"Go ahead, inconvenience me"

What is it that prompts us to do something different spontaneously? I have my own theory. Recently I read a blog post by Mark Landreth-Smith. (Follow the link if you'd like to read it yourself). Called 'The 15 Revolution' after a book by Paul Scanlon, Mark's post informed me the book has a motto: "Go ahead, inconvenience me".

Normally when I drive home, I come up College Ride. Today on impulse I used the A30 route. As I was approaching the traffic lights at Caesar’s Camp Road, I noticed on the opposite pavement a cyclist sitting down with the bike lying nearby. It was obvious at first glance the cyclist had come off, with large dark stains all down one side. This much I took in as I sped by. I wanted to get home quick because I needed to use the bathroom (having ignored the inner prompting to use the loo at work before I came away). Then Mark's blog post came to mind – the motto from the book, “Go ahead, inconvenience me”. As a result, I turned around and went back, pulling up alongside the cyclist. I’d thought it was a teenage boy, in fact it was a Slovakian lady in her 50’s cycling home from work. It was clear she had had a nasty fall and was badly bruised and shaken up. Together we managed to load the bike in the back of the car (it’s what estate cars are for) and set off for Blackwater where she was able to direct me to her home. She was very grateful (and I was very grateful to be able to use her bathroom before I came home). Seems the book’s influence is wider than its readership, thanks to the power of the internet!