bike ramblings
Thursday, May 08, 2008
bike ramblings #1
this happened 2 weeks ago.
i was riding along the ECP on the way to work, and then suddenly the bike started to slow down on its own. thinking that the petrol is low, i switched to the secondary tank. usually this will last me about 20 more km until i can find the next nearest petrol station. well, not this time. this time, apparently, even the secondary tank is empty. so i quickly swerved to the shoulder and parked the bike and began to consider my options. i could
1) call up any friend who drives, hopefully one of them can stop by a gas station, buy a can of petrol and come here and save me
2) abandon the bike, walk to the nearest bus stop, take the bus to work, and come back after work with petrol
3) walk to the nearest gas station, buy the petrol, walk back here, and ride off to work, late.
so i called up a few friends, none could make it, i didnt want to abandon the bike for the whole day, so i decided on the 3rd option. crossed the ecp via underpass, walked past parkway parade towards katong, and found a mobil station near the famous chicken rice stall. a good 30mins walk. i told the pump attendant what i needed, he immediately ushered me inside to the cashier counter and knocked on the office door. a lady came out, he told the lady what i wanted, and the lady went in again and came out with a can of petrol and a receipt. she said, i can have the petrol without paying for the tin can (usually the can costs $5). i paid up and on the way out, uncle explained to me that just a few hours earlier, about 5am, a guy came to the station, purchased the petrol, then went to the toilet, and disappeared without a trace, leaving the can behind.
which i find rather.. odd. how the can of petrol changed hands within that 3 hours, maybe it was mas selamat who ran off using his toilet-escape trick, he was supposed to use the petrol to blow up MHA. and now its in my hands. oh well.
bike ramblings #2
my helmet got stolen last week. i hung it at the side of the bike like i always do whenever the bike box is full. parked it at the office building, went up to work, 8.5 hrs later, came down, and helmet is gone. bloody hell.
luckily i brought a spare old helmet that day cos i was supposed to meet drey after work. wore that and rode to the nearest workshops at alexandra. i've never realised how expensive a full-face helmet can cost.. about $450-$600. a few days later i bought a helmet similar to the one that got stolen for $70. oh well.
bike ramblings #3
so i was late for work today. nevermind. so i was drenched cos i was caught in the rain on the way to work today. no matter.
but i rode into the carpark at my office building to discover that they have implemented a new parking system. since the beginning of time, bikes have always parked for free at that carpark. from today onwards, the building management have decided to put up a new barrier BEFORE the bike lots and so now we have to pay, via cashcard, a per entry fee of $0.65.
now before you say "WHAT? AND HE'S COMPLAINING? WE CAR OWNERS PAY MUCH MORE THAN THAT!".... i'd just like to state for the record that you'll be comparing kumquats to persimmons. bikes usually park for free, almost all the carparks in buildings in the town area dont charge bikes. and even if it is per entry, i go in and out of that carpark a lot since i have to travel to sgh often. it adds up. wtf. another (small) reason why i miss NUS. (hint to the relevant ppl in NUS who's reading this). oh well.
this happened 2 weeks ago.
i was riding along the ECP on the way to work, and then suddenly the bike started to slow down on its own. thinking that the petrol is low, i switched to the secondary tank. usually this will last me about 20 more km until i can find the next nearest petrol station. well, not this time. this time, apparently, even the secondary tank is empty. so i quickly swerved to the shoulder and parked the bike and began to consider my options. i could
1) call up any friend who drives, hopefully one of them can stop by a gas station, buy a can of petrol and come here and save me
2) abandon the bike, walk to the nearest bus stop, take the bus to work, and come back after work with petrol
3) walk to the nearest gas station, buy the petrol, walk back here, and ride off to work, late.
so i called up a few friends, none could make it, i didnt want to abandon the bike for the whole day, so i decided on the 3rd option. crossed the ecp via underpass, walked past parkway parade towards katong, and found a mobil station near the famous chicken rice stall. a good 30mins walk. i told the pump attendant what i needed, he immediately ushered me inside to the cashier counter and knocked on the office door. a lady came out, he told the lady what i wanted, and the lady went in again and came out with a can of petrol and a receipt. she said, i can have the petrol without paying for the tin can (usually the can costs $5). i paid up and on the way out, uncle explained to me that just a few hours earlier, about 5am, a guy came to the station, purchased the petrol, then went to the toilet, and disappeared without a trace, leaving the can behind.
which i find rather.. odd. how the can of petrol changed hands within that 3 hours, maybe it was mas selamat who ran off using his toilet-escape trick, he was supposed to use the petrol to blow up MHA. and now its in my hands. oh well.
bike ramblings #2
my helmet got stolen last week. i hung it at the side of the bike like i always do whenever the bike box is full. parked it at the office building, went up to work, 8.5 hrs later, came down, and helmet is gone. bloody hell.
luckily i brought a spare old helmet that day cos i was supposed to meet drey after work. wore that and rode to the nearest workshops at alexandra. i've never realised how expensive a full-face helmet can cost.. about $450-$600. a few days later i bought a helmet similar to the one that got stolen for $70. oh well.
bike ramblings #3
so i was late for work today. nevermind. so i was drenched cos i was caught in the rain on the way to work today. no matter.
but i rode into the carpark at my office building to discover that they have implemented a new parking system. since the beginning of time, bikes have always parked for free at that carpark. from today onwards, the building management have decided to put up a new barrier BEFORE the bike lots and so now we have to pay, via cashcard, a per entry fee of $0.65.
now before you say "WHAT? AND HE'S COMPLAINING? WE CAR OWNERS PAY MUCH MORE THAN THAT!".... i'd just like to state for the record that you'll be comparing kumquats to persimmons. bikes usually park for free, almost all the carparks in buildings in the town area dont charge bikes. and even if it is per entry, i go in and out of that carpark a lot since i have to travel to sgh often. it adds up. wtf. another (small) reason why i miss NUS. (hint to the relevant ppl in NUS who's reading this). oh well.
i so want this bike. swoon.
