Tuesday 24 November 2009

Houston, it looks like you're breaking up ...



On my ride home yesterday I discovered I've got a rather reckless side to me. I was cycling fast down the Bayswater Road. I've been getting fairly angry with my main front light for about 2 months. Every time I go over a bump, it kind of shakes and rattles and almost always the light goes out. It's got a dodgy connection. As I'm cycling, I have to kind of hold it a bit and push it back into place and about 50% of the time the light goes on again.

Space shuttle

But yesterday, the light refused to go back on. I pushed it around a bit, but nothing. Then suddenly, a bit like the space shuttle coming back into the atmosphere, the outer casing holding the batteries in place flew off behind me into the night. "Ha ha, I don't care, I hate you!". I was laughing like a maniac. I carried on at speed. Suddenly, the casing which holds the front bulbs in place also flew off behind me. "I hate you too!".

A vulnerable alien

This kind of sated my hatred for the light and my sensible side kicked back in. I don't want to lose the batteries, after all, no matter how much I hate the light. So in a quiet street I was able to take the wretched thing off, still blinking occasionally, and put it in my pocket. It looked a bit like one of those aliens which, when stripped of its horrible outer metallic shell, actually looks quite cute and vulnerable inside.

Anyway, I thought I'd share the story of my light. Am I actually certifiable or do others have love/hate relationships with their gear?

By the way, in case anyone is worried - I do have two other lights on the front ...





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