Who said you shouldn't talk to strangers?

My little sister outgrew her kiddie bike, so I bought her a big bike for her birthday. After much online shopping, I decided on a bike at Sears because it was pink, purple and all put together. There was another decent bike for $60 less, but it was going to come in a box. I'm not sure what to do with a bike in a box, besides hand it over to a bike shop.

Yesterday I plan to go to Sears to pick it up. I can take the T or a zip car. I debate my options. If I take the T, it's going to be a big pain. I decide on a zip car. There's a hatchback available nearby. I ask Captain,

"Do you think it'll fit?"

"Why don't you go look at the car before you reserve it?"

I head outside. The hatchback looks great. I go online to reserve it. In the past 10 minutes someone else reserved it. Sigh. I look at the zip car next to it. It's small. Will the bike fit? I have my doubts. I go ahead and get the small zip car. Don't ask me what I was thinking. I wasn't.

I park in the mall garage and return in a minute with a big ol' pink, purple bike all put together. I try to put it in the back seat. No way. I stand there staring at the big bike and the small car. A man with his wife and baby are sitting in a car across from me, watching. He gets out,

"Do you need help?"

"Yes."

"Do the back seats come down?"

"I don't know, it's a zip car."

"Can you pop the trunk?"

I pop the hood. He sighs, comes over to the driver door and pops the trunk. The seats do fold down. We try to get the bike in. It fits, but just enough of the handlebars won't go in, so the trunk won't close. He asks me,

"Do you have rope?"

"No."

He goes back to his car and comes back with rope. He ties the trunk down. I am so thankful and amazed at how much he has helped me. I tell him,

"I don't know how I would've done this without you."

"You wouldn't have."

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