Originally Posted by
Cyclomania
Glad you're ok Slim. I wonder if he would have struck a conversation had you had been sporting bib shorts and a Giro helmet? Possibly he's a scout in fancy clothes looking for the next unsuspecting victim. Makes me want to wretch big time.
Invite a bicycle thief to lunch? 50 demerits.
Hello there Cyclomania!
At the time of the conversation, I felt somewhat amazed, captivated, intrigued, and totally enthralled, by what I was hearing. I also felt almost privileged, to be in such a unique situation, where I could hear about all the real juice, the actual nuclear data, and the genuine essence, of bicycle theft. Since when does anybody have such an opportunity? Besides, this guy was explaining it so eloquently. Momentarily, you would have thought he was a professional narrator for MSNBC, National Geographic, Sixty Minutes, or something.
Somewhere near the end of the conversation, the spellbound period, terminated. I began to feel vulnerable to, suspicious, and ambivalent about these two guys. Here I was laughing and talking with them just like I was one of them, simply because they were both intelligent and personable people. While all the time, I was acting completely oblivious about the actual content of the topic.
These guys are actually the very bane of my existence! However, part of me wanted to help this guy find a decent job so that he could start doing something positive in his life, again. Part of me wanted to help the Portland guy completely recover from his drug addiction ( he was slightly trembling for most of the conversation). Part of me wanted to kick the both of them square in their keisters!
At the point of making my exit, I just stood up and stated that I had to go to the restroom across the street, at the library. As I walked towards the door, I told them both that I was late for my appointment and that I'd see them later. For an instant, I felt like running to the police...I don't know where that thought came from...What would I tell them?
Once I got back into my car, I collapsed...Reclined my seat and just sat there absorbing all the information I had just been privy to...That took just about an hour!
-Slim
