No good deed goes unpunished.

[7rider]

Sigh.
So yesterday, I noticed something big and yellow and pretty beefy looking - like a radio or a flashlight - in the curb on my cummute. I was with a coworker, so I didn't stop to investigate.

Today, I'm riding solo up the same hill and it's still there. "Ohhh," I think. "Treasure!" So I stop and pick it up. It's a heavy duty flashlight. Rechargeable and dead as a doornail (darn!). It also has engraved in the side "KVFD" - Kensington Volunteer Fire Department.

Bummer. So much for treasure and some fireman is without his light -- without a light to guide him safely out of a burning building or to help find some disaster victim. I've *got* to return this thing to its rightful owner.

So this afternoon, I load up my single pannier and I use my bungie net to strap the light to the top of the rack. Because I have a pannier on the rack, however, the net doesn't attach properly and must be wrapped in odd angles to secure the load. So off I ride 8 miles to the fire dept and return the light to a surprised fireman.

Riding home, I hear something rattling from the rear of the bike and think "Oh, gotta stash the bungie net." I retrieve it and it is torn to pieces!
I did a crummy job wrapping and securing the light, and my bungie net was rubbing against the tire for my ride! It's busted in several places!!
Well, hopefully, I can do a little surgery on the thing and still have a functional, if SMALLER, bungie net!

At least the FD has their light back, and I guess the price isn't *that* bad!

[Geonz]

And how many drivers went by it? You've not only returned a flashlight but embedded an image and ideas into the firemen's minds about these people they see on bicycles... positive ones :-) You get 50 cycle-diplomacy points to be redeemed for... hmmm... :-)

[mimitabby]

Yeah, the bicycle nation thanks you!