A Short Story.

Yesterday on the way to work, I broke my chain. My chain tool was sitting on the dining room table waiting alone and had been removed from my bag just the day before.
I guess I figured that there wasn't much of a chance in breaking a chain. Wrong. This is the 4th time this has happened to me over the past 34 years. Not bad for all the miles but I can't remember breaking a chain when I had a tool with me. I guess good enough reason to carry one at all times.
I tried to make due by placing it back together and pedaling lightly but after 3 times of it falling off, I decided to play the roll of 'Scooter Chamberlain" and walk. Funny how you notice the hills more when you don't have a chain.
The down hills had be coasting and the up hills walking. For the first time this season I noticed that the sand that the Needham Highway Department had put down had more glass in it that one would ever believe. Check out the photo of glass I picked up in about 10 feet of walking the route.
I got to the Needham Dump and thought they might ether have a master link from a tossed bike or a pair of Vise Grips that would work well to fix the chain.
I checked into the office and the nice man asked me how I was doing. I told him that "I'm OK, but have had better days." I asked if I could borrow a pair of vise grips because there were no bikes in the metal pile. He said, "Here's a key to the Garage. He said there tools and possibly bikes and to help myself. I was getting ready to cross the dump when he came out and said,"Let me just give you a ride home." Sweet!
Its times like this that need to be talked about. There really are lot of nice people out there that in the moment, stand up and help a stranger.
On the glass in the sand, The nice man told me that's whats called "Cheap Sand" and he would mention it to someone.