Went to the LBS on the way home last night.

[palinurus]

So yesterday I was riding home and my fingers were a bit cold, I've got these old Altura gloves that have developed some holes and some of the windproof stuff has peeled off.

So I stop off at the bikeshop and I ask for some new winter gloves, some guy is showing me these mitt things, which look very warm but I don't want to look like lobster boy so I ask for some with fingers, then the manager wanders over and says

- this is a bit of a delicate situation-

I look at him and he says

-is your wife French?

Where in god's name is this going? I think.

-because I think she was in here earlier buying gloves.

So now I know what I've got for christmas. Sealskins apparently.

 

[fossyant]

 

[400bhp]

Very good of the lbs to be honest.

 

[coffeejo]

Here's hoping your wife is the only French woman in the area with a cycling partner...!

 

[Markymark]

I'd start to worry if after this you didn't get the gloves.....!!!

 

[DCLane]

At least your wife is that observant she knows what to buy you.

 

[tadpole]

At least your wife is that observant she knows what to buy you.

Or she's been hugged by someone who has just come in from a chilly ride with freezing hands.

 

[defy-one]

you have a French wife ...... Christmas every day

 

[Beebo]

Here's hoping your wife is the only French woman in the area with a cycling partner...!

Or his French wife is having an affair with another cyclist who needs some winter gloves!!

 

[Graham]

Or she's expecting a bike for Christmas? Warm up the credit card fella......

 

[Boris Bajic]

I've seen this before.

The shop is a dead-letter drop for a Columbian cartel who are trying (successfully so far) to penetrate a French intelligence agency (DGSE, I believe), so they can insert electronic counter-measures against any possible attempt by the latter to intercept cocaine shipments into Orly and CdG, flying in via Madrid.

You were told by the 'owner' of the LBS (who clearly mistook you for Roberto el Gatillo) that the time and venue for the next shipment have been changed.

By replying in the affirmative you were agreeing to ensure that the necessary bribes would be in place.

I hope you didn't mention lightweight spokes or bottle cages. You don't want to know how many lives that would cost in the likely shoot-out in Place de Stalingrad.

If the bell rang as you entered or left the shop, the shipment needs to overnight in the fourth bay of the bonded warehouse, not the usual second bay.

I hope this helps.

 

[CopperCyclist]

Great service by the LBS

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Yippee, my married bit on the side is getting me some gloves! Lovely French lass she is.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Very good of the lbs to be honest.

They didn't have to be so honest as to tell him they were seal skins. They could have left him a bit of a surprise. On the whole though very commendable not going for the extra sale that they would have undoubtedly got and would not have been at all blamed for. I'd just be concerned that the lbs staff might have some sort of weird obsession with me and had been following me around, taking notes on my life.
I would also like to add that I am totally against the use of seal skins to make gloves. I've seen too many Greenpeace footage of seal slaughter thankone very much.

 

[dellzeqq]

last Christmas Susie decided to buy me a shirt or somesuch, so we went down to the shop. The chap serving us was snickering, grinning and rolling his eyes. What he knew, but she didn't know was that I'd been in there half an hour earlier, buying her some Shimano shoes.