter of taboo really, rather than scientifically derived hygiene policy. Humans are far more dangerous to us microbially speaking than dogs are. Most of the bugs that afflict them, are specific to them, whereas everything a human may have from an infection point of view is also up for infecting you. It is children who should be banned from food shops - not dogs. They are well known to have appalling hygiene habits and will stick their finger in any orifice and then hold your hand or stroke your face..... Nice eh? Dogs on the other hand may lick their nether regions, but most of what is down there isn't adapted to bother you. There are exceptions to this of course. As far as I know though, none of the ills which trouble our folding bikes can transmit themselves to us - hold that just a moment.... My left knee has developed this creak.... Maybe that damned merc is the cause.

On the bugs and potatoes thing, it is a commonly published factoid that 1 gram of soil may contain a billion microbes. I suppose that many bags of potatoes must contain at least a couple of grams of soil and if you buy them unwashed, as from an old fashioned green grocer, you're probably buying as many microbes as there are people on this planet.

somnatash

So it is, EvilV

mulleady

Humans carry more germs than any folding bike!

A Brompton in a trolley no issue! People just like to whine and complain and impose their phobias on others. EvilV somes it up beautifully!

I'd allow Somnatash's beautiful Brompton in any store as it would brighten up the boring decor. Even more so if the owner has a conincidentally matching outfit

joose

I'm a little confused by all the replies to this thread that are comparing the dirtyness of a folding bike to everything else that could go in a shopping trolley or what you would and wouldn't eat off a salad bar/bike chain etc.

Whats wrong with just trying to be polite and working around what may upset people? The store people were polite and gave a nice solution to the problem.. so what is the problem? And why would you want to 'confront' the complainant? Or think they were a chutzpah? I thought you were given a fair compromise. Arguing the relative rights and wrongs of dirty fingered children and dogs etc just seems a little pointless. I'd much rather everybody gave a little thought to how their actions may affect others rather than just complaining the world isn't run their way.

This isn't a rant just on folding bikes owners, more that alot of the people i meet in life have lost the ability to see issues from the other's side and make compromises to live together better.

mulleady

Joose. Sometimes its the people who complain who don't have the ability to consider other people or try to empathise!

I'm sure they have better things to complain about!

jur

Well said.

joose

Oh I understand this as well, and I'm aware that many people on this forum feel that it was a petty complaint. However, I do believe in leading by example and alot of that is how you react in 'unfair' situations. An common example to all folding bike owners would be travelling on trains or buses. Most days on my train we have yobs (not sure what the US version of this would be?) who listen to loud music through their mobile phones. Any body who askes them to turn it down and they get alot of verbal abuse and depending on the persons, sometimes physical abuse.

These people have lost (or never had) a ability, or a care to think about others. They are a 'me' person and make life unpleasant for everybody else around them. I also assume they think 'they have better things to complain about'.

My point with my earlier post was that the folding bike owner was given a perfectly reasonable solution that would make both sides happy. So I didn't understand the majority of posts afterwards comparing reasons why a bike should be allowered in a trolly compared to children etc? Basically, arguments coming just from one side, the bike owners side? It felt very 'me, me, me' lol

somnatash

Hi,
No, there is nothing wrong with being polite and try not to upset people and I think in this recorded occasion it was all fine, from the posters and the shop owners side. There is also nothing wrong with being a little flexible and give way to complaining others - even if their complaint is fuelled from unreasonable phobic anxiety.

I would not take the postings here too seriously but with a twinkling eye since there is also nothing wrong if like-minded people join to mock about a little.

But then, if taken into a larger perspective/viewed politically of course there have been serious points:

The real problem is, that caused from unhealthy phobic anxiety and the unrealistic aim to to live in aseptic surrounding mankind pollutes water/nature with detergents/antibiotics/disinfectants so causing more and more allergies and incurable diseases for mankind and death for small animals hence real "dangerous" bacteria conquer the space.

So while okay in the single occasion in the long run it would shapes conciousness better if not to backtrack but to explain that customer how silly their complaints.
Sorry if my English weird here

tulip

Bike Friday shows a photo of a woman carrying her folded Tikit in a grocery cart without a bag. Nice idea. But if it's a problem, just put the bike in a bag, already. If you don't want to buy an official bike bag, get an Ikea bag or something similar. My 20" Friday almost fits in an Ikea bag, so the 16" folders ought to fit without a problem.

stevegor

If the truth be know, most of those germs we're worrying about in the shopping trolley are highly unlikely to make us ill because we have good immune systems that developed when we were very young as we ate grass and dirt from the back garden. I call it natural immunisation. It's when we eat contaminated food that we get sick, not from touching what others have handled..think about how many times that $1 or 1p note/coin has been handled and how rare it would be to become unwell from that. There are exceptions to the rule of course, but generally most of us will be fine.

makeinu

...is that what you aussies feed your young?

stevegor

Mate, we were so poor we were lucky to have a cup of cold tea....in a cracked cup.