On Rule #43: Notes for Bike Inspectors
This week’s Guest Article comes from our friend, @blacktoolpower (l) and our editor Drummond Moir (r). In anticipation of our book’s imminent release, these two donned their lab coats and headed out to the streets of London to assess the state of Rule Compliance in the city’s commuter crowd. Always remember: leave this kind of inspection to professionals and should you find yourself in such a position, take special care to observe Rule #43.
Yours in Cycling, Frank
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Friday 24th March was a day of reckoning for the cyclists of London. In anticipation of the imminent publication of The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple, we took to the streets, vigilante-style, to assess whether the Cycling population of the capital were Rules Compliant, or Rules Violators.
We were ruthless. We were professional. No fool was suffered gladly.
Do Not Complain If, During Guerilla Bike Inspections, You Get a Cold.
It was rather wet. And cold. And I didn’t have a jacket. But to complain of the subsequent pestilence would be to fail, pure and simple. To Cycle is to suffer; to seek out Rules Violators during the coldest Spring in over 30 years is sheer bravery and dedication. What sort of Bike Inspector would I be if I couldn’t follow that most basic and fundamental of Rules, Rules #5?
Do Not Fear the Common Man
I had minor reservations about Dr. Spackman’s wellbeing should our benevolent intentions during assessment be misconstrued. Fortunately, I was being over-cautious. From the very first Cyclist we flagged down, to the final pair of socks we measured, London’s Cyclists were as accommodating and as friendly as we could have hoped. Rule #43 was adhered to at all times.
Do Not Succumb to Wrath, or to Despair
There were moments of pain. Of hopelessness. Of despondency tinged with impotent fury.
So many EPMSs!
But Dr Spackman and I pressed on, strengthened by sheer conviction in our mission.
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@Ken Ho if you look at his most recent rambling tirade he tries to make the case for abstaining from eating meat.
@harminator
and is that House just popped off set to check for the rule violations as well?
I imagine @blacktoolpower used the voice from the Nighttime/Daytime animal.
What a great idea!
Awesome! Well done gents!
Now get Drummond to return my email so we can fill the empty space we are making for The Rules in the studio!
Yeah, its my fault, I lost the Canadian contact….
@frank
Yes, that is a very fine design…and I can’t help but think it would make a great kit graphic, in my daydreams while sitting in front of my computer I envision this:
Matching stripes on the collar, sleeves and leg openings, “Obey the rules” script emblem on the chest above the stripes, V – logo down the legs; and a couple of V-Cogs on the sleeves, right upper chest and center rear pocket? Solid black bibs with both black and orange based options on the jersey.
Not that I’ve been thinking about this or anything…
Could be a “classic” version to go along with the original?
I’d buy one for sure…
@frank … make the cards available …… would be quite amusing to whack some on some bikes post ride at coffee stop here
@Barracuda
Oh god…we’d need some pretty significant stock levels!
@iansansom
Ditto…looking forward to living by the code, the gospel, the bible to all things PRO!! If I can’t go fast, I may as well look the part. As the automotive guys say, “If it don’t go, chrome it!”