Bike Boy
Sooo, we seem to be having an unwanted conflict with (what I assume is) a neighbor since he is on his bike. We call him the creative name Bike Boy.
This person isn’t really a boy, he is in the mature age demographic, but doesn’t seem to be emotionally mature. I believe he is probably retired and rides a recumbent bike with a cute little flag.
One day I was outside with Taryn looking at the big monument sign as we talked about painting the edges black, which I did on three sides but can’t reach the top edge because the bushes don’t allow me to put a ladder there safely. Out of the corner of my eye, something rides by and it is who we had fondly referred to as Bike Boy.
“Hello!” I say enthusiastically.
Startled he says, “Oh…hello.”
He continues on, but then suddenly turns into the parking lot, makes a circle, stops in front of our A-board that advertises where we are for West-bound cars on Arden Way, and takes a picture of the sign. Taryn and I stood there watching from 20 feet away wondering why he was doing this. I had a sinking feeling that he didn’t like the sign on the sidewalk, but I had permission for it to be there and I measured that there was ADA clearance. I hoped he was taking a picture to show to someone that we were there. My hopes were dashed when the next day he rode by and knocked the sign down. He continued this every day and we tried to catch him on video, but he was so freaking fast!
Then, I realized the sign had holes to fill with sand or water, so I filled it with water and he was unsuccessful in tipping the sign over anymore. YES!! That lasted about two weeks until, unfortunately, he figured he could push it a different way and make it fall.
We have talked about why he does this and all I can think is: he is an angry person and there are things in his life that are hard, otherwise he is just plain mean, and I don’t want to think about someone that way. It isn’t that he can’t get by; he zooms right around it easily.
Yesterday, a new employee put the sign in a different place: against the telephone pole. Huh. Didn’t even think to do that. Now Bike Boy goes right by without touching it. While I am grateful the battle seems to be over, we are all a little bummed our elaborate plan to chase him down (while doing some parkour athletic moves) and ask why he knocks our sign down is now moot. 😂
Today, a lady named Laurie came in and said, “I am so glad I saw your sign out there! It kept me from driving all the way down to Arden Fair!” See, Bike Boy? This sign is helping my small business. Wouldn’t you rather help us be successful?