patience vs. stupidity

I seem to have become a magnet for idiots since I arrived in Europe. First there was the guy who locked his lock around my bike at the grocery store. I waited and the guy came out and unlocked my bike. Patience paid off.

Then there was the guy at the bus stop who stole my cigarette and then punched me in the face. I didn't get mad, didn't fight back, and people came to my aid and I didn't get hurt. When I sobered up the next day, my cheek was a bit sore, but no biggie.

In my latest encounter with idiocy, when I got off the bus on Sunday, someone had locked their lock around my bike *again*. The bike next to mine had no lock on it, so that must have been the culprit's. I would have thought about taking it, but it was a piece of shit. I could've moved it somewhere else to fuck with the person, but he would probably freak out about his bike being stolen and not realize he'd locked up my bike, and then I'd still be fucked. So I just walked a couple miles home.

The next day my bike was unlocked, so I was set. Maybe there's a lesson here for how to deal with Bush. Will patience pay off when the world's gone stupid?