Sunday, 19 May 2002 | Learning how to bargain

Ever since I bought my mom a bike in February, my dad has been interested in getting one for himself. Sometimes he rides her bike around town (which is small and flat and without much traffic, ideal for a-to-b sort of bike riding), but they can't ride together, and therefore they don't ride much. Two weeks ago, my dad finally asked me if I could find a bike for him to buy, and yesterday I found one.

I went to the same pawn shop where I bought my bike, to the same salesman with the slicked-back hair and the too-short tie and the suspicious moustache. This time he was less serious, actually openly mocking himself, the stereotypical pawn shop clerk. "You know a new one of these costs $220, and it comes with a year of free tune-ups," I told him. "Oh, we do that. She comes over to your house and fixes your bike for you, whenever you need it," he said smiling, gesturing to an employee standing beside him.

He went down to 170. I said 150. "I'll meet you halfway. I'll go 160," he conceded. "You know, the water bottle holder is also missing, so I'll have to get one of those." "Oh, yeah, that's why I went down ten bucks," he responded, still grinning. After test-driving the bike around the parking lot and being secretly encouraged by the "repair-woman" employee that I talk him down, I convinced him to sell it to me for $150.

Moments later, busy stuffing the bike in the back seat of my car, I didn't notice that less than ten feet away a man ran out of the pawn shop with his arms full of merchandise, and that the salesman and another man ran out after him, chasing him behind the strip mall. The only reason I know about it at all is because I stepped back inside for a moment and witnessed the reconstruction by the customers and the remaining employee: was he wearing a red shirt? I think it was orange.

***

I know it's gone downhill, but I'm sad anyway that tonight is the last night for the X-Files. It's the only show I watch with any regularity and has been for years. In Berlin, even, where it was a season behind, and Scully and Mulder knew how to speak German but used the wrong voices.