When I first became a dedicated cyclist, a brochure--distributed by Schwinn, if I recall correctly--exhorted us to lock our bikes if we were leaving them alone "even for a minute."
Good advice, that was--and is. In fact, Rick Shone proved that it's doubly true--literally--today.
As part of his campaign to become Mayor of Winnipeg, Canada, he announced a cycling infrastructure plan that aims to, among other things, reduce bike theft.
Less than 90 minutes later, he drove his pickup truck at The Wilderness Supply, a store he owns, to talk to an employee. He left his orange Rossin, converted into an urban single-speed in the back. Two minutes later he returned.
Guess what happened during those 120 seconds.
"I feel so stupid," he lamented. He explained that he was "distracted by a question," which caused him to leave his truck and bike longer than he'd anticipated.
Of course, I hope he gets his bike back. But I have to wonder whether that theft makes him look like a person of poor judgment and will hinder his candidacy--or whether it will underscore an issue to which he's bringing attention.
In short, will people be more or less likely to vote for him because he lost his bike through, as he admits, his own neglect?
