First Day

Well, I’ve been thinking of trying it out for a while, and now it’s happened. I wonder if it will be as good as I imagined:

outdoors on my bike all day

chilling at the pub next to the canal until the next call

the feeling of independence

lots of exercise

not getting talked down to by a customer or bossed about by a boss

not being stuck in an office wishing I was outside riding my bike

Or, whether I will end up regretting it and not wanting to go near a bike for the forseeable future:

riding in torrential downpour

riding when I’m knackered

not getting paid much

not having any workmates to chat to while I’m out delivering

breathing in lots of pollution

fixing punctures and snapped chains in the rain

getting sick of that hill on the way to H**b*rn*

I suspect it will be a mixture of all the above. Only time will tell how it will turn out.

Anyway so, I started today. At the request of the controllers, I spent all day sitting in the passenger seat of a courier’s van, so that I could learn the route and see where all the clients were located.

It was the least work I have ever done in one day, and it was the most boring day I have ever had. By the end of the day I wanted to quit, I was that bored of sitting about. When I got back to base I asked if I could go out and do some jobs on my bike, but no! I had to stay with the van courier for the rest of the afternoon. He is a sound guy, but I never should have told him that “I used to smoke, but I’m giving up”. He kept offering me fags and when I declined, he said “Are you sure? Go onnnnnnn. Are you sure?”. I can’t turn people down when it comes to fags, so I obliged. I must be stupid; I need my lungs to be in good working order and they’re already battered enough from all the smoking I’ve done in the past…

I was meant to be staying with the van guy tomorrow too but I twisted the controller’s arm and persuaded them to let me go out, telling them “I think I am definitely ready, and it would save you spending money on diesel driving me about when I could be out delivering on the bike”. The boss said that’s what he likes to hear. They’ll just have to trust me because I can’t hack another day of being sat on my arse. I wanna get out and ride my bike!

So, I’m out tomorrow morning, 9:30am. Let the carnage begin…