"14 scheduled repairs at 10am. Walk in, try to take it in stride. First custy I help shows the dim bulb response. After minutes of contemplation over combos or keyed locks, he brings up the key version and asks, can you open this so I can test it out?”
I knew the day was on the downhill from there.
11am, 15 repairs. One snuck in from behind. Lucky me, shop hack, and the only one on for the day. I snapped the lock out of its package with a blank stare and slid it over the counter. I walked into the back of the shop where I just stood for a moment in an attempt to regain my Zen. Things aren’t hard here. U-locks, cables, keys or combos. You need to make a choice. Need education? OK, here it is:
Combos have numbers. Keys have keys. Which one are you most likely to remember?
U-locks are stronger. Heavier. Limited on what they can lock to.
Cables. lighter. Easier to cut, but lock to almost anything reasonable.
What bling factor does your bike have? How much do you love it?
It’s not a hard choice. All seems obvious. Maybe I’m too close to the fire though. I Walked back out, and sure enough, the “test” worked. The lock opened when he turned the key. Sold."I think anyone who has worked in a bike shop has had their own version of this very customer. And when you get one, you just want to demonstrate the locks by tightly securing it around their necks and saying "pretty secure eh? Can you open that? No?"
Then there's the YJA 'buyer'. "I need a high-visibility jacket." Oh, a YJA! "Huh?" Nevermind. We have several brands, styles and prices. Vest or sleeves. They try on every one. "Ok, I'll have a think about it." What's there to think about? It's a YJA! Use your A and buy the damn YJ! And you just know they're repeating the whole procedure at the next shop, and the next. Maybe we can introduce YJA testing, where we put them on a bike and drive a car at them to see if they really are visible...
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