Tats, an avid commuter cyclist, was the beneficiary of a new, FREE bike here in Buenos Aires back in November, thanks to the generosity of one of our visitors. She used the bike daily to ride to her Spanish course, and even had a rack installed on it so that she could pick up groceries for us once in a while. The deal was that -- rather than sell it when we leave -- we'd pass the bike along to another "cyclist in need".
About a week ago, I therefore posted an ad on the Expat forum, retelling to story of the free bike, giving a brief description, and inviting "applicants" to respond to three questions:
- Why do you want the bike?
- Why do you deserve the free bike?
- How will you "pay it forward" when you are done with the bike (i.e. when you leave BsAs)?
I agreed to read the first ten responses before making a decision. I knew I'd enjoy the responses; what I hadn't considered was how hard it would be to make a decision!!!
Here are some highlights from some of my favourites: