Little surprises...

of the last
2007 CCM

If there's anything you can say for sure about Chicago Critical Mass it's that it means many things to many people. But whether it's a protest or celebration, spontaneous or planned, confrontational or collaborative, led or followed, the mass is always full of little surprises.


A good example happened last Friday at the Mummer Mass. It involved a bike buddy of mine who posted the following comments to the CCM list. The wonderful photos were taken by Don Sorsa.

[We] stopped at Quencher's and got to catch up with a number folks in whose company I hadn't yet spent much time. Very enjoyable. [When I] left Quencher's to discover (1) I now owned a Kryptonite cable I did not possess when I arrived (did anyone's bike get stolen?); and 2) someone had stolen my taillight (my mistake for not removing it) AND punctured my rear tire. Did others suffer the same fate or am I the only one?


[I then] walked my bike from Fullerton/Western to Irving and the river, when a Korean gentleman passed me riding westbound at midnight. We both waved and I continued on. I shortly heard the work "puncture?" and turned to discover he had turned around and pulled up on the sidewalk.


Without a word, he leaned his bike up against a wall, laid mine on the ground and proceeded to extract every tool known to mankind from a tiny seatpost bag - including cigarette lighter and butter knife. He jimmied the tube out from the tire, found the leak, patched it, replaced the tube within the tire and re-inflated it.


While thanking him profusely, he shook my hand and said, "good." I asked his name and told him mine, only to have him point to himself and say, "Korea" and ride off.


I love this city and hate it simultaneously, but have to start carrying a patch kit so I can give this back!