Davis Bike Exchange

I'm in the process of moving and I needed to sell or donate four brand-new bicycles and several hundred dollars worth of bike tools (I've been involved with cycling, in various ways, for more than 50 years). Since the Bike Exchange has been taking care of cyclists without a lot of money for a long time, I decided to just donate them to this shop. I pulled up outside with the first couple of bikes in the SUV and walked around and into the side door. Entering from the bright sunlight, all I could see was a mass of shadowy, hanging bikes (I'm 66, my eyes don't adjust as fast as they used to). I called out, "Hello!" and a friendly, chubby little dog came out to greet me. I asked, loudly enough to be heard, if any humans were in charge. At that point, I heard a gruff "What do you want?" from somewhere behind the mass of bikes. Oriented, somewhat, by the sound of the voice, I saw the outline of a human, at a bench, with his back to me, through the bikes. I called back, "If I can get your attention for a minute, I'd like to make a donation." The response from the charming fellow (I assume it was the owner), still without approaching or even turning from his bench, was a sarcastic, "Should I stand at attention? Say 'yes, Sir and no, Sir?'" My answer was that he should go perform an impossible act on himself. Another good cause got the bike donations. I suspect that it's too late for this guy's mother to teach him manners, and I'm surprised that no one else seems to have given him the required lessons. Too bad. Terrible experience. Luckily, this individual didn't speak to me in this manner 20 years ago.